npr--2020-12-20--Congressional Leaders Reach Deal On $900 Billion COVID-19 Relief Package

After months of partisan squabbling , congressional leaders have reached agreement on a nearly $ 900 billion COVID-19 relief package .
`` At long last , we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed , '' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , said on the Senate floor Sunday evening .
`` As our citizens continue battling the coronavirus this holiday season , they will not be fighting alone , '' he added .
McConnell was followed on the floor by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , who said : `` Make no mistake about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But it will deliver emergency relief to a nation in the throes of a genuine emergency . ''
Though both leaders blamed the other side for the package 's months-long delay , Schumer said the deal was forged after `` weeks of intense , bipartisan negotiation . ''
Among its provisions , the package includes a new round of direct payments to qualifying Americans , worth up to $ 600 per adult and child ; a boost in weekly unemployment benefits ; and funds for small-business aid and vaccine distribution .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , and Sen. Josh Hawley , R-Mo.
, pushed for direct payments , and had sought higher dollar figures .
President Trump , who was largely absent in negotiations , insisted on the direct payments as well .
Democratic leaders have emphasized this agreement is a first step that they intend to build on in the new year under the Biden administration .
Democrats had wanted to include sizable aid to state and local governments , an item they had to remove from the final compromise , alongside Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect businesses against coronavirus-related lawsuits .
The relief bill is moving in parallel with a broader government funding measure .
Lawmakers are taking up a one-day stop-gap spending bill , as government funding is set to expire at midnight .
That would set up final votes on the relief package Monday , before it would be sent to the president 's desk .
If it passes , it would be the first major piece of legislation in response to the coronavirus pandemic since the $ 2 trillion CARES Act passed in March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the package centered on a Republican-backed provision led by Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania that would require the Federal Reserve to seek congressional approval for certain lending authorities .
On Saturday , Toomey argued on the Senate floor that three pandemic-related lending programs should end because they 've `` achieved their purpose . ''
Democrats pushed back , arguing that Toomey 's provision would also prevent future Treasury secretaries from restarting the lending programs .
But legislators said they reached a compromise on the issue late Saturday , after hours of talks between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senior Democratic aide , Toomey `` agreed to drop the broad language in his proposal that would have prevented the Fed chair from establishing similar facilities in the future to the ones created [ by the CARES Act ] in March . ''
Toomey 's office said in a statement Sunday morning that the `` agreement is an unqualified victory for taxpayers , '' adding that the deal `` will preserve Fed independence and prevent Democrats from hijacking these programs for political and social policy purposes . ''
In a call with reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that his proposal was politically motivated and designed to weaken the Biden administration 's ability to respond to future crises , calling it `` completely and utterly false . ''
He said his stance on the issue of closing these pandemic-related lending facilities has been consistent since the first drafting of COVID-19 response legislation in the spring .
`` I was the guy in March — when I do n't think anybody knew who the next president was going to be — I was arguing that we should have a Sept. 30 close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toomey said .
`` I did n't get my way on that .
I settled for Dec. 31 , and that 's what we put in the statute . ''
Toomey said he was concerned by an `` aggressive effort '' from some Democrats `` to make the case that these programs do n't end on Dec .
31 . ''
But he acknowledged his initial language on the issue was `` too broad '' and `` might have captured facilities that we did n't intend to capture . ''
`` The Toomey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a bipartisan agreement , '' Schumer said on Sunday afternoon .
Both Schumer and McConnell had previously vowed to stay through the Christmas holiday if need be to get a relief measure passed .
Sen. Mark Warner , D-Va. , on ABC 's This Week added : `` The great news is Congress is not going to be the Grinch .
We 're going to get this package done . ''

Congressional Leaders Reach Deal On $900 Billion COVID-19 Relief Package
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Updated at 11:52 p.m. ET
After months of partisan squabbling, congressional leaders have reached agreement on a nearly $900 billion coronavirus relief package.
"At long last, we have the bipartisan breakthrough the country has needed," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor Sunday evening.
"As our citizens continue battling the coronavirus this holiday season, they will not be fighting alone," he added.
McConnell was followed on the floor by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who said: "Make no mistake about it: This agreement is far from perfect. But it will deliver emergency relief to a nation in the throes of a genuine emergency."
Though both leaders blamed the other side for the package's months-long delay, Schumer said the deal was forged after "weeks of intense, bipartisan negotiation."
Among its provisions, the package includes a new round of direct payments to qualifying Americans, worth up to $600 per adult and child; a boost in weekly unemployment benefits; and funds for small-business aid and vaccine distribution.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., pushed for direct payments, and had sought higher dollar figures. President Trump, who was largely absent in negotiations, insisted on the direct payments as well.
Democratic leaders have emphasized this agreement is a first step that they intend to build on in the new year under the Biden administration.
In a statement Sunday evening, President-elect Joe Biden called the deal "a model for the challenging work ahead for our nation," promising that the action was "just the beginning. Our work is far from over."
Democrats had wanted to include sizable aid to state and local governments, an item they had to remove from the final compromise, alongside Republicans' concession to drop a liability shield to protect businesses against coronavirus-related lawsuits.
The relief bill is moving in parallel with a broader government funding measure. Lawmakers passed, and the president signed, a one-day stop-gap spending bill late Sunday to keep the government funded past midnight. That sets up final votes on the relief package Monday, before it goes to the president's desk.
If it passes, it would be the first major piece of legislation in response to the coronavirus pandemic since the $2 trillion CARES Act passed in March.
Final standoff
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
The final sticking point holding up the package centered on a Republican-backed provision led by Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania that would require the Federal Reserve to seek congressional approval for certain lending authorities.
On Saturday, Toomey argued on the Senate floor that three pandemic-related lending programs should end because they've "achieved their purpose."
Democrats pushed back, arguing that Toomey's provision would also prevent future Treasury secretaries from restarting the lending programs.
But legislators said they reached a compromise on the issue late Saturday, after hours of talks between Toomey and Schumer.
According to a senior Democratic aide, Toomey "agreed to drop the broad language in his proposal that would have prevented the Fed chair from establishing similar facilities in the future to the ones created [by the CARES Act] in March."
Toomey's office said in a statement Sunday morning that the "agreement is an unqualified victory for taxpayers," adding that the deal "will preserve Fed independence and prevent Democrats from hijacking these programs for political and social policy purposes."
In a call with reporters Sunday, Toomey pushed back on characterizations that his proposal was politically motivated and designed to weaken the Biden administration's ability to respond to future crises, calling it "completely and utterly false."
He said his stance on the issue of closing these pandemic-related lending facilities has been consistent since the first drafting of COVID-19 response legislation in the spring.
"I was the guy in March — when I don't think anybody knew who the next president was going to be — I was arguing that we should have a Sept. 30 close on [these facilities]," Toomey said. "I didn't get my way on that. I settled for Dec. 31, and that's what we put in the statute."
Toomey said he was concerned by an "aggressive effort" from some Democrats "to make the case that these programs don't end on Dec. 31." But he acknowledged his initial language on the issue was "too broad" and "might have captured facilities that we didn't intend to capture."
"The Toomey legislation was the last significant stumbling block to a bipartisan agreement," Schumer said on Sunday afternoon.
Both Schumer and McConnell had previously vowed to stay through the Christmas holiday if need be to get a relief measure passed.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on ABC's This Week added: "The great news is Congress is not going to be the Grinch. We're going to get this package done."
NPR congressional reporter Claudia Grisales contributed reporting.


npr--2020-12-20--Japan Suspends Subsidized Tourism Program Amid Spike In Coronavirus Cases

During the pandemic , Japan 's government has been subsidizing travel and tourism to juice the economy .
After a @ @ @ @ @ it will now suspend the program for two weeks .

Japan Suspends Subsidized Tourism Program Amid Spike In Coronavirus Cases During the pandemic, Japan's government has been subsidizing travel and tourism to juice the economy. After a spike in coronavirus cases, it will now suspend the program for two weeks.
Global Health Japan Suspends Subsidized Tourism Program Amid Spike In Coronavirus Cases Japan Suspends Subsidized Tourism Program Amid Spike In Coronavirus Cases Listen · 3:39 3:39 During the pandemic, Japan's government has been subsidizing travel and tourism to juice the economy. After a spike in coronavirus cases, it will now suspend the program for two weeks. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-21--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

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

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


npr--2020-12-21--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

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

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


npr--2020-12-21--NPR's 40 Most Engaging And Popular Stories Of 2020

NPR 's 40 Most Engaging And Popular Stories Of 2020 Mourning and celebrating ; coping and distancing : 2020 has been a year of collective emotional dissonance .
Even as the worst public health crisis in memory changed our lives , it also made us cherish bright moments where we found them .
We watched a high-stakes election play out — and sometimes we just wanted a distraction from it all .
Here are the NPR stories that hit home in 2020 .
They examine the complicated reality of life during a pandemic .
They highlight moments of grace , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stark disagreement .
• Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily nationwide .
• Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , Champion Of Gender Equality , Dies At 87 '' Our nation has lost a justice of historic stature , '' Chief Justice John Roberts said .
• From Camping To Dining Out : Here 's How Experts Rate The Risks Of 14 Summer Activities Experts say to think of transmission risk with a helpful phrase : `` time , space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Must For Millions , Zoom Has A Dark Side — And An FBI Warning The FBI says sessions were `` disrupted by pornographic and/or hate images '' and threats .
• Mystery In Wuhan : Recovered Coronavirus Patients Test Negative ... Then Positive Four people in Wuhan told NPR about testing positive a second time .
• No , You Do n't Need To Disinfect Your Groceries .
But Here 's How To Shop Safely '' The majority of transmission is probably going to be from respiratory droplets , '' an expert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For The Months To Come : 'This Virus Is Going To Be With Us' Dr. Robert Redfield said , `` This virus does have the ability to transmit far easier than flu .
It 's probably now about three times as infectious as flu .
• Supreme Court Says Trump Not 'Immune ' From Records Release , But Hedges On House Case In a dissent , Justice Samuel Alito accused the court majority of providing `` no real protection for the presidency . ''
• Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , countries that had flattened the springtime curve began to see cases rise swiftly .
• 'We All Feel At Risk ' : 100,000 People Dead From COVID-19 In The U.S .
In Alabama , Blacks made up 44 % of COVID-19 deaths , despite being under 27 % of the population .
• COMIC : Grocery Workers Are Essential , And Feeling The Strain '' I was surprised to see how much the grocery store had transformed .
It even had a bouncer now . ''
• The Man Behind Mister Rogers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Photographer Lynn Johnson says of Fred Rogers , `` It was a delight being in his energy field . ''
• Timeline : What Trump Has Said And Done About The Coronavirus The president downplayed the risk early on .
He claimed `` total '' authority , before insisting the response is up to the states .
• PHOTOS : Public Life Is Surreal In A Pandemic No one wants to touch anything in public — yet people still try to keep calm and keep up their spirits .
• PHOTOS : Life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't have the heart to tell my workers that there 's no work and 'Find something else . '
`` • Fact Check : Trump 's Address To The Republican Convention , Annotated President Trump accepted his party 's nomination and repeatedly invoked a sinister image of a `` socialist agenda . ''
• Need A Reminder Of How Gorgeous Earth Is ?
Peep These Photo Award Winners Stunning and colorful images trigger nostalgia for pre-pandemic life .
• PHOTOS : Scenes From The Epicenter Of The Coronavirus Outbreak For more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 million was put on a strict lockdown .
• A Grandmother 's Poem Reassures Us With Humor And Grace A 90th birthday party canceled : `` My !
What plans we had made , when his friends could be here / For a sunny picnic , some wine or some beer . ''
• PHOTOS : How Lockdown Has Changed My Life '' After some initial frustration , we realized we just need to do things at our own pace and make sure to have fun . ''
• Listen : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Than 500 Years Ago For centuries , the Hagia Sophia 's unique acoustics inspired composers to write music specifically to be sung there .
• Weeks Before Virus Panic , Intelligence Chairman Privately Raised Alarm , Sold Stocks Sen. Richard Burr sold stocks worth between $ 628,000 and $ 1.72 million on Feb. 13 , according to public disclosures .
• TikTok Sensation : Meet The Idaho Potato Worker Who Sent Fleetwood Mac Sales Soaring Nathan Apodaca says that after his truck broke down , `` I grab my juice , grab my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Then `` Dreams '' played .
• Green , Yellow , Orange Or Red ?
This New Tool Shows COVID-19 Risk In Your County Though state and local dashboards provide lots of data , it can be hard to compare them .
• A Dead Cat , A Lawyer 's Call And A 5-Figure Donation : How Media Fell Short On Epstein With few exceptions , the national media infrequently covered Jeffrey Epstein 's behavior and rarely looked at how he avoided accountability .
• A Month After Emergency Declaration , Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` significantly over-promised what the private sector was ready to do '' to help fight the coronavirus , an expert said .
• Ewenice The Sheep Loses 45 Pounds After Going Almost 4 Years Without Being Shorn '' She looked like a big , woolly minibus with a head on it . ''
• A Georgia Boy Started Reading At 6 Months Old .
Now 12 , He 's In College '' As a teenager , I remember downplaying my intelligence , '' Caleb Anderson 's father says .
He wanted his son @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With Wolves : What It Means That A Wolf Puppy Will Retrieve A Ball A researcher got goosebumps when a wolf puppy ran after a tennis ball and brought it back .
Then two more puppies did it .
• The Rembrandt That Was Fake , Then Real Again Years after the Allentown Art Museum 's `` Portrait Of A Young Woman '' was invalidated , a new restoration revealed key details .
• PHOTOS : The Essence Of Mary Ellen Mark , The Invisible Made Visible The late documentary photographer 's brilliant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million images to 515 plates for a retrospective .
• PHOTOS : Why These World War II Sex Slaves Are Still Demanding Justice NPR interviewed at least two dozen survivors across the Philippines who were victimized by Japanese soldiers .
• 'Not A Paramilitary . '
Inside A Washington Militia 's Efforts To Go Mainstream '' The true neo-Nazis hate us , which they should because we hate them too .
And the far left , who we do n't have any problems with , hate us because they believe that we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4th In Richmond , Va. , As Armed Groups Gather Warily One holiday , two visions of the future — for Richmond , and for America .
• PHOTOS : Why South Africans Built An Illegal Settlement Called Covid The settlement 's official name , Izwelethu , means `` Our Land '' in Xhosa .
Hardly anybody calls it that .
• 'God ... Let Us Survive ' : Remembering Korean War 's Chosin Battle And Evacuation '' Chinese bullets were flying like rain , and nobody dared to climb on the truck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• The Front Line At Home : A Health Care Worker 's New Normal '' I 'm glad I can take care of others .
They 're giving us their body to take care of .
It 's a beautiful job we are doing , but I wish it were n't to this magnitude . ''
• Why An Auto Plant Closure Looms Large In Presidential Contest In Ohio It is n't a booming facility .
It 's more of a ghost town with a fresh paint job .
• Her Incredible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Ways To Diagnose Disease A woman smelled disease on her husband more than a decade before his symptoms drove them to seek medical help .
• 'He Will Be A Happier Elephant ' : Vet Describes What It Was Like To Rescue Kaava Putting an elephant on a plane during a pandemic was just one of the challenges in moving the animal to a conservation park .

NPR's 40 Most Engaging And Popular Stories Of 2020
Mourning and celebrating; coping and distancing: 2020 has been a year of collective emotional dissonance. Even as the worst public health crisis in memory changed our lives, it also made us cherish bright moments where we found them.
We watched a high-stakes election play out — and sometimes we just wanted a distraction from it all.
Here are the NPR stories that hit home in 2020. They examine the complicated reality of life during a pandemic. They highlight moments of grace, surprise and persistence — and sometimes, stark disagreement.
Most-Viewed Stories
Enlarge this image toggle caption Shuran Huang/NPR Shuran Huang/NPR
Most Engaging Stories
Enlarge this image Sarah Mirk for NPR Sarah Mirk for NPR
Most Listened-To Stories
Enlarge this image toggle caption Anderson family Anderson family
Popular Long Reads
Enlarge this image toggle caption Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR Cheryl Diaz Meyer for NPR
NPR's Andy Bickerton contributed to this report.


npr--2020-12-21--Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts On Big Island

Kilauea volcano erupted overnight for the first time in more than two years , placing Hawaii 's Big Island on a red alert Monday morning .
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the situation is `` rapidly evolving . ''
It 's unclear what , if any , damage has occurred so far .
The eruption began late Sunday within the volcano 's Halemaumau crater , at the summit of Kilauea .
The HVO said it detected a `` glow '' within the crater at about 9:30 p.m. local time .
About an hour later , the agency recorded a magnitude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flank .
A `` red '' alert was then issued .
It means an eruption is `` imminent '' with the likely emission of significant volcanic ash into the atmosphere .
An advisory was issued by the National Weather Service in Honolulu , warning residents to avoid falling volcanic ash , which is an eye and respiratory irritant , the agency said .
Hawaii County Civil Defense shared on Twitter that residents should stay indoors .
Kilauea , the world 's most active volcano , last erupted in 2018 — a destructive event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were destroyed and thousands of people had to be evacuated .

Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts On Big Island
Kilauea volcano erupted overnight for the first time in more than two years, placing Hawaii's Big Island on a red alert Monday morning.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the situation is "rapidly evolving." It's unclear what, if any, damage has occurred so far.
The eruption began late Sunday within the volcano's Halemaumau crater, at the summit of Kilauea. The HVO said it detected a "glow" within the crater at about 9:30 p.m. local time.
About an hour later, the agency recorded a magnitude 4.4 earthquake located beneath Kilauea's south flank.
A "red" alert was then issued. It means an eruption is "imminent" with the likely emission of significant volcanic ash into the atmosphere.
An advisory was issued by the National Weather Service in Honolulu, warning residents to avoid falling volcanic ash, which is an eye and respiratory irritant, the agency said.
Hawaii County Civil Defense shared on Twitter that residents should stay indoors.
Kilauea, the world's most active volcano, last erupted in 2018 — a destructive event that lasted months. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and thousands of people had to be evacuated.


npr--2020-12-21--Despite High Demand For Nurses, Colleges Aren't Keeping Up

Despite High Demand For Nurses , Colleges Are n't Keeping Up At a time when the pandemic has exposed a growing shortage of nurses , it should have been good news that there were more than 1,200 applicants to enter the associate degree program in nursing at Long Beach City College .
But the California community college took only 32 of them .
North of here , California State University , East Bay is n't enrolling any nursing students at all until at least next fall .
Higher education was struggling to keep up with the skyrocketing demand for nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's falling further behind .
Health protocols are limiting in-person instruction .
Nursing teachers are quitting in large numbers , while others are nearing retirement .
Hospitals are stretched too thin to provide required hands-on clinical training .
And budgets are so constrained that student nurses are forced to buy their own personal protection equipment , or PPE .
`` What worries people , if Covid continues on and takes its toll , is will people still enroll in nursing programs ? ''
asked Peter Buerhaus , a nurse , economist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nursing workforce .
All of this is only amplifying the existing demand for nurses .
Estimates of the problem vary dramatically , from a projected shortage of 510,394 registered nurses nationwide by 2030 , based on a formula used by scholars at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and elsewhere , to a predicted shortfall in some states by then but a surplus in others , according to federal forecasts .
Experts agree , however , that shortages will be worst in the West and South .
California alone needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year , according to Futuro Health , a nonprofit created jointly by the health care company Kaiser Permanente and a principal union representing health care workers in the state .
And those estimates were all made before the pandemic , which is only likely to make things worse , Buerhaus and others said .
Even before COVID-19 , nursing programs were failing to enroll enough students to meet this need , according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing .
U.S. universities and colleges last year rejected 80,407 qualified applicants for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , blaming a lack of faculty , classroom space and clinical opportunities in hospitals .
That does n't include the number turned away by community colleges , which educate a large number of beginning nurses .
One of the biggest bottlenecks is that overburdened hospitals are closing their doors to clinical training for nursing students who would ordinarily shadow nurses and doctors and learn by treating patients .
`` When Covid hit , clinical sites all just shut like a trapdoor , bam , '' said Lindsay McCrea , the chair of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very shortsighted of them , '' said Sigrid Sexton , McCrea 's counterpart at Long Beach City College .
`` We 're very supportive of the hospitals ' needs to protect patients , but we 'd like to see them be more supportive of students . ''
Eliana Lopez only barely managed to cobble together enough clinical hours to graduate this month from East Bay .
Hospitals left and right were shutting out students from clinical rotations , said Lopez , 34 .
She and her professors called health care facilities across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunities .
Over and over again they were told that the besieged hospitals — the same ones that will eventually need more nurses — could n't afford to spend valuable time and equipment on students .
`` It was really upsetting , '' Lopez says .
She adds that she has felt unwelcome at hospitals that she says could use students ' help .
`` We can be a team member as well , but they looked at us as wasting PPE . ''
Without students to help out , overworked veteran nurses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The average age of an RN is 50 , the Health Resources and Services Administration says , with more than a million projected to retire by 2030 , deepening the shortfall .
And that estimate is from before the pandemic prompted some nurses to quit because health risks .
`` You 're hearing nurses say , ' I do n't know how much more of this I can take , ' `` said Joanne Spetz , a University of California , San Francisco professor who directs that school 's Philip R. Lee Institute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new nurses will be even more urgently needed , says Gail Powers , 55 , who is pursuing an associate degree in nursing at Long Beach .
`` It 's very important for us to get through this because there are a lot of older people stepping out of the profession , '' she said .
Powers ' classmate , Sergey Bystrov , 40 , has been working in the emergency room at a Long Beach hospital and will graduate from Long Beach City College this month .
He said hospitals should let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can get important training , but to help keep full-time nurses from becoming overwhelmed .
`` When the nurse has a student next to her , it takes some of the pressure off , '' he said .
`` It 's an extra set of hands . ''
Nursing instructors are also leaving in droves .
Nearly one-third of California nursing schools surveyed have lost faculty members since March , said Sharon Goldfarb , dean of health sciences at California 's College of Marin and a regional president of the California Organization of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the remaining instructors is 63 , she said .
At community colleges , instructors ' salaries are notoriously low , especially compared with what a practicing nurse can earn , so open faculty positions sometimes remain unfilled for a year or more .
The nursing program at Rio Hondo College , a community college in Whittier , Calif. , has been unable to fill two open faculty slots for the past year , said Catherine Page , dean of health science and nursing .
Candidates have turned down the jobs because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Rio Hondo instructors starts at $ 60,000 a year , while the average California registered nurse makes $ 113,000 .
Rio Hondo had an increase in the number of nursing school applicants this year but had to limit new admissions because of the faculty vacancies and a lack of clinical opportunities .
The challenges are keeping colleges from helping solve the nursing shortage , Page said .
`` We 're not going to produce those new nurses . ''
Experts worry that the next year or two could devastate nursing — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are replacing on-site clinical work with computer simulations , mannequins or patient care by video , which some educators worry may not sufficiently prepare new graduates for work .
Several said they are n't convinced that students will pass their licensing exams .
`` It would be naive to say , 'Oh , no , this wo n't affect them at all , ' `` said Renae Schumann , dean of the Houston Baptist University nursing school in Texas .
`` Yes , we all worry about it . ''
Even if new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffing levels in hospitals may mean higher numbers of medication errors and deaths , according to the American Nurses Association .
Older , experienced nurses are the ones who keep things running smoothly , says Buerhaus , the Montana State professor .
`` Some of these nurses are exactly who you need right now , and they 're leaving .
I hope many of them hang in there . ''
Hospitals could have major problems soon : Acute-care hospitals employ more than 60 percent of nurses , Buerhaus said .
Lopez , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked her way through school as a nurse 's aide .
She is preparing to take her licensing exam and find a job , even if it 's out of state .
In the end , she says , her hard-fought clinical rotations this year have turned out to be the most rewarding part of her education .
`` What a time to learn , during the pandemic , '' she said .
`` What a once-in-a-lifetime experience . ''
This story about nursing education was produced by The Hechinger Report , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inequality and innovation in education .
Additional reporting by Jon Marcus .
Sign up for our higher education newsletter .

Despite High Demand For Nurses, Colleges Aren't Keeping Up
Enlarge this image toggle caption James Bernal/The Hechinger Report James Bernal/The Hechinger Report
At a time when the pandemic has exposed a growing shortage of nurses, it should have been good news that there were more than 1,200 applicants to enter the associate degree program in nursing at Long Beach City College.
But the California community college took only 32 of them.
North of here, California State University, East Bay isn't enrolling any nursing students at all until at least next fall.
Higher education was struggling to keep up with the skyrocketing demand for nurses even before the COVID-19 crisis. Now it's falling further behind.
Health protocols are limiting in-person instruction. Nursing teachers are quitting in large numbers, while others are nearing retirement. Hospitals are stretched too thin to provide required hands-on clinical training. And budgets are so constrained that student nurses are forced to buy their own personal protective equipment, or PPE.
"What worries people, if COVID continues on and takes its toll, is will people still enroll in nursing programs?" asked Peter Buerhaus, a nurse, economist and professor at Montana State University who studies the nursing workforce.
All of this is only amplifying the existing demand for nurses.
Estimates of the problem vary dramatically, from a projected shortage of 510,394 registered nurses nationwide by 2030, based on a formula used by scholars at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and elsewhere, to a predicted shortfall in some states by then but a surplus in others, according to federal forecasts.
Experts agree, however, that shortages will be worst in the West and South. California alone needs to turn out more than 65,000 new nurses, medical and dental assistants, health IT specialists and community health workers a year, according to Futuro Health, a nonprofit created jointly by the health care company Kaiser Permanente and a principal union representing health care workers in the state.
And those estimates were all made before the pandemic, which is only likely to make things worse, Buerhaus and others said.
Even before COVID-19, nursing programs were failing to enroll enough students to meet this need, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
U.S. universities and colleges last year rejected 80,407 qualified applicants for bachelor's and graduate degrees in nursing, blaming a lack of faculty, classroom space and clinical opportunities in hospitals. That doesn't include the number turned away by community colleges, which educate a large number of beginning nurses.
One of the biggest bottlenecks is that overburdened hospitals are closing their doors to clinical training for nursing students who would ordinarily shadow nurses and doctors and learn by treating patients.
"When COVID hit, clinical sites all just shut like a trapdoor, bam," said Lindsay McCrea, the chair of the East Bay program.
"It's very shortsighted of them," said Sigrid Sexton, McCrea's counterpart at Long Beach City College. "We're very supportive of the hospitals' needs to protect patients, but we'd like to see them be more supportive of students."
Eliana Lopez only barely managed to cobble together enough clinical hours to graduate this month from East Bay.
Hospitals left and right were shutting out students from clinical rotations, said Lopez, 34. She and her professors called health care facilities across the San Francisco Bay Area trying to find opportunities. Over and over again they were told that the besieged hospitals — the same ones that will eventually need more nurses — couldn't afford to spend valuable time and equipment on students.
"It was really upsetting," Lopez said. She added that she has felt unwelcome at hospitals that she said could use students' help. "We can be a team member as well, but they looked at us as wasting PPE."
Without students to help out, overworked veteran nurses may not stick around for long.
The average age of a registered nurse is 50, the Health Resources and Services Administration said, with more than 1 million projected to retire by 2030, deepening the shortfall. And that estimate is from before the pandemic prompted some nurses to quit because of health risks.
"You're hearing nurses say, 'I don't know how much more of this I can take,' " said Joanne Spetz, a University of California, San Francisco professor who directs that school's Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies.
That means new nurses will be even more urgently needed, said Gail Powers, 55, who is pursuing an associate degree in nursing at Long Beach.
"It's very important for us to get through this because there are a lot of older people stepping out of the profession," she said.
Powers' classmate Sergey Bystrov, 40, has been working in the emergency room at a Long Beach hospital and will graduate from Long Beach City College this month. He said hospitals should let students step in not only so they can get important training but also to help keep full-time nurses from becoming overwhelmed.
Enlarge this image toggle caption James Bernal/The Hechinger Report James Bernal/The Hechinger Report
"When the nurse has a student next to her, it takes some of the pressure off," he said. "It's an extra set of hands."
Nursing instructors are also leaving in droves. Nearly one-third of California nursing schools surveyed have lost faculty members since March, said Sharon Goldfarb, dean of health sciences at California's College of Marin and a regional president of the California Organization of Associate Degree Nursing. The average age of the remaining instructors is 63, she said.
At community colleges, instructors' salaries are notoriously low, especially compared with what a practicing nurse can earn, so open faculty positions sometimes remain unfilled for a year or more.
The nursing program at Rio Hondo College, a community college in Whittier, Calif., has been unable to fill two open faculty slots for the past year, said Catherine Page, dean of health science and nursing. Candidates have turned down the jobs because of the salaries, she said. Pay for Rio Hondo instructors starts at $60,000 a year, while the average California registered nurse makes $113,000.
Rio Hondo had an increase in the number of nursing school applicants this year but had to limit new admissions because of the faculty vacancies and a lack of clinical opportunities.
The challenges are keeping colleges from helping solve the nursing shortage, Page said. "We're not going to produce those new nurses."
Experts worry that the next year or two could devastate nursing — and nursing quality. Scores of nursing programs are replacing on-site clinical work with computer simulations, mannequins or patient care by video, which some educators worry may not sufficiently prepare new graduates for work. Several said they aren't convinced that students will pass their licensing exams.
"It would be naive to say, 'Oh, no, this won't affect them at all,' " said Renae Schumann, dean of the Houston Baptist University nursing school in Texas. "Yes, we all worry about it."
Even if new nurses do arrive completely prepared, lower staffing levels in hospitals may mean higher numbers of medication errors and deaths, according to the American Nurses Association.
Older, experienced nurses are the ones who keep things running smoothly, said Buerhaus, the Montana State professor. "Some of these nurses are exactly who you need right now, and they're leaving. I hope many of them hang in there."
Hospitals could have major problems soon: Acute-care hospitals employ more than 60% of nurses, Buerhaus said.
Lopez, the student at California State, East Bay, worked her way through school as a nurse's aide. She is preparing to take her licensing exam and find a job, even if it's out of state.
In the end, she said, her hard-fought clinical rotations this year have turned out to be the most rewarding part of her education.
"What a time to learn, during the pandemic," she said. "What a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
This story about nursing education was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Additional reporting by Jon Marcus. Sign up for our higher education newsletter.


npr--2020-12-21--Chicago's Top Attorney Resigns Following Scandal Over Botched Police Raid

The lead attorney for the city of Chicago resigned Sunday amid continuing fallout from a botched and mistaken police raid nearly a year ago at the home of a Black woman .
Attorney Mark Flessner said in a concise email to staff that he had resigned as Corporation Counsel for the city of Chicago .
He said simply that he would work on a transition plan in the next few days .
Flessner told The Chicago Tribune that his resignation was prompted by the police raid on Anjanette Young , a local social worker , last year .
After announcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he is being accused of trying to hide police body camera video of the raid , which he denies .
It is unclear whether he was asked to resign .
City Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement Sunday that she accepted Flessner 's resignation effective immediately .
The statements from Flessner and Lightfoot were shared by Tribune reporter Gregory Pratt on Twitter .
Police body camera video of the night of raid last February show officers breaking down Young 's door .
They handcuffed the naked , crying woman , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preparing to go to bed .
She repeatedly screams at the officers , telling them they have the wrong home .
The officers ignore her pleas while they search her home .
Video of the raid on Young 's home , which turned out to be the wrong address , has placed the city 's police and Chicago 's leadership in hot water .
Civil rights groups and lawmakers have criticized the actions of the police .
The video publicized by WBBM-TV was released earlier this month , but only after a legal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Chicago station .
Attorneys for WBBM and lawyers for Young fought for the video 's release .
In the aftermath of the raid on Young 's home , the city 's handling of the incident has only brought further public scrutiny .
The incident occurred before Lightfoot became mayor .
When the video was first broadcast by WBBM , she claimed that it was the first time she had seen or heard of it .
She later recanted that statement and admitted she did know about the incident .
Young filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the video released , but the city refused .
She then filed a lawsuit to obtain it .
The city 's lawyers went to federal court in an effort to prevent WBBM from airing a report on the video , and sought to sanction Young and her attorney after the video leaked , saying they had violated a confidentiality agreement .
The city on Dec. 18 dropped the motion seeking sanctions against Young and her attorney .
Flessner himself signed that filing , saying to the court that it came at Lightfoot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement , `` I want to be explicit that at no time did the City ever seek sanctions against Ms. Young and , to remove any doubt , we specifically affirm that no such sanctions were ever sought against her .
Moreover , at my direction , the Corporation Counsel will formally move to withdraw sanctions '' against Young 's attorney .

Chicago's Top Attorney Resigns Following Scandal Over Botched Police Raid
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nam Y. Huh/AP Nam Y. Huh/AP
The lead attorney for the city of Chicago resigned Sunday amid continuing fallout from a botched and mistaken police raid nearly a year ago at the home of a Black woman.
Attorney Mark Flessner said in a concise email to staff that he had resigned as Corporation Counsel for the city of Chicago. He said simply that he would work on a transition plan in the next few days.
Flessner told The Chicago Tribune that his resignation was prompted by the police raid on Anjanette Young, a local social worker, last year. After announcing his resignation, he told the newspaper that he is being accused of trying to hide police body camera video of the raid, which he denies.
It is unclear whether he was asked to resign.
City Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement Sunday that she accepted Flessner's resignation effective immediately. The statements from Flessner and Lightfoot were shared by Tribune reporter Gregory Pratt on Twitter.
Police body camera video of the night of raid last February show officers breaking down Young's door. They handcuffed the naked, crying woman, who was home alone at the time and preparing to go to bed. She repeatedly screams at the officers, telling them they have the wrong home. The officers ignore her pleas while they search her home.
Video of the raid on Young's home, which turned out to be the wrong address, has placed the city's police and Chicago's leadership in hot water. Civil rights groups and lawmakers have criticized the actions of the police.
The video publicized by WBBM-TV was released earlier this month, but only after a legal battle between the city, Young, and the Chicago station. Attorneys for WBBM and lawyers for Young fought for the video's release.
City lawsuits
In the aftermath of the raid on Young's home, the city's handling of the incident has only brought further public scrutiny.
The incident occurred before Lightfoot became mayor. When the video was first broadcast by WBBM, she claimed that it was the first time she had seen or heard of it. She later recanted that statement and admitted she did know about the incident.
Young filed a Freedom of Information Act request to get the video released, but the city refused. She then filed a lawsuit to obtain it. The city's lawyers went to federal court in an effort to prevent WBBM from airing a report on the video, and sought to sanction Young and her attorney after the video leaked, saying they had violated a confidentiality agreement.
The city on Dec. 18 dropped the motion seeking sanctions against Young and her attorney. Flessner himself signed that filing, saying to the court that it came at Lightfoot's urging.
Lightfoot said in a statement, "I want to be explicit that at no time did the City ever seek sanctions against Ms. Young and, to remove any doubt, we specifically affirm that no such sanctions were ever sought against her. Moreover, at my direction, the Corporation Counsel will formally move to withdraw sanctions" against Young's attorney.


npr--2020-12-21--Trump Drives A Wedge Among Georgia Republicans, Risking A Larger GOP Split

Jeanne Bradley , a Republican voter from Hephzibah , Ga. , is confused by the mixed messages she 's hearing about the election and about her state 's GOP leaders .
`` We need to know more .
You 're getting bits and pieces from all of the news media , and you do n't know what to believe anymore , '' she said .
`` And it 's not just the news media .
It 's people in general . ''
He narrowly lost the state to President-elect Joe Biden , but he 's rejected that outcome and continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders to overturn the result .
Trump has called Gov .
Brian Kemp , a longtime ally with whom he has had some previous tensions , a `` clown '' and a `` fool , '' and he has referred to Kemp , Lt. Gov .
Geoff Duncan and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as `` Republicans in name only . ''
That 's because those officials have stood by Georgia 's election as legally conducted , in the face of unfounded claims of widespread fraud from the president .
Legal challenges to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters have failed in federal , superior and state courts in Georgia .
Multiple recounts have upheld the result .
But for some Republican voters , the confusion persists .
`` We do n't know , '' Bradley said .
`` We do n't know if it 's just a ploy to get us not to vote Republican , too . ''
Republicans still have Bradley 's vote .
But there are other people , she said , who may throw up their hands in this chaos , vote Democratic , or skip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford to lose any votes right now .
Georgia 's runoff elections on Jan. 5 will decide control of the U.S. Senate , as GOP incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler face Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , respectively .
And if the GOP loses those seats , handing Democrats total control of Washington , there 's a risk that the divisions that Georgia has seen since November might intensify throughout the party .
Kemp said that his response to voters who have told him he 's not `` fighting for us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but I can only fight so much because I 've got to follow the laws and the Constitution . ''
The president retweeted a post suggesting Kemp and Raffensperger should go to jail and has encouraged another Georgia Republican , Rep. Doug Collins , to run against Kemp in 2022 .
Some Republican Georgia voters have adopted the campaign against their governor .
Lydia Green Davidson attended a Cobb County Republican rally in mid-December and said she plans to collect signatures to get Kemp impeached for not complying with Trump 's demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state legislature to overturn the election results from November or change the rules for the runoffs .
`` I 'm disgusted , '' said the retired teacher and 2018 Kemp voter .
`` He wo n't be reelected .
He 'll be lucky if he stays in office , because he 's going to be impeached . ''
This division in the Republican Party is happening at a very inopportune time , says Charles Bullock , a political scientist at the University of Georgia .
`` As we saw in November of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a large commanding lead within Georgia .
It is fairly close , '' he said .
`` It could be the kind of division that opens the door for Democrats to do very well in 2022 . ''
' I Take This Job Seriously' There are some state lawmakers in Georgia who have supported the president 's call for a special session to overturn the election , including Republican state Sen. Brandon Beach , who is among a handful of lawmakers recruiting signatures for a petition to call the special session independently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can tell you if we do not fix this , and that 's why I 'm so adamant about this , I 'm so fearful that ... we 're going to wake up Jan. 6 , and we 're not going to like what happened , because it 's not going to be a fair election , '' Beach said about the campaign on the John Fredericks Show , a national pro-Trump radio program .
The case Beach and his colleagues are making for a special session relies on debunked theories about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatures were not matched properly and that absentee ballot drop boxes were insecure .
Georgia 's Republican election officials have repeatedly said there 's been no evidence of widespread voter fraud .
Rampant misinformation about the election and the pressure from the president has put Georgia Republicans in a difficult situation , even though the petition for a special session has not succeeded .
State Rep. Chuck Martin , a longtime Republican and 18-year veteran of the General Assembly , called it the most frustrating time of his public service career .
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporter who does n't believe the state constitution allows the legislature to intervene in legally held elections .
But that has n't stopped tens of thousands of emails from flowing in .
`` I 'm getting an email that says , 'Stand true to your oath of office : do this , ' '' he said .
`` But standing true to my oath of office does n't allow me to do that . ''
`` And they 're absolutely sure they 're right and I 'm wrong because of snippets they 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
One message came from a retired Army colonel pushing for the election to be overturned .
Martin responded with language from the state constitution , asking for an explanation as to how he could legally do what the emailer was asking .
`` And instead from him , I get no [ explanation of ] how , '' Martin said .
`` Instead , he calls me a coward , a traitor ... somebody that wo n't stand up to my oath of office .
That 's frustrating to me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some of the election misinformation has been targeted at Kemp and his family .
`` Quite honestly , it has gotten ridiculous , '' the governor said .
`` From death threats to [ claims of ] bribes from China , [ to ] the social media posts that my children are getting . ''
`` I mean , this needs to stop .
People need to deal with facts , and we 'll give them to them , '' he said .
`` I know people think that as a United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and you can move the world , '' said former Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss , a Republican .
`` They also think when you 're governor , you 're all powerful , and you can move the world within the confines of the state of Georgia .
But that 's not right .
You still have to abide by the laws that are on the books . ''
The runoff election results , which are expected to be close , will likely serve as a bellwether for the soon-to-be-former president 's influence .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain important for Republicans .
`` Until someone disproves it , then there 's going to be a lot of suspicion that he is very influential and that you have to be on his right side if you 're a Republican , '' he said .
Bullock also said that will remain true until and unless his chosen candidate fails in a high-profile race .
`` That would send [ Republicans ] a message well beyond the confines of Georgia , that Trump 's influence , his magic , whatever , no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the president will remain an important influence because of his proven ability to generate unprecedented Republican turnout .
`` Donald Trump is still technically the head of the Republican Party from a national perspective , and his thoughts and ideas need to be included in everything we do going forward , '' he said .
Chambliss is optimistic about Republicans ' chances in January , despite the schism .
`` We 've always had factions within the party that we had to address , and we had to consider [ them ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas .
And that 's what we have right now , '' he said .
`` And I do n't think it 's going to handicap us going forward , provided we all continue to pull together and get out and vote in instances like January 5th . ''

Trump Drives A Wedge Among Georgia Republicans, Risking A Larger GOP Split
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
Jeanne Bradley, a Republican voter from Hephzibah, Ga., is confused by the mixed messages she's hearing about the election and about her state's GOP leaders.
"We need to know more. You're getting bits and pieces from all of the news media, and you don't know what to believe anymore," she said. "And it's not just the news media. It's people in general."
It's also President Trump.
He narrowly lost the state to President-elect Joe Biden, but he's rejected that outcome and continues a pressure campaign on Georgia's Republican leaders to overturn the result.
Trump has called Gov. Brian Kemp, a longtime ally with whom he has had some previous tensions, a "clown" and a "fool," and he has referred to Kemp, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger as "Republicans in name only."
That's because those officials have stood by Georgia's election as legally conducted, in the face of unfounded claims of widespread fraud from the president. Legal challenges to the election from the Trump campaign and supporters have failed in federal, superior and state courts in Georgia. Multiple recounts have upheld the result.
But for some Republican voters, the confusion persists.
"We don't know," Bradley said. "We don't know if it's just a ploy to get us not to vote Republican, too."
Republicans still have Bradley's vote. But there are other people, she said, who may throw up their hands in this chaos, vote Democratic, or skip the election.
The GOP can't afford to lose any votes right now. Georgia's runoff elections on Jan. 5 will decide control of the U.S. Senate, as GOP incumbents David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler face Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively. And if the GOP loses those seats, handing Democrats total control of Washington, there's a risk that the divisions that Georgia has seen since November might intensify throughout the party.
Governor feels the heat
Kemp said that his response to voters who have told him he's not "fighting for us" has been: "I am, but I can only fight so much because I've got to follow the laws and the Constitution."
The president retweeted a post suggesting Kemp and Raffensperger should go to jail and has encouraged another Georgia Republican, Rep. Doug Collins, to run against Kemp in 2022.
Some Republican Georgia voters have adopted the campaign against their governor.
Lydia Green Davidson attended a Cobb County Republican rally in mid-December and said she plans to collect signatures to get Kemp impeached for not complying with Trump's demand to call a special session of the state legislature to overturn the election results from November or change the rules for the runoffs.
"I'm disgusted," said the retired teacher and 2018 Kemp voter. "He won't be reelected. He'll be lucky if he stays in office, because he's going to be impeached."
This division in the Republican Party is happening at a very inopportune time, says Charles Bullock, a political scientist at the University of Georgia.
"As we saw in November of this year, the Republican Party does not have a large commanding lead within Georgia. It is fairly close," he said. "It could be the kind of division that opens the door for Democrats to do very well in 2022."
"I take this job seriously"
There are some state lawmakers in Georgia who have supported the president's call for a special session to overturn the election, including Republican state Sen. Brandon Beach, who is among a handful of lawmakers recruiting signatures for a petition to call the special session independently of the governor.
"And I can tell you if we do not fix this, and that's why I'm so adamant about this, I'm so fearful that... we're going to wake up Jan. 6, and we're not going to like what happened because it's not going to be a fair election," Beach said about the campaign on the John Fredericks Show, a national pro-Trump radio program.
The case Beach and his colleagues are making for a special session relies on debunked theories about the election, including allegations that absentee ballot signatures were not matched properly and that absentee ballot drop boxes were insecure. Georgia's Republican election officials have repeatedly said there's been no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Rampant misinformation about the election and the pressure from the president has put Georgia Republicans in a difficult situation, even though the petition for a special session has not succeeded.
State Rep. Chuck Martin, a longtime Republican and 18-year veteran of the General Assembly, called it the most frustrating time of his public service career.
Like Kemp, he's been a Trump supporter who doesn't believe the state constitution allows the legislature to intervene in legally held elections. But that hasn't stopped tens of thousands of emails from flowing in.
"I'm getting an email that says, 'Stand true to your oath of office: do this,' " he said. "But standing true to my oath of office doesn't allow me to do that."
"And they're absolutely sure they're right and I'm wrong because of snippets they've read on the internet," Martin said.
One message came from a retired Army colonel pushing for the election to be overturned. Martin responded with language from the state constitution, asking for an explanation as to how he could legally do what the emailer was asking.
"And instead from him, I get no [explanation of] how," Martin said. "Instead, he calls me a coward, a traitor ... somebody that won't stand up to my oath of office. That's frustrating to me. I take this job seriously."
Some of the election misinformation has been targeted at Kemp and his family.
"Quite honestly, it has gotten ridiculous," the governor said. "From death threats to [claims of] bribes from China, [to] the social media posts that my children are getting."
"I mean, this needs to stop. People need to deal with facts, and we'll give them to them," he said.
"I know people think that as a United States senator, you're all powerful, and you can move the world," said former Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a Republican who represented Georgia. "They also think when you're governor, you're all powerful, and you can move the world within the confines of the state of Georgia. But that's not right. You still have to abide by the laws that are on the books."
Trump's "magic" put to the test
The runoff election results, which are expected to be close, will likely serve as a bellwether for the soon-to-be-former president's influence.
Political scientist Bullock said Trump will remain important for Republicans. "Until someone disproves it, then there's going to be a lot of suspicion that he is very influential and that you have to be on his right side if you're a Republican," he said.
Bullock also said that will remain true until and unless his chosen candidate fails in a high-profile race. "That would send [Republicans] a message well beyond the confines of Georgia, that Trump's influence, his magic, whatever, no longer exists," he said.
Chambliss said the president will remain an important influence because of his proven ability to generate unprecedented Republican turnout.
"Donald Trump is still technically the head of the Republican Party from a national perspective, and his thoughts and ideas need to be included in everything we do going forward," he said.
Chambliss is optimistic about Republicans' chances in January, despite the schism.
"We've always had factions within the party that we had to address, and we had to consider [them], we had to listen to their ideas. And that's what we have right now," he said.
"And I don't think it's going to handicap us going forward, provided we all continue to pull together and get out and vote in instances like Jan. 5."


npr--2020-12-21--32 Years Later, U.S. To Charge Alleged Bomb Maker In Pan Am Flight 103 Attack

32 Years Later , U.S. To Charge Alleged Bomb Maker In Pan Am Flight 103 Attack The U.S. Justice Department is set to charge a Libyan man with constructing a bomb that detonated on a passenger plane over Lockerbie , Scotland , in 1988 , killing 270 people and launching a decades-long international manhunt for the culprits .
According to a source familiar with the case who requested anonymity to speak about it before the charges are unveiled , the department is set to charge Abu Agila Mas'ud on Monday , exactly 32 years after that deadly flight .
U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference on the case Monday morning .
Watch live beginning at 10:30 a.m .
ET .
The charges will represent a closing of the circle for Barr , who tasked his then-criminal division chief , Robert Mueller III , to investigate the bombing during their earlier stint in government under President George H.W .
Bush .
The attack cost the lives of 189 Americans , and it appears to have made a deep impression on both Barr and Mueller , who have appeared at annual remembrance ceremonies over the years , alongside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large overseas .
It 's not clear when , if ever , authorities might be able to bring him to justice on American soil .
The only man convicted for his role in the bombing , Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi , died in 2012 after serving several years in prison .
Scotland granted him compassionate release after his lawyers said he had cancer and was on the verge of death .
He lived for about three more years .
The Lockerbie investigation had been one of the most complex probes ever for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10,000 interviews .
Forensic experts eventually traced a thumbnail-sized bit of evidence to a cassette player they believe contained the bomb .
The Libyan government took responsibility for the crime .
Former FBI Director Mueller , who went on to investigate Russia 's attack on the 2016 election , talked with bureau officials years later about how the case touched him .
`` The constables in charge of the Scottish end of the investigation had constructed a small wooden warehouse in which were stored the various effects of those who were on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skies : a white sneaker never again to be worn by the teenager , a Syracuse sweatshirt never again to be worn by the Syracuse student and other such everyday pieces of clothing and personal belongings , '' Mueller said .
Continued the director : `` These ordinary items brought home to me — and came to symbolize for me — the pain and the loss felt by those whose family , friends or colleagues died that evening . ''
The attack killed all 259 people aboard the plane and 11 people on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Lockerbie case pushed the bureau to launch a program to help crime victims and their relatives .
Kathryn Turman , who went on to lead the victim services team , helped arrange a video feed of the proceedings in the al-Megrahi trial so that family members could watch .
Federal authorities in Washington trained new firepower on the case last year after conducting a review of counterterrorism matters that had languished .

32 Years Later, U.S. Charges Alleged Bomb-Maker In Pan Am Flight 103 Attack
Enlarge this image toggle caption Martin Cleaver/AP Martin Cleaver/AP
Updated at 5:30 p.m. ET
The U.S. Justice Department has charged a Libyan man with constructing a bomb that detonated on a passenger plane over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing 270 people and launching a decades-long international manhunt for the culprits.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced Monday — exactly 32 years after that deadly flight — that the department is charging Abu Agela Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi.
Mas'ud faces charges of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death, as well as destruction of a vehicle by means of an explosive resulting in death. American officials said the Libyan leader at the time personally thanked Mas'ud for his role in the attack.
Federal authorities trained new firepower on the case last year after conducting a review of counterterrorism matters that had languished. A breakthrough came after Libyan authorities apprehended Mas'ud and interviewed him about his alleged role in the Lockerbie bombing, then shared the transcript with U.S. prosecutors.
The bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 cost the lives of 190 Americans. Barr said it remains the single deadliest terror attack in the history of the United Kingdom, and the second deadliest for Americans, after 9/11.
"Let there be no mistake: No amount of time or distance will stop the United States, and its partners in Scotland, from pursuing justice in this case," Barr said.
toggle caption Michael Reynolds/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
The charges represent a closing of the circle for Barr, who tasked his then-criminal division chief, Robert Mueller III, to investigate the bombing during their earlier stint in government under President George H.W. Bush.
On Monday, Barr said the attack would be "forever seared in our memories."
Barr made the announcement during his last week as attorney general for President Trump, after announcing his resignation a week ago.
The attack appears to have made a deep impression on both Barr and Mueller, who have appeared at annual remembrance ceremonies over the years, alongside the families of victims.
Kara Weipz, whose brother Rick Monetti died on the flight, said at the news conference that relatives felt "justified, vindicated" for their persistence and said the new charges underscored their motto that "the truth must be known."
Filmmaker Ken Dornstein, who lost his brother David on Flight 103, later delved deep into the case in a 2015 documentary for Frontline, called My Brother's Bomber. Dornstein told Morning Edition host Noel King Monday about his painstaking trace of travel documents and interviews with another former Libyan intelligence officer that helped lead him to Mas'ud's alleged involvement in the attack.
"I could tell you pretty certainly that the last hands on that bomb before it went into the suitcase, which went into the luggage system, which took down Flight 103, that those last hands belonged to [Mas'ud]," Dornstein said.
Mas'ud is in Libyan custody. Barr said he hoped that Libyan officials would permit him to be transported to the U.S. to face justice here and that they would assist in a prosecution.
The only man convicted for his role in the bombing, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, died in 2012 after serving several years in prison. Scotland granted him compassionate release after his lawyers said he had cancer and was on the verge of death. He lived for about three more years.
Huge challenge to investigators
The Lockerbie investigation had been one of the most complex investigations for the FBI, which helped conduct more than 10,000 interviews. Forensic experts eventually traced a thumbnail-sized bit of evidence to a cassette player they believe contained the bomb. The Libyan government took responsibility for the crime.
Former FBI Director Mueller, who went on to investigate Russia's attack on the 2016 election, talked with bureau officials years later about how the case touched him.
"The constables in charge of the Scottish end of the investigation had constructed a small wooden warehouse in which were stored the various effects of those who were on the plane when it broke apart in the skies: a white sneaker never again to be worn by the teenager, a Syracuse sweatshirt never again to be worn by the Syracuse student and other such everyday pieces of clothing and personal belongings," Mueller said.
Continued the director: "These ordinary items brought home to me — and came to symbolize for me — the pain and the loss felt by those whose family, friends or colleagues died that evening."
The attack killed all 259 people aboard the plane and 11 people on the ground. Some 35 students from Syracuse University who had been studying abroad and returning home to spend Christmas with their families perished on the plane.
The FBI's experience in the Lockerbie case pushed the bureau to launch a program to help crime victims and their relatives. Kathryn Turman, who went on to lead the victim services team, helped arrange a video feed of the proceedings in the al-Megrahi trial so that family members could watch.
Michael Sherwin, the acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, also announced on Monday that Mas'ud had been charged in connection with his role in the April 5, 1986, bombing of the La Belle Discotheque in West Berlin. Two American service members died there.
Sherwin cited travel records as more evidence of Mas'ud's role in the alleged conspiracy. Mas'ud served in the Libyan intelligence service from 1973 to 2011, prosecutors said.


npr--2020-12-21--Biden To Receive COVID-19 Vaccine Monday

President-elect Joe Biden and incoming first lady Jill Biden will both publicly receive their first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in Delaware on Monday , as the death toll from the disease nears 320,000 in the United States .
The president-elect has set a goal of distributing 100 million vaccine shots in the first 100 days of his administration .
Biden and his wife will join a growing list of political leaders who are sharing videos or photos of themselves getting vaccinated in an effort to boost public trust in the efficacy and safety of the vaccines that have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government has allotted vaccine doses to officials according to continuity of government protocols .
Vice President Pence , second lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams were administered their initial vaccination shots during an on-camera event on Friday .
`` Vaccines are how we beat this virus , '' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky , tweeted on Friday , after receiving his first shot .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , also shared photos of her vaccination , reminding the public to continue to follow social distancing guidelines and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being distributed over the next several months .
Biden is 78 , an age that puts him at higher risk of severe symptoms , should he catch the disease .
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel on Sunday recommended that people over 75 be among the group prioritized next for a vaccine , following health care workers and residents and workers at long-term care facilities .
Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond , who will lead Biden 's Office of Public Engagement , tested positive for the coronavirus last week .
He did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prior to the positive test , an aide said .
According to a December NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey , 61 % of Americans say they will take a vaccine when they are able to , up from 49 % in September .
Among those most reluctant to get the vaccine are supporters of President Trump , people who live in rural areas and people without college degrees .
The White House has not said when Trump or first lady Melania Trump , both of whom were infected with the virus earlier this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kamala Harris is expected to begin her course of vaccination next week .

'There's Nothing To Worry About,' Biden Says As He Receives COVID-19 Vaccine
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 3:48 p.m. ET
President-elect Joe Biden publicly received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Monday as the death toll from the disease nears 320,000 in the United States.
Rolling up his sleeve at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., Biden told nurse practitioner Tabe Mase, "I'm ready!" and thanked her for her work with COVID-19 patients. "We owe you big, we really do," Biden said.
Biden said his wife, Jill, also received her first vaccine shot Monday.
"I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available, to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about," the president-elect said of his first vaccine dose. He said he was "looking forward" to getting the second dose.
"This is just the beginning. It's one thing to get the vaccine out, and now [vaccine-maker] Moderna is going to be on the road as well, but it's going to take time," he added, imploring Americans to continue following health guidelines, including wearing masks, keeping social distance and avoiding unnecessary travel.
The president-elect, who said the Trump administration "deserves credit" for getting the development and distribution of vaccines off the ground, has set a goal of distributing 100 million vaccine shots in the first 100 days of his administration.
In receiving the vaccine on Monday, the Bidens join a growing list of political leaders who are sharing videos or photos of themselves getting inoculated in an effort to boost public trust in the efficacy and safety of the vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use. The federal government has allotted vaccine doses to officials according to continuity of government protocols.
Vice President Pence, second lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams were administered their initial vaccination shots during an on-camera event on Friday.
"Vaccines are how we beat this virus," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., tweeted on Friday after receiving his first shot.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also shared photos of her vaccination, reminding the public to continue to follow social distancing guidelines and to wear masks as the vaccine is being distributed over the next several months.
Biden is 78, an age that puts him at higher risk of severe symptoms, should he contract the virus.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel on Sunday recommended that people over 75 be among the group prioritized next for a vaccine following health care workers and residents and workers at long-term care facilities.
Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, who will lead Biden's Office of Public Engagement, tested positive for the coronavirus last week. He did not have close contact with the president-elect before the positive test, an aide said.
According to a December NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist survey, 61% of Americans said they will take a vaccine when they are able to, up from 49% in September.
Among those most reluctant to get the vaccine are supporters of President Trump, people who live in rural areas and people without college degrees.
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The White House has not said when Trump or first lady Melania Trump, both of whom were infected with the virus earlier this year, would receive the vaccine.
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is expected to begin her course of vaccination next week.


npr--2020-12-21--U.S. Embassy In Baghdad Hit In Rocket Attack

U.S. Embassy In Baghdad Hit In Rocket Attack Rocket attacks by `` Iran-backed militias '' into an area housing the U.S. embassy in Iraq killed at least one local civilian and damaged the embassy compound , according to U.S. diplomatic sources .
Eight small rockets launched by Iranian forces specifically targeted the International Zone in Baghdad , also called the `` Green Zone , '' according to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo .
He strongly condemned the attack in a statement released Sunday .
No embassy personnel were injured , but the rocket did damage some residential property surrounding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also caused minor damage to the U.S. Embassy itself .
The facility 's missile defense system was activated to deflect the attack , the embassy said .
News of the attack comes ahead of the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike on Jan. 3 in Baghdad .
Media reports indicate the U.S. withdrew staff from the Baghdad embassy earlier this month out of concern for a potential retaliatory strike ahead of that anniversary .
Pompeo called Iranian-backed militias `` the most serious impediment to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement confirming the incident that attacks on diplomatic facilities `` are a violation of international law . ''
It is also an assault on the `` sovereignty of the Iraqi government , '' the embassy said .
It went on to say , `` We call on all Iraqi political and governmental leaders to take steps to prevent such attacks and hold accountable those responsible . ''

U.S. Embassy In Baghdad Hit In Rocket Attack
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images
Rocket attacks by "Iran-backed militias" into an area housing the U.S. Embassy in Iraq killed at least one local civilian and damaged the embassy compound, according to U.S. diplomatic sources.
Eight small rockets launched by Iranian forces specifically targeted the International Zone in Baghdad, also called the "Green Zone," according to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. He strongly condemned the attack in a statement released Sunday.
No embassy personnel were injured, but the rocket did damage some residential property surrounding the Green Zone, according to Pompeo.
It also caused minor damage to the U.S. Embassy itself. The facility's missile defense system was activated to deflect the attack, the embassy said.
News of the attack comes ahead of the first anniversary of the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an airstrike on Jan. 3 in Baghdad. Media reports indicate the U.S. withdrew staff from the Baghdad embassy earlier this month out of concern for a potential retaliatory strike ahead of that anniversary.
Pompeo called Iranian-backed militias "the most serious impediment to helping Iraq return to peace and prosperity."
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said in a statement confirming the incident that attacks on diplomatic facilities "are a violation of international law." It is also an assault on the "sovereignty of the Iraqi government," the embassy said.
It went on to say, "We call on all Iraqi political and governmental leaders to take steps to prevent such attacks and hold accountable those responsible."


npr--2020-12-21--House Passes $900 Billion Coronavirus Relief Bill, Ending Months-Long Stalemate

The House of Representatives approved more than $ 900 billion for coronavirus assistance on Monday , after months of partisan sniping over what elements should be in a relief measure that virtually all lawmakers on Capitol Hill argued was long overdue .
The Senate is expected to act swiftly to approve it and send to the president .
In order to avoid a shutdown , since federal agencies run out of money at midnight , the package includes a 7-day stop-gap spending bill for the president to sign to allow time to process the combined relief and annual funding bills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance as millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet as cases of COVID-19 are surging across the country .
It includes another round of direct stimulus checks — this time for $ 600 per adult who are in certain income thresholds , and the same amount for children .
It provides an extension of enhanced unemployment insurance benefits for up to $ 300 per week and lengthens the maximum number of weeks .
The package includes $ 25 billion in rental assistance and extends a ban on evictions that was scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ To address the increasing number of those with food insecurity , $ 13 billion was added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program .
To help small businesses worried about closing their doors , the legislation has another roughly $ 300 billion for the popular Paycheck Protection Program and expands the kinds of businesses who can qualify for forgivable loans and grants .
Live venues that have been shuttered during the pandemic were eligible for $ 15 billion in grants .
As hospitals continued vaccinating priority groups with the two vaccines recently authorized by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 68 billion to support vaccine distribution and COVID-19 testing costs .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , who was the lead negotiator for congressional Democrats defended the package , which was half of what she had been holding out for over several months , saying `` we want to do more . ''
She pledged that the compromise represented `` a first step '' and more would be coming after President-elect Joe Biden took office .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized Democrats for insisting on a larger package for months and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their own party , everything changed .
Democrats suddenly came around to our position that we should find consensus , make law where we agree , and get urgent help out the door . ''
Although the overall contours of the bill came together last week , rank and file lawmakers waited for days as the top four leaders — Pelosi , McConnell , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif. — spent days closing out issues .
Particularly , they worked on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over language Republicans wanted to add to limit the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department 's lending authority .
Both sides praised the themselves for working across the aisle to get something done , but action came just days before the holiday break — one Congress had scheduled to take more than a week earlier .
President Trump was absent from the talks , leaving negotiations largely to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin .
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer , one of the members of the bipartisan group of centrists that crafted a proposal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the deal proclaimed , `` this is as close to a Christmas miracle as you can find in a normally polarized Washington . ''
The scramble to assemble the final $ 2.3 trillion package frustrated many members who complained that they did n't have enough time to read the massive bill before voting on it .
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted `` this is n't governance .
It 's hostage-taking . ''
Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee similarly vented on Twitter that it would be impossible to read the entire bill and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's never had to sift through a bill this long .
He said because only the small group of leaders drafted it , the majority of members were still learning about its contents .
Leaders paired the relief bill with the annual $ 1.4 trillion spending bill , which included measures that had been negotiated over months by the House and Senate Appropriations panels .
Members of those committees did note that agreement on many items like pay raises for members of the military , increased money for veterans and a deal on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also represented the last train moving through the lame duck session of Congress .
So riding along were some significant policy bills that had bipartisan support , such as legislation to address surprise medical billing , a measure creating Smithsonian museums for American Women 's History and American Latinos , and a water projects bill .

Congress Passes $900 Billion Coronavirus Relief Bill, Ending Months-Long Stalemate
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jacquelyn Martin/AP Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Updated Tuesday at 11:40 a.m. ET
The Senate acted swiftly Monday night, in a 92-6 vote, to approve more than $900 billion for coronavirus assistance, shortly after the House of Representatives passed the package. The aid comes after months of partisan sniping over what elements should be in a relief measure that virtually all lawmakers on Capitol Hill argued was long overdue.
The measure now heads to President Trump's desk. In order to avoid a shutdown, since federal agencies would have run out of money at midnight Monday, a seven-day stop-gap spending bill was also approved to allow time to process the combined relief and annual funding bills.
The 5,593-page legislation extends economic assistance as millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet as cases of COVID-19 surge across the country. It includes another round of direct stimulus checks — this time $600 per adult who are in certain income thresholds and the same amount for children. It provides an extension of enhanced unemployment insurance benefits for up to $300 per week and lengthens the maximum number of weeks. The package includes $25 billion in rental assistance and extends a ban on evictions that was scheduled to expire at the end of December. To address the increasing number of those with food insecurity, $13 billion was added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
To help small businesses worried about closing their doors, the legislation has another roughly $300 billion for the popular Paycheck Protection Program and expands the kinds of businesses that can qualify for forgivable loans and grants. Live venues that have been shuttered during the pandemic were eligible for $15 billion in grants.
As hospitals continued vaccinating priority groups with the two vaccines recently authorized by the FDA, the bill provided $68 billion to support vaccine distribution and COVID-19 testing costs.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who was the lead negotiator for congressional Democrats, defended the package, which was half of what she had been holding out for over several months, but said, "We want to do more." She pledged that the compromise represented "a first step" and more would be coming after President-elect Joe Biden took office.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., criticized Democrats for insisting on a larger package for months and said, "With a new President-elect of their own party, everything changed. Democrats suddenly came around to our position that we should find consensus, make law where we agree, and get urgent help out the door."
Although the overall contours of the bill came together last week, rank-and-file lawmakers waited for days as the top four leaders — Pelosi, McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. — spent days closing out issues. In particular, they worked on a compromise on a last-minute sticking point over language that Republicans wanted to add to limit the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department's lending authority.
This is as close to a Christmas miracle as you can find in a normally polarized Washington.
Both sides praised the themselves for working across the aisle to get something done, but action came just days before the holiday break — one Congress had scheduled to take more than a week earlier. President Trump was absent from the talks, leaving negotiations largely to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, one of the members of the bipartisan group of centrists that crafted a proposal that was ultimately used as the framework for the deal, proclaimed, "This is as close to a Christmas miracle as you can find in a normally polarized Washington."
The scramble to assemble the final $2.3 trillion package frustrated many members who complained that they didn't have enough time to read the massive bill before voting on it. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, "This isn't governance. It's hostage-taking."
Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee similarly vented on Twitter that it would be impossible to read the entire bill and said that in his 10 years in Congress, he has never had to sift through a bill this long. He said because only the small group of leaders drafted it, the majority of members were still learning about its contents.
Leaders paired the relief bill with the annual $1.4 trillion spending bill, which included measures that had been negotiated over months by the House and Senate Appropriations panels. Members of those committees did note that agreement on many items like pay raises for members of the military, increased money for veterans and a deal on border security measures.
But the deal also represented the last train moving through the lame-duck session of Congress. So riding along were some significant policy bills that had bipartisan support, such as legislation to address surprise medical billing, create Smithsonian museums for American Women's History and for American Latinos, and support a water projects bill.