npr--2020-01-24--President Trump Faces Friendly Crowd At March For Life

As thousands of anti-abortion rights activists prepared to march in Washington , D.C. , on Friday , President Trump was there to rally his base .
`` They are coming after me , because I am fighting for you , '' Trump told the crowd , without directly mentioning the impeachment trial underway in the Senate .
`` And we are fighting for those who have no voice . ''
`` And we will win , '' Trump added , `` because we know how to win . ''
It was the first time a sitting president delivered an address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an annual event organized decades ago in response to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide .
Trump 's appearance before thousands of mostly supportive anti-abortion rights activists comes at a key moment — during the impeachment trial , and just months to go before the 2020 election .
Trump has leaned in to his connection to religious and social conservatives , frequently praising `` the evangelicals '' who make up a key portion of his base and courting anti-abortion rights groups such as the Susan B. Anthony List @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's president , Marjorie Dannenfelser , made an explicit plea for support for Trump , calling the 2020 election `` the most consequential election of our lifetimes for the cause of the unborn . ''
`` We have seen historic gains under this President .
You heard what his heart his and what his track record is , '' Dannefelser said .
She added , `` But now it 's time to go for the win , '' calling for the overturning of Roe v. Wade and for passage of federal legislation restricting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ahead of the march , Dannenfelser called Trump 's appearance at the march `` a moment of celebration for the pro-life movement . ''
She said it 's a reminder of how far Trump has come in the minds of some conservatives who were initially skeptical because of his past support for abortion rights .
`` Everyone doubted where he was on the abortion issue .
He stated what he believed .
There were doubts all over — I mean , I was one of them , '' Dannenfelser said .
`` So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says he is . ''
Dannenfelser said she is pleased with Trump 's appointment of conservative federal judges — most notably to the Supreme Court .
Just this week , the Trump administration signed off on federal funding for a family planning program in Texas that excludes groups like Planned Parenthood that provide abortion services .
`` No one in that crowd needs persuading , but everyone in that crowd needs reminding what 's at stake this coming election , '' Dannenfelser said .
`` It wo n't be a cajoling and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a momentum moment . ''
Several marchers told NPR that while they have had some misgivings about Trump , they are pleased with his record on issues including abortion .
`` He 's a little rough around the edges , but he stands for the things that I believe in , and that 's why I voted for him , '' said Ermida Arocho of Chicago .
June Matson , who runs a crisis pregnancy center in Granby , Colorado where women are counseled against abortion , alluded to Trump 's history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Whether he was pro-life before or not , it does n't really matter , because he has continued to prove that he will vote pro-life , '' Matson said .
Trump 's appearance was n't entirely unprecedented : Two years ago , he spoke live via video feed from the White House Rose Garden , telling that marchers , `` you love every child , born and unborn , because you believe that every life is sacred , that every child is a precious gift from God . ''
Other Republican presidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush and George W. Bush — have addressed the crowd remotely , via phone call or prepared statement .
Some observers have speculated that such a move allowed those presidents to court anti-abortion rights voters without subjecting themselves to a photo-op in front of the crowd , out of fear of turning off more moderate voters .
The Trump administration took the occasion to announce an action aimed at appealing to anti-abortion voters ; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told California that a law requiring insurance companies to include abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , and gave the state 30 days to rescind it .
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said on twitter that the president is `` sowing division for cheap political gain , '' and pledged to fight to preserve the law .
Reproductive rights groups are using Trump 's appearance at the March for Life to remind their supporters of his opposition to abortion rights .
NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue issued a statement calling Trump 's decision to appear at the March for Life an `` act of desperation . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parenthood 's acting president and CEO , Alexis McGill Johnson , said Trump 's appearance at the event is `` no surprise '' given his policy record .
`` This is just confirmation that we have a sitting president of the United States who is determined to do whatever he can to end people 's ability to access abortion , '' McGill Johnson said .
Advocates on both sides of the abortion debate see much at stake in the 2020 election .
After Trump 's address , activists at the rally will march @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court — where just weeks from now , the court is set to take up its first major abortion case since Trump 's two conservatives nominees , Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh , joined the bench .
Those two justices alone have moved the court to the right , setting up the possibility that Roe could be overturned or substantially eroded .
And whoever is elected in November may have the opportunity to name at least one more justice to the court .

President Trump Faces Friendly Crowd At March For Life
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jose Luis Magana/AP Jose Luis Magana/AP
Updated at 4:45 p.m. ET
As thousands of anti-abortion rights activists prepared to march in Washington, D.C., on Friday, President Trump was there to rally his base.
"They are coming after me, because I am fighting for you," Trump told the crowd, without directly mentioning the impeachment trial underway in the Senate. "And we are fighting for those who have no voice."
"And we will win," Trump added, "because we know how to win."
National Abortion Rights Opponents Descend Upon Washington For March For Life Rally Abortion Rights Opponents Descend Upon Washington For March For Life Rally Listen · 3:50 3:50
It was the first time a sitting president delivered an address in person at the March for Life, an annual event organized decades ago in response to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
Trump's appearance before thousands of mostly supportive anti-abortion rights activists comes at a key moment — during the impeachment trial, and just months to go before the 2020 election.
Trump has leaned in to his connection to religious and social conservatives, frequently praising "the evangelicals" who make up a key portion of his base and courting anti-abortion rights groups such as the Susan B. Anthony List.
At the march, that group's president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, made an explicit plea for support for Trump, calling the 2020 election "the most consequential election of our lifetimes for the cause of the unborn."
"We have seen historic gains under this President. You heard what his heart his and what his track record is," Dannefelser said.
She added, "But now it's time to go for the win," calling for the overturning of Roe v. Wade and for passage of federal legislation restricting abortion.
In an interview with NPR ahead of the march, Dannenfelser called Trump's appearance at the march "a moment of celebration for the pro-life movement." She said it's a reminder of how far Trump has come in the minds of some conservatives who were initially skeptical because of his past support for abortion rights.
"Everyone doubted where he was on the abortion issue. He stated what he believed. There were doubts all over — I mean, I was one of them," Dannenfelser said. "So he's actually become the person that he says he is."
Dannenfelser said she is pleased with Trump's appointment of conservative federal judges — most notably to the Supreme Court. Just this week, the Trump administration signed off on federal funding for a family planning program in Texas that excludes groups like Planned Parenthood that provide abortion services.
"No one in that crowd needs persuading, but everyone in that crowd needs reminding what's at stake this coming election," Dannenfelser said. "It won't be a cajoling and a persuasion moment; it will be a momentum moment."
Several marchers told NPR that while they have had some misgivings about Trump, they are pleased with his record on issues including abortion.
"He's a little rough around the edges, but he stands for the things that I believe in, and that's why I voted for him," said Ermida Arocho of Chicago.
June Matson, who runs a crisis pregnancy center in Granby, Colorado where women are counseled against abortion, alluded to Trump's history of once expressing support for abortions rights.
"Whether he was pro-life before or not, it doesn't really matter, because he has continued to prove that he will vote pro-life," Matson said.
Trump's appearance wasn't entirely unprecedented: Two years ago, he spoke live via video feed from the White House Rose Garden, telling that marchers, "you love every child, born and unborn, because you believe that every life is sacred, that every child is a precious gift from God."
Other Republican presidents — Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush — have addressed the crowd remotely, via phone call or prepared statement. Some observers have speculated that such a move allowed those presidents to court anti-abortion rights voters without subjecting themselves to a photo-op in front of the crowd, out of fear of turning off more moderate voters.
The Trump administration took the occasion to announce an action aimed at appealing to anti-abortion voters; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told California that a law requiring insurance companies to include abortion coverage in all healthcare plans violates federal law, and gave the state 30 days to rescind it.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said on twitter that the president is "sowing division for cheap political gain," and pledged to fight to preserve the law.
Reproductive rights groups are using Trump's appearance at the March for Life to remind their supporters of his opposition to abortion rights. NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue issued a statement calling Trump's decision to appear at the March for Life an "act of desperation."
In an interview with NPR, Planned Parenthood's acting president and CEO, Alexis McGill Johnson, said Trump's appearance at the event is "no surprise" given his policy record.
"This is just confirmation that we have a sitting president of the United States who is determined to do whatever he can to end people's ability to access abortion," McGill Johnson said.
Advocates on both sides of the abortion debate see much at stake in the 2020 election. After Trump's address, activists at the rally will march from the National Mall to the U.S. Supreme Court — where just weeks from now, the court is set to take up its first major abortion case since Trump's two conservatives nominees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, joined the bench.
Those two justices alone have moved the court to the right, setting up the possibility that Roe could be overturned or substantially eroded. And whoever is elected in November may have the opportunity to name at least one more justice to the court.


npr--2020-01-25--President Trump's Legal Team To Begin Impeachment Defense

Lawyers representing President Trump get their first shot Saturday to poke holes in the impeachment case made this week by Democrats .
But the topics they bring up may go far beyond the two impeachment charges related to foreign aid in Ukraine and obstruction of Congress , Jay Sekulow , an attorney for Trump , told reporters Friday .
Proceedings on the Senate floor are expected to begin again at 10 a.m .
ET .
Sekulow said the defense team will speak for about three hours Saturday to lay out `` coming attractions '' for the trial when it resumes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Steele Dossier and efforts made by Hillary Clinton 's campaign to dig up dirt on Trump leading up to the 2016 presidential election .
Sekulow also tried to argue , as many Republicans have over the course of the impeachment proceedings , that Clinton solicited foreign interference by Ukraine in the 2016 election .
`` You should be able to be able to get a sense from what I 'm saying right now that we 're going to rebut and refute and we 're going to put on an affirmative case tomorrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agencies have been unanimous in their assessment that it was Russia that interfered in the last presidential race .
Another of Trump 's defense attorneys , Alan Dershowitz , told NPR 's David Folkenflik that he would focus his arguments on what he sees as `` non-impeachable offenses '' brought forward by the House .
`` They charged him with non-impeachable offenses : namely obstruction of Congress and abuse of power , '' Dershowitz said .
`` Those would have clearly been rejected by the framers as too broad , too open-ended and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to focus my argument on the criteria used by the House . ''
On Friday , House Democrats closed their opening arguments after 24 hours .
Trump 's defense team will get the same amount of time for its response .
Lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , said the case against Trump had nothing to do with feelings of hatred or anger against the president , as many Republicans have claimed .
`` I only hate what he has done to the country , '' Schiff said in his final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I grieve for what he has done to this country . ''
Republicans have largely stood by the president throughout the week , and because they hold a majority in the Senate , it remains unlikely that Trump will be removed from office .

Trump Did 'Nothing Wrong,' His Legal Team Says In First Day Of Impeachment Defense
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Updated at 1:32 p.m. ET
President Trump "did absolutely nothing wrong," White House counsel Pat Cipollone said Saturday, as lawyers representing the president got their first shot to poke holes in the impeachment case made this week by Democrats.
Saturday's proceedings, which lasted a little more than two hours, set up the White House arguments in the impeachment trial. The proceedings resume Monday at 1 p.m.
The president's team told senators that the House managers selectively withheld evidence in their arguments against the president.
Cipollone said the Democratic House managers, who concluded their arguments late Friday after 24 hours spread over three days, "are asking you to remove President Trump" from the 2020 ballot and "they're asking you to do it with no evidence." He said the managers "didn't tell you" that the issue of burden sharing — getting other nations to contribute more to Ukraine's defense — was discussed in the July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. That call is at the heart of the charges against the president.
Deputy White House counsel Mike Purpura continued that theme, reiterating that House managers "didn't tell you" that top Ukrainian officials were unaware that U.S. aid was being withheld from Ukraine until a Politico article in late August. However, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Laura Cooper testified during the House impeachment inquiry in November that Ukrainian officials asked in July: "What is going on" with the security assistance?
After the session, both sides claimed the advantage. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, said the president's defense team "entirely shredded" the Democratic managers' case.
But Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, the lead House manager, said Trump's lawyers failed "to contest the basic architecture of the scheme," that the president pressured Ukraine by withholding military aid in order to get Zelenskiy to investigate the Bidens.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that there were "gaping holes" in the president's lawyers' case and that they inadvertently bolstered Democrats' arguments that the Senate should call witnesses, including acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.
Perhaps because of the brevity of the Saturday session, there was unusual camaraderie at its close. Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, Trump's personal attorney, worked the room, with some senators coming up to shake their hands as they stood up from their table after the close. They later went to some members' desks to visit. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., was first in line to shake Cipollone's and Sekulow's hands, followed by Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. The camaraderie was bipartisan. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was also among those greeting the president's lawyers.
The House of Representatives impeached Trump last month on charges that he obstructed Congress and abused power, saying he tried to pressure the Ukrainian president to investigate Trump's political rivals during the July phone call. The president and his defenders have dismissed the process as a sham and refused to participate in the House proceedings. Saturday was the first time Trump's lawyers responded in person to the charges against the president.
The presentation was expected to set the stage for the "coming attractions," as Sekulow described it Friday, for the trial when it resumes Monday.
That includes discussing the Steele dossier, a report of unverified information on the Trump campaign compiled by a former British spy, and efforts made by Hillary Clinton's campaign to dig up dirt on Trump leading up to the 2016 presidential election.
Sekulow also tried to argue, as many Republicans have over the course of the impeachment proceedings, that Clinton solicited foreign interference by Ukraine in the 2016 election.
American intelligence agencies have been unanimous in their assessment that it was Russia that interfered in the last presidential race.
Another of Trump's defense attorneys, Alan Dershowitz, told NPR's David Folkenflik that he would focus his arguments on what he sees as "nonimpeachable offenses" brought forward by the House.
"They charged him with nonimpeachable offenses: namely obstruction of Congress and abuse of power," Dershowitz said. "Those would have clearly been rejected by the framers as too broad, too open-ended and not sufficiently specific. So I'm going to focus my argument on the criteria used by the House."
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Republicans have largely stood by the president throughout the week, and because they hold a majority in the Senate, it remains unlikely that Trump will be removed from office.
NPR 's Claudia Grisales contributed to this story.


npr--2020-01-25--6 Decades Later, This Atomic Vet Is Finishing His Music Education

6 Decades Later , This Atomic Vet Is Finishing His Music Education Hank Bolden is an 83-year-old undergraduate at the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut .
He is also an atomic vet — one of thousands of soldiers exposed to secret nuclear weapons tests during the Cold War .
Bolden is one of only a few African-Americans still here to tell the story .
In 1955 , Bolden was in his late teens and stationed in California .
One day he was told he 'd been chosen to participate in a special military exercise .
`` I had no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
Bolden was flown to Desert Rock , Nev. , where he joined hundreds of other soldiers from across the country .
He did n't know anyone else there .
A day later they were marched out to trenches .
`` In the trench that I was in , there was nothing but soldiers that looked like me .
All black faces in my trench , '' he said .
`` When it got down to zero , that 's when the big flash went off .
That big flash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the testing , '' Bolden explained .
`` And they had us placed 2.8 miles from ground zero , not only in the path of the fallout , but in the predicted path of the fallout . ''
Then came a wave of heat and dust .
`` And there were n't any goggles that we had to place over our eyes .
Just had a helmet and our arms supposedly to protect your eyes , '' he said .
`` And you visibly see your bones .
And you visibly see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I saw . ''
After the tests , Bolden and the other soldiers had to swear an oath of secrecy never to talk about what had happened — not to family , doctors or to each other .
Violation of the oath was punishable by 10 years in prison and a $ 10,000 fine .
Bolden says for decades , he never talked .
But as the years went on , he was diagnosed with bladder cancer , multiple myeloma and subcapsular cataracts .
He began to worry that his health problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen .
Alex Wellerstein is a historian of nuclear weapons at the Stevens Institute of Technology , a private research university in New Jersey .
He said there were hundreds of tests in this period .
Early exercises were aimed at learning how the weapons worked .
The goal of the Desert Rock exercises was to find out what happens to soldiers when they see a live nuclear weapon go off : Can they still be commanded ?
Do they become hysterical and no longer take orders ?
Do they become so overcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything ?
At the same time , military commanders were not fully aware of the risks of exposing soldiers to ionizing radiation , Wellerstein said .
Slowly , veterans who 'd been unwittingly used as human research subjects began quietly sharing their stories .
In the 1970s , they formed the National Association of Atomic Veterans .
In 1995 , President Bill Clinton officially apologized to survivors and families , and a year later , Congress lifted the oath of secrecy .
Today , those who can demonstrate they 're atomic veterans and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions are eligible for compensation .
Attorney John Stevens Berry , who served in Vietnam , draws a parallel to Agent Orange .
In both cases it 's tough to prove medical conditions are directly connected to exposure , but the government presumes there 's a link .
`` There are two presumptive areas , '' Berry said .
`` One is nuclear exposure , one is Agent Orange — where you do n't have to prove it because there 's so damn many people sick of it . ''
Last year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to go back to college .
When he got out of the Army in the '50s , he enrolled at the Hartt School of Music , but dropped out to go on the road playing music .
`` And I like to complete what I 've started , '' he said while laughing .
So Bolden auditioned for renowned saxophonist Javon Jackson , director of Hartt 's Jazz Studies Division .
`` It was apparent to me that he is a practitioner , a musician who can do it , '' Jackson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come in and learn a little bit more about the nuts and bolts of music , which I think is something to be in awe of . ''
Bolden was accepted and awarded a scholarship .
He said he 's come to terms with what happened decades ago when he was a young soldier .
`` I have no regrets about being involuntarily volunteered because it actually has played a part into my being here now and where I 'm at , '' he said .
As for sitting in classes alongside students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bolden said : `` Music will keep ya young . ''

6 Decades Later, This Atomic Vet Is Finishing His Music Education
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public Radio Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public Radio
Hank Bolden is an 83-year-old undergraduate at the Hartt School of Music in Connecticut. He is also an atomic vet — one of thousands of soldiers exposed to secret nuclear weapons tests during the Cold War.
Bolden is one of only a few African-Americans still here to tell the story.
In 1955, Bolden was in his late teens and stationed in California. One day he was told he'd been chosen to participate in a special military exercise. "I had no idea what I was selected for," he said.
Bolden was flown to Desert Rock, Nev., where he joined hundreds of other soldiers from across the country. He didn't know anyone else there. A day later they were marched out to trenches.
"In the trench that I was in, there was nothing but soldiers that looked like me. All black faces in my trench," he said.
A countdown began.
History Documenting The History Of Mob Violence Against African-American Veterans Documenting The History Of Mob Violence Against African-American Veterans Listen · 5:10 5:10
"When it got down to zero, that's when the big flash went off. That big flash was the dropping of the atomic bomb for the testing," Bolden explained. "And they had us placed 2.8 miles from ground zero, not only in the path of the fallout, but in the predicted path of the fallout."
Then came a wave of heat and dust.
"And there weren't any goggles that we had to place over our eyes. Just had a helmet and our arms supposedly to protect your eyes," he said. "And you visibly see your bones. And you visibly see other folks' skeletons. That's what I saw."
After the tests, Bolden and the other soldiers had to swear an oath of secrecy never to talk about what had happened — not to family, doctors or to each other. Violation of the oath was punishable by 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Bolden says for decades, he never talked. But as the years went on, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, multiple myeloma and subcapsular cataracts. He began to worry that his health problems might be connected to what he'd seen.
toggle caption Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public Radio
Alex Wellerstein is a historian of nuclear weapons at the Stevens Institute of Technology, a private research university in New Jersey. He said there were hundreds of tests in this period. Early exercises were aimed at learning how the weapons worked. The goal of the Desert Rock exercises was to find out what happens to soldiers when they see a live nuclear weapon go off: Can they still be commanded? Do they become hysterical and no longer take orders? Do they become so overcome with fear that they can't do anything?
At the same time, military commanders were not fully aware of the risks of exposing soldiers to ionizing radiation, Wellerstein said.
Slowly, veterans who'd been unwittingly used as human research subjects began quietly sharing their stories. In the 1970s, they formed the National Association of Atomic Veterans. In 1995, President Bill Clinton officially apologized to survivors and families, and a year later, Congress lifted the oath of secrecy.
Today, those who can demonstrate they're atomic veterans and have developed one of several specific medical conditions are eligible for compensation. Attorney John Stevens Berry, who served in Vietnam, draws a parallel to Agent Orange. In both cases it's tough to prove medical conditions are directly connected to exposure, but the government presumes there's a link.
"There are two presumptive areas," Berry said. "One is nuclear exposure, one is Agent Orange — where you don't have to prove it because there's so damn many people sick of it."
Last year, after receiving his compensation, Hank Bolden decided to go back to college. When he got out of the Army in the '50s, he enrolled at the Hartt School of Music, but dropped out to go on the road playing music.
"And I like to complete what I've started," he said while laughing.
So Bolden auditioned for renowned saxophonist Javon Jackson, director of Hartt's Jazz Studies Division.
"It was apparent to me that he is a practitioner, a musician who can do it," Jackson said. "But he wants to come in and learn a little bit more about the nuts and bolts of music, which I think is something to be in awe of."
Bolden was accepted and awarded a scholarship. He said he's come to terms with what happened decades ago when he was a young soldier.
"I have no regrets about being involuntarily volunteered because it actually has played a part into my being here now and where I'm at," he said.
As for sitting in classes alongside students who are a quarter of his age, Bolden said: "Music will keep ya young."


npr--2020-01-25--Coronavirus FAQs: Do Masks Help? Is The Disease Really So Mysterious?

Coronavirus FAQs : Do Masks Help ?
Is The Disease Really So Mysterious ?
Many reports refer to the newly identified coronavirus in Wuhan , China , as a `` mystery '' virus .
Is it really a mystery ?
Do masks help keep you from getting infected ?
If an animal carries the virus , will cooking it make it safe to consume ?
These are some of the questions circulating about the virus called 2019-nCoV .
Here are some answers .
There 's a run on masks in China , with the belief that wearing one in public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ droplets sneezed or coughed out by someone infected with the Wuhan virus .
But there 's little evidence to suggest that the face masks worn by members of the public prevent people from being infected by breathing in the virus , says William Schaffner , a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center .
`` There really are no good , solid , reliable data . ''
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the kind of flimsy masks that people often buy in pharmacies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so the wearer can still breathe in air — and infected droplets .
Stanley Perlman , a professor at the University of Iowa who studies coronaviruses , agrees that the mask wo n't necessarily prevent infection .
But they do have some value , he says : Wearing a mask may stop an individual from directly touching their mouth and nose , which is a common way that viruses and germs enter the body .
Masks provide some protection this way , he adds .
`` But what we teach is that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect themselves from infection , health care workers do n't wear the kind of thin , over-the-mouth masks you see in operating rooms , which are designed to keep germs from leaving the mouths and noses of medical staff in the room .
When it comes to preventing infection from their surroundings , health-care workers wear N95 respirators , which fit much more tightly , says Schaffner .
These respirators have n't been tested for effectiveness when worn by the general public , so there 's no evidence to support a general recommendation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one thing that experts endorse as a preventive : `` Hand hygiene is the answer , '' Schaffner says , suggesting soap and water , since the abrasiveness of soap helps remove infectious particles from the hands .
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds .
Make sure to clean the backs of your hands , between your fingers and under your nails , advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
And scrub for 20 seconds — about as long as it takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the alphabet song .
Judging by headlines , it is .
Many media outlets refer to the Wuhan virus as `` China 's mystery virus . ''
`` It was mysterious when we did n't know what it was , '' says Stanley Perlman , a professor at the University of Iowa , who studies coronaviruses .
But once it was identified as a member of the family of coronaviruses , it was no longer so mysterious , he adds .
Indeed , the Wuhan coronavirus appears to behave in ways that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and MERS .
Health officials believe that like these two well-known coronaviruses , the Wuhan virus can be passed from person to person via exchange of fluids from the respiratory tract , although they still do n't know precisely how .
While it 's no longer such a mystery , there are still open questions about the Wuhan virus .
We do n't know how long it takes after exposure to get sick or which animal was the original source of the virus .
`` Each one of the rogue viruses that jumped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own characteristics , '' says William Schaffner , a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center .
If you cook an infected animal , does it kill the coronavirus ?
Cooking an infected animal until the meat reaches about 150 degrees Fahrenheit inactivates the coronavirus , says Stanley Perlman , a professor at the University of Iowa who studies coronaviruses .
Any method of cooking will work , says William Schaffner , a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heat does n't matter , '' he adds .
So how are people infected by an animal that harbors the virus ?
`` It 's in the preparation that there might be some risk , '' says Schaffner .
Handling raw before cooking presents a risk .
And at the market in Wuhan , where some people seemed to become infected , live animals are sold and slaughtered .
It is n't clear exactly how the virus spread from animals to people , but when an infected animal is killed and then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ droplets of blood could spread into the air and transmit the virus , Schaffner says .
How worried should people outside of China be ?
The general public should not worry at this time , says William Schaffner , a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center .
`` There 's an outbreak of coronavirus anxiety .
I think we all ought to take a deep breath and step back , '' he adds .
Compared coronavirus to the flu cases seen each winter , he predicts that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiny little blip on the horizon . ''
`` In terms of mortality rate , we 're on the lower spectrum , which gives me some room for optimism , '' says Kevin Olival , vice president for research at the EcoHealth Alliance , who specializes in emerging infectious diseases As doctors and officials learn more about the spread and scale of the virus , it will become more clear if the virus poses any significant concern to Americans .
Do you have any questions about the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak ?
Email them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan coronavirus FAQ '' to goatsandsoda @ npr.org and we may answer them in a story for NPR next week .

Coronavirus FAQs: Do Masks Help? Is The Disease Really So Mysterious?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Xiaolu Chu/Getty Images Xiaolu Chu/Getty Images
Many reports refer to the newly identified coronavirus in Wuhan, China, as a "mystery" virus. Is it really a mystery? Do masks help keep you from getting infected? If an animal carries the virus, will cooking it make it safe to consume?
These are some of the questions circulating about the virus called 2019-nCoV. Here are some answers.
Will a mask protect me?
There's a run on masks in China, with the belief that wearing one in public will protect an individual from exposure to droplets sneezed or coughed out by someone infected with the Wuhan virus.
But there's little evidence to suggest that the face masks worn by members of the public prevent people from being infected by breathing in the virus, says William Schaffner, a professor in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "There really are no good, solid, reliable data."
According to the CDC, the kind of flimsy masks that people often buy in pharmacies may not tightly fit the face, so the wearer can still breathe in air — and infected droplets.
Stanley Perlman, a professor at the University of Iowa who studies coronaviruses, agrees that the mask won't necessarily prevent infection. But they do have some value, he says: Wearing a mask may stop an individual from directly touching their mouth and nose, which is a common way that viruses and germs enter the body. Masks provide some protection this way, he adds. "But what we teach is that they're not very good."
To protect themselves from infection, health care workers don't wear the kind of thin, over-the-mouth masks you see in operating rooms, which are designed to keep germs from leaving the mouths and noses of medical staff in the room. When it comes to preventing infection from their surroundings, health care workers wear N95 respirators, which fit much more tightly, says Schaffner. These respirators haven't been tested for effectiveness when worn by the general public, so there's no evidence to support a general recommendation, he says.
But there is one thing that experts endorse as a preventive: "Hand hygiene is the answer," Schaffner says, suggesting soap and water, since the abrasiveness of soap helps remove infectious particles from the hands. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Make sure to clean the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails, advises the CDC. And scrub for 20 seconds — about as long as it takes to sing, at a moderate pace, the alphabet song.
Is this virus mysterious?
Judging by headlines, it is. Many media outlets refer to the Wuhan virus as "China's mystery virus."
"It was mysterious when we didn't know what it was," says Perlman. But once it was identified as a member of the family of coronaviruses, it was no longer so mysterious, he says.
Indeed, the Wuhan coronavirus appears to behave in ways that are similar to other coronaviruses like SARS and MERS. Health officials believe that like these two well-known coronaviruses, the Wuhan virus can be passed from person to person via exchange of fluids from the respiratory tract, although they still don't know precisely how.
While it's no longer such a mystery, there are still open questions about the Wuhan virus. We don't know how long it takes after exposure to get sick or which animal was the original source of the virus. "Each one of the rogue viruses that jumped species from animals to humans has its own characteristics," says Schaffner.
If you cook an infected animal, does it kill the coronavirus?
Cooking an infected animal until the meat reaches about 150 degrees Fahrenheit inactivates the coronavirus, says Perlman.
Any method of cooking will work, says Schaffner. "It's heat. The mode of delivering the heat doesn't matter," he adds.
So how are people infected by an animal that harbors the virus? "It's in the preparation that there might be some risk," says Schaffner. Handling raw before cooking presents a risk.
And at the market in Wuhan, where some people seemed to have become infected, live animals are sold and slaughtered. It isn't clear exactly how the virus spread from animals to people, but when an infected animal is killed and then skinned, small pieces of tissue or droplets of blood could spread into the air and transmit the virus, Schaffner says.
How worried should people outside of China be?
The general public should not worry at this time, says Schaffner. "There's an outbreak of coronavirus anxiety. I think we all ought to take a deep breath and step back," he adds. Compared to the flu cases seen each winter, he predicts that the Wuhan virus will be "a tiny little blip on the horizon."
"In terms of mortality rate, we're on the lower spectrum, which gives me some room for optimism," says Kevin Olival, vice president for research at the EcoHealth Alliance, who specializes in emerging infectious diseases
As doctors and officials learn more about the spread and scale of the virus, it will become more clear whether the virus poses any significant concern to Americans.
Do you have any questions about the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak? Email them to us with the subject line "Wuhan coronavirus FAQ" to goatsandsoda@npr.org and we may answer them in a story for NPR next week.


npr--2020-01-25--How Super Sniffer Dogs Are Helping Detect Disease Around The World

How Super Sniffer Dogs Are Helping Detect Disease Around The World As the owner of a yellow lab named Gus , author Maria Goodavage has had many occasions to bathe her pooch when he rolls around in smelly muck at the park .
Nevertheless , her appreciation for his keen sense of smell has inspired her write best-selling books about dogs with special assignments in the military and the U.S. Secret Service .
Her latest , Doctor Dogs : How Our Best Friends Are Becoming Our Best Medicine , highlights a vast array of special medical tasks that dogs can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bedside , and everywhere else a dog can tag along and sniff .
Canines ' incredible olfactory capacity — they can sniff in parts per trillion — primes them to detect disease , and their genius for observing our behavior helps them guide us physically and emotionally .
Goodavage spoke with NPR contributor John Henning Schumann , a doctor and host of Public Radio Tulsa 's # MedicalMonday about what she has learned about dogs in medicine This interview has been edited for clarity and length .
What led you to look into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading and writing about military dogs and Secret Service dogs for many years now , and it was sort of a natural next step .
These are dogs on the cutting edge of medicine .
They 're either working in research or right beside someone to save their life every day .
And really , doctor dogs are , for the most part , using their incredible sense of smell to detect diseases .
And if they 're paired with a person , they bond with that person to tell them something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on dogs doing this kind of work all over the world .
Yes , I did go around the world .
The first doctor dogs I learned about were in Japan .
There 's a village about five hours north of Tokyo where scientists were doing some research among a population that has a very high level of stomach cancer .
And I wanted to find the best of the best , cutting-edge medical dogs around the world .
It was really fun to see these service and research dogs working with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They 're incredibly good at detecting disease .
You also report on dogs that can detect ovarian cancer , which is personal for you .
I do have skin in this game , actually , because unfortunately , we have ovarian cancer in the family .
My mom died of it .
With ovarian cancer , there 's not much great testing for early detection .
I heard about these dogs at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Working Dog Center that are able to smell ovarian cancer .
They 're able to detect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We 're not even talking tumors here .
They 're able to detect ovarian cancer in one drop of plasma from a woman with ovarian cancer .
The fact that the dogs can do this is exciting to me , and I think for so many people who have hard-to-detect cancers in the family .
What the dogs are doing now is remarkable and it 's because their sense of smell is so keen .
They can sniff in parts per trillion .
They can detect a tablespoon of a substance , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Olympic-sized swimming pools .
Humans have six million olfactory receptors and dogs have up to 300 million .
So their noses are really primed .
Another area in which dogs excel in the clinical world is for patients with diabetes .
Yeah .
It 's amazing .
We do n't know what the dogs are smelling , but the trainers are training the dogs on the scent of hypoglycemia and also hyperglycemia .
The dogs are somehow able to put it together and tell the person 15 or maybe 20 minutes before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you 're going into the low range ! '
because the dogs detect this in real time .
So the person has an extra bit of time to do what they need to do , take glucose or whatever .
I was fascinated to learn that doctor dogs may also have a role in detecting so-called `` superbugs , '' that is , antibiotic-resistant microbes .
Yes .
Actually , there are three or four of these dogs working in a hospital in Vancouver who are sniffing out C. diff , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily spread in vulnerable populations in hospitals and manifests in diarrhea and all kinds of issues that can actually kill people .
And these dogs are stopping it in its tracks .
Researchers have found that where these dogs work , the rates of C. diff really diminish .
I hung out at this hospital one day and I just watched one of the dogs do his rounds , and he found what seemed to be C. diff -- and before I knew it , they had a whole cleaning team .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
There are people from the military , war veterans and active duty soldiers even who are suffering from PTSD and who have gotten service dogs who , again , have been game changers .
They save lives .
One of the dogs I learned about was placed with a soldier who had been to Iraq twice .
He had PTSD and his life was falling apart .
His marriage , his health , everything .
He was on a cocktail of drugs .
It made him a zombie .
He hated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him about doctor dogs for PTSD .
He ended up getting one .
Now if he 's feeling anxious , he 'll say , like , `` snuggle '' and the dog will just come in for a big hug , or another of various commands .
His life changed dramatically for the better .
His marriage is really good now .
He 's a stable dad and he 's working .
He 's down to only one or two meds .
You write about doctor dogs helping people with autism .
Can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's really beautiful .
Sometimes these dogs may be using their nose .
Sometimes they 're just being highly observant .
And dogs are .
They watch our body language all the time .
But there are now more dogs being used for children on the autism spectrum , and they are remarkable .
They can usually tell ahead of time when a child is about to have a tremendous amount of anxiety , panic , meltdown or what have you .
When there 's too much stimulation for a child with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they 'll lean into the child .
Dogs change lives not just of these children , but of the whole family .
There is a family I wrote about in Minnesota , with a sweet boy who waited for four years to get a service dog for his autism .
He was not able to go to restaurants .
The family , therefore , could n't go to restaurants .
He could n't travel .
He could barely leave the house .
He did go to school , but that was tough , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
They tried to get a regular pet dog in the meantime , thinking , `` Oh well , you know , it 's a dog .
It 'll work . ''
But it was a disaster .
It did not work at all as a service dog .
So they got a service dog named Lloyd .
He 's a big black lab .
As the boy met him , he started crying .
His mother had never seen him cry .
Tears of joy .
And right there , boom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ super calming presence .
He 's able to be with the boy and change his behavior .
The boy could not go to the barber and get a haircut before Lloyd .
Now all he has to do is just have his hand on Lloyd 's head .
And the boy and Lloyd like to have their own table at restaurants !
John Henning Schumann is an internal medicine doctor and serves as president of the University of Oklahoma 's Tulsa campus .
He also hosts Studio Tulsa : Medical Monday on KWGS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him on Twitter : @ GlassHospital .

How Super Sniffer Dogs Are Helping Detect Disease Around The World
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kayla Dear/Getty Images/EyeEm Kayla Dear/Getty Images/EyeEm
As the owner of a yellow lab named Gus, author Maria Goodavage has had many occasions to bathe her pooch when he rolls around in smelly muck at the park.
Nevertheless, her appreciation for his keen sense of smell has inspired her write best-selling books about dogs with special assignments in the military and the U.S. Secret Service.
Her latest, Doctor Dogs: How Our Best Friends Are Becoming Our Best Medicine, highlights a vast array of special medical tasks that dogs can perform — from the laboratory to the bedside, and everywhere else a dog can tag along and sniff.
Canines' incredible olfactory capacity — they can sniff in parts per trillion — primes them to detect disease, and their genius for observing our behavior helps them guide us physically and emotionally.
Goodavage spoke with NPR contributor John Henning Schumann, a doctor and host of Public Radio Tulsa's #MedicalMonday about what she has learned about dogs in medicine
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What led you to look into dogs in medicine?
I've been reading and writing about military dogs and Secret Service dogs for many years now, and it was sort of a natural next step. These are dogs on the cutting edge of medicine. They're either working in research or right beside someone to save their life every day. And really, doctor dogs are, for the most part, using their incredible sense of smell to detect diseases. And if they're paired with a person, they bond with that person to tell them something that will save their life.
You reported on dogs doing this kind of work all over the world.
Yes, I did go around the world. The first doctor dogs I learned about were in Japan. There's a village about five hours north of Tokyo where scientists were doing some research among a population that has a very high level of stomach cancer. And I wanted to find the best of the best, cutting-edge medical dogs around the world. It was really fun to see these service and research dogs working with their people and how good they are. They're incredibly good at detecting disease.
You also report on dogs that can detect ovarian cancer, which is personal for you.
I do have skin in this game, actually, because unfortunately, we have ovarian cancer in the family. My mom died of it.
With ovarian cancer, there's not much great testing for early detection. I heard about these dogs at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Working Dog Center that are able to smell ovarian cancer. They're able to detect it as early as stage one. We're not even talking tumors here. They're able to detect ovarian cancer in one drop of plasma from a woman with ovarian cancer.
The fact that the dogs can do this is exciting to me, and I think for so many people who have hard-to-detect cancers in the family.
What the dogs are doing now is remarkable and it's because their sense of smell is so keen. They can sniff in parts per trillion. They can detect a tablespoon of a substance, like a packet of sugar, in two Olympic-sized swimming pools. Humans have six million olfactory receptors and dogs have up to 300 million. So their noses are really primed.
Another area in which dogs excel in the clinical world is for patients with diabetes.
Yeah. It's amazing. We don't know what the dogs are smelling, but the trainers are training the dogs on the scent of hypoglycemia and also hyperglycemia. The dogs are somehow able to put it together and tell the person 15 or maybe 20 minutes before the person's devices even say, 'Hey, you're going into the low range!' because the dogs detect this in real time. So the person has an extra bit of time to do what they need to do, take glucose or whatever.
I was fascinated to learn that doctor dogs may also have a role in detecting so-called "superbugs," that is, antibiotic-resistant microbes.
Yes. Actually, there are three or four of these dogs working in a hospital in Vancouver who are sniffing out C. diff, which is one of those superbugs that can easily spread in vulnerable populations in hospitals and manifests in diarrhea and all kinds of issues that can actually kill people. And these dogs are stopping it in its tracks. Researchers have found that where these dogs work, the rates of C. diff really diminish. I hung out at this hospital one day and I just watched one of the dogs do his rounds, and he found what seemed to be C. diff -- and before I knew it, they had a whole cleaning team.
How do dogs help people suffering from PTSD?
There are people from the military, war veterans and active duty soldiers even who are suffering from PTSD and who have gotten service dogs who, again, have been game changers. They save lives.
One of the dogs I learned about was placed with a soldier who had been to Iraq twice. He had PTSD and his life was falling apart. His marriage, his health, everything. He was on a cocktail of drugs. It made him a zombie. He hated that feeling. And one day someone told him about doctor dogs for PTSD.
He ended up getting one. Now if he's feeling anxious, he'll say, like, "snuggle" and the dog will just come in for a big hug, or another of various commands. His life changed dramatically for the better. His marriage is really good now. He's a stable dad and he's working. He's down to only one or two meds.
You write about doctor dogs helping people with autism. Can you share an example?
Yeah, it's really beautiful. Sometimes these dogs may be using their nose. Sometimes they're just being highly observant. And dogs are. They watch our body language all the time. But there are now more dogs being used for children on the autism spectrum, and they are remarkable. They can usually tell ahead of time when a child is about to have a tremendous amount of anxiety, panic, meltdown or what have you. When there's too much stimulation for a child with autism and the dog is there, they'll lean into the child.
Dogs change lives not just of these children, but of the whole family.
There is a family I wrote about in Minnesota, with a sweet boy who waited for four years to get a service dog for his autism. He was not able to go to restaurants. The family, therefore, couldn't go to restaurants. He couldn't travel. He could barely leave the house. He did go to school, but that was tough, too. And so they waited four years. They tried to get a regular pet dog in the meantime, thinking, "Oh well, you know, it's a dog. It'll work." But it was a disaster. It did not work at all as a service dog.
So they got a service dog named Lloyd. He's a big black lab. As the boy met him, he started crying. His mother had never seen him cry. Tears of joy.
And right there, boom, everything changed. Lloyd is the super calming presence. He's able to be with the boy and change his behavior. The boy could not go to the barber and get a haircut before Lloyd. Now all he has to do is just have his hand on Lloyd's head.
And the boy and Lloyd like to have their own table at restaurants!
John Henning Schumann is an internal medicine doctor and serves as president of the University of Oklahoma's Tulsa campus. He also hosts Studio Tulsa: Medical Monday on KWGS Public Radio Tulsa. You can follow him on Twitter: @GlassHospital.


npr--2020-01-24--Trump Impeachment Recap: Dems Wrap With Exhortation To Act

President Trump will go on abusing his office and imperiling elections unless the Senate removes him , House Democrats argued on Friday as they wrapped their opening presentation in Trump 's impeachment trial .
Rep. Adam Schiff , D-Calif. , warned in some of his strongest language yet that what he called Trump 's venality and moral bankruptcy would only grow worse if Congress allows him to remain president after what Democrats say he 's committed .
`` You do n't realize how important character is in the highest office of the land until you do n't have it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be little doubt that President Trump will continue to invite foreign interference in our election ... that poses an imminent threat to our democracy . ''
If they permit Trump to keep his office — as the majority-Republican chamber is expected to do — they 'll forfeit Congress ' status as an equal branch of government and effectively greenlight more of what Democrats say are Trump 's transgressions .
Trump not only abused his power in the Ukraine affair , Democrats argue .
The president 's obstruction of Congress in its subsequent investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution .
Even President Richard Nixon complied with Congress ' desire to hear from White House officials during Watergate , Nadler said .
Trump has n't .
So a vote to acquit Trump would in effect be a vote surrendering Congress ' power to oversee the executive branch and its power of impeachment , Nadler said .
`` Historians will mark the date that this Senate allowed this president to break one of our mightiest defenses against tyranny , '' he warned .
Still unresolved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions about whether testimony of new witnesses or new documents will be admitted into the proceedings .
Outside the World 's Greatest Deliberative Body , however , the story continues to evolve .
One factor is news of a video from April 2018 in which Trump talks with Lev Parnas , an indicted associated of Rudy Giuliani , about firing then-U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch , according to Parnas ' lawyer .
The contents of the tape were first reported by ABC but NPR has not heard the recording .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have observed that Trump has complete power over appointing or removing diplomats .
But the video , if accurate , would undercut earlier defenses by the White House that Trump was n't aware of what was taking place in the early phase of the Ukraine affair .
If the accounts described in the clip are accurate it would suggest Trump not only knew , but he may have been directing events .
Democrats argue that Trump and his lieutenants contrived to remove then-Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch because they feared she 'd stand in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's government .
If the tape verifies Trump 's involvement , it also may dovetail with arguments in the impeachment trial about whether Trump may have committed technical crimes in the Ukraine affair .
The president need n't have broken black-letter law in order to be subject to impeachment , Nadler argued on Thursday , but for the record , Democrats have underscored that his actions in freezing aid for Ukraine did violate the law .
And on Friday , Rep. Val Demings , D-Fla. , cited actions against Yovanovitch before and since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter by Trump even as she was testifying before the House — as what she called textbook witness intimidation by Trump .
`` As we all know , witness intimidation is a federal crime , '' Demings said , calling Trump 's comments part of a `` reprehensible '' pattern of behavior to scare witnesses from coming forward and part of what Democrats call the president 's obstruction of Congress .
Trump 's attorneys are raring to start their counter-arguments on Saturday .
A source on the president 's legal team told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worth of arguments they 're planning will be `` coming attractions '' for the full days ' worth of presentations starting on Monday .
Separately , attorney Jay Sekulow told reporters on Capitol Hill on Friday that he and his compatriots plan to , in effect , impeach Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden .
Sekulow said he intends to argue that Clinton had solicited foreign interference in the 2016 election because Democrats had underwritten the unverified reporting from Russia that came to be known as the Russia dossier .
Trump 's team also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's son Hunter received from the Ukrainian gas company Burisma in 2016 at a time when the elder Biden , as vice president , was leading the U.S. government 's policy for Ukraine .
Although the family Biden has n't been charged with any criminal wrongdoing , that storyline has embarrassed the former vice president as he runs for president this year .
It also has created an opening to talk more broadly about Hunter Biden , whose substance abuse problems and other personal issues are seen by Republicans as a potent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only a quasi-legal process ; it 's mostly about politics — and Trump 's advocates in the Senate chamber have the advantage of being confident about making their case to a mostly friendly jury .
Although Sekulow and other attorneys for Trump have said they 'll respond to some of the points that Democrats have made , there are no rules of evidence or other set procedures , as in a legal courtroom , that govern what they say .
They too will talk as much to Americans watching the impeachment proceedings as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the Democrats have been doing .
`` We 're going to refute the allegations they 've made and we 're going to put on an affirmative case as well , '' Sekulow told reporters .
Trump , meanwhile , wo n't sit still either .
Ad the trial continues , the president is expected to sign a new North American free trade agreement .
He is scheduled to host Israeli leaders and may convene an event dedicated to a new Middle East peace proposal .
Trump may add new countries to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applies travel restrictions .
In short , Trump who already has been offering regular commentary about the proceedings on Twitter , has a week 's worth of events in store to send the message that — as aides argue — while Democrats waste time , Trump is busy with serious presidential business .

Trump Impeachment Recap: Dems Wrap With Exhortation To Act
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump will go on abusing his office and imperiling elections unless the Senate removes him, House Democrats argued on Friday as they wrapped their opening presentation in Trump's impeachment trial.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., warned in some of his strongest language yet that what he called Trump's venality and moral bankruptcy would only grow worse if Congress allows him to remain president after what Democrats say he's committed.
"You don't realize how important character is in the highest office of the land until you don't have it," Schiff said. "There can be little doubt that President Trump will continue to invite foreign interference in our election ... that poses an imminent threat to our democracy."
Democrats told senators they're standing at a crossroads in American history.
If they permit Trump to keep his office — as the majority-Republican chamber is expected to do — they'll forfeit Congress' status as an equal branch of government and effectively greenlight more of what Democrats say are Trump's transgressions.
Trump not only abused his power in the Ukraine affair, Democrats argue. The president's obstruction of Congress in its subsequent investigation is a direct attack on impeachment itself and the checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution.
Even President Richard Nixon complied with Congress' desire to hear from White House officials during Watergate, Nadler said. Trump hasn't.
So a vote to acquit Trump would in effect be a vote surrendering Congress' power to oversee the executive branch and its power of impeachment, Nadler said.
"Historians will mark the date that this Senate allowed this president to break one of our mightiest defenses against tyranny," he warned.
Questions about evidence
Still unresolved within the Senate chamber are the ongoing questions about whether testimony of new witnesses or new documents will be admitted into the proceedings.
Outside the World's Greatest Deliberative Body, however, the story continues to evolve.
One factor is news of a video from April 2018 in which Trump talks with Lev Parnas, an indicted associated of Rudy Giuliani, about firing then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch, according to Parnas' lawyer.
The contents of the tape were first reported by ABC but NPR has not heard the recording.
The White House's spokeswoman and other defenders have observed that Trump has complete power over appointing or removing diplomats.
But the video, if accurate, would undercut earlier defenses by the White House that Trump wasn't aware of what was taking place in the early phase of the Ukraine affair. If the accounts described in the clip are accurate it would suggest Trump not only knew, but he may have been directing events.
More 'crimes'
Democrats argue that Trump and his lieutenants contrived to remove then-Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch because they feared she'd stand in the way of the scheme to pressure Ukraine's government.
If the tape verifies Trump's involvement, it also may dovetail with arguments in the impeachment trial about whether Trump may have committed technical crimes in the Ukraine affair.
The president needn't have broken black-letter law in order to be subject to impeachment, Nadler argued on Thursday, but for the record, Democrats have underscored that his actions in freezing aid for Ukraine did violate the law.
And on Friday, Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., cited actions against Yovanovitch before and since her removal — including a post on Twitter by Trump even as she was testifying before the House — as what she called textbook witness intimidation by Trump.
"As we all know, witness intimidation is a federal crime," Demings said, calling Trump's comments part of a "reprehensible" pattern of behavior to scare witnesses from coming forward and part of what Democrats call the president's obstruction of Congress.
Trump Team vows to fire back
Trump's attorneys are raring to start their counter-arguments on Saturday.
A source on the president's legal team told reporters that the two to three hours' worth of arguments they're planning will be "coming attractions" for the full days' worth of presentations starting on Monday.
Separately, attorney Jay Sekulow told reporters on Capitol Hill on Friday that he and his compatriots plan to, in effect, impeach Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.
Sekulow said he intends to argue that Clinton had solicited foreign interference in the 2016 election because Democrats had underwritten the unverified reporting from Russia that came to be known as the Russia dossier.
Trump's team also is expected to underscore the payments that Biden's son Hunter received from the Ukrainian gas company Burisma in 2016 at a time when the elder Biden, as vice president, was leading the U.S. government's policy for Ukraine.
Although the family Biden hasn't been charged with any criminal wrongdoing, that storyline has embarrassed the former vice president as he runs for president this year.
It also has created an opening to talk more broadly about Hunter Biden, whose substance abuse problems and other personal issues are seen by Republicans as a potent line of political attack.
Impeachment is only a quasi-legal process; it's mostly about politics — and Trump's advocates in the Senate chamber have the advantage of being confident about making their case to a mostly friendly jury.
Although Sekulow and other attorneys for Trump have said they'll respond to some of the points that Democrats have made, there are no rules of evidence or other set procedures, as in a legal courtroom, that govern what they say.
They too will talk as much to Americans watching the impeachment proceedings as their hearers in the Senate chamber, as the Democrats have been doing.
"We're going to refute the allegations they've made and we're going to put on an affirmative case as well," Sekulow told reporters.
The bully pulpit
Trump, meanwhile, won't sit still either.
As the trial continues, the president is expected to sign a new North American free trade agreement. He is scheduled to host Israeli leaders and may convene an event dedicated to a new Middle East peace proposal. Trump may add new countries to the list of those on which the government applies travel restrictions.
In short, Trump who already has been offering regular commentary about the proceedings on Twitter, has a week's worth of events in store to send the message that — as aides argue — while Democrats waste time, Trump is busy with serious presidential business.


npr--2020-01-24--Trump Unveils New Space Force Logo, Inciting 'Star Trek' Fan Outrage

In the voyage to the final frontier there is a wave of ridicule being directed toward President Trump who unveiled the U.S. Space Force logo on Friday afternoon .
`` After consultation with our Great Military Leaders , designers and others , I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force , the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military ! ''
Trump tweeted .
Welp , it appears as though many of those great leaders `` and others '' were likely — even if subconsciously — influenced by Star Trek because the design of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ THIS IS THE STARFLEET LOGO ! ''
The New York Times reporter Sopan Deb was quick to text-shout on Twitter .
`` THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TOOK A THING FROM A TV SHOW AND MADE IT THE OFFICIAL EMBLEM OF A BRANCH OF THE MILITARY , '' he continued .
To many critics it seems highly illogical that the similarities to the iconic patch from the beloved television program were not somehow ... modified .
That the administration has approved and boldly gone where 1960s television art designers went decades ago is absolutely baffling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sulu on the original version of the show , wondered , `` Is nothing sacred ? ''
He also suggested royalties might be due .
Within an hour of its grand reveal the design was mocked as stolen and an `` obvious Star Trek knockoff . ''
`` What 's next , Buzz Lightyear as their mascot ?
? ''
one Twitter user asked .
Plenty of others have expressed ( perhaps feigned ) concern over copyright infringement .
`` Swell , now taxpayers get to pay for lawyers when you 're sued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Twitter user Ned Pyle wrote .
`` You are looking at history in the making , '' Timothy Young maintained , `` Star Fleet will obviously be an off-shoot of Space Force so it makes sense that the current logo will eventually evolve into the final logo . ''
In an effort to defend the latest branding move , others have noted the new logo is not so new .
`` For those excitedly tweeting that Trump stole the Star Trek logo !
!
!
!
, the patch on the left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The same one I wore as a Lieutenant in 2005 , '' John Noonan , a national security analyst , tweeted .

Trump Unveils New Space Force Logo, Inciting 'Star Trek' Fan Outrage
Enlarge this image toggle caption @DonaldTrump Twitter @DonaldTrump Twitter
In the voyage to the final frontier there is a wave of ridicule being directed toward President Trump who unveiled the U.S. Space Force logo on Friday afternoon.
"After consultation with our Great Military Leaders, designers and others, I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force, the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military!" Trump tweeted.
Welp, it appears as though many of those great leaders "and others" were likely — even if subconsciously — influenced by Star Trek because the design of its signature image is nearly identical.
"THIS IS THE STARFLEET LOGO!" The New York Times reporter Sopan Deb was quick to text-shout on Twitter.
"THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TOOK A THING FROM A TV SHOW AND MADE IT THE OFFICIAL EMBLEM OF A BRANCH OF THE MILITARY," he continued.
To many critics it seems highly illogical that the similarities to the iconic patch from the beloved television program were not somehow ... modified. That the administration has approved and boldly gone where 1960s television art designers went decades ago is absolutely baffling.
Actor George Takei, who played Sulu on the original version of the show, wondered, "Is nothing sacred?" He also suggested royalties might be due.
Within an hour of its grand reveal the design was mocked as stolen and an "obvious Star Trek knockoff."
"What's next, Buzz Lightyear as their mascot??" one Twitter user asked.
Plenty of others have expressed (perhaps feigned) concern over copyright infringement.
"Swell, now taxpayers get to pay for lawyers when you're sued by Paramount and the Roddenberry estate..." Twitter user Ned Pyle wrote.
"You are looking at history in the making," Timothy Young maintained, "Star Fleet will obviously be an off-shoot of Space Force so it makes sense that the current logo will eventually evolve into the final logo."
In an effort to defend the latest branding move, others have noted the new logo is not so new.
"For those excitedly tweeting that Trump stole the Star Trek logo!!!!, the patch on the left was the existing Air Force Command logo. The same one I wore as a Lieutenant in 2005," John Noonan, a national security analyst, tweeted.


npr--2020-01-25--After Contentious Interview, Pompeo Publicly Accuses NPR Journalist Of Lying To Him

After Contentious Interview , Pompeo Publicly Accuses NPR Journalist Of Lying To Him One day after a contentious interview that was followed by an expletive-filled verbal lashing of NPR host Mary Louise Kelly , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is publicly accusing her of lying to him — `` twice . ''
In a statement released by the State Department on Saturday , Pompeo says Kelly first lied `` in setting up our interview . ''
He does not explain how and offers no evidence .
In their recorded interview from Friday , the nation 's top diplomat declined to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an apology to Marie Yovanovitch , the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine .
She was ousted from that post last year after allies of President Trump accused her of disloyalty .
`` I agreed to come on your show today , '' Pompeo replied , `` to talk about Iran . ''
Kelly pushed back , telling Pompeo , `` I confirmed with your staff last night that I would talk about Iran and Ukraine . ''
She later said she specifically flagged her intention to do so in writing , noting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topics off the table . ''
Pompeo asserts Kelly again lied `` in agreeing to have our post-interview conversation off the record . ''
That unrecorded conversation took place when the Pompeo aide who cut off the formal interview summoned Kelly to the secretary 's private living room .
Kelly told her All Things Considered co-host Ari Shapiro on Friday that Pompeo , who had walked out of the interview only after `` he leaned in , glared at me , '' was waiting for her in his private quarters .
`` He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of time as the [ 9-minute ] interview itself had lasted , '' Kelly told Shapiro .
`` He was not happy to have been questioned about Ukraine .
He asked , 'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine ? '
He used the F-word in that sentence and many others . ''
Pompeo then had a pop quiz for Kelly , a veteran national security correspondent who has reported from China , Russia and , most recently , Iran .
`` He asked if I could find Ukraine on a map @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continued .
`` He called out for his aides to bring him a map of the world with no writing , no countries marked .
I pointed to Ukraine .
He put the map away .
He said , 'People will hear about this'.
`` Contrary to Pompeo 's claim , Kelly said she did not agree that their conversation would be off the record .
She said that while the staffer who led her to Pompeo 's private quarters had stipulated that she not bring a recorder , `` she did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor would I have agreed . ''
In his statement on Saturday , Pompeo further berates Kelly .
`` It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency , '' he writes .
`` This is another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt President Trump and this Administration .
It is no wonder that the American people distrust many in the media when they so consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity . ''
He ends the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsely imply Kelly was unable to locate Ukraine on a map .
`` It is worth noting , '' he concludes with no further explanation , `` that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine . ''
Five Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — ranking member Bob Menendez of New Jersey ; Cory Booker , also of New Jersey ; Ed Markey of Massachusetts ; Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Tim Kaine of Virginia — responded caustically on Saturday to Pompeo 's statement .
`` We write to express our profound disappointment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about NPR Reporter Mary Louise Kelly and the corrosive effects of your behavior on American values and standing in the world , '' the senators wrote in a letter to Pompeo .
`` At a time when journalists around the world are being jailed for their reporting — and as in the case of Jamal Khashoggi , killed — your insulting and contemptuous comments are beneath the office of the Secretary of State . ''
`` Mary Louise Kelly has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity , '' Barnes writes , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' And in a Saturday interview with All Things Considered , NPR President and CEO John Lansing also came to Kelly 's defense .
`` Mary Louise Kelly is one of the most respected , truthful , factual , professional and ethical journalists in the United States , and that 's known by the entire press corps , '' Lansing told host Michel Martin .
`` And I stand behind her and I stand behind the NPR newsroom , and the statement from the secretary of state is blatantly false . ''
Lansing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when journalists ask officials hard questions .
`` But this goes well beyond tension — this goes toward intimidation , '' Lansing said .
`` And let me just say this : We will not be intimidated .
Mary Louise Kelly wo n't be intimidated , and NPR wo n't be intimidated . ''

After Contentious Interview, Pompeo Publicly Accuses NPR Journalist Of Lying To Him
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
One day after a contentious interview that was followed by an expletive-filled verbal lashing of NPR host Mary Louise Kelly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is publicly accusing her of lying to him — "twice."
In a statement released by the State Department on Saturday, Pompeo says Kelly first lied "in setting up our interview."
He does not explain how and offers no evidence. In their recorded interview from Friday, the nation's top diplomat declined to respond when Kelly asked whether he owed an apology to Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. She was ousted from that post last year after allies of President Trump accused her of disloyalty.
"I agreed to come on your show today," Pompeo replied, "to talk about Iran."
Kelly pushed back, telling Pompeo, "I confirmed with your staff last night that I would talk about Iran and Ukraine." She later said she specifically flagged her intention to do so in writing, noting, "I never agree to take any topics off the table."
Pompeo asserts Kelly again lied "in agreeing to have our post-interview conversation off the record."
That unrecorded conversation took place when the Pompeo aide who cut off the formal interview summoned Kelly to the secretary's private living room.
Kelly told her All Things Considered co-host Ari Shapiro on Friday that Pompeo, who had walked out of the interview only after "he leaned in, glared at me," was waiting for her in his private quarters.
"He shouted at me for about the same amount of time as the [9-minute] interview itself had lasted," Kelly told Shapiro. "He was not happy to have been questioned about Ukraine. He asked, 'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?' He used the F-word in that sentence and many others."
Pompeo then had a pop quiz for Kelly, a veteran national security correspondent who has reported from China, Russia and, most recently, Iran.
"He asked if I could find Ukraine on a map; I said yes," she continued. "He called out for his aides to bring him a map of the world with no writing, no countries marked. I pointed to Ukraine. He put the map away. He said, 'People will hear about this.' "
Contrary to Pompeo's claim, Kelly said she did not agree that their conversation would be off the record. She said that while the staffer who led her to Pompeo's private quarters had stipulated that she not bring a recorder, "she did not say we were off the record, nor would I have agreed."
In his statement on Saturday, Pompeo further berates Kelly. "It is shameful that this reporter chose to violate the basic rules of journalism and decency," he writes. "This is another example of how unhinged the media has become in its quest to hurt President Trump and this Administration. It is no wonder that the American people distrust many in the media when they so consistently demonstrate their agenda and their absence of integrity."
He ends the statement with an assertion that appears to falsely imply Kelly was unable to locate Ukraine on a map.
"It is worth noting," he concludes with no further explanation, "that Bangladesh is NOT Ukraine."
Five Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — ranking member Bob Menendez of New Jersey; Cory Booker, also of New Jersey; Ed Markey of Massachusetts; Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Tim Kaine of Virginia — responded caustically on Saturday to Pompeo's statement.
"We write to express our profound disappointment and concern regarding your irresponsible statement this morning about NPR Reporter Mary Louise Kelly and the corrosive effects of your behavior on American values and standing in the world," the senators wrote in a letter to Pompeo. "At a time when journalists around the world are being jailed for their reporting — and as in the case of Jamal Khashoggi, killed — your insulting and contemptuous comments are beneath the office of the Secretary of State."
NPR Senior Vice President for News Nancy Barnes issued a statement on Saturday supporting Kelly.
"Mary Louise Kelly has always conducted herself with the utmost integrity," Barnes writes, "and we stand behind this report."
And in a Saturday interview with All Things Considered, NPR President and CEO John Lansing also came to Kelly's defense.
"Mary Louise Kelly is one of the most respected, truthful, factual, professional and ethical journalists in the United States, and that's known by the entire press corps," Lansing told host Michel Martin. "And I stand behind her and I stand behind the NPR newsroom, and the statement from the secretary of state is blatantly false."
Lansing allowed that tensions can and do arise when journalists ask officials hard questions.
"But this goes well beyond tension — this goes toward intimidation," Lansing said. "And let me just say this: We will not be intimidated. Mary Louise Kelly won't be intimidated, and NPR won't be intimidated."


npr--2020-01-25--Iraqi Security Forces Storm Tahrir Square, Clash With Protesters

Iraqi security forces launched a major crackdown on anti-government protesters Saturday from Baghdad to cities across the south after an influential Shiite cleric instrumental in the demonstrations withdrew his support .
In Baghdad , security forces stormed bridges , streets near Tahrir Square and a highway interchange that had been taken over by protesters , firing live bullets and tear gas and setting fire to tents where protesters have been living and where medics have treated the wounded .
At least one protester was killed and dozens wounded , according to security and medical officials .
In the southern city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were killed when security forces moved in to re-open a highway blocked by the demonstrations , Al Jazeera 's Arwa Ibrahim reports .
`` They burned this medical tent using Molotov cocktails , '' said Muslim , a medical student who left his studies in October to help treat the wounded .
NPR is not using the last names of protesters because of the militia kidnapping of hundreds of them in retaliation for the protests .
Muslim said he and other medics saw uniformed security people raise the homemade gasoline bombs to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them inside .
Stuffing from mattresses on the floor was still smoldering while the burned tent hung in shreds from the metal poles .
Pills were ground into the pavement .
`` They do n't want protesters here – they think we are sabotaging the country when in fact we are building it – we are cleaning it from every corrupt person here , '' he said .
Muslim said the fire had burned all their medical supplies and even the students ' laptops .
He and other volunteers began sorting through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out down the street .
Security forces began their crackdown after Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr withdrew his support for the anti-government protests , which have demanded the fall of a government they consider corrupt and controlled by Iran .
Sadr , long considered an Iraqi nationalist , had backed the protesters demands .
He left Iraq for Iran last month – his aides said to continue his religious studies .
`` We had so much hope in him and he sold us for a very simple thing – because of power , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not give his name for fear of reprisals .
The three-month-long protests broke the barrier of fear of criticizing powerful religious , party or militia leaders but publicly criticizing Sadr remains dangerous .
`` Sayyid Muqtada - the most cowardly person in Iraq , '' the protester continued , using an honorific that denotes a descendant of the prophet Mohammad .
`` Seven hundred people died because of you . ''
Iraqi security forces include Iran-backed militias nominally under the control of the Iraqi government .
Sadr 's reversal seemed likely to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that began in earnest exactly three months ago on Oct. 25 .
Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi announced in November he would resign as a result of the protests but is still in place as a caretaker leader .
Candidates for prime minister have so far been mostly from traditional parties with ties to Iran and other countries and have been rejected by the protesters .
Meanwhile , thousands of protesters have been turning out every day , and hundreds had established a kind of community in Tahrir Square , fearing violence from Iran-backed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pitched tents and organized meals , with doctors and dentists providing services .
Outside the square , other protesters had set up makeshift barriers in an effort to keep security forces out .
Between 600 and 700 protesters are believed to have been killed by security forces or militia gunmen since October – deaths that the Iraqi government has mostly blamed on `` unknown groups , '' a euphemism for militias on the government payroll but not under government control .
As security forces stormed areas around Tahrir Square , protesters evacuated an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the green zone .
The strategic building allowed them a lookout over the square and the green zone , and a measure of protection from snipers believed to have used the building to shoot protesters .
Many others , though , vowed to stay and protest , even as they expected security forces to storm the square itself as night fell .
As word went out about the crackdown , thousands of people , most of them young men , came from other parts of the city to join the protesters either facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or chanting slogans and singing the national anthem in Tahrir Square .
`` They burned the tents and told us they will come back in the night and clear the square , '' said a protester named Ibrahim .
`` We accomplished a lot of things but we have n't accomplished yet what we came for . ''

Iraqi Security Forces Storm Tahrir Square, Clash With Protesters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR
Iraqi security forces launched a major crackdown on anti-government protesters Saturday from Baghdad to cities across the south after an influential Shiite cleric instrumental in the demonstrations withdrew his support.
In Baghdad, security forces stormed bridges, streets near Tahrir Square and a highway interchange that had been taken over by protesters, firing live bullets and tear gas and setting fire to tents where protesters have been living and where medics have treated the wounded. At least one protester was killed and dozens wounded, according to security and medical officials.
In the southern city of Nasriyah, at least three protesters were killed when security forces moved in to re-open a highway blocked by the demonstrations, Al Jazeera's Arwa Ibrahim reports.
"They burned this medical tent using Molotov cocktails," said Muslim, a medical student who left his studies in October to help treat the wounded. NPR is not using the last names of protesters because of the militia kidnapping of hundreds of them in retaliation for the protests.
Muslim said he and other medics saw uniformed security people raise the homemade gasoline bombs to show protesters as a taunt and then threw them inside. Stuffing from mattresses on the floor was still smoldering while the burned tent hung in shreds from the metal poles. Pills were ground into the pavement.
"They don't want protesters here – they think we are sabotaging the country when in fact we are building it – we are cleaning it from every corrupt person here," he said. Muslim said the fire had burned all their medical supplies and even the students' laptops.
He and other volunteers began sorting through the wreckage of their tent as gunshots rang out down the street.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR
Security forces began their crackdown after Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr withdrew his support for the anti-government protests, which have demanded the fall of a government they consider corrupt and controlled by Iran. Sadr, long considered an Iraqi nationalist, had backed the protesters demands. He left Iraq for Iran last month – his aides said to continue his religious studies.
Sadr's reversal left followers in Tahrir Square stunned.
"We had so much hope in him and he sold us for a very simple thing – because of power," said one of the protesters, who did not give his name for fear of reprisals. The three-month-long protests broke the barrier of fear of criticizing powerful religious, party or militia leaders but publicly criticizing Sadr remains dangerous.
"Sayyid Muqtada - the most cowardly person in Iraq," the protester continued, using an honorific that denotes a descendant of the prophet Mohammad. "Seven hundred people died because of you."
Iraqi security forces include Iran-backed militias nominally under the control of the Iraqi government. Sadr's reversal seemed likely to crush the broad-based, secular protest movement that began in earnest exactly three months ago on Oct. 25.
Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi announced in November he would resign as a result of the protests but is still in place as a caretaker leader. Candidates for prime minister have so far been mostly from traditional parties with ties to Iran and other countries and have been rejected by the protesters.
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters have been turning out every day, and hundreds had established a kind of community in Tahrir Square, fearing violence from Iran-backed militias if they left.
They had pitched tents and organized meals, with doctors and dentists providing services. Outside the square, other protesters had set up makeshift barriers in an effort to keep security forces out.
Between 600 and 700 protesters are believed to have been killed by security forces or militia gunmen since October – deaths that the Iraqi government has mostly blamed on "unknown groups," a euphemism for militias on the government payroll but not under government control.
As security forces stormed areas around Tahrir Square, protesters evacuated an unfinished concrete high-rise overlooking a bridge to the green zone. The strategic building allowed them a lookout over the square and the green zone, and a measure of protection from snipers believed to have used the building to shoot protesters.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jane Arraf/NPR Jane Arraf/NPR
Many others, though, vowed to stay and protest, even as they expected security forces to storm the square itself as night fell. As word went out about the crackdown, thousands of people, most of them young men, came from other parts of the city to join the protesters either facing security forces firing tear gas near intersections or chanting slogans and singing the national anthem in Tahrir Square.
"They burned the tents and told us they will come back in the night and clear the square," said a protester named Ibrahim. "We accomplished a lot of things but we haven't accomplished yet what we came for."


npr--2020-01-25--Coronavirus Update: What's New In The Evolving Outbreak

Coronavirus Update : What 's New In The Evolving Outbreak Saturday 's Lunar New Year celebrations were dampened in China by fears over the coronavirus outbreak and travel restrictions affecting 46 million people .
On the first day of the Lunar New Year , China 's President Xi Jinping stressed the urgency of controlling the outbreak — which has seen hundreds more confirmed cases since Friday — and urged state authorities to prioritize containment efforts .
Chinese state media report that Xi called the outbreak a `` grave situation '' at a meeting of the Communist Party of China 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a priority for the government , the Communist Party and the country to contain the situation and urged the public to follow the government 's lead to help control the spread of the virus , according to state media .
More than 1,300 cases have been confirmed worldwide from the outbreak , and 41 people have died , including a 62-year-old doctor at a Wuhan hospital who contracted the virus from a patient , state media reports .
Infections from the virus have now been found on four continents , including a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , among travelers who had recently been in China .
Several other countries in Asia have reported cases as well .
In China , some 14,000 people are under direct observation for suspected exposure to the virus .
Random temperature checks are being conducted in hospitals and train stations throughout the country .
Wuhan hospitals are reporting a shortage of gear and medical staff .
They 've asked the public for donations of face masks , scrubs and basic medical supplies .
According to state media , hundreds of military medics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ebola , have been deployed to Wuhan to help shore up staffing at hospitals .
The U.S. State Department is pulling government workers and family members out of Wuhan because of the impacts from the coronavirus outbreak .
A U.S. Embassy spokesperson told NPR that `` logistical disruptions stemming from restricted transportation and overwhelmed hospitals in the city of Wuhan '' fed into the decision .
The State Department this week issued a `` Do not travel '' advisory for Hubei province .
Travel restrictions have been put in place in multiple major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trains , and blocking roads and tunnels .
Large public gatherings have been banned , and major tourist attractions including Beijing 's Forbidden City and Shanghai Disneyland are closed .
Health officials are trying to limit the spread of the coronavirus during the country 's biggest travel holiday , the Lunar New Year .
The infectious disease was discovered from a cluster of pneumonia outbreaks in the central city of Wuhan , China .
The city is a major transportation hub in China , with trains that run throughout the country as well @ @ @ @ @

Coronavirus Update: What's New In The Evolving Outbreak
Enlarge this image toggle caption Dake Kang/AP Dake Kang/AP
Updated at 12:26 p.m. ET
Saturday's Lunar New Year celebrations were dampened in China by fears over the coronavirus outbreak and travel restrictions affecting 46 million people.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, China's President Xi Jinping stressed the urgency of controlling the outbreak — which has seen hundreds more confirmed cases since Friday — and urged state authorities to prioritize containment efforts.
Chinese state media report that Xi called the outbreak a "grave situation" at a meeting of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee. He said it was a priority for the government, the Communist Party and the country to contain the situation and urged the public to follow the government's lead to help control the spread of the virus, according to state media.
As of Sunday, more than 2,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide from the outbreak, and 56 people have died, including a 62-year-old doctor at a Wuhan hospital who contracted the virus from a patient, state media reports.
Infections from the virus have now been found on four continents, including a few cases in Australia, France and the U.S., among travelers who had recently been in China. Several other countries in Asia have reported cases as well.
In China, about 21,000 people are under direct observation for suspected exposure to the virus. Random temperature checks are being conducted in hospitals and train stations throughout the country.
Wuhan hospitals are reporting a shortage of gear and medical staff. They've asked the public for donations of face masks, scrubs and basic medical supplies. According to state media, hundreds of military medics, some with experience responding to SARS and Ebola, have been deployed to Wuhan to help shore up staffing at hospitals.
The U.S. State Department is pulling government workers and family members out of Wuhan because of the impacts from the coronavirus outbreak. A U.S. Embassy spokesperson told NPR that "logistical disruptions stemming from restricted transportation and overwhelmed hospitals in the city of Wuhan" fed into the decision. The State Department this week issued a "Do not travel" advisory for Hubei province.
Travel restrictions have been put in place in multiple major cities in China, grounding planes and trains, and blocking roads and tunnels. Large public gatherings have been banned, and major tourist attractions including Beijing's Forbidden City and Shanghai Disneyland are closed. Health officials are trying to limit the spread of the coronavirus during the country's biggest travel holiday, the Lunar New Year.
The infectious disease was discovered from a cluster of pneumonia outbreaks in the central city of Wuhan, China. The city is a major transportation hub in China, with trains that run throughout the country as well as an international airport.