npr--2020-12-10--'It Is Roiling Him': Reporter Maggie Haberman Unpacks Trump's Refusal To Admit He Lost

'It Is Roiling Him ' : Reporter Maggie Haberman Unpacks Trump 's Refusal To Admit He Lost With only a few weeks until President-elect Joe Biden 's inauguration , President Trump still wo n't admit defeat .
White House correspondent Maggie Haberman , who has reported on Trump over the past 20 years , sheds light on his refusal to concede .
`` [ Trump ] ca n't handle the concept of the label 'loser , ' `` Haberman says .
`` He has never before encountered a problem that he could n't sue away through the court system or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an objective fact that he ca n't do anything about .
It is roiling him . ''
Haberman has covered Trump for The New York Times for more than four years .
Before then , she wrote about him for the New York Post , New York Daily News and Politico .
She describes the president as a `` self-destructive '' individual who tends to crave most what he does not — or can not — have .
Still , Haberman thinks it 's unlikely that Trump will have to be forcibly removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this ongoing fear that he 's going to somehow barricade himself in the White House , '' she says .
`` I 've never thought that 's reality and I still do n't . ''
Haberman says while it 's a privilege to cover the White House , reporting on an administration that seeds so much disinformation and often attacks journalists has been frustrating and exhausting .
`` I feel like I got off one of those centrifugal force rides at the amusement park that pushes you against the wall because it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I think this presidency has had a disorienting effect on a lot of people — in Washington , outside of Washington , across the country . ''
It 's still not clear what lies next for Trump , but Haberman 's next project is decided : She 'll be covering politics for The Times and working on a book about Trump .
Also , she 's turning off Twitter notifications for Trump 's account .
On Trump continuing to have ties with Rudy Giuliani despite Giuliani 's embarrassing press appearances The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rivulets of sweat running down Giuliani 's face at the press conference .
But the president has a very long relationship with Rudy Giuliani ; he 's never going to cut ties with him .
He 's really not .
And Giuliani has convinced the president that it 's activist judges or it 's this one or it 's that one who are thwarting them — and not that it 's at all Giuliani 's fault .
Giuliani is saying to the president what the president wants to hear , which is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raising more than $ 170 million from his supporters for his `` election defense fund '' What the president plans on using this money for is a big open question .
He can certainly use some of it for his political action committee .
There 's a breakdown if you donate and it 's clear that a large percentage of the donation initially goes to this leadership PAC he 's formed , and then the rest goes to this campaign legal fight .
Presumably he can use some of the money for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal battles , which many people think he will , over his own conduct and over questions around his children 's behavior going forward .
But it does put him in an unusual and formidable category where he 's going to have a lot of money and he 's refusing to let go of his clenched fist on the Republican Party .
It 's going to make him probably the most influential after-the-fact president that I can think of .
I mean , the closest that would come is in the last 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it took him a couple of years until he started really getting back into the political arena .
George W. Bush left the stage very quickly .
President [ Barack ] Obama was photographed very happily smiling and I think it was parasailing in the days right after he left the White House .
That 's not what you 're going to see Donald Trump do .
He 's not just going to quietly exit .
On Trump 's lasting influence on the Republican Party The second biggest vote-getter in history was Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That 's a substantial number to head off into the sunset with .
This president has made clear over time that he loved hearing about how his endorsements impacted Republican primaries .
I believe he wants to continue throwing his influence around in Republican primaries , and you 're going to see early tests of that in 2022 .
He has this massive data list of supporters , this email list that he can blast out appeals to .
He likes having power .
Almost everything about Donald Trump for 50 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dominance .
...
He knows that he has a group of millions of people .
And is it the full 74 million who voted on the Republican line ?
Probably not , but it is a substantial segment of that group that will go with him .
And so if he sets out when he leaves office and not just tries to be influential , but indicates he 's running for president again , which he has told many , many people he 's going to do , that is essentially going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's going to be very hard for other candidates to say they will be the person to carry on Donald Trump 's legacy if Donald Trump is standing on the field still .
On why she believes Trump is fighting so hard to keep a job he did n't seem to want in the first place He does n't like being told he ca n't have something .
One of the things that I say about how he views advisers and people close to him is that he never wants someone more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , because he wants to see if he can win them over .
And he has trouble being told that the sale is over .
You ca n't do it anymore .
And I think that he is constantly fighting for things that he has cost himself .
He 's very , very self-destructive .
I mean , that should be pretty obvious , but he has gotten away with being self-destructive and facing few costs for it for so long .
It 's very hard for him to hear that now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , if that makes any sense .
...
I think he liked being called president .
I think he liked knowing that he ... lives in the White House .
I think he likes Air Force One .
I remember asking a friend of his at the end of 2017 , if he liked being president .
The friend said , `` Oh , absolutely . ''
And the friend said , `` Oh , you know , Air Force One , Air Force Two , Marine One . ''
I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the act of being president , the job of being president has not always thrilled him .
On the difficulty and frustration of reporting on the White House The frustrations are enormous .
I remember in 2015 after I had some really elaborate fight with his folks and with him about a story , it was , again , just one of these areas where it was just a bad fact set for him , and he responded by trying to torch me .
I remember saying to a Republican strategist a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we covered somebody where I 'll be sitting on a chair and they 'll point to the chair and say , `` That 's a table , '' and insist on it , insist on it and insist on it .
And it was just a fundamentally asymmetrical experience .
Look , it 's very frustrating .
I think it 's going to take a few months after this presidency to get my head around some of it .
It 's frustrating because we are just writing facts , and he takes them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or preemptively says everything is fake news .
It 's very , very hard to do our job in that climate .
It has been very hard to get a baseline of just accurate fact sets from this White House .
And it has been harder still that there are millions of people who do n't believe things because he says they 're not true .
On Trump trying to get reporters to remove their masks and his lax attitude about COVID-19 In meetings he would say to people , `` Get that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use an expletive to emphasize his point .
With reporters he has said , `` Can you take that thing off ?
It 's really hard to hear you . ''
I was on Air Force One several months ago , I think it was during the summer , and he was not masked .
We were all masked .
He came to the back of the plane to talk to us .
And I had several back and forths with him .
Again , he was unmasked .
This is before he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somebody we were on the plane with got sick .
That was just another reminder of sort of the lax culture there .
It has just never been something that he has favored ever , because he thinks it looks weak and he does n't like the way things look on people 's faces .
...
I think if you look at it through the lens of everything is how it impacts him .
He convinced himself he was safe because he was getting tested .
And he was not getting tested every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House led us to believe that .
...
He was living in this unreality bubble where he was safe because he was the president and because people who came in contact with him were tested — and that just obviously was not foolproof .
On Trump frequently being alone in the White House , without the first family My understanding has always been that he would not eat dinner with [ Melania and Baron ] every night , but there were some nights a week that they would eat dinner together .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most time with their son .
...
I think he 's a lonely human being .
And it goes back to those inconsistencies that I talked about .
Even when surrounded by a lot of people , he can make himself alone .
So I think a constant theme of this presidency has been his loneliness .
On following Trump after he leaves office I 'm probably going to pay more attention to him than a lot of reporters , certainly the White House reporters .
I 'm not going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so there 's that .
I am going to be covering the Republican Party and the Democratic Party , I anticipate anyway , and he is clearly a big part of that .
I do n't know that I 'm going to keep Twitter notifications on .
In fact , I do n't plan to for him because they can be constant .
And in the last couple of months , they 've gotten more frenetic , more frequent .
I will still be paying attention to him , but I do think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
...
I think that if he does something that is objectively newsworthy , makes an endorsement in a primary , gives a speech depending on what he says and so forth , I think those are worthy of coverage .
He 's still a former president , right ?
I mean , I think that that is and there are still 74 million people who voted for him .
But `` Donald Trump tweets , '' just on its own , to me , that 's not a story .
Amy Salit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audio of this interview .
Bridget Bentz , Molly Seavy-Nesper and Dana Farrington adapted it for the Web .

'It Is Roiling Him': Reporter Maggie Haberman Unpacks Trump's Refusal To Admit He Lost
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
With only a few weeks until President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, President Trump still won't admit defeat. White House correspondent Maggie Haberman, who has reported on Trump over the past 20 years, sheds light on his refusal to concede.
"[Trump] can't handle the concept of the label 'loser,' " Haberman says. "He has never before encountered a problem that he couldn't sue away through the court system or spin away. ... This is just an objective fact that he can't do anything about. It is roiling him."
Haberman has covered Trump for The New York Times for more than four years. Before then, she wrote about him for the New York Post, New York Daily News and Politico. She describes the president as a "self-destructive" individual who tends to crave most what he does not — or cannot — have.
Still, Haberman thinks it's unlikely that Trump will have to be forcibly removed from office: "There has been this ongoing fear that he's going to somehow barricade himself in the White House," she says. "I've never thought that's reality and I still don't."
Haberman says while it's a privilege to cover the White House, reporting on an administration that seeds so much disinformation and often attacks journalists has been frustrating and exhausting.
"I feel like I got off one of those centrifugal force rides at the amusement park that pushes you against the wall because it's spinning so fast," she says. "I think this presidency has had a disorienting effect on a lot of people — in Washington, outside of Washington, across the country."
It's still not clear what lies next for Trump, but Haberman's next project is decided: She'll be covering politics for The Times and working on a book about Trump. Also, she's turning off Twitter notifications for Trump's account.
Interview Highlights
On Trump continuing to have ties with Rudy Giuliani despite Giuliani's embarrassing press appearances
[Rudy] Giuliani is saying to the president what the president wants to hear, which is that the president was robbed.
The president was very displeased by the black rivulets of sweat running down Giuliani's face at the press conference. But the president has a very long relationship with Rudy Giuliani; he's never going to cut ties with him. He's really not. And Giuliani has convinced the president that it's activist judges or it's this one or it's that one who are thwarting them — and not that it's at all Giuliani's fault. Giuliani is saying to the president what the president wants to hear, which is that the president was robbed.
On Trump raising more than $170 million from his supporters for his "election defense fund"
What the president plans on using this money for is a big open question. He can certainly use some of it for his political action committee. There's a breakdown if you donate and it's clear that a large percentage of the donation initially goes to this leadership PAC he's formed, and then the rest goes to this campaign legal fight. Presumably he can use some of the money for his own legal fees if he faces ongoing legal battles, which many people think he will, over his own conduct and over questions around his children's behavior going forward.
But it does put him in an unusual and formidable category where he's going to have a lot of money and he's refusing to let go of his clenched fist on the Republican Party. It's going to make him probably the most influential after-the-fact president that I can think of. I mean, the closest that would come is in the last 25 years would be Bill Clinton, and it took him a couple of years until he started really getting back into the political arena. George W. Bush left the stage very quickly. President [Barack] Obama was photographed very happily smiling and I think it was parasailing in the days right after he left the White House. That's not what you're going to see Donald Trump do. He's not just going to quietly exit.
On Trump's lasting influence on the Republican Party
He likes having power. Almost everything about Donald Trump for 50 years at this point has been about power and dominance.
The second biggest vote-getter in history was Donald Trump. The first was Joe Biden. That's a substantial number to head off into the sunset with. This president has made clear over time that he loved hearing about how his endorsements impacted Republican primaries. I believe he wants to continue throwing his influence around in Republican primaries, and you're going to see early tests of that in 2022. He has this massive data list of supporters, this email list that he can blast out appeals to.
He likes having power. Almost everything about Donald Trump for 50 years at this point has been about power and dominance. ... He knows that he has a group of millions of people. And is it the full 74 million who voted on the Republican line? Probably not, but it is a substantial segment of that group that will go with him. And so if he sets out when he leaves office and not just tries to be influential, but indicates he's running for president again, which he has told many, many people he's going to do, that is essentially going to freeze the Republican field, because it's going to be very hard for other candidates to say they will be the person to carry on Donald Trump's legacy if Donald Trump is standing on the field still.
On why she believes Trump is fighting so hard to keep a job he didn't seem to want in the first place
He doesn't like being told he can't have something. One of the things that I say about how he views advisers and people close to him is that he never wants someone more than when their back is turned to him, because he wants to see if he can win them over. And he has trouble being told that the sale is over. You can't do it anymore. And I think that he is constantly fighting for things that he has cost himself. He's very, very self-destructive. I mean, that should be pretty obvious, but he has gotten away with being self-destructive and facing few costs for it for so long. It's very hard for him to hear that now, that that's a problem for him, if that makes any sense. ...
I think he liked being called president. I think he liked knowing that he ... lives in the White House. I think he likes Air Force One. I remember asking a friend of his at the end of 2017, if he liked being president. The friend said, "Oh, absolutely." And the friend said, "Oh, you know, Air Force One, Air Force Two, Marine One." I think he likes the accoutrements. I think that the act of being president, the job of being president has not always thrilled him.
On the difficulty and frustration of reporting on the White House
The frustrations are enormous. I remember in 2015 after I had some really elaborate fight with his folks and with him about a story, it was, again, just one of these areas where it was just a bad fact set for him, and he responded by trying to torch me. I remember saying to a Republican strategist a few days later that never before had we covered somebody where I'll be sitting on a chair and they'll point to the chair and say, "That's a table," and insist on it, insist on it and insist on it. And it was just a fundamentally asymmetrical experience.
Look, it's very frustrating. I think it's going to take a few months after this presidency to get my head around some of it. It's frustrating because we are just writing facts, and he takes them and twists them, or lies, or preemptively says everything is fake news. It's very, very hard to do our job in that climate. It has been very hard to get a baseline of just accurate fact sets from this White House. And it has been harder still that there are millions of people who don't believe things because he says they're not true.
On Trump trying to get reporters to remove their masks and his lax attitude about COVID-19
In meetings he would say to people, "Get that thing off." And he would use an expletive to emphasize his point. With reporters he has said, "Can you take that thing off? It's really hard to hear you."
I was on Air Force One several months ago, I think it was during the summer, and he was not masked. We were all masked. He came to the back of the plane to talk to us. And I had several back and forths with him. Again, he was unmasked. This is before he got sick. We learned later that somebody we were on the plane with got sick. That was just another reminder of sort of the lax culture there. It has just never been something that he has favored ever, because he thinks it looks weak and he doesn't like the way things look on people's faces. ...
I think if you look at it through the lens of everything is how it impacts him. He convinced himself he was safe because he was getting tested. And he was not getting tested every day despite the fact that the White House led us to believe that. ... He was living in this unreality bubble where he was safe because he was the president and because people who came in contact with him were tested — and that just obviously was not foolproof.
On Trump frequently being alone in the White House, without the first family
My understanding has always been that he would not eat dinner with [Melania and Barron] every night, but there were some nights a week that they would eat dinner together. I think she is the one who spends the most time with their son. ... I think he's a lonely human being. And it goes back to those inconsistencies that I talked about. Even when surrounded by a lot of people, he can make himself alone. So I think a constant theme of this presidency has been his loneliness.
On following Trump after he leaves office
Enlarge this image toggle caption The New York Times The New York Times
I'm probably going to pay more attention to him than a lot of reporters, certainly the White House reporters. I'm not going to be covering the White House specifically anymore, so there's that. I am going to be covering the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, I anticipate anyway, and he is clearly a big part of that. I don't know that I'm going to keep Twitter notifications on. In fact, I don't plan to for him because they can be constant. And in the last couple of months, they've gotten more frenetic, more frequent. I will still be paying attention to him, but I do think the bar for news coverage changes significantly. ...
I think that if he does something that is objectively newsworthy, makes an endorsement in a primary, gives a speech depending on what he says and so forth, I think those are worthy of coverage. He's still a former president, right? I mean, I think that that is and there are still 74 million people who voted for him. But "Donald Trump tweets," just on its own, to me, that's not a story.
Amy Salit and Seth Kelley produced and edited the audio of this interview. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Dana Farrington adapted it for the Web.


npr--2020-12-10--When Might You Expect Your 1st COVID-19 Shot?

When Might You Expect Your 1st COVID-19 Shot ?
As several COVID-19 vaccines head toward authorization in the U.S. , questions about vaccine access are coming up , too : Who is slated to get the vaccine first ?
Why ?
And when can I get one ?
At the national level , vaccine distribution is organized by Operation Warp Speed , the government 's initiative to support the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments .
The federal government has invested in and pre-purchased hundreds of millions of vaccine doses from several of the drug companies working on vaccines against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jointly by the drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech and the other by Moderna — are already under review by the Food and Drug Administration .
If FDA scientists and advisers determine that the vaccine is safe and effective , they could authorize the vaccines for emergency use in the U.S. very soon .
If both of these vaccine candidates receive authorization , government officials say they 're ready to distribute 20 million doses this month — that 's enough to fully vaccinate 10 million people , as each vaccine requires two doses for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledged to eventually provide COVID-19 immunization free of charge to any of the 330 million people in the U.S. who want to participate .
In the first few weeks and months after authorization , however , the supply of any vaccine is expected to be limited .
So the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , via an independent advisory committee , has provided guidance to state and local officials on how those initial doses should be allocated .
Their goals are to use COVID-19 vaccines to reduce severe illness and death from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society and the economy — by keeping the U.S. food , health care , transport and other essential systems up and running .
The CDC recommends prioritizing health care facility workers who could get exposed to COVID-19 on the job — including doctors , nurses , nursing home aides , cafeteria workers and janitorial staff .
The staff and residents of long-term care facilities ( such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities ) should also be prioritized in the first phase of vaccination , the CDC says , because that population accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 % of COVID-19 deaths .
Other groups that the CDC says it is considering prioritizing include other essential workers , people 65 years old or above and people who have underlying medical conditions ( such as cancer , obesity or kidney disease ) that put them at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 .
A federal advisory committee to the CDC will vote on recommendations about the order in which these groups should be offered vaccines , as more information about the safety and efficacy of the various COVID-19 vaccines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for when a vaccine will be available to you , that depends on many factors , such as whether you fit into specific priority groups and how many different vaccines ( and doses ) become available and when .
It also depends on where you live — each state will make the ultimate decision on how to distribute the vaccine doses that come its way .
Already , state officials have been working to enroll hospitals , doctors ' offices and pharmacies as COVID-19 vaccine providers and have submitted preliminary distribution plans to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the federal government says , it may be possible for vaccines to be widely available by spring of 2021 .

When Might You Expect Your 1st COVID-19 Shot?
In the U.S., front-line health care workers are likely first in line to get immunized with a COVID-19 vaccine, once the FDA says yes. But what about the rest of us? Here's what we know so far. Xueying Chang, Pien Huang and Kaz Fantone/NPR YouTube
Updated at 1 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Dec. 15
As several COVID-19 vaccines head toward authorization in the U.S., questions about vaccine access are coming up, too: Who is slated to get the vaccine first? Why? And when can I get one?
At the national level, vaccine distribution is organized by Operation Warp Speed, the government's initiative to support the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. The federal government has invested in and pre-purchased hundreds of millions of vaccine doses from several of the drug companies working on vaccines against COVID-19.
Two vaccines — one developed jointly by the drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech and the other by Moderna — are already either authorized, in the case of Pfizer's, or under review this week by the Food and Drug Administration in the case of Moderna's. If FDA scientists and advisers determine that both vaccines are safe and effective, they could authorize them both for emergency use in the U.S. very soon. Assuming that happens, government officials say, they'll be ready to distribute 20 million doses this month — that's enough to fully vaccinate 10 million people, as each vaccine requires two doses for maximum protection.
The federal government has pledged to eventually provide COVID-19 immunization free of charge to any of the 330 million people in the U.S. who want to participate. In the first few weeks and months after authorization, however, the supply of any vaccine is expected to be limited.
So the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, via an independent advisory committee, has provided guidance to state and local officials on how those initial doses should be allocated. Their goals are to use COVID-19 vaccines to reduce severe illness and death from the disease and to minimize disruptions to society and the economy — by keeping the U.S. food, health care, transport and other essential systems up and running.
The CDC recommends prioritizing health care facility workers who could get exposed to COVID-19 on the job — including doctors, nurses, nursing home aides, cafeteria workers and janitorial staff. The staff and residents of long-term care facilities (such as nursing homes and assisted living facilities) should also be prioritized in the first phase of vaccination, the CDC says, because that population accounts for only 6% of cases but 40% of COVID-19 deaths.
Other groups that the CDC says it is considering prioritizing include other essential workers, people 65 years old or above and people who have underlying medical conditions (such as cancer, obesity or kidney disease) that put them at higher risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19. A federal advisory committee to the CDC will vote on recommendations about the order in which these groups should be offered vaccines, as more information about the safety and efficacy of the various COVID-19 vaccines in different groups becomes available.
As for when a vaccine will be available to you, that depends on many factors, such as whether you fit into specific priority groups and how many different vaccines (and doses) become available and when. It also depends on where you live — each state will make the ultimate decision on how to distribute the vaccine doses that come its way. Already, state officials have been working to enroll hospitals, doctors' offices and pharmacies as COVID-19 vaccine providers and have submitted preliminary distribution plans to the CDC. In a best-case scenario, the federal government says, it may be possible for vaccines to be widely available by spring of 2021.


npr--2020-12-10--Minneapolis Shifts $8 Million In Police Funding, But Keeps Force At Current Level

Minneapolis Shifts $ 8 Million In Police Funding , But Keeps Force At Current Level The Minneapolis City Council has voted to shift almost $ 8 million in police funding to expand other services , including violence prevention and mental health crisis response teams .
But , in the face of a veto threat from the mayor , the council also voted to keep its police staffed at current levels , reversing earlier plans to cut officers from the force .
The vote on Thursday emerged from the national debate over police funding that was sparked in May by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , at the hands of Minneapolis officers as well as numerous similar incidents around the country .
The incidents were followed by massive protests about racial injustice .
Lisa Bender , City Council president , said she 's proud the council unified around a shared goal , Minnesota Public Radio reported .
`` It 's clear to me and I think to all of us that we need to transform our system of public safety .
That we can not vacillate between police violence and community violence , '' Bender said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the overall police budget of $ 179 million .
Earlier in the week , the council voted to cut the authorized police force to 750 officers from the current 888 , starting in 2022 .
But the council then decided against the cuts after Mayor Jacob Frey said he would consider vetoing the city budget over the move .
The vote was 13-0 to adopt the budget .
City Council member Steve Fletcher , who co-authored the plan to lower the cap on the police force , said the budget plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and also a big step forward into a more compassionate and effective public safety future , '' the Associated Press reported .
Ahead of the council vote , hundreds of residents signed up to speak at a hearing on the police funding issue that stretched for seven hours on Dec. 2 .
One of the callers was Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg , who said the $ 8 million funding shift did n't go far enough .
`` Police come after harm has happened and do nothing to change the conditions which lead to harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She said she supported a proposal to slash more than $ 53 million from the police department and to move the money toward health , housing and violence-prevention programs .
Others at the hearing spoke in favor of police reforms , but said that now is n't the time to cut resources .
The latest vote is a long way from action the council took in June , when it unanimously voted to eliminate the police department .
Under that plan , the department would have been replaced with `` a department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have responsibility for public safety services prioritizing a holistic , public health-oriented approach . ''
The agency would have be overseen by a director with `` non-law enforcement experience in community safety services . ''
The council 's action would have allowed voters to decide on eliminating the existing funding requirement for the police department .
But in August , the city 's charter commission decided it needed more time to weigh the proposal .
That killed any chance for the measure to appear on the November ballot .

Minneapolis Shifts $8 Million In Police Funding, But Keeps Force At Current Level
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brandon Bell/Getty Images Brandon Bell/Getty Images
The Minneapolis City Council has voted to shift almost $8 million in police funding to expand other services, including violence prevention and mental health crisis response teams. But, in the face of a veto threat from the mayor, the council also voted to keep its police staffed at current levels, reversing earlier plans to cut officers from the force.
The vote on Thursday emerged from the national debate over police funding that was sparked in May by the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of Minneapolis officers as well as numerous similar incidents around the country. The incidents were followed by massive protests about racial injustice.
Lisa Bender, City Council president, said she's proud the council unified around a shared goal, Minnesota Public Radio reported. "It's clear to me and I think to all of us that we need to transform our system of public safety. That we cannot vacillate between police violence and community violence," Bender said.
The $8 million is a small part of the overall police budget of $179 million.
Earlier in the week, the council voted to cut the authorized police force to 750 officers from the current 888, starting in 2022. But the council then decided against the cuts after Mayor Jacob Frey said he would consider vetoing the city budget over the move. The vote was 13-0 to adopt the budget.
City Council member Steve Fletcher, who co-authored the plan to lower the cap on the police force, said the budget plan passed Thursday "represents a compromise, and also a big step forward into a more compassionate and effective public safety future," the Associated Press reported.
Ahead of the council vote, hundreds of residents signed up to speak at a hearing on the police funding issue that stretched for seven hours on Dec. 2. One of the callers was Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg, who said the $8 million funding shift didn't go far enough.
"Police come after harm has happened and do nothing to change the conditions which lead to harm and violence," Rosenberg said. She said she supported a proposal to slash more than $53 million from the police department and to move the money toward health, housing and violence-prevention programs.
Others at the hearing spoke in favor of police reforms, but said that now isn't the time to cut resources.
As the AP reported:
"Some in favor of the plan called police officers cowards, gang members, white supremacists or terrorists. They spoke about violence that African Americans and other minorities have experienced at the hands of police. Those against the plan said the City Council was acting irresponsibly and has bungled its attempts to bring change. They cited increasing violence, saying they don't feel safe."
The latest vote is a long way from action the council took in June, when it unanimously voted to eliminate the police department. Under that plan, the department would have been replaced with "a department of community safety and violence prevention, which will have responsibility for public safety services prioritizing a holistic, public health-oriented approach." The agency would have be overseen by a director with "non-law enforcement experience in community safety services."
The council's action would have allowed voters to decide on eliminating the existing funding requirement for the police department. But in August, the city's charter commission decided it needed more time to weigh the proposal. That killed any chance for the measure to appear on the November ballot.


npr--2020-12-10--Biden Picks Susan Rice For Top Domestic Policy Position

President-elect Joe Biden said on Thursday he has chosen Susan Rice to lead the White House Domestic Policy Council , a position that does not require confirmation by the Senate .
Rice , 56 , is a veteran of the past two Democratic administrations , serving on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration and as ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser under former President Barack Obama .
Rice had previously been on Biden 's shortlist for vice president .
Her selection to serve in a domestic role is somewhat unexpected given her extensive credentials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her selection , the Biden campaign said Rice `` knows government inside and out . ''
`` Rice is among our nation 's most senior and experienced government leaders with the skills to harness the power of the federal government to serve the American people , '' the statement reads .
`` As a former member of the Cabinet , she also understands the challenges and opportunities of running an agency and has extensive experience working with other key members of the Biden-Harris White House team , including the heads of NSC and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many former Obama White House aides who are returning to work in the Biden administration .
Biden also confirmed his intention to nominate Denis McDonough , Obama 's former chief of staff and deputy national security adviser , to lead Veterans Affairs ; and Tom Vilsack , Obama 's former secretary of agriculture , to return to that department .
Biden has selected Rep. Marcia Fudge , D-Ohio , as his nominee for Housing and Urban Development and Katherine Tai as U.S. trade representative .
Biden called the new additions to his administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in history . ''
`` The roles they will take on are where the rubber meets the road — where competent and crisis-tested governance can make a meaningful difference in people 's lives , enhancing the dignity , equity , security , and prosperity of the day-to-day lives of Americans , '' he said in a statement .

Biden Picks Susan Rice For Top Domestic Policy Position
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johannes Eisele /AFP via Getty Images Johannes Eisele /AFP via Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden said on Thursday he has chosen Susan Rice to lead the White House Domestic Policy Council, a position that does not require confirmation by the Senate.
Rice, 56, is a veteran of the past two Democratic administrations, serving on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration and as ambassador to the United Nations and national security adviser under former President Barack Obama.
Rice had previously been on Biden's shortlist for vice president.
Her selection to serve in a domestic role is somewhat unexpected given her extensive credentials in foreign policy.
In a statement announcing her selection, the Biden campaign said Rice "knows government inside and out."
"Rice is among our nation's most senior and experienced government leaders with the skills to harness the power of the federal government to serve the American people," the statement reads.
"As a former member of the Cabinet, she also understands the challenges and opportunities of running an agency and has extensive experience working with other key members of the Biden-Harris White House team, including the heads of NSC and NEC."
Rice is one of many former Obama White House aides who are returning to work in the Biden administration.
Biden also confirmed his intention to nominate Denis McDonough, Obama's former chief of staff and deputy national security adviser, to lead Veterans Affairs; and Tom Vilsack, Obama's former secretary of agriculture, to return to that department.
Biden has selected Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, as his nominee for Housing and Urban Development and Katherine Tai as U.S. trade representative.
Biden called the new additions to his administration the "right team for this moment in history."
"The roles they will take on are where the rubber meets the road — where competent and crisis-tested governance can make a meaningful difference in people's lives, enhancing the dignity, equity, security, and prosperity of the day-to-day lives of Americans," he said in a statement.


npr--2020-12-10--Pompeo's Legacy Of Partisanship And Wading Into Political Waters

Pompeo 's Legacy Of Partisanship And Wading Into Political Waters Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched another broadside against China this week , warning of Chinese threats to U.S. research universities .
`` Americans must know how the Chinese Communist Party is poisoning the well of our higher education institutions for its own ends , and how those actions degrade our freedoms and American national security , '' he said in a speech Wednesday at Georgia Tech in Atlanta .
Pompeo accused China 's Communist Party of trying to `` steal our stuff and pressure critics to keep quiet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorite theme for Pompeo , who has used recent speeches and interviews to burnish his image as tough on China and Iran .
His choice of venue , though , is drawing criticism , taking place less than a month before key runoff races in Georgia that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate .
Pompeo 's critics see his trip to Georgia at a politically tense moment for the state as another example of America 's top diplomat breaking norms by getting involved in domestic politics .
`` Secretary Pompeo 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extent to which he politicized the State Department and the conduct of American foreign policy and made it a part of advancing his own domestic political interests , '' said Tamara Cofman Wittes of the Brookings Institution .
Pompeo , who has presidential ambitions and is considered a contender for the Republican nomination in 2024 , has used State Department resources to network , she said .
Congressional Democrats are looking into the `` Madison Dinners '' — taxpayer-funded private functions — that Pompeo and his wife , Susan Pompeo , hosted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost of at least $ 45,000 , according to receipts obtained by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington .
Pompeo brushes off the criticism .
Answering questions following his Georgia Tech speech , he insisted his trip was not about partisanship .
`` I do n't think a single thing I said today reflected a partisan viewpoint , but rather relied on a dataset , '' Pompeo told students .
The moderator did not ask him to comment on the Georgia Senate runoffs or his controversial remark last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition to a second Trump administration , '' in which he amplified President Trump 's baseless claims about the U.S. election results .
Pompeo 's readiness to wade into political waters was on full display in his recent trip to Israel , where he visited a West Bank settlement and an evangelical Christian museum , stops that can boost his appeal among fellow evangelicals .
When Pompeo first arrived at the State Department in April 2018 , some veteran U.S. diplomats hoped his close relations with Trump would mean that after the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State Department was back in the game .
`` They may have been demoralized , but they seemed in good spirits , '' Pompeo told reporters after meeting American diplomats in Brussels at the U.S. mission to NATO , on his first trip as secretary of state .
`` They are hopeful that the State Department will get its swagger back , that we will be out doing the things that they came onboard at the State Department to do .
To be professional , to deliver diplomacy , American diplomacy around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set , is to build that esprit and get the team on the field so that we can effectuate American diplomacy . ''
His close ties to Trump often came at a cost to that team , though .
Pompeo refused to support Marie Yovanovitch , the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was ousted in 2019 after a smear campaign by Trump 's personal attorney , Rudy Giuliani .
More recently , Pompeo left his ambassadors with no talking points on the U.S. election results after his controversial remark about a `` second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work against abortion rights as one of his major achievements as secretary of state .
During his tenure , the administration expanded what is known as the global gag rule to block all funding to organizations overseas that provide abortion counseling or services .
In October , Pompeo signed an anti-abortion declaration with countries including Belarus , Hungary , Egypt , Pakistan and Saudi Arabia .
`` We continued our unprecedented defense of the unborn by signing the Geneva Consensus Declaration alongside 32 other nations , '' he told reporters in November .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've made religious freedom a top priority in the United States foreign policy for the first time in America 's history . ''
Rori Kramer , a former State Department official , worries that some civil liberties may be curbed in the name of religious freedom .
She points to the latest international conference on religious freedom , which was hosted in Poland , `` a country that has LGBTQ-free zones , '' she said , `` that has basically banned all reproductive access . ''
The State Department launched the annual gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 's event .
Kramer , who is now with the American Jewish World Service , believes Pompeo has been pushing his religious beliefs to `` degrade the rights of women , girls and LGBTQ people . ''
He stripped the State Department 's annual human rights reports of any mention of reproductive rights for women .
And the Commission on Unalienable Rights , which he set up in 2019 to address his concerns about a `` proliferation of rights , '' put greater emphasis on property rights and religious freedom than other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the State Department , we did n't infuse politics and religion into policy , in particular into universal human rights .
And so now the State Department staff has been asked to make basic human rights of others into a domestic political issue , '' Kramer said .
She expects the Biden administration to reject some of these policies .
Trump 's envoy on religious freedom , Sam Brownback , though , told reporters recently he 's hoping Pompeo 's emphasis on religious freedom will outlive his tenure as secretary of state .

Pompeo's Legacy Of Partisanship And Wading Into Political Waters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jacquelyn Martin/AP Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched another broadside against China this week, warning of Chinese threats to U.S. research universities.
"Americans must know how the Chinese Communist Party is poisoning the well of our higher education institutions for its own ends, and how those actions degrade our freedoms and American national security," he said in a speech Wednesday at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
Pompeo accused China's Communist Party of trying to "steal our stuff and pressure critics to keep quiet."
It was a reprise of a favorite theme for Pompeo, who has used recent speeches and interviews to burnish his image as tough on China and Iran. His choice of venue, though, is drawing criticism, taking place less than a month before key runoff races in Georgia that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
Pompeo's critics see his trip to Georgia at a politically tense moment for the state as another example of America's top diplomat breaking norms by getting involved in domestic politics.
"Secretary Pompeo's lasting mark on American foreign policy is the extent to which he politicized the State Department and the conduct of American foreign policy and made it a part of advancing his own domestic political interests," said Tamara Cofman Wittes of the Brookings Institution.
Pompeo, who has presidential ambitions and is considered a contender for the Republican nomination in 2024, has used State Department resources to network, she said. Congressional Democrats are looking into the "Madison Dinners" — taxpayer-funded private functions — that Pompeo and his wife, Susan Pompeo, hosted for Republican donors and supporters at a cost of at least $45,000, according to receipts obtained by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Pompeo brushes off the criticism. Answering questions following his Georgia Tech speech, he insisted his trip was not about partisanship. "I don't think a single thing I said today reflected a partisan viewpoint, but rather relied on a dataset," Pompeo told students.
The moderator did not ask him to comment on the Georgia Senate runoffs or his controversial remark last month that "there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration," in which he amplified President Trump's baseless claims about the U.S. election results.
Pompeo's readiness to wade into political waters was on full display in his recent trip to Israel, where he visited a West Bank settlement and an evangelical Christian museum, stops that can boost his appeal among fellow evangelicals.
When Pompeo first arrived at the State Department in April 2018, some veteran U.S. diplomats hoped his close relations with Trump would mean that after the previous year of cutbacks under Rex Tillerson, the State Department was back in the game.
"They may have been demoralized, but they seemed in good spirits," Pompeo told reporters after meeting American diplomats in Brussels at the U.S. mission to NATO, on his first trip as secretary of state. "They are hopeful that the State Department will get its swagger back, that we will be out doing the things that they came onboard at the State Department to do. To be professional, to deliver diplomacy, American diplomacy around the world – that's my mission set, is to build that esprit and get the team on the field so that we can effectuate American diplomacy."
His close ties to Trump often came at a cost to that team, though. Pompeo refused to support Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was ousted in 2019 after a smear campaign by Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. More recently, Pompeo left his ambassadors with no talking points on the U.S. election results after his controversial remark about a "second Trump administration."
Pompeo counts his work against abortion rights as one of his major achievements as secretary of state. During his tenure, the administration expanded what is known as the global gag rule to block all funding to organizations overseas that provide abortion counseling or services.
In October, Pompeo signed an anti-abortion declaration with countries including Belarus, Hungary, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
"We continued our unprecedented defense of the unborn by signing the Geneva Consensus Declaration alongside 32 other nations," he told reporters in November. "I'm especially proud that we've made religious freedom a top priority in the United States foreign policy for the first time in America's history."
Rori Kramer, a former State Department official, worries that some civil liberties may be curbed in the name of religious freedom. She points to the latest international conference on religious freedom, which was hosted in Poland, "a country that has LGBTQ-free zones," she said, "that has basically banned all reproductive access." The State Department launched the annual gatherings and worked closely with Poland on this year's event.
Kramer, who is now with the American Jewish World Service, believes Pompeo has been pushing his religious beliefs to "degrade the rights of women, girls and LGBTQ people."
He stripped the State Department's annual human rights reports of any mention of reproductive rights for women. And the Commission on Unalienable Rights, which he set up in 2019 to address his concerns about a "proliferation of rights," put greater emphasis on property rights and religious freedom than other rights.
"When I worked at the State Department, we didn't infuse politics and religion into policy, in particular into universal human rights. And so now the State Department staff has been asked to make basic human rights of others into a domestic political issue," Kramer said.
She expects the Biden administration to reject some of these policies. Trump's envoy on religious freedom, Sam Brownback, though, told reporters recently he's hoping Pompeo's emphasis on religious freedom will outlive his tenure as secretary of state.


npr--2020-12-10--Supreme Court Says Muslim Men Can Sue FBI Agents In No-Fly List Case

Supreme Court Says Muslim Men Can Sue FBI Agents In No-Fly List Case The U.S. Supreme Court , in a unanimous opinion , ruled Thursday that Muslims put on the no-fly list after refusing to act as informants can sue federal officials for money damages under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act .
The case – Tanzin v. Tanvir — involved three Muslim men who said their religious freedom rights were violated when FBI agents tried to use the no-fly list to force them into becoming informants .
Ramzi Kassen , the lawyer representing the thee men , explained that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` tremendous power with a near total lack of transparency , '' empowering the FBI to use it as coercive force .
None of the men was suspected of illegal activity , and indeed the Obama administration tried to head off the suit by removing their names from the no-fly list just days before the case first went to court .
It did n't work .
The men refused to drop their case , and on Thursday the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in their favor .
`` I feel extremely happy and content @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is a great victory for every voiceless Muslim and non-Muslim against hate and oppression and ...
I hope that this is a warning to [ the ] FBI and other agencies that they will be held responsible for ... traumatizing people and ruining their lives , '' said Naveed Shinwari , one of the three men involved in the case .
Shinwari , a manufacturing contractor who came to the U.S. with his father from Afghanistan when he was 14 , is a legal permanent resident .
His presence on the no-fly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could not do his contracting job because it required travel within the United States .
Nor could he visit his wife in Afghanistan .
She is , however , now is in U.S. , and the couple have three young children , two of them born in this country .
Writing for the court , Justice Clarence Thomas noted that money damages have long been authorized in American law , dating back to the founding of the republic .
And he pointed specifically to a post-Civil War statute that provides for damages against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state law '' to deprive people of their constitutional rights .
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act , enacted in 1993 , is in that tradition and uses the same terminology , he observed .
Thomas acknowledged that Congress is free to shield government agents from suit , but `` [ w ] e can not manufacture '' such a presumption 27 years later .
This is not the end of the line in the case .
The three men now have the right to sue , but the government may wish to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or in the alternative , it could invoke the doctrine of qualified immunity , and assert that the agents are immune from suit because they had no way of knowing their conduct would be illegal at the time .
Attorneys for the three men contend that though some 80,000 individuals have been placed on the no-fly list , there will be no flood of lawsuits stemming from Thursday 's decision because the vast majority of those on the list are residents of another country , unlike the three men who brought this case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unanimous , it was heard before Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as the newest justice , and she did not participate in the ruling .

Supreme Court Says Muslim Men Can Sue FBI Agents In No-Fly List Case
Enlarge this image Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
Updated at 2:43 p.m. ET
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a unanimous opinion, ruled Thursday that Muslims put on the no-fly list after refusing to act as informants can sue federal officials for money damages under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The case – Tanzin v. Tanvir — involved three Muslim men who said their religious freedom rights were violated when FBI agents tried to use the no-fly list to force them into becoming informants.
Ramzi Kassen, the lawyer representing the thee men, explained that the no-fly list is problematic because it combines "tremendous power with a near total lack of transparency," empowering the FBI to use it as coercive force.
None of the men was suspected of illegal activity, and indeed the Obama administration tried to head off the suit by removing their names from the no-fly list just days before the case first went to court. It didn't work. The men refused to drop their case, and on Thursday the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in their favor.
"I feel extremely happy and content. All praise belongs to Allah. This is a great victory for every voiceless Muslim and non-Muslim against hate and oppression and ... I hope that this is a warning to [the] FBI and other agencies that they will be held responsible for ... traumatizing people and ruining their lives," said Naveed Shinwari, one of the three men involved in the case.
Shinwari, a manufacturing contractor who came to the U.S. with his father from Afghanistan when he was 14, is a legal permanent resident. His presence on the no-fly list, he said, meant he could not do his contracting job because it required travel within the United States. Nor could he visit his wife in Afghanistan. She is, however, now is in U.S., and the couple have three young children, two of them born in this country.
Writing for the court, Justice Clarence Thomas noted that money damages have long been authorized in American law, dating back to the founding of the republic. And he pointed specifically to a post-Civil War statute that provides for damages against government officials who act "under color of state law" to deprive people of their constitutional rights. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, enacted in 1993, is in that tradition and uses the same terminology, he observed.
Thomas acknowledged that Congress is free to shield government agents from suit, but "[w]e cannot manufacture" such a presumption 27 years later.
This is not the end of the line in the case. The three men now have the right to sue, but the government may wish to settle the case out of court, or in the alternative, it could invoke the doctrine of qualified immunity, and assert that the agents are immune from suit because they had no way of knowing their conduct would be illegal at the time.
Attorneys for the three men contend that though some 80,000 individuals have been placed on the no-fly list, there will be no flood of lawsuits stemming from Thursday's decision because the vast majority of those on the list are residents of another country, unlike the three men who brought this case.
While the court's decision was unanimous, it was heard before Justice Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as the newest justice, and she did not participate in the ruling.


npr--2020-12-10--Biden Selects Denis McDonough As VA Secretary

President-elect Joe Biden intends to nominate Denis McDonough to run Veterans Affairs , a position that requires Senate confirmation .
McDonough is a longtime aide of former President Barack Obama and served as his chief of staff from 2013 to 2017 .
McDonough , who did not serve in the military , was chosen because of his ability to navigate crises and sort through the complex morass of government programs that can support veterans , a source familiar with the president-elect 's thinking told NPR .
The source spoke about private conversations on the condition of anonymity .
Joe Chenelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the veterans group thought Biden would go in a different direction .
`` We were expecting a veteran , maybe a post-9/11 veteran .
Maybe a woman veteran .
Or maybe a veteran who knows the VA exceptionally well , '' Chenelly said in a statement .
`` We are looking forward to hearing from President-Elect Biden on his thinking behind this nomination . ''
Former VA Secretary David Shulkin , the only previous VA secretary who was not a veteran , stressed that the job was just as much about managing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and the nearly constant crises that require congressional and executive branch coordination .
`` Being able to manage a complex environment with many issues coming at you is what this job takes .
It 's not an easy job , but somebody with Denis ' experience of being in the white house and managing so many issues I think is going to be a real asset , '' Shulkin told NPR .
Shulkin , who worked at VA under presidents Trump and Obama , said McDonough had been closely involved in responding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The VA is second only to the Pentagon in size and budget .
It provides benefits and runs the largest health care network in the country , with about 9 million veterans enrolled .
News of McDonough 's selection was first reported by Politico and later confirmed by NPR .

Biden Selects Denis McDonough As VA Secretary
Enlarge this image toggle caption Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summi Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summi
Updated at 2:25 p.m. ET
President-elect Joe Biden intends to nominate Denis McDonough to run Veterans Affairs, a position that requires Senate confirmation.
McDonough is a longtime aide of former President Barack Obama and served as his chief of staff from 2013 to 2017.
McDonough, who did not serve in the military, was chosen because of his ability to navigate crises and sort through the complex morass of government programs that can support veterans, a source familiar with the president-elect's thinking told NPR. The source spoke about private conversations on the condition of anonymity.
Joe Chenelly, executive director of AMVETS, said the veterans group thought Biden would go in a different direction.
"We were expecting a veteran, maybe a post-9/11 veteran. Maybe a woman veteran. Or maybe a veteran who knows the VA exceptionally well," Chenelly said in a statement. "We are looking forward to hearing from President-Elect Biden on his thinking behind this nomination."
Former VA Secretary David Shulkin, the only previous VA secretary who was not a veteran, stressed that the job was just as much about managing a huge organization — with over 300,000 staff — and the nearly constant crises that require congressional and executive branch coordination.
"Being able to manage a complex environment with many issues coming at you is what this job takes. It's not an easy job, but somebody with Denis' experience of being in the white house and managing so many issues I think is going to be a real asset," Shulkin told NPR.
Shulkin, who worked at VA under presidents Trump and Obama, said McDonough had been closely involved in responding to the 2014 VA wait-times scandal.
The VA is second only to the Pentagon in size and budget. It provides benefits and runs the largest health care network in the country, with about 9 million veterans enrolled.
News of McDonough's selection was first reported by Politico and later confirmed by NPR.


npr--2020-12-10--Unemployment Claims Jump Just Before Critical Aid Programs Are Set To Expire

Unemployment Claims Jump Just Before Critical Aid Programs Are Set To Expire Unemployment claims jumped sharply last week as a surge in coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths put new pressure on the U.S. economy just before critical coronavirus aid programs are set to expire .
The Labor Department said 853,000 people filed new claims for state unemployment benefits during the week that ended on Dec. 5 — a sharp increase of 137,000 from the previous week .
Claims for a special federal program for gig workers and the self-employed , who ordinarily are not eligible for unemployment relief , also jumped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the claims suggest nearly 1.3 million people were newly out of work last week .
The spike in claims comes just days after the broader monthly report showed a sharp slowdown in job growth , with just 245,000 jobs created in November , down from a revised 610,000 jobs in October .
The worsening picture comes as critical programs passed by Congress in the spring , including expanded unemployment benefits , are set to expire the day after Christmas for more than 13 million people .
Congress is rushing to clinch a deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economists and policymakers , including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell , urge lawmakers to act quickly .
`` The failure of elected officials to agree to another round of economic relief legislation amounts to a kick in the teeth to millions of unemployed and struggling businesses , '' said Mark Hamrick , senior economic analyst for Bankrate .
The weekly claims data have been plagued by reporting problems and are not as reliable as other economic indicators .
But the sharp jump in new applications for relief does point to a rise in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions on business activity and makes nervous consumers wary of going out and spending money .
More than 221,000 new infections were reported on Wednesday .
And more than 3,000 Americans died of COVID-19 that day .

Unemployment Claims Jump Just Before Critical Aid Programs Are Set To Expire
Enlarge this image toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Unemployment claims jumped sharply last week as a surge in coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths put new pressure on the U.S. economy just before critical coronavirus aid programs are set to expire.
The Labor Department said 853,000 people filed new claims for state unemployment benefits during the week that ended on Dec. 5 — a sharp increase of 137,000 from the previous week.
Claims for a special federal program for gig workers and the self-employed, who ordinarily are not eligible for unemployment relief, also jumped, by 48%.
Together, the claims suggest nearly 1.3 million people were newly out of work last week.
The spike in claims comes just days after the broader monthly report showed a sharp slowdown in job growth, with just 245,000 jobs created in November, down from a revised 610,000 jobs in October.
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The worsening picture comes as critical programs passed by Congress in the spring, including expanded unemployment benefits, are set to expire the day after Christmas for more than 13 million people.
Congress is rushing to clinch a deal before the end of the year as economists and policymakers, including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, urge lawmakers to act quickly.
"The failure of elected officials to agree to another round of economic relief legislation amounts to a kick in the teeth to millions of unemployed and struggling businesses," said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst for Bankrate.
The weekly claims data have been plagued by reporting problems and are not as reliable as other economic indicators.
But the sharp jump in new applications for relief does point to a rise in layoffs as the spiraling pandemic forces new restrictions on business activity and makes nervous consumers wary of going out and spending money.
More than 221,000 new infections were reported on Wednesday. And more than 3,000 Americans died of COVID-19 that day.


npr--2020-12-11--Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong Media Mogul, Charged Under National Security Law

Jimmy Lai , the prominent Hong Kong media mogul and democracy activist , has been charged with endangering national security by colluding with a foreign country .
The charge handed down Friday makes Lai , publisher of the China-skeptic Apple Daily tabloid , the most prominent individual yet charged under a controversial law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong earlier this year .
The charge represents the gravest legal danger yet for Lai , who has become a frequent target of the Hong Kong government and its Communist Party backers in Beijing .
The founder of Next Digital was also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests against Beijing 's encroachment on Hong Kong .
Lai was arrested again with several other individuals — including both his sons — in August , this time under suspicion of violating the national security law .
Lai did not face a formal charge at that time and was soon released on bail .
This time , though , he has little hope of such a quick release .
Lai was taken into custody again earlier this month , along with several senior colleagues at Next Digital , for allegedly violating the terms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And a judge , deeming Lai a flight risk , denied him bail and all but ensured that one of Hong Kong 's wealthiest men will be behind bars at least until next April .
Lai , 73 , is expected to appear in court Saturday .
The outspoken critic of Beijing faces the prospect of extradition to China and life in prison under the sweeping national security law the country imposed last summer .
He is hardly the only one in severe legal jeopardy , though .
The law that Beijing passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objection and massive protests in Hong Kong , broadly criminalized four activities — secession , subversion of state power , terrorism and collusion with foreign powers — and set up a national security office in Hong Kong not subject to local jurisdiction .
Critics have called the law a flagrant power grab that shreds the semi-autonomy the former British colony has enjoyed since its return to Chinese control in 1997 .
Indeed , since the law 's passage , Hong Kong 's government has embarked on a widespread effort to crack down on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have roiled the city for years .
While just a handful of people have been formally charged under the law , among whom Lai is the most prominent so far , hundreds of activists — including some of the most visible leaders of the protests — have been arrested for their activities in the region since mid-summer .

Democracy Activist Jimmy Lai Charged Under Hong Kong National Security Law
Enlarge this image toggle caption Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images
Jimmy Lai, the prominent Hong Kong media mogul and democracy activist, has been charged with endangering national security by colluding with a foreign country. The charge handed down Friday makes Lai, publisher of the China-skeptic Apple Daily tabloid, the most prominent individual yet charged under a controversial law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong earlier this year.
The charge represents the gravest legal danger yet for Lai, who has become a frequent target of the Hong Kong government and its Communist Party backers in Beijing.
The founder of Next Digital was also arrested last April for allegedly organizing illegal protests against Beijing's encroachment on Hong Kong. Lai was arrested again with several other individuals — including both his sons — in August, this time under suspicion of violating the national security law. Lai did not face a formal charge at that time and was soon released on bail.
This time, though, he has little hope of such a quick release.
Lai was taken into custody again earlier this month, along with several senior colleagues at Next Digital, for allegedly violating the terms of their office building's lease. And a judge, deeming Lai a flight risk, denied him bail and all but ensured that one of Hong Kong's wealthiest men will be behind bars at least until next April.
Lai, 73, is expected to appear in court Saturday. The outspoken critic of Beijing faces the prospect of extradition to China and life in prison under the sweeping national security law the country imposed last summer.
He is hardly the only one in severe legal jeopardy, though.
The law that Beijing passed in late June, over strong international objection and massive protests in Hong Kong, broadly criminalized four activities — secession, subversion of state power, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers — and set up a national security office in Hong Kong not subject to local jurisdiction. Critics have called the law a flagrant power grab that shreds the semi-autonomy the former British colony has enjoyed since its return to Chinese control in 1997.
Indeed, since the law's passage, Hong Kong's government has embarked on a widespread effort to crack down on dissent and rein in the pro-democracy demonstrations that have roiled the city for years. While just a handful of people have been formally charged under the law, among whom Lai is the most prominent so far, hundreds of activists — including some of the most visible leaders of the protests — have been arrested for their activities in the region since mid-summer.


npr--2020-12-11--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak On Sept. 28 , the world marked a tragic milestone : 1 million deaths from COVID-19 .
That 's according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University .
And public health experts believe the actual toll – the recorded deaths plus the unrecorded deaths – is much higher .
While the number of cases has slowed in many countries that were hit hard early on by coronavirus , the number of new cases continues to increase .
Since early July , new daily cases averaged over 200,000 worldwide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January .
At over 15 million cases , the United States leads the world 's COVID-19 crisis .
In late spring and early summer , new COVID-19 cases were largely driven by cases in the Americas .
While the U.S. has consistently had the most new daily cases of coronavirus in the region , Brazil 's new daily cases increased rapidly between May and August .
However , in September , several countries that had previously flattened their curve saw a resurgence in cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , daily case counts have risen swiftly since June .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In countries like Israel , which is seeing a second wave of case growth after an initial wave in April , the line forms a V-shape , as the initially bent curve spikes upwards again .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on 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--2020-12-11--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 15 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 280,000 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--2020-12-11--Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Named 'Time' Person Of The Year

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris defeated Donald Trump twice this year : once at the polls and again for Time 's Person of the Year .
Time 's choice to name Biden and Harris over Trump , who was also shortlisted , marks the first time a president-elect and vice president-elect have appeared together on a Person of the Year cover .
Harris is also the first vice president-elect to get the designation .
`` If Donald Trump was a force for disruption and division over the past four years , Biden and Harris show where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnicities , lived experiences and worldviews that must find a way forward together if the American experiment is to survive , '' the magazine 's Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal , said .
Harris is the country 's first female , first Black and first South Asian vice president-elect .
Biden , who at 78 will be the oldest person ever to assume the presidency , is also the oldest ever to be named Person of the Year by the magazine .
He follows Greta Thunberg , the Swedish climate activist who last year became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — at age 16 .
Biden and Harris made the cut after topping a shortlist that included the movement for racial justice , Dr. Anthony Fauci and front-line workers in the fight against COVID-19 .
But the choice of Biden is n't exactly a surprise , as selecting a president-elect for Person of the Year is a nearly nine-decade-old tradition at the magazine .
The first president-elect named Person of the Year ( then `` Man of the Year '' ) was Franklin Delano Roosevelt , in 1932 , for his New Deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Depression .

Joe Biden, Kamala Harris Named 'Time' Person Of The Year
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
Updated at 11:15 a.m. ET
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris defeated Donald Trump twice this year: once at the polls and again for Time's Person of the Year.
Time's choice to name Biden and Harris over Trump, who was also shortlisted, marks the first time a president-elect and vice president-elect have appeared together on a Person of the Year cover. Harris is also the first vice president-elect to get the designation.
The Biden-Harris ticket represents something historic.
Person of the Year is not just about the year that was, but about where we’re headed #TIMEPOY https://t.co/H4uzUe8Pli pic.twitter.com/YMylCvbkZT — TIME (@TIME) December 11, 2020
"If Donald Trump was a force for disruption and division over the past four years, Biden and Harris show where the nation is heading: a blend of ethnicities, lived experiences and worldviews that must find a way forward together if the American experiment is to survive," the magazine's Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal said.
Biden reacted to the news on Twitter.
"I'm honored to be Person of the Year with @KamalaHarris and grateful to be on this list with so many extraordinary folks," he wrote. "From front line workers to racial justice organizers, Americans met this year with strength, fortitude, and an unflinching belief in a brighter tomorrow."
Harris is the country's first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president-elect. Biden, who at 78 will be the oldest person ever to assume the presidency, is also the oldest ever to be named Person of the Year by the magazine. He follows Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist who last year became the youngest ever to receive the honor — at age 16.
Biden and Harris made the cut after topping a shortlist that included the movement for racial justice, Dr. Anthony Fauci and front-line workers in the fight against COVID-19.
But the choice of Biden isn't exactly a surprise, as selecting a president-elect for Person of the Year is a nearly nine-decade-old tradition at the magazine. The first president-elect named Person of the Year (then "Man of the Year") was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in 1932, for his New Deal plan to bring America out of the Great Depression.
NPR's Reese Oxner contributed to this report.