npr--2020-12-24--The Worst Of COVID-19 Should Be Over For 1 Hard-Hit Brazilian City. But It's Not

The Worst Of COVID-19 Should Be Over For 1 Hard-Hit Brazilian City .
But It 's Not In Brazil 's jungle metropolis of Manaus , nurse Francinete Simões thought she had seen the last COVID-19 death at the urgent care center where she works in July .
Hospitals finally had space to take critical patients again after a violent initial wave of the virus left many of the city 's dead in mass graves .
But in recent weeks , Simões says , hospitals are `` filling up , and I 'm seeing people die again . ''
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close between December 26 and January 10 as a virus containment measure for this city of 2.2 million .
The teeming port city 's recent resurgence should sound an international alarm about how widely the virus can spread when poorly controlled , say researchers .
One study , which tested blood donations over a series of months to count COVID cases , estimates the virus may have attacked as many as 76 % of Manaus residents by October .
`` Some people think that the virus will go away immediately once infections reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunologist Ester Sabino of the University of São Paulo , the lead researcher of the study published in the journal Science Magazine .
`` But for a while , it just moves slower , continuing to kill people . ''
While much of the world still faces long waits for a vaccine , says Sabino , if the virus is unchecked , `` slower or faster , what 's happening in Manaus can happen anywhere . ''
For its part , Brazil 's government has yet to announce a clear vaccination timeline .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak is inequality — both in access to adequate housing and access to healthcare — says epidemiologist Jesem Orellana of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation ( Fiocruz ) , Brazil 's national health research institute .
More than 53 % of households are in tightly packed poor neighborhoods .
At the start of the pandemic , Manaus was the only city in its state of 4 million that had intensive care beds , and it suffered from a doctor shortage .
Most people seeking care in the city could only reach it via tightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus up and down the [ Amazon ] river , '' says Fiocruz microbiologist Felipe Naveca , who has sequenced strains of the virus across the state .
Naveca also believes that a high number of virus strains were introduced to Manaus through its international airport ; the city is a free trade zone with frequent business traffic from Europe and Asia .
He sequenced four strains of SARS-CoV-2 in the state that have not been identified elsewhere in Brazil , but match strains identified in Colombia , Denmark and the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus on March 13 .
City authorities responded with physical distancing measures such as moving non-essential city jobs to remote work and suspending licenses for large events .
They also increased access to health services , including opening a field hospital , says health department spokesperson Renildo Rodrigues .
Public schools closed on March 17 , non-essential services were ordered to close on March 23 , and nonresident foreigners were banned from flying into the country on March 30 .
Face masks were not required until May 11 .
Orellana describes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as `` slow and deadly . ''
By the end of May , over 2,000 people had died of COVID-19 , according to the government 's count .
Cellphone data show only around half of Manaus residents practiced physical distancing in April and May .
`` Many people did n't believe the pandemic was real , '' says Simões , the nurse .
Manaus is a stronghold of voters for Brazil 's president Jair Bolsonaro , who has repeatedly dismissed COVID-19 as a `` little flu . ''
On June 1 , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By the end of the month , COVID-19 deaths had fallen to around five per day from a high of more than 50 per day at the end of April .
Sabino and her fellow researchers , a group from Brazilian , U.K. , and U.S. institutions , attribute the decreased deaths in part to growing population immunity .
In June , `` the population was more aware , principally due to the high numbers of deaths in April and May 2020 , which led them to better adhere to protective measures , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state 's health department .
She says that deaths may also have fallen due to an increase in the number of available hospital beds and health workers ' improved understanding of how to deal with the virus .
Costa Pinto said she was aware of the study published in Science reporting much higher numbers than the government but would not comment on it .
The state 's official count of confirmed virus cases is 3.5 % of the population .
While Manaus 's scientific community widely considers the state numbers an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study 's reliance on blood donors to draw conclusions about the wider population , even after the authors mathematically adjusted to account for donors ' limited age range ( 16 to 69 ) and for the fact that most were men .
In June , a household survey by the Federal University of Pelotas found a much lower rate of residents with COVID antibodies than the blood donor study for the same time period .
The Science authors mention the household survey in their article , writing that it was not carried out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less sensitive test .
Their own estimate also includes extra calculations to reflect the waning of antibodies over time .
Others , including microbiologist Natália Pasternak , say the study was `` very well-conducted work '' that acknowledges its limitations and now must be `` well-interpreted . ''
Pasternak directs the scientific literacy NGO Instituto Questão da Ciência .
`` It 's not always possible to do a good population sample , '' she says .
`` This kind of study is one more scientific tool . ''
Blood donor studies are currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , including in the United States .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting a nationwide blood donor survey of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that is directed by one of Sabino 's co-authors , Michael Busch of the Vitalant Research Institute .
Busch and Sabino are part of a 20-year partnership between U.S. and Brazilian blood researchers , the REDS Brazil program , backed by the National Institutes of Health .
There is scientific consensus in Manaus about one thing : the outbreak is far from over .
`` Everyone must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monteiro , an infectologist in the public health system .
`` People are relaxing , even saying that the pandemic is over in Manaus , which will cost more lives . ''
Catherine Osborn is a Brazil-based journalist and a frequent contributor to NPR .

The Worst Of COVID-19 Should Be Over For 1 Hard-Hit Brazilian City. But It's Not
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael Dantas/AFP via Getty Images Michael Dantas/AFP via Getty Images
In Brazil's jungle metropolis of Manaus, nurse Francinete Simões thought she had seen the last COVID-19 death at the urgent care center where she works in July. Hospitals finally had space to take critical patients again after a violent initial wave of the virus left many of the city's dead in mass graves.
But in recent weeks, Simões says, hospitals are "filling up, and I'm seeing people die again." The state government has now ordered non-essential businesses to close between December 26 and January 10 as a virus containment measure for this city of 2.2 million.
The teeming port city's recent resurgence should sound an international alarm about how widely the virus can spread when poorly controlled, say researchers. One study, which tested blood donations over a series of months to count COVID cases, estimates the virus may have attacked as many as 76% of Manaus residents by October.
"Some people think that the virus will go away immediately once infections reach a herd immunity level," says immunologist Ester Sabino of the University of São Paulo, the lead researcher of the study published in the journal Science Magazine. "But for a while, it just moves slower, continuing to kill people."
While much of the world still faces long waits for a vaccine, says Sabino, if the virus is unchecked, "slower or faster, what's happening in Manaus can happen anywhere." For its part, Brazil's government has yet to announce a clear vaccination timeline.
An Inequality-Laced Petri Dish
A key factor behind Manaus's explosive outbreak is inequality — both in access to adequate housing and access to healthcare — says epidemiologist Jesem Orellana of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Brazil's national health research institute. More than 53% of households are in tightly packed poor neighborhoods. At the start of the pandemic, Manaus was the only city in its state of 4 million that had intensive care beds, and it suffered from a doctor shortage. Most people seeking care in the city could only reach it via tightly packed boats, which "quickly spread the virus up and down the [Amazon] river," says Fiocruz microbiologist Felipe Naveca, who has sequenced strains of the virus across the state.
Naveca also believes that a high number of virus strains were introduced to Manaus through its international airport; the city is a free trade zone with frequent business traffic from Europe and Asia. He sequenced four strains of SARS-CoV-2 in the state that have not been identified elsewhere in Brazil, but match strains identified in Colombia, Denmark and the United Kingdom.
Manaus first identified a case of the virus on March 13. City authorities responded with physical distancing measures such as moving non-essential city jobs to remote work and suspending licenses for large events. They also increased access to health services, including opening a field hospital, says health department spokesperson Renildo Rodrigues. Public schools closed on March 17, non-essential services were ordered to close on March 23, and nonresident foreigners were banned from flying into the country on March 30. Face masks were not required until May 11.
Orellana describes authorities' overall response to the virus as "slow and deadly." By the end of May, over 2,000 people had died of COVID-19, according to the government's count.
Cellphone data show only around half of Manaus residents practiced physical distancing in April and May. "Many people didn't believe the pandemic was real," says Simões, the nurse. Manaus is a stronghold of voters for Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly dismissed COVID-19 as a "little flu."
On June 1, the state allowed businesses to begin reopening. By the end of the month, COVID-19 deaths had fallen to around five per day from a high of more than 50 per day at the end of April.
Sabino and her fellow researchers, a group from Brazilian, U.K., and U.S. institutions, attribute the decreased deaths in part to growing population immunity.
In June, "the population was more aware, principally due to the high numbers of deaths in April and May 2020, which led them to better adhere to protective measures," says Rosemary Costa Pinto, director of the state's health department. She says that deaths may also have fallen due to an increase in the number of available hospital beds and health workers' improved understanding of how to deal with the virus.
Costa Pinto said she was aware of the study published in Science reporting much higher numbers than the government but would not comment on it. The state's official count of confirmed virus cases is 3.5% of the population.
Questioning The Data Collection Method
While Manaus's scientific community widely considers the state numbers an undercount, some have criticized the Science study's reliance on blood donors to draw conclusions about the wider population, even after the authors mathematically adjusted to account for donors' limited age range (16 to 69) and for the fact that most were men.
In June, a household survey by the Federal University of Pelotas found a much lower rate of residents with COVID antibodies than the blood donor study for the same time period. The Science authors mention the household survey in their article, writing that it was not carried out at a citywide scope and used a less sensitive test. Their own estimate also includes extra calculations to reflect the waning of antibodies over time.
Others, including microbiologist Natália Pasternak, say the study was "very well-conducted work" that acknowledges its limitations and now must be "well-interpreted." Pasternak directs the scientific literacy NGO Instituto Questão da Ciência. "It's not always possible to do a good population sample," she says. "This kind of study is one more scientific tool."
Blood donor studies are currently underway across the world to better understand the pandemic, including in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducting a nationwide blood donor survey of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that is directed by one of Sabino's co-authors, Michael Busch of the Vitalant Research Institute. Busch and Sabino are part of a 20-year partnership between U.S. and Brazilian blood researchers, the REDS Brazil program, backed by the National Institutes of Health.
There is scientific consensus in Manaus about one thing: the outbreak is far from over.
"Everyone must remain on alert," says Quezia Monteiro, an infectologist in the public health system. "People are relaxing, even saying that the pandemic is over in Manaus, which will cost more lives."
Catherine Osborn is a Brazil-based journalist and a frequent contributor to NPR.


npr--2020-12-25--U.S., China and Australia Evacuate Expeditioner From Antarctica In 5-Day Mission

U.S. , China and Australia Evacuate Expeditioner From Antarctica In 5-Day Mission An Australian expeditioner has been medically evacuated from Antarctica , following a multinational effort by land , air and sea that spanned thousands of miles on the remote continent .
The Australian , United States and Chinese Antarctic programs collaborated on the five-day operation , which Australian officials on Friday called `` an outstanding success '' thanks to teamwork and , of course , good weather during the Antarctic summer .
`` The synergy of operating capabilities , incredible expertise and a favourable weather window enabled us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australia within a week , '' said Kim Ellis , the Australian Antarctic Division director , in a statement .
Officials declined to release information about the individual , citing medical confidentiality , but said the patient 's condition is not related to COVID-19 .
The patient had been stationed at the Davis research station in east Antarctica .
The Chinese icebreaker MV Xue Long 2 happened to be in transit to China 's Zhongshan station , about 75 miles from Davis , officials said .
On Dec. 20 , the ship 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a site 25 miles inland , where they spent several days constructing a ski landing area .
Meanwhile , 870 miles east along the southern Antarctic coast , another team worked to prepare a glacial runway at the Australian-operated Wilkins Aerodrome .
The aerodrome is a terminal for intercontinental air service , located about 40 miles southeast of Australia 's Casey Station .
The U.S. flew a ski-equipped aircraft 1,300 miles from its McMurdo Station in Antarctica to the aerodrome , where it picked up an Australian doctor .
It then made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the patient from the ski-way near Davis and return to the aerodrome .
From there , an Australian Airbus A319 picked up the expeditioner and flew some 1,800 miles to the city of Hobart , Australia , arriving just before Christmas Eve .
Had the ice temperatures not been cold enough for a larger plane to land at Wilkins Aerodrome , officials said , the patient would have had to return to Australia by ship in January .
They added that the operation took place in a `` notoriously challenging environment '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather windows and the time required to prepare both the ski-way and runway .
Assistance from the U.S. and Chinese Antarctic programs was invaluable , they explained , as Australia does not currently have `` small ski-equipped intra-continental aircraft '' in Antarctica due to concerns over spreading COVID-19 .
( The coronavirus pandemic first reached the continent earlier this week . )
`` Antarctica really brings nations together to support each other in our operations , '' Ellis said .
`` We 've been doing these medevacs for a long time , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best spirit of that multinational cooperation . ''

U.S., China And Australia Evacuate Expeditioner From Antarctica In 5-Day Mission
Enlarge this image toggle caption Greg Stone/Australian Antarctic Division Greg Stone/Australian Antarctic Division
An Australian expeditioner has been medically evacuated from Antarctica, following a multinational effort by land, air and sea that spanned thousands of miles on the remote continent.
The Australian, United States and Chinese Antarctic programs collaborated on the five-day operation, which Australian officials on Friday called "an outstanding success" thanks to teamwork and, of course, good weather during the Antarctic summer.
"The synergy of operating capabilities, incredible expertise and a favourable weather window enabled us to bring the patient back from Antarctica to Australia within a week," said Kim Ellis, the Australian Antarctic Division director, in a statement.
Officials declined to release information about the individual, citing medical confidentiality, but said the patient's condition is not related to COVID-19. The patient had been stationed at the Davis research station in east Antarctica.
Asia China-Australia Relations Are Quickly Worsening. How Did They Get Bad? China-Australia Relations Are Quickly Worsening. How Did They Get Bad? Listen · 4:16 4:16
The Chinese icebreaker MV Xue Long 2 happened to be in transit to China's Zhongshan station, about 75 miles from Davis, officials said. On Dec. 20, the ship's helicopters transferred a team of Davis expeditioners to a site 25 miles inland, where they spent several days constructing a ski landing area or skiway.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Australian Antarctic Division Australian Antarctic Division
Meanwhile, 870 miles east along the southern Antarctic coast, another team worked to prepare a glacial runway at the Australian-operated Wilkins Aerodrome. The aerodrome is a terminal for intercontinental air service, located about 40 miles southeast of Australia's Casey Station.
The U.S. flew a ski-equipped aircraft 1,300 miles from its McMurdo Station in Antarctica to the aerodrome, where it picked up an Australian doctor. It then made a 1,700-mile round trip to retrieve the patient from the skiway near Davis and return to the aerodrome.
From there, an Australian Airbus A319 picked up the expeditioner and flew some 1,800 miles to the city of Hobart, Australia, arriving just before Christmas Eve.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Polar Research Institute of China Polar Research Institute of China
Had the ice temperatures not been low enough for a larger plane to land at Wilkins Aerodrome, officials said, the patient would have had to return to Australia by ship in January.
They added that the operation took place in a "notoriously challenging environment" and was complicated by the limited availability of weather windows and the time required to prepare both the skiway and runway.
Assistance from the U.S. and Chinese Antarctic programs was invaluable, they explained, as Australia does not have "small ski-equipped intra-continental aircraft" in Antarctica because of concerns over spreading COVID-19. (The coronavirus pandemic first reached Antarctica earlier this week.)
"Antarctica really brings nations together to support each other in our operations," Ellis said. "We've been doing these medevacs for a long time, but this particular operation was in the very best spirit of that multinational cooperation."


npr--2020-12-25--In One Of China's Rare Catholic Communities, Christmas Is A Colorful Mix Of Customs

In One Of China 's Rare Catholic Communities , Christmas Is A Colorful Mix Of Customs Cizhong Church in China 's southwestern Yunnan province is bathed in a golden light on Christmas Eve .
The faithful are streaming into the church in full Tibetan regalia , with the women splitting off to sit on the left in their bright pink headscarves and silk brocades , and the men to the right in cowboy hats and shearlings .
Neighbors wave at each other .
Heavily swaddled children run up and down the church aisle .
The rare Catholic community has survived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ village of Cizhong , just a few dozen kilometers away from the border with both China 's Tibetan region and Myanmar .
Their traditions are a colorful mixture of Buddhist and Christian practices .
The church embodies this amalgamation : painted Buddhist lotuses spiral around the balustrades , while Tibetan yin and yang symbols panel the ceiling .
Inside , several hundred of Cizhong 's faithful chant Catholic prayers — with a twist .
My companion in the pews explains their prayers and their Bible were originally written in Latin but were translated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and written phonetically in Chinese characters .
Outside , church attendants light round after round of firecrackers to announce the official beginning of mass .
Cizhong lies in a part of Yunnan province that is predominantly Tibetan and Naxi , another ethnic minority .
They are both largely Buddhist .
In 1852 , the first French missionaries settled up river from here .
In 1905 , Buddhist Tibetans attacked , killing at least two fathers and driving out the survivors downriver , to Cizhong , where the church they rebuilt four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdrew to essentially avoid the influences of the state .
That withdrawn nature allows them to maintain that identity and that culture , despite outside influences elsewhere in China , '' says Matthew Chitwood , a researcher who once lived in the region .
Cizhong 's remote location then helped it weather the decades after 1949 , when China 's now ruling Communist Party took control of the country , ushering in a period of political turmoil and often violent persecution of religious and intellectual leaders .
During this time , the Cizhong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese and Buddhist inscriptions .
It narrowly escaped full demolition because its hefty stone walls proved too difficult to burn down .
China today still does not allow free and unfettered religious worship .
The state has demolished religious sites and imprisoned Islamic and Christian religious leaders .
But now Cizhong is rising in prominence as authorities work to rebrand Deqin county , where Cizhong is located , and neighboring Zhongdian county as attractive tourism destinations .
In 2001 , the area was renamed `` Shangri-la , '' after the fabled but fictional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ novel Lost Horizon .
`` Having this community of Catholics has also allowed the government to promote the community , you know , as a sort of a tourist spot because of this Catholic identity , '' says Brendan Galipeau , an assistant professor of anthropology at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan who has done fieldwork in Cizhong .
Wine-making is becoming a draw .
Cizhong 's first French fathers brought with them grape vine cuttings with them from France , and they grow to this day in a vineyard adjacent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , villagers began nurturing the vines once again and planting new cuttings on their own plots of land to make a range of full-bodied red wines and ice wines that have further drawn in tourists .
The region is also the site for official poverty alleviation projects , bringing in about 400 new residents relocated from even more remote villages nearby .
`` There 's a big concern the Catholics , who had been a majority , are now going to become a minority in the community , '' says Galipeau .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ local county government tore down nearly all the rice fields and replaced them with squat cement homes for the new residents , more than doubling the size of Cizhong .
The sound of construction is ubiquitous .
So is the state scrutiny .
NPR was followed by several government minders in Cizhong who questioned anyone NPR spoke with .
I tried to meet Xiao Jieyi , a French-speaking 90-year-old Tibetan Catholic who once aspired to be Cizhong 's priest .
Those ambitions were dashed when the church was closed during a decade of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while Xiao can sing First Noel to us , he can not talk freely .
He receives a phone call as soon as I step into his courtyard : it is the police .
He tells me - there are orders from above .
The same thing happens when I try to meet with Yao Fei , Cizhong 's first resident priest since the 1950s .
( The last one , Reverend A.F .
Savioz , was expelled from China in 1952 . )
In 2008 , Father Yao was sent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China , which is not recognized by the Vatican and now runs several masses a week .
`` Merry Christmas , '' he manages to tell me as he finishes receiving confessions before rushing off to mass .
After the service , he remains surrounded by several state minders who also prevent NPR from speaking individually to revelers .
Cizhong 's two-day celebrations conclude on Christmas Day with hours of Tibetan music and dancing .
Worshipers bring large birthday cakes , which they pile in front of the altar to celebrate the birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — as well as large vats of chicken-infused rice liquor — are distributed to anyone who comes by , including many Buddhist relatives who enjoy the festivities and help with the preparations .
Many families are mixed religion , with both Buddhists and Christians among their ranks .
`` Buddhism , like Christianity , has many sects , but none of us have disputes , '' said a Tibetan Buddhist surnamed Xu , who spent Christmas eve slaughtering pigs with several of the Catholic choir boys , for the communal lunch the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You believe in your god , and I believe in mine . ''

In One Of China's Rare Catholic Communities, Christmas Is A Colorful Mix Of Customs
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
Cizhong Church in China's southwestern Yunnan province is bathed in a golden light on Christmas Eve.
The faithful are streaming into the church in full Tibetan regalia, with the women splitting off to sit on the left in their bright pink headscarves and silk brocades, and the men to the right in cowboy hats and shearlings. Neighbors wave at each other. Heavily swaddled children run up and down the church aisle.
The rare Catholic community has survived more than 150 years here in the village of Cizhong, just a few dozen kilometers away from the border with both China's Tibetan region and Myanmar.
Their traditions are a colorful mixture of Buddhist and Christian practices. The church embodies this amalgamation: painted Buddhist lotuses spiral around the balustrades, while Tibetan yin and yang symbols panel the ceiling.
Inside, several hundred of Cizhong's faithful chant Catholic prayers — with a twist. My companion in the pews explains their prayers and their Bible were originally written in Latin but were translated by French and Swiss fathers into Tibetan — and written phonetically in Chinese characters. Outside, church attendants light round after round of firecrackers to announce the official beginning of mass.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
Cizhong lies in a part of Yunnan province that is predominantly Tibetan and Naxi, another ethnic minority. They are both largely Buddhist. In 1852, the first French missionaries settled up river from here.
In 1905, Buddhist Tibetans attacked, killing at least two fathers and driving out the survivors downriver, to Cizhong, where the church they rebuilt four years later stands today.
"They further withdrew to essentially avoid the influences of the state. That withdrawn nature allows them to maintain that identity and that culture, despite outside influences elsewhere in China," says Matthew Chitwood, a researcher who once lived in the region.
Cizhong's remote location then helped it weather the decades after 1949, when China's now ruling Communist Party took control of the country, ushering in a period of political turmoil and often violent persecution of religious and intellectual leaders.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
During this time, the Cizhong church was defaced of much of its Chinese and Buddhist inscriptions. It narrowly escaped full demolition because its hefty stone walls proved too difficult to burn down.
China today still does not allow free and unfettered religious worship. The state has demolished religious sites and imprisoned Islamic and Christian religious leaders.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
But now Cizhong is rising in prominence as authorities work to rebrand Deqin county, where Cizhong is located, and neighboring Zhongdian county as attractive tourism destinations. In 2001, the area was renamed "Shangri-la," after the fabled but fictional utopia of religious tolerance described in the novel Lost Horizon.
"Having this community of Catholics has also allowed the government to promote the community, you know, as a sort of a tourist spot because of this Catholic identity," says Brendan Galipeau, an assistant professor of anthropology at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan who has done fieldwork in Cizhong.
Wine-making is becoming a draw. Cizhong's first French fathers brought with them grape vine cuttings with them from France, and they grow to this day in a vineyard adjacent to the church. More than 20 years ago, villagers began nurturing the vines once again and planting new cuttings on their own plots of land to make a range of full-bodied red wines and ice wines that have further drawn in tourists.
The region is also the site for official poverty alleviation projects, bringing in about 400 new residents relocated from even more remote villages nearby.
"There's a big concern the Catholics, who had been a majority, are now going to become a minority in the community," says Galipeau.
In the past four years, the local county government tore down nearly all the rice fields and replaced them with squat cement homes for the new residents, more than doubling the size of Cizhong. The sound of construction is ubiquitous.
So is the state scrutiny. NPR was followed by several government minders in Cizhong who questioned anyone NPR spoke with.
I tried to meet Xiao Jieyi, a French-speaking 90-year-old Tibetan Catholic who once aspired to be Cizhong's priest. Those ambitions were dashed when the church was closed during a decade of political turmoil in the 1960s.
Now, while Xiao can sing First Noel to us, he cannot talk freely. He receives a phone call as soon as I step into his courtyard: it is the police. He tells me - there are orders from above.
The same thing happens when I try to meet with Yao Fei, Cizhong's first resident priest since the 1950s. (The last one, Reverend A.F. Savioz, was expelled from China in 1952.) In 2008, Father Yao was sent to Cizhong by the state-run Catholic Association of China, which is not recognized by the Vatican, and now runs several masses a week.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
Enlarge this image toggle caption Amy Cheng/NPR Amy Cheng/NPR
"Merry Christmas," he manages to tell me as he finishes receiving confessions before rushing off to mass. After the service, he remains surrounded by several state minders who also prevent NPR from speaking individually to revelers.
Cizhong's two-day celebrations conclude on Christmas Day with hours of Tibetan music and dancing. Worshipers bring large birthday cakes, which they pile in front of the altar to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Later, the cakes — as well as large vats of chicken-infused rice liquor — are distributed to anyone who comes by, including many Buddhist relatives who enjoy the festivities and help with the preparations. Many families are mixed religion, with both Buddhists and Christians among their ranks.
"Buddhism, like Christianity, has many sects, but none of us have disputes," said a Tibetan Buddhist surnamed Xu, who spent Christmas eve slaughtering pigs with several of the Catholic choir boys, for the communal lunch the next day. "It is simple. You believe in your god, and I believe in mine."
Amy Cheng contributed research from Cizhong, Yunnan.


npr--2020-12-25--In Christmas Message, Pope Francis Urges Coronavirus 'Vaccines For All'

In Christmas Message , Pope Francis Urges Coronavirus 'Vaccines For All' In his Christmas Day address , Pope Francis appealed to the nations of the world to share the new coronavirus vaccines with the most needy .
`` Today , in this time of darkness and uncertainty regarding the pandemic , various lights of hope appear , such as the discovery of vaccines , '' Francis said .
`` But for these lights to illuminate and bring hope to all , they need to be available to all . ''
The pope traditionally delivers his Christmas message and blessing from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Basilica , addressing thousands squeezed into the piazza below .
This year , due to COVID-19 restrictions , that ceremony was moved to the Apostolic Palace , the official residence of the reigning pontiff , before a much smaller group .
The pope used the occasion to highlight the need for countries to help each other `` in the face of a challenge that knows no borders . ''
`` We can not allow the various forms of nationalism closed in on themselves to prevent us from living as the truly human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` Nor can we allow the virus of radical individualism to get the better of us and make us indifferent to the suffering of other brothers and sisters . ''
Traditionally the most important papal message , delivered on Easter and Christmas and known as the `` Urbi et Orbi '' ( `` to the City [ of Rome ] and to the World '' ) , usually encourages countries to consider the challenges faced by the most vulnerable .
This year , that message was particularly urgent , as thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center , nearly 330,000 people in the U.S. have died due to the virus since the start of the pandemic , by far the world 's highest death toll .
In Italy , where more than 14,000 people have died so far this month , a nationwide lockdown went into effect on Christmas Eve .
Italy is set to deliver the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine Sunday , The Associated Press reports .
As in other countries , health care workers and nursing home residents will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and others at high risk of exposure would be next .
The Vatican earlier this month said the use of coronavirus vaccines is `` morally acceptable , '' even if some vaccines are manufactured using `` cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process . ''
Francis , who turned 84 earlier this month , urged that everyone who needs a vaccine have access to it .
`` I can not place myself ahead of others , letting the law of the marketplace and patents take precedence over the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Francis said .
`` I ask everyone — government leaders , businesses , international organizations — to foster cooperation and not competition , and to seek a solution for everyone : vaccines for all , especially for the most vulnerable and needy of all regions of the planet . ''

In Christmas Message, Pope Francis Urges Coronavirus 'Vaccines For All'
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
In his Christmas Day address, Pope Francis appealed to the nations of the world to share the new coronavirus vaccines with the most needy.
"Today, in this time of darkness and uncertainty regarding the pandemic, various lights of hope appear, such as the discovery of vaccines," Francis said. "But for these lights to illuminate and bring hope to all, they need to be available to all."
The pope traditionally delivers his Christmas message and blessing from the outdoor central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, addressing thousands squeezed into the piazza below. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, that ceremony was moved to the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the reigning pontiff, before a much smaller group.
The pope used the occasion to highlight the need for countries to help each other "in the face of a challenge that knows no borders."
"We cannot allow the various forms of nationalism closed in on themselves to prevent us from living as the truly human family that we are," Francis said. "Nor can we allow the virus of radical individualism to get the better of us and make us indifferent to the suffering of other brothers and sisters."
Traditionally the most important papal message, delivered on Easter and Christmas and known as the "Urbi et Orbi" ("to the City [of Rome] and to the World"), usually encourages countries to consider the challenges faced by the most vulnerable. This year, that message was particularly urgent, as thousands succumb to COVID-19 every day.
According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, nearly 330,000 people in the U.S. have died due to the virus since the start of the pandemic, by far the world's highest death toll.
In Italy, where more than 14,000 people have died so far this month, a nationwide lockdown went into effect on Christmas Eve.
Italy is set to deliver the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine Sunday, The Associated Press reports. As in other countries, health care workers and nursing home residents will be first to receive it. Seniors and others at high risk of exposure would be next.
The Vatican earlier this month said the use of coronavirus vaccines is "morally acceptable," even if some vaccines are manufactured using "cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process."
Francis, who turned 84 earlier this month, urged that everyone who needs a vaccine have access to it.
"I cannot place myself ahead of others, letting the law of the marketplace and patents take precedence over the law of love and the health of humanity," Francis said. "I ask everyone — government leaders, businesses, international organizations — to foster cooperation and not competition, and to seek a solution for everyone: vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy of all regions of the planet."


npr--2020-12-25--Explosion In Downtown Nashville, Believed To Be 'Intentional,' Injures At Least 3

Explosion In Downtown Nashville , Believed To Be 'Intentional , ' Injures At Least 3 An early-morning explosion ripped through downtown Nashville on Friday , injuring at least three people , shattering windows and damaging buildings .
Authorities believe the explosion was `` an intentional act . ''
Police responded to reports of shots fired in the area at about 5:30 a.m. CT , when they encountered a recreational vehicle parked in front of the downtown AT & T building .
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department says a recording believed to be coming from the RV warned that a potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that those in the area should evacuate .
The department released an image of the RV before it exploded .
Police requested a bomb squad to respond , and had begun evacuating the area when the RV exploded at 6:30 a.m. local time .
The blast was felt for miles .
Small fires broke out on the debris-filled streets as alarms sounded .
One officer was knocked to the ground by the blast , and another suffered hearing loss .
At least three people were transported to hospitals with non-critical injuries , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them was the officer knocked to the ground .
There were no confirmed fatalities as of Friday evening , city officials said at a press briefing .
Police Chief John Drake said investigators found tissue at the scene that could possibly be human remains , which is being tested to confirm .
Due to the Christmas Day holiday , the streets were largely vacant at the time of the explosion .
`` Any other morning , it would have been a much worse story , '' Nashville Mayor John Cooper told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some severely , Cooper said on Friday evening .
He added that a downtown curfew will remain in place until 4:30 p.m. local time Sunday , and parts of the area will remain closed to the public while authorities search the scene for evidence .
The city will work with FEMA to help those affected and to rebuild , Cooper said , though officials did not specify how many people were displaced by the blast .
The FBI is now leading the investigation , working with local police and the Bureau of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The agency asks for those with information to get in contact .
Investigators said they are gathering leads and evidence from the scene , including from street and building security camera footage .
They offered no motive for the explosion .
Later in the day , Drake said there had not been any previous known threats to the city .
`` We will supply all of the resources needed to determine what happened and who was responsible , '' Tennessee Gov .
Bill Lee said in a statement .
`` We thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so quickly this morning . ''
The explosion occurred in an area packed with bars , restaurants and entertainment venues — before the pandemic , a popular destination .
AT & T 's services were disrupted , causing outages for some 911 lines , member station WPLN reported .
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights out of Nashville International Airport because of communications issues , the airport said in a tweet .
The Nashville Fire Department evacuated the downtown riverfront , according to WPLN , and later responded to a building that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to see so much glass , litter , damage and debris , '' Cooper said .
`` It looks like a blast site , which is hard to see on one of our historic streets . ''
Buck McCoy , a nearby resident , streamed what he saw on Facebook Live .
Footage shows a damaged apartment unit , with the windows blown out and alarms sounding .
The room is seen flooding after the sprinklers engaged , with a small fire in the nearby street .
President Trump was briefed about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement .

Explosion In Downtown Nashville, Believed To Be 'Intentional,' Injures At Least 3
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Humphrey/AP Mark Humphrey/AP
Updated at 8 p.m. ET
An early-morning explosion ripped through downtown Nashville on Friday, injuring at least three people, shattering windows and damaging buildings.
Authorities believe the explosion was "an intentional act."
Police responded to reports of shots fired in the area at about 5:30 a.m. CT, when they encountered a recreational vehicle parked in front of the downtown AT&T building.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Humphrey/AP Mark Humphrey/AP
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department says a recording believed to be coming from the RV warned that a potential bomb would be detonated within 15 minutes and that those in the area should evacuate. The department released an image of the RV before it exploded.
Police requested a bomb squad to respond, and had begun evacuating the area when the RV exploded at 6:30 a.m. local time. The blast was felt for miles.
Small fires broke out on the debris-filled streets as alarms sounded. One officer was knocked to the ground by the blast, and another suffered hearing loss. At least three people were transported to hospitals with non-critical injuries, according to The Associated Press. One of them was the officer knocked to the ground.
There were no confirmed fatalities as of Friday evening, city officials said at a press briefing. Police Chief John Drake said investigators found tissue at the scene that could possibly be human remains, which is being tested to confirm.
Due to the Christmas Day holiday, the streets were largely vacant at the time of the explosion.
"Any other morning, it would have been a much worse story," Nashville Mayor John Cooper told reporters.
At least 41 buildings were damaged, some severely, Cooper said on Friday evening.
He added that a downtown curfew will remain in place until 4:30 p.m. local time Sunday, and parts of the area will remain closed to the public while authorities search the scene for evidence.
The city will work with FEMA to help those affected and to rebuild, Cooper said, though officials did not specify how many people were displaced by the blast.
The FBI is now leading the investigation, working with local police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The agency asks for those with information to get in contact. Investigators said they are gathering leads and evidence from the scene, including from street and building security camera footage. They offered no motive for the explosion. Later in the day, Drake said there had not been any previous known threats to the city.
"We will supply all of the resources needed to determine what happened and who was responsible," Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said in a statement. "We thank all of our first responders who acted so quickly this morning."
The explosion occurred in an area packed with bars, restaurants and entertainment venues — before the pandemic, a popular destination.
AT&T's services were disrupted, causing outages for some 911 lines, member station WPLN reported. The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted flights out of Nashville International Airport because of communications issues, the airport said in a tweet.
The Nashville Fire Department evacuated the downtown riverfront, according to WPLN, and later responded to a building that reportedly caught fire.
"It is hard to see so much glass, litter, damage and debris," Cooper said. "It looks like a blast site, which is hard to see on one of our historic streets."
Buck McCoy, a nearby resident, streamed what he saw on Facebook Live. Footage shows a damaged apartment unit, with the windows blown out and alarms sounding.
The room is seen flooding after the sprinklers engaged, with a small fire in the nearby street.
President Trump was briefed about the explosion and will be regularly updated, White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement.


npr--2020-12-25--PHOTOS: Christmas Around The World

PHOTOS: Christmas Around The World

Amid the coronavirus pandemic , people around the world are celebrating a Christmas unlike any other .
Here are some @ @ @ @ @ holiday season .

PHOTOS: Christmas Around The World
Enlarge this image toggle caption Damien Storan/AP Damien Storan/AP
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, people around the world are celebrating a Christmas unlike any other.
Here are some scenes from this year's holiday season.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lee Jin-man/AP Lee Jin-man/AP
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption Linh Pham/Getty Images Linh Pham/Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption Vatican Media/AP Vatican Media/AP
Enlarge this image toggle caption Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Moore/Getty Images John Moore/Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption Victoria Razo/AFP via Getty Images Victoria Razo/AFP via Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paola Mafla/AFP via Getty Images Paola Mafla/AFP via Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images
Enlarge this image toggle caption K.M. Chaudary/AP K.M. Chaudary/AP


npr--2020-12-25--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--2020-12-25--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 18 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 325,000 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--2020-12-26--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak


npr--2020-12-26--San Antonio Food Bank Doubled Service In 2020

Audio will be available later today .
Food banks have seen demand climb dramatically this year .
Eric Cooper of @ @ @ @ @ talks about how additional federal dollars could make a difference to his clients .

San Antonio Food Bank Doubled Service In 2020 Food banks have seen demand climb dramatically this year. Eric Cooper of the San Antonio Food Bank talks about how additional federal dollars could make a difference to his clients.
Economy San Antonio Food Bank Doubled Service In 2020 San Antonio Food Bank Doubled Service In 2020 Listen · 4:34 4:34 Food banks have seen demand climb dramatically this year. Eric Cooper of the San Antonio Food Bank talks about how additional federal dollars could make a difference to his clients. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-26--Frank Sinatra And Jack Kerouac Performed At This Denver Bar. Now It's Closing

Frank Sinatra And Jack Kerouac Performed At This Denver Bar .
Now It 's Closing Like many music venues , @ @ @ @ @ is closing .
But the 87-year-old institution is closing not only because of the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ changed .

This Denver Bar Once Welcomed Frank Sinatra And Jack Kerouac. Now It's Closed The legendary El Chapultepec has closed after 87 years in business — not only because of the pandemic, but also because Denver has changed.
Business This Denver Bar Once Welcomed Frank Sinatra And Jack Kerouac. Now It's Closed This Denver Bar Once Welcomed Frank Sinatra And Jack Kerouac. Now It's Closed Listen · 3:38 3:38 The legendary El Chapultepec has closed after 87 years in business — not only because of the pandemic, but also because Denver has changed. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-26--Chinese Billionaire Is Waging Harassment Campaigns, Targets Include Biden's Son

Audio will be available later today .
A Chinese billionaire who 's a media business partner of Steve Bannon is @ @ @ @ @ harassment targeting diaspora democracy activists and even Joe Biden 's son .

Chinese Billionaire Is Waging Harassment Campaigns, Targets Include Biden's Son A Chinese billionaire who's a media business partner of Steve Bannon is waging campaigns of disinformation and harassment targeting diaspora democracy activists and even Joe Biden's son.
Politics Chinese Billionaire Is Waging Harassment Campaigns, Targets Include Biden's Son Chinese Billionaire Is Waging Harassment Campaigns, Targets Include Biden's Son Listen · 6:17 6:17 A Chinese billionaire who's a media business partner of Steve Bannon is waging campaigns of disinformation and harassment targeting diaspora democracy activists and even Joe Biden's son. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-26--How Will Biden Handle Russian Relations After Suspected Hack?

How Will Biden Handle Russian Relations After Suspected Hack ?
Audio will be available later today .
President-elect Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ response to the latest hacking attack attributed to Russia signals a much tougher assessment of @ @ @ @ @ 's deferential attitude .

How Will Biden Handle Russian Relations After Suspected Hack? President-elect Biden's promise of a firm response to the latest hacking attack attributed to Russia signals a much tougher assessment of Vladimir Putin than President Trump's deferential attitude.
Politics How Will Biden Handle Russian Relations After Suspected Hack? How Will Biden Handle Russian Relations After Suspected Hack? Listen · 4:02 4:02 President-elect Joe Biden's promise of a firm response to the latest hacking attack attributed to Russia signals a much tougher assessment of Vladimir Putin than President Trump's deferential attitude. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-26--Broadway Star Rebecca Luker Dies At 59

Broadway Star Rebecca Luker Dies At 59

Audio will be available later today .
Broadway star Rebecca Luker has died of complications from ALS .
She and @ @ @ @ @ earlier this year .

Broadway Star Rebecca Luker Dies At 59 Broadway star Rebecca Luker has died of complications from ALS. She and her husband also had COVID-19 earlier this year.
Obituaries Broadway Star Rebecca Luker Dies At 59 Broadway Star Rebecca Luker Dies At 59 Listen · 2:38 2:38 Broadway star Rebecca Luker has died of complications from ALS. She and her husband also had COVID-19 earlier this year. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-26--Will Biden Shut Down Guantanamo Bay?

Will Biden Shut Down Guantanamo Bay?

Audio will be available later today .
How might the incoming Biden administration deal with the American detention facility at @ @ @ @ @ Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Michel Paradis , a lawyer for several detainees .

Will Biden Shut Down Guantanamo Bay? How might the incoming Biden administration deal with the American detention facility at Guantanamo Bay? NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Michel Paradis, a lawyer for several detainees.
Politics Will Biden Shut Down Guantanamo Bay? Will Biden Shut Down Guantanamo Bay? Listen · 4:58 4:58 How might the incoming Biden administration deal with the American detention facility at Guantanamo Bay? NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks with Michel Paradis, a lawyer for several detainees. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-26--Pandemic Relief Will Run Out If President Doesn't Sign Package Into Law

Pandemic Relief Will Run Out If President Does n't Sign Package Into Law Audio will be available later today .
@ @ @ @ @ the pandemic will expire soon if Congress and the president do n't act to extend @ @ @ @

Pandemic Relief Will Run Out If President Doesn't Sign Package Into Law Economic benefits for victims of the pandemic will expire soon if Congress and the president don't act to extend or replace them.


npr--2020-12-26--Some See Desert As Next Surfing Hotspot

Some See Desert As Next Surfing Hotspot

Some See Desert As Next Surfing Hotspot Cries of `` cowabunga '' will soon ring out in the sprawling desert east of Los Angeles .
Sun , sand , and surfing are hallmarks of Southern California 's famous beaches .
But , in the not-too-distant future , people who live a lot farther inland will be able to ride the waves .
It 's late fall in the desert oasis of Palm Springs .
That means a slight breeze and afternoon sun comfortably warming temperatures to the low 80s .
While some enjoy the nice weather playing golf or sunbathing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work transforming the defunct Wet ' n ' Wild water park near the city 's airport .
The rusting water slides are getting the boot .
The new star will be the wave pool .
It 'll be longer , deeper , and , most importantly , perfectly curved along the bottom so it can churn out an endless set of beach-quality breakers .
`` So I know the tiny little nuances that I need the wave to do to allow me to perform certain maneuvers , '' says Cheyne Magnusson , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ literally make waves .
`` If you do n't know what that looks like or how to perform that maneuver yourself , how do you know how to design it ? ''
Magnusson grew up on the island of Maui in Hawaii and was a pro surfer by his early 20s .
Now , he 's more of a businessman .
Magnusson is one of the primary backers of the new Palm Springs Surf Club .
He also happens to be its `` chief hydro officer , '' a made up title at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tan 37-year-old with wild blonde hair will basically be a wave DJ , controlling and mixing the water through a system of pumps that can make everything from little lapping waves to big barrels .
Two other surf parks are also on the horizon for the desert .
Magnusson says there 's a reason the inland Coachella Valley , a couple hours from the actual ocean , is a magnet for these places .
`` The heartbeat of the surf industry has always been Southern California , so you have this just overwhelmingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drive , '' says Magnusson .
`` And the other thing we know about surfers is they love to take trips . ''
If two hours from the shore seems like a long way , before coming to Palm Springs , Magnusson was the wave DJ at a surf park at a very inland Waco , Texas .
He says more than a quarter of the business there was surfers who came to Texas from the Golden State .
The developers are banking on a built-in California surfer base .
But , Scott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency that markets the Coachella Valley , thinks the consistent desert weather will play a part in bringing the beach set east .
`` I ca n't tell you how many times I leave here and the sun is out and I get to the coast and it 's cloudy , foggy , misty — it 's cold , '' says White .
`` We 're going to provide the perfect wave with the perfect weather . ''
For the record , Palm Springs sees more than 300 sunny days a year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along the scenic Highway 1 , is Rincon Beach .
As the afternoon fades and actual ocean waves crash along the narrow strip of sand , Eddie Garcia is sitting on his board in the Pacific .
The 33-year-old has been surfing in the ocean since he was 14 .
He does n't mind the promise of the desert 's endless sun ; it 's the repeatable perfection of a surf park wave that does n't sit well with him .
`` It 's kind of cool to have that unknown factor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Every wave is kind of different , '' Garcia says .
`` Crappy days are still fun , you know , if you can look at it a little different . ''
In the water , Garcia is in his wetsuit and bobs on his board while waiting for the right wave to come along .
When it finally does , he turns towards shore , paddles like a maniac , then stands up and rides it in , making it look easy .
He gets that a desert surf park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pros and could introduce new people to the sport , but there 's no cost to grab your board and paddle out in the ocean .
As to whether he 'd hit up one of the surf parks , Garcia pauses and thinks before answering .
After a moment , he lets out a very protracted response .
`` Maybe ; we 'll see , '' Garcia says .
With the first of the parks set to open in 2022 , there 's still plenty of time for him to make up his @ @

Some See Desert As Next Surfing Hot Spot
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Guilhem /KCRW Matt Guilhem /KCRW
Cries of "cowabunga" will soon ring out in the sprawling desert east of Los Angeles. Sun, sand, and surfing are hallmarks of Southern California's famous beaches. But, in the not-too-distant future, people who live a lot farther inland will be able to ride the waves.
It's late fall in the desert oasis of Palm Springs. That means a slight breeze and afternoon sun comfortably warming temperatures to the low 80s. While some enjoy the nice weather playing golf or sunbathing, a dedicated crew is hard at work transforming the defunct Wet 'n' Wild water park near the city's airport.
The rusting water slides are getting the boot. The new star will be the wave pool. It'll be longer, deeper, and, most importantly, perfectly curved along the bottom so it can churn out an endless set of beach-quality breakers.
"So I know the tiny little nuances that I need the wave to do to allow me to perform certain maneuvers," says Cheyne Magnusson, the guy whose job it will be to literally make waves. "If you don't know what that looks like or how to perform that maneuver yourself, how do you know how to design it?"
Magnusson grew up on the island of Maui in Hawaii and was a pro surfer by his early 20s. Now, he's more of a businessman. Magnusson is one of the primary backers of the new Palm Springs Surf Club. He also happens to be its "chief hydro officer," a made up title at which even he chuckles.
The permanently tan 37-year-old with wild blonde hair will basically be a wave DJ, controlling and mixing the water through a system of pumps that can make everything from little lapping waves to big barrels.
Two other surf parks are also on the horizon for the desert. Magnusson says there's a reason the inland Coachella Valley, a couple hours from the actual ocean, is a magnet for these places.
"The heartbeat of the surf industry has always been Southern California, so you have this just overwhelmingly surf-centric population that's a two hour drive," says Magnusson. "And the other thing we know about surfers is they love to take trips."
If two hours from the shore seems like a long way, before coming to Palm Springs, Magnusson was the wave DJ at a surf park at a very inland Waco, Texas. He says more than a quarter of the business there was surfers who came to Texas from the Golden State.
The developers are banking on a built-in California surfer base. But, Scott White, the head of the tourism agency that markets the Coachella Valley, thinks the consistent desert weather will play a part in bringing the beach set east.
"I can't tell you how many times I leave here and the sun is out and I get to the coast and it's cloudy, foggy, misty — it's cold," says White. "We're going to provide the perfect wave with the perfect weather."
For the record, Palm Springs sees more than 300 sunny days a year.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Guilhem /KCRW Matt Guilhem /KCRW
About 200 miles northwest of Palm Springs, along the scenic Highway 1, is Rincon Beach. As the afternoon fades and actual ocean waves crash along the narrow strip of sand, Eddie Garcia is sitting on his board in the Pacific.
The 33-year-old has been surfing in the ocean since he was 14. He doesn't mind the promise of the desert's endless sun; it's the repeatable perfection of a surf park wave that doesn't sit well with him.
"It's kind of cool to have that unknown factor, you know," says Garcia.
"Every wave is kind of different," Garcia says. "Crappy days are still fun, you know, if you can look at it a little different."
In the water, Garcia is in his wetsuit and bobs on his board while waiting for the right wave to come along. When it finally does, he turns towards shore, paddles like a maniac, then stands up and rides it in, making it look easy.
He gets that a desert surf park could be a great training tool for pros and could introduce new people to the sport, but there's no cost to grab your board and paddle out in the ocean.
As to whether he'd hit up one of the surf parks, Garcia pauses and thinks before answering. After a moment, he lets out a very protracted response.
"Maybe; we'll see," Garcia says.
With the first of the parks set to open in 2022, there's still plenty of time for him to make up his mind.


npr--2020-12-26--Great Britain And The European Union Finalize Brexit Trade Deal

The details of the long-awaited Brexit deal between Great Britain and the European Union are coming into focus .

Great Britain And The European Union Finalize Brexit Trade Deal The details of the long-awaited Brexit deal between Great Britain and the European Union are coming into focus.
Europe Great Britain And The European Union Finalize Brexit Trade Deal Great Britain And The European Union Finalize Brexit Trade Deal Listen · 4:14 4:14 The details of the long-awaited Brexit deal between Great Britain and the European Union are coming into focus. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-26--The Latest From Nashville After Explosion

The Latest From Nashville After Explosion The latest on the Christmas Day explosion in downtown Nashville .

The Latest From Nashville After Explosion The latest on the Christmas Day explosion in downtown Nashville.
National The Latest From Nashville After Explosion The Latest From Nashville After Explosion Listen · 3:36 3:36 The latest on the Christmas Day explosion in downtown Nashville. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-26--What Does The New COVID-19 Variant In The U.K. Mean For Americans?

What Does The New COVID-19 Variant In The U.K .
Mean For Americans ?
A look at the week 's @ @ @ @ @ including new information from the variant out of the United Kingdom .

What Does The New COVID-19 Variant In The U.K. Mean For Americans? A look at the week's COVID-19 and vaccine news, including new information from the variant out of the United Kingdom.


npr--2020-12-26--Week In Politics: Trump Exercises Veto, Clemency Powers On His Way Out Of Office

Week In Politics : Trump Exercises Veto , Clemency Powers On His Way Out Of Office President Trump is ending @ @ @ @ @ of chaos .

Week In Politics: Trump Exercises Veto, Clemency Powers On His Way Out Of Office President Trump is ending his presidency with a flurry of chaos.
Politics Week In Politics: Trump Exercises Veto, Clemency Powers On His Way Out Of Office Week In Politics: Trump Exercises Veto, Clemency Powers On His Way Out Of Office Listen · 3:35 3:35 President Trump is ending his presidency with a flurry of chaos. Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor


npr--2020-12-26--Scientists Have Found Some Truly Ancient Ice, But Now They Want Ice That's Even Older

Scientists Have Found Some Truly Ancient Ice , But Now They Want Ice That 's Even Older The oldest ice on Earth probably is hiding somewhere in Antarctica , because this frozen continent holds ice that 's hundreds of thousands and even millions of years old .
Scientists are hoping to find it .
But even the scientists hunting for old ice are n't sure how long the very oldest ice might have stuck around , says John Higgins , a geochemist at Princeton University .
`` Would I be surprised at this point if we had 5-million-year-old ice ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I 'd be surprised , but not it 's not unfathomable . ''
One group has already claimed to find 8-million-year-old ice in a buried glacier , establishing the age by dating volcanic ash on the ice , but some experts have their doubts .
`` My attitude is that I accept that it 's old ice .
I do n't know if it 's exactly 8 million , but I accept that it 's old ice , '' says Eric Wolff , a climatologist with the University of Cambridge in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says , that particular ice sample is `` a real mess '' and of no use to scientists who are only after old ice because of something special trapped inside : little samples of ancient air from when the ice formed .
`` When you pull out the ice , it essentially is crystal clear except it 's filled with tiny bubbles , '' explains Higgins .
He considers those bubbles to be the next best thing to having a time machine that would let scientists go back and directly collect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently drilled an ice sample in the Allan Hills region of Antarctica that was later shown , by analyzing trace amounts of the gas argon , to be as old as 2.6 million years old .
In his view , that 's `` the oldest thing that I think we have high confidence in the age of the ice and the age of the air that 's trapped in the ice . ''
A slightly younger two-million-year-old sample found nearby was pristine enough to use its bubbles to measure important greenhouse gases like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snapshot of the atmosphere back then that challenged scientists ' previous assumptions .
Understanding how carbon dioxide levels have changed over Earth 's history could help climate researchers understand how human activities will warm the planet in the future .
`` One of the biggest questions about modern warming and anthropogenic climate change is how much warming should we expect with the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere , '' says Sarah Shackleton , another researcher at Princeton University .
She sometimes melts extremely old ice in the lab and watches as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which she calls `` mesmerizing . ''
`` One thing that 's really surprising to me , every time , is how much gas is in the ice , '' Shackleton says , adding that atmospheric gases make up about ten percent of the volume of glacial ice .
All of this is why researchers are so keen to find ice from key time points in Earth 's climate history , such as periods of unexplained changes to warming and cooling cycles .
An ice sheet has covered Antarctica for at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still challenging to find very old ice .
Snowfalls constantly add new layers of ice to the top of the Antarctic ice sheet .
The oldest layers down below , however , can melt away because of geothermal heat coming up from the ground .
`` The rocks are giving off heat slowly over time , so that has the potential to melt ice at the bottom , '' explains John Goodge , a geologist at the University of Minnesota .
Still , bits of old ice—like that 2.6 million-year-old sample—can sometimes be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The oldest snippets of ice we 'd been able to find come from places where the ice has flowed up a mountain range and been exposed at the surface , '' says Goodge .
In those places , though , the ice can be messy and all jumbled up , or found in isolated pockets .
It 's not in nice layers that have been laid down sequentially over a continuous stretch of Earth 's history .
To get that kind of neatly layered ice sample , scientists need to drill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheet .
So far , the oldest ice collected that way goes back 800,000 years .
Now , several groups from around the world want to drill down to ice that 's even older , more than 1.5 million years old .
`` Whether or not we 'll be able to find it at the bottom of the ice sheet , where we can recover a relatively simple continuous record , I guess that 's the $ 64,000 question , '' says Goodge .
Drilling through nearly two miles of solid ice is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he notes , which makes it important to target the most promising spot .
A European project has already picked its site , a barren place called `` Little Dome C , '' where the temperature is always below -13 degrees Fahrenheit .
`` We 've already set up the drill tent and the and part of the campsite at the location , '' says Wolff .
`` And so next November , a team should be going in to set up the drill and start drilling . ''
Barbara Stenni of Ca'Foscari @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good possibility '' of finding ice 1.5 million years old or older at this location , and she points to results from an ice-penetrating radar survey that support that idea .
`` The physical evidence tells us that this ice is probably there , '' she says .
Meanwhile , researchers from China have been drilling deep for old ice at a place called Dome A .
`` That one may or may not succeed , '' says Jeffrey Severinghaus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography , University of California , San Diego @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it 's close to a research station .
`` It was n't really chosen with the aim of getting the sort of best possible old ice site . ''
He 's been working with Goodge to develop a new kind of rapid drill that can chip through the ice sheet quickly , in days rather than years , so that researchers can assess different places before committing to more elaborate and expensive drilling .
`` It was my feeling that the actual existence of very old ice at the bottom of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of time with conventional methods like radar and stuff like that , '' says Severinghaus .
With their drill , it will be possible to make multiple holes and run tests on ice at the bottom , he says , so `` you 'd know for sure that the old ice existed . ''
The coronavirus pandemic has delayed his team 's work—indeed , the virus forced researchers to call off almost the entire Antarctic field season .
But in fall of 2021 , the hunters of old ice will be back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let scientists get a continuous sequence of ice layers going back 1.5 million years or more , they 'll be able to understand atmospheric changes that occurred during an important climate switch .
About a million years ago , there was a dramatic shift in the planet 's cycle of ice ages .
Those had been coming every 40,000 years or so , but for some reason that pattern ended—and it changed to every 100,000 years instead .
`` To us working on climate , that 's a really big deal , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really big question as to why that change , because it 's fundamental to how our climate system works .
In a way , you can say we do n't really understand today 's climate if we do n't understand why we live in a 100,000-year world rather than a 40,000-year world . ''
Glaciers clearly come and go because of influences that are not well understood , agrees Severinghaus , who thinks `` we ought to know about those in order to predict our future . ''
While some of those mysteries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cores that go back 1.5 million years or finding isolated fragments of ice as old as 5 million years , he says , `` there 's no reason why we could n't get lucky and find something even older . ''

Scientists Have Found Some Truly Ancient Ice, But Now They Want Ice That's Even Older
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Higgins John Higgins
The oldest ice on Earth probably is hiding somewhere in Antarctica, because this frozen continent holds ice that's hundreds of thousands and even millions of years old. Scientists are hoping to find it.
But even the scientists hunting for old ice aren't sure how long the very oldest ice might have stuck around, says John Higgins, a geochemist at Princeton University.
"Would I be surprised at this point if we had 5-million-year-old ice?" asks Higgins. "I mean, I'd be surprised, but not it's not unfathomable."
One group has already claimed to have found 8-million-year-old ice in a buried glacier, establishing the age by dating volcanic ash on the ice, but some experts have their doubts.
"My attitude is that I accept that it's old ice. I don't know if it's exactly 8 million, but I accept that it's old ice," says Eric Wolff, a climatologist with the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
The trouble is, he says, that particular ice sample is "a real mess" and of no use to scientists who are only after old ice because of something special trapped inside: little samples of ancient air from when the ice formed.
"When you pull out the ice, it essentially is crystal clear except it's filled with tiny bubbles," explains Higgins. He considers those bubbles to be the next best thing to having a time machine that would let scientists go back and directly collect the past air.
Higgins and some colleagues recently drilled an ice sample in the Allan Hills region of Antarctica that was later shown, by analyzing trace amounts of the gas argon, to be as old as 2.6 million years old. In his view, that's "the oldest thing that I think we have high confidence in the age of the ice and the age of the air that's trapped in the ice."
A slightly younger 2 million-year-old sample found nearby was pristine enough to use its bubbles to measure important greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, providing a snapshot of the atmosphere back then that challenged scientists' previous assumptions.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Higgins John Higgins
Understanding how carbon dioxide levels have changed over Earth's history could help climate researchers understand how human activities will warm the planet in the future. "One of the biggest questions about modern warming and anthropogenic climate change is how much warming should we expect with the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere," says Sarah Shackleton, another researcher at Princeton University.
She sometimes melts extremely old ice in the lab and watches as the ancient gasses bubble up through the liquid, which she calls "mesmerizing."
"One thing that's really surprising to me, every time, is how much gas is in the ice," Shackleton says, adding that atmospheric gases make up about 10% of the volume of glacial ice.
All of this is why researchers are so keen to find ice from key time points in Earth's climate history, such as periods of unexplained changes to warming and cooling cycles.
An ice sheet has covered Antarctica for at least 30 million years, but it's still challenging to find very old ice.
Snowfalls constantly add new layers of ice to the top of the Antarctic ice sheet. The oldest layers down below, however, can melt away because of geothermal heat coming up from the ground.
"The rocks are giving off heat slowly over time, so that has the potential to melt ice at the bottom," explains John Goodge, a geologist at the University of Minnesota.
Still, bits of old ice — like that 2.6 million-year-old sample — can sometimes be preserved at the ice sheet's edges.
"The oldest snippets of ice we'd been able to find come from places where the ice has flowed up a mountain range and been exposed at the surface," says Goodge.
In those places, though, the ice can be messy and all jumbled up, or found in isolated pockets. It's not in nice layers that have been laid down sequentially over a continuous stretch of Earth's history.
To get that kind of neatly layered ice sample, scientists need to drill straight down through the thick Antarctic ice sheet. So far, the oldest ice collected that way goes back 800,000 years.
Now, several groups from around the world want to drill down to ice that's even older, more than 1.5 million years old.
"Whether or not we'll be able to find it at the bottom of the ice sheet, where we can recover a relatively simple continuous record, I guess that's the $64,000 question," says Goodge.
Drilling through nearly 2 miles of solid ice is difficult and will take several years, he notes, which makes it important to target the most promising spot.
A European project has already picked a barren place called "Little Dome C," where the temperature is always below -13 degrees Fahrenheit.
"We've already set up the drill tent and part of the campsite at the location," says Wolff. "And so next November, a team should be going in to set up the drill and start drilling."
Barbara Stenni of Ca'Foscari University thinks there's "a good possibility" of finding ice 1.5 million years old or older at this location, and she points to results from an ice-penetrating radar survey that support that idea. "The physical evidence tells us that this ice is probably there," she says.
Meanwhile, researchers from China have been drilling deep for old ice at a place called Dome A. "That one may or may not succeed," says Jeffrey Severinghaus of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, explaining that the site was picked because it's close to a research station. "It wasn't really chosen with the aim of getting the sort of best possible old ice site."
He has been working with Goodge to develop a new kind of rapid drill that can chip through the ice sheet quickly, in days rather than years, so that researchers can assess different places before committing to more elaborate and expensive drilling.
"It was my feeling that the actual existence of very old ice at the bottom of the glacier would be extremely difficult to predict ahead of time with conventional methods like radar and stuff like that," says Severinghaus.
With their drill, it will be possible to make multiple holes and run tests on ice at the bottom, he says, so "you'd know for sure that the old ice existed."
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Higgins John Higgins
The coronavirus pandemic has delayed his team's work — indeed, the virus forced researchers to call off almost the entire Antarctic field season. But in fall of 2021, the hunters of old ice will be back.
If any of these efforts eventually let scientists get a continuous sequence of ice layers going back 1.5 million years or more, they'll be able to understand atmospheric changes that occurred during an important climate switch.
About a million years ago, there was a dramatic shift in the planet's cycle of ice ages. Those had been coming every 40,000 years or so, but for some reason, that pattern ended — and it changed to every 100,000 years instead.
"To us working on climate, that's a really big deal," says Wolff. "It's a really big question as to why that change, because it's fundamental to how our climate system works. In a way, you can say we don't really understand today's climate if we don't understand why we live in a 100,000-year world rather than a 40,000-year world."
Glaciers clearly come and go because of influences that are not well understood, agrees Severinghaus, who thinks "we ought to know about those in order to predict our future."
While some of those mysteries might be solved by drilling continuous ice cores that go back 1.5 million years or finding isolated fragments of ice as old as 5 million years, he says, "There's no reason why we couldn't get lucky and find something even older."


npr--2020-12-26--Millions Face Loss Of Jobless Benefits As Trump Withholds Signature On Relief Bill

Millions Face Loss Of Jobless Benefits As Trump Withholds Signature On Relief Bill Jobless benefits that were expanded for millions of Americans earlier this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic are on the brink of expiring Saturday , as President Trump renewed his criticism of a recently-passed $ 900 billion relief package that includes an extension of federal unemployment assistance .
Trump caught Washington by surprise this week with his criticism of the relief bill , which includes a $ 300-per-week supplement to state jobless benefits for those who are unemployed because of the pandemic .
The relief package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following months of negotiations , but on Tuesday , the president deemed the measure a `` disgrace . ''
Trump 's main point of contention with the bipartisan bill — which was negotiated in part by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — is the size of payouts allotted for individuals .
The bill includes direct relief payments of as much as $ 600 for Americans who meet certain income thresholds , but Trump has insisted that amount is too low .
He is demanding Americans receive $ 2,000 instead .
`` I simply want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather than the measly $ 600 that is now in the bill .
Also , stop the billions of dollars in 'pork ' , '' the president tweeted Saturday .
Trump left Washington this week without signing the measure , though the legislation was sent to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida .
From there , the president continued to assail the bill throughout the Christmas holiday and into the weekend .
The delay has not only threatened to plunge millions deeper into economic uncertainty , but it has also moved the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fate of an attached spending measure of $ 1.4 trillion also in jeopardy .
Trump 's objection to the bill did , however , find a friendly audience with House Democrats , who attempted to pass an increase in the payments to $ 2,000 on Thursday .
But that effort was blocked by House Republicans .
The additional jobless benefits became a crucial financial lifeline for many Americans following passage in March as part of the CARES act .
Millions lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic , and while many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , unemployment remains high .
The week before Congress passed the relief package , initial claims for unemployment insurance stood at more than 800,000 .
On Saturday , President-elect Joe Biden issued a statement calling Trump 's delay in signing the measure an `` abdication of responsibility . ''
`` It 's the day after Christmas , and millions of families do n't know if they 'll be able to make ends meet because of President Donald Trump 's refusal to sign an economic relief bill approved by Congress with an overwhelming and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president-elect went on to note that further delay could end an eviction moratorium and halt much-needed aid to small business owners hit hard by the pandemic .
Furthermore , the president-elect warned of dire effects if a government shutdown were allowed to happen .
`` This bill is critical .
It needs to be signed into law now , '' Biden said .
While it is unclear whether Trump will sign the legislation , it is also unclear whether Trump will veto it .
If he does so , Congress would have @ @ @ @ @

Jobless Benefits Lapse For Millions As Trump Withholds Signature On Relief Bill
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
Updated Sunday at 8:23 a.m. ET
Jobless benefits that were expanded for millions of Americans earlier this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic ran out on Saturday, as President Trump renewed his criticism of a recently passed $900 billion relief package that includes an extension of federal unemployment assistance.
Trump caught Washington by surprise this week with his criticism of the relief package. But without his signature on the bill, two pandemic-related unemployment programs have now come to end. One of the programs extended benefits to people who typically do not qualify for jobless aid, such as gig and contract workers. The other provided up to 13 weeks of additional assistance for Americans who have exhausted their state benefits.
The relief package that passed Congress this past week with broad bipartisan support not only would have extended coverage under these programs, but also included a $300-per-week supplement to state jobless benefits for those who are unemployed because of the pandemic. The relief package was passed on Monday following months of negotiations, but on Tuesday, the president deemed the measure a "disgrace."
Trump's main point of contention with the bipartisan bill — which was negotiated in part by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — is the size of payouts allotted for individuals. The bill includes direct relief payments of as much as $600 for Americans who meet certain income thresholds, but Trump has insisted that amount is too low. He is demanding Americans receive $2,000 instead.
"I simply want to get our great people $2000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill. Also, stop the billions of dollars in 'pork'," the president tweeted Saturday.
Trump left Washington this week without signing the measure, though the legislation was sent to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. From there, the president continued to assail the bill throughout the Christmas holiday and into the weekend.
The delay has not only threatened to plunge millions deeper into economic uncertainty, but it has also moved the government closer to a shutdown, with the fate of an attached spending measure of $1.4 trillion also in jeopardy.
Trump's objection to the bill did, however, find a friendly audience with House Democrats, who attempted to pass an increase in the payments to $2,000 on Thursday. But that effort was blocked by House Republicans.
The additional jobless benefits became a crucial financial lifeline for many Americans following passage in March as part of the CARES Act. Millions lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, and while many have have since gone back to work, unemployment remains high. The week before Congress passed the relief package, initial claims for unemployment insurance stood at more than 800,000.
On Saturday, President-elect Joe Biden issued a statement calling Trump's delay in signing the measure an "abdication of responsibility."
"It's the day after Christmas, and millions of families don't know if they'll be able to make ends meet because of President Donald Trump's refusal to sign an economic relief bill approved by Congress with an overwhelming and bipartisan majority," Biden said.
The president-elect went on to note that further delay could end an eviction moratorium and halt much-needed aid to small business owners hit hard by the pandemic. Furthermore, the president-elect warned of dire effects if a government shutdown were allowed to happen.
"This bill is critical. It needs to be signed into law now," Biden said.
While it is unclear whether Trump will sign the legislation, it is also unclear whether Trump will veto it. If he does so, Congress would have enough votes to override.
NPR's Jim Zarroli contributed to this report.