npr--2020-02-13--Centrist Democrats See Hope In 2020 Race Even As Sanders Leads

Centrist Democrats See Hope In 2020 Race Even As Sanders Leads For centrist Democrats the most important theme to emerge from the New Hampshire primary was `` do n't count us out . ''
For weeks they have been grappling with the reality that Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist , is shaping up to be their party 's front runner for president .
Moderates say surging support for two more moderate Democrats is signal that their wing of the party has a chance to take the nomination .
But there is growing pressure on centrists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders becomes unbeatable .
`` What I think you 're seeing is an electorate that is looking hard at several alternatives , '' said Sen. Chris Coons , D-Del .
`` Amy Klobuchar , Mayor Pete Buttigeg and Joe Biden . ''
Coons , a top supporter of former Vice President Joe Biden , says pundits are rushing to anoint Sanders as the presumptive head of the Democratic party .
But he says the results in Iowa and New Hampshire tell a different story .
`` [ Sanders ] has gotten less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , and he 's had four years to prepare , '' Coons said .
`` I 'm optimistic that former Vice President Biden will do very well in South Carolina . ''
Biden supporters in particular are pinning their hopes on the first southern contest .
They say the tide will turn because Biden polls well with African American voters who make up a much larger share of the Democratic party there .
That 's why former Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond , D- La.
, traveled to South Carolina to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night of the New Hampshire primary .
Richmond said he wanted to remind Democrats in that critical state not to give up on Biden just because he fell behind in less diverse states .
`` He 's never abandoned the African American community and he would hope that because of Iowa and New Hampshire that they would n't abandon him , '' Richmond said .
`` And I think that 's important . ''
But other moderate candidates and their supporters have their own theory of the path to victory .
Sen. Tina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is shifting towards her fellow Minnesota Senator , Amy Klobuchar .
`` She 's a pragmatist and she 's demonstrated that she can accomplish things , '' Smith said .
`` I think that 's what people are interested in . ''
Supporters of Buttigieg , the former South Bend .
Ind .
mayor who came in second place in Tuesday 's primary , point to his delegate count — one more than Sanders after New Hampshire - as the key to his victory .
And then there 's former New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states all together .
His supporters , like Rep. Haley Stevens , D-Mich. , say he has the edge thanks to a particularly robust network of volunteers and staffers funded by his own private wealth .
`` What voters are afraid of in Michigan is losing again to Donald Trump , '' Stevens said .
`` When you have a campaign operation in play , that 's what people are responding to . ''
Stevens is one of a growing number of Democrats endorsing Bloomberg .
Many are citing his investment in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and his advocacy for gun control .
That divided focus has some moderates concerned .
More than half a dozen Democrats privately expressed concerns about the lack of a unifying centrist voice to take hold as Sanders amasses delegates in the early contests .
They worry that many Democrats simply wo n't show up to vote if Sanders is the nominee , giving an edge to Republicans running for re-election in the Senate and to GOP hopefuls running against sitting House Democrats .
That 's why , when asked about the impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2020 Coons simply said `` negative . ''
But Sanders supporters like Rep. Pramila Jayapal , D-Wash. , say worries about Sanders are unfounded .
`` I think people are actually misreading what his potential is , '' Jayapal said .
`` I think that people on the Democratic side who keep talking about how he 's not electable and about how he 's too far left — that this is a fighter and the American people want a fighter . ''
For now , Coons and other moderates are working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` It 's awfully early . ''
Coons said .
`` It 's early . ''

Centrist Democrats See Hope In 2020 Race Even As Sanders Leads
Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Eisen/Getty Images Scott Eisen/Getty Images
For centrist Democrats the most important theme to emerge from the New Hampshire primary was "don't count us out."
For weeks they have been grappling with the reality that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, is shaping up to be their party's front-runner for president. Moderates say surging support for two more moderate Democrats is a signal that their wing of the party has a chance to take the nomination. But there is growing pressure on centrists to unite around a single candidate before Sanders becomes unbeatable.
"What I think you're seeing is an electorate that is looking hard at several alternatives," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del. "Amy Klobuchar, Mayor Pete Buttigeg and Joe Biden."
Coons, a top supporter of former Vice President Joe Biden, says pundits are rushing to anoint Sanders as the presumptive head of the Democratic Party. But Coons says the results in Iowa and New Hampshire tell a different story.
"[Sanders] has gotten less than half the vote he got four years ago, and he's had four years to prepare," Coons said. "I'm optimistic that former Vice President Biden will do very well in South Carolina."
Biden supporters, in particular, are pinning their hopes on the first Southern contest. They say the tide will turn because Biden polls well with African American voters who make up a much larger share of the Democratic Party there.
That's why former Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Cedric Richmond, D- La., traveled to South Carolina to join Biden at rally there on the night of the New Hampshire primary.
Richmond said he wanted to remind Democrats in that critical state not to give up on Biden just because he fell behind in less diverse states.
"He's never abandoned the African American community, and he would hope that because of Iowa and New Hampshire that they wouldn't abandon him," Richmond said. "And I think that's important."
But other moderate candidates and their supporters have their own theory of the path to victory. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., says the momentum is shifting toward her fellow Minnesota senator, Amy Klobuchar.
"She's a pragmatist and she's demonstrated that she can accomplish things," Smith said. "I think that's what people are interested in."
Supporters of Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Ind., mayor who came in second place in Tuesday's primary, point to his delegate count — one more than Sanders after New Hampshire — as the key to his victory.
And then there's former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who skipped the early states altogether. His supporters, such as Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., say he has the edge thanks to a particularly robust network of volunteers and staffers funded by his own private wealth.
"What voters are afraid of in Michigan is losing again to Donald Trump," Stevens said. "When you have a campaign operation in play, that's what people are responding to."
Stevens is one of a growing number of Democrats endorsing Bloomberg. Many are citing his investment in their home states, his strong business record and his advocacy for gun control.
That divided focus has some moderates concerned. More than half a dozen Democrats privately expressed concerns about the lack of a unifying centrist voice to take hold as Sanders amasses delegates in the early contests.
They worry that many Democrats simply won't show up to vote if Sanders is the nominee, giving an edge to Republicans running for reelection in the Senate and to GOP hopefuls running against sitting House Democrats.
That's why, when asked about the impact Sanders could have on other Democrats running in 2020, Coons simply said "negative."
But Sanders supporters like Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., say worries about Sanders are unfounded.
"I think people are actually misreading what his potential is," Jayapal said. "I think that people on the Democratic side who keep talking about how he's not electable and about how he's too far left — that this is a fighter and the American people want a fighter."
For now, Coons and other moderates are working to tamp down anxiety about the eventual nominee.
"It's awfully early," Coons said. "It's early."


npr--2020-02-13--A Change In How 1 Chinese Province Reports Coronavirus Adds Thousands Of Cases

A Change In How 1 Chinese Province Reports Coronavirus Adds Thousands Of Cases China 's Hubei province expanded its criteria for identifying new coronavirus infections on Thursday , causing a dramatic spike in reported cases at the epicenter of the disease , as Beijing moved to purge provincial party officials amid criticism of their handling of the epidemic .
Hubei , where the majority of the world 's infections have been concentrated , added a new category of `` clinical cases '' to its reporting .
Now , patients will be included who exhibit all the symptoms of COVID-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including fever , cough and shortness of breath — but have either not been tested or tested negative for the virus itself .
The change — likely a response to the scarcity of test kits and questions about their reliability — caused a nine-fold increase in new reported cases in the province .
Hubei province reported 14,840 new cases Thursday , compared to 1,638 new cases the day before .
Hubei also reported 242 new deaths , more than double the 94 reported on Wednesday .
So far , Hubei is the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases .
Others have not publicly reported `` clinical '' or asymptomatic cases .
Beijing is expected later Thursday to report new nationwide statistics .
The new numbers from Hubei added significantly to the latest China-wide figures reported Thursday : 15,152 new cases and 254 deaths .
In its latest situation report , the World Health Organization reported Wednesday a total of 441 confirmed cases and one death ( in the Philippines ) in 24 countries outside China .
WHO 's risk assessment for the virus is `` very high '' for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and globally .
With the latest numbers , there have been nearly 60,000 cases worldwide and more than 1,300 deaths .
Earlier this week , China 's senior epidemiologist , Zhong Nanshan , had said he believed the coronavirus pandemic would peak in late February and be finished by April .
However , the new reporting criteria from Hubei has thrown previous estimates of the disease 's progression in China into disarray .
If the same counting method is adopted nationwide , it would disrupt the trend lines even further .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former mayor of Shanghai , Ying Yong , to replace Jiang Chaoliang , the ruling Communist Party chief in Hubei , state-run Xinhua news agency said .
The high-level shakeup is testament to how seriously Beijing is taking widespread criticism from abroad and , most unusually , from the public at home , with many Chinese having taken to social media to express their frustration .
Academics in China , angered by the silencing of a whistleblower doctor who tried to sound the alarm in the early days of the epidemic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have also signed a public petition to `` demand free speech , '' the South China Morning Post reports .
Jiang 's ouster follows the firing of two of the province 's top health officials earlier this week .
The Communist Party 's People 's Daily reports that Ma Guoqiang , party leader in the city of Wuhan , Hubei 's provincial capital , was also set to be dismissed and replaced by Wang Zhonglin , party secretary of Jinan , the provincial capital of Shandong province .
The appointment of Ying , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of the new national task force overseeing the handling of the crisis , could signal Beijing 's concern over instability caused by the epidemic .
Ying and Yixin are both close to Chinese leader Xi Jinping and all three officials have backgrounds in state security .
Chen said Tuesday that the situation in hardest-hit Wuhan was still uncertain and that `` the scale of the spread has not been accurately estimated . ''
Centrally located Wuhan , a city of more than 11 million , has been under quarantine for weeks with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down to prevent the spread of the disease .
At least a dozen other Chinese cities , home to more than 60 million people combined , have been put on similar lock down .
Beijing has forecast that the economic impact of the pandemic could shave a full percentage point off its first-quarter GDP .
Disruptions to Chinese manufacturers have also had a knock-on effect for factories around the world that are dependent on China as a key link in their supply chains .
In many cases , the disease has simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ongoing U.S.-China trade war .
Businesses in Wuhan have been told to remain closed until at least Feb. 21 .
Schools and universities are also closed until further notice .
Fear of contagion has also caused the U.S. , and much of Asia and Europe , to implement travel restrictions on visitors from China .
In Japan , a cruise liner , the Diamond Princess , has been in quarantine for days in the port of Yokohama , near Tokyo , as the number of confirmed cases aboard continues to rise .
Japan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases had been identified on the giant cruise ship , bringing the total to 218 among the vessel 's 3,700 passengers and crew .
Another cruise ship , the MS Westerdam , which made port calls last month in Singapore and Hong Kong – two places that have reported coronavirus cases — has prompted fear and concern from officials in many countries .
Despite having no reported cases of coronavirus among its 1,455 passengers and 802 crew members , the vessel , operated by Holland America , has been turned away by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guam and Thailand .
The saga of the wayward Westerdam had been going on for days until Cambodia finally allowed it to dock there .
Marinetraffic.com on Thursday listed the Westerdam as anchored at the port of Sihanoukville , where Holland America said in a statement Wednesday that the cruise would end .
`` Guests will disembark in Sihanoukville over the next few days and transfer via charter flights to Phnom Penh for forward travel home , '' the statement on the cruise operator 's website said .
`` Holland America Line will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in addition to the full cruise refund and 100 % future cruise credit already communicated . ''

A Change In How 1 Chinese Province Reports Coronavirus Adds Thousands Of Cases
Enlarge this image toggle caption Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images
China's Hubei province expanded its criteria for identifying new coronavirus infections on Thursday, causing a dramatic spike in reported cases at the epicenter of the disease, as Beijing moved to purge provincial party officials amid criticism of their handling of the epidemic.
Hubei, where the majority of the world's infections have been concentrated, added a new category of "clinical cases" to its reporting. Now, patients will be included who exhibit all the symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus — including fever, cough and shortness of breath — but have either not been tested or tested negative for the virus itself.
The change, likely a response to the scarcity of test kits and questions about their reliability, caused a ninefold increase in new reported cases in the province.
Hubei province reported 14,840 new cases Thursday, compared to 1,638 new cases the day before. Hubei also reported 242 new deaths, more than double the 94 reported on Wednesday.
So far, Hubei is the only province that has revised its definition of new cases. Others have not publicly reported "clinical" or asymptomatic cases. Beijing is expected later Thursday to report new nationwide statistics.
Change in Hubei case reporting has made it next to impossible to track its coronavirus trend.
Here is what new confirmed cases would have looked like according to the old method (testing) vs new method (clinical diagnosis). On old basis it would have been another decline today. pic.twitter.com/4EIF4cCjC1 — Simon Rabinovitch (@S_Rabinovitch) February 13, 2020
The new numbers from Hubei added significantly to the latest China-wide figures reported Thursday: 15,152 new cases and 254 deaths. In its latest situation report, the World Health Organization reported Wednesday a total of 441 confirmed cases and one death (in the Philippines) in 24 countries outside China. WHO's risk assessment for the virus is "very high" for China and "high" regionally and globally.
With the latest numbers, there have been nearly 60,000 cases worldwide and more than 1,300 deaths.
Earlier this week, China's senior epidemiologist, Zhong Nanshan, had said he believed the coronavirus pandemic would peak in late February and be finished by April. However, the new reporting criteria from Hubei have thrown previous estimates of the disease's progression in China into disarray.
If the same counting method is adopted nationwide, it would disrupt the trend lines even further.
Officials held accountable
Meanwhile, China's central government on Thursday appointed the former mayor of Shanghai, Ying Yong, to replace Jiang Chaoliang, the ruling Communist Party chief in Hubei, state-run Xinhua news agency said.
The high-level shakeup is testament to how seriously Beijing is taking widespread criticism from abroad and, most unusually, from the public at home, with many Chinese having taken to social media to express their frustration.
Academics in China, angered by the silencing of a whistleblower doctor who tried to sound the alarm in the early days of the epidemic and later succumbed to the disease himself, have also signed a public petition to "demand free speech," the South China Morning Post reports.
Jiang's ouster follows the firing of two of the province's top health officials earlier this week. The Communist Party's People's Daily reports that Ma Guoqiang, party leader in the city of Wuhan, Hubei's provincial capital, was also set to be dismissed and replaced by Wang Zhonglin, party secretary of Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong province.
The appointment of Ying, Wang and Chen Yixin, the deputy head of the new national task force overseeing the handling of the crisis, could signal Beijing's concern over instability caused by the epidemic. Ying and Yixin are both close to Chinese leader Xi Jinping and all three officials have backgrounds in state security.
Chen said Tuesday that the situation in hardest-hit Wuhan was still uncertain and that "the scale of the spread has not been accurately estimated."
Centrally located Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million, has been under quarantine for weeks with transport in and out of the metropolis shut down to prevent the spread of the disease. At least a dozen other Chinese cities, home to more than 60 million people combined, have been put on similar lockdown.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images
Beijing has forecast that the economic impact of the pandemic could shave a full percentage point off its first-quarter GDP. Disruptions to Chinese manufacturers have also had a knock-on effect for factories around the world that are dependent on China as a key link in their supply chains. In many cases, the disease has simply compounded the problems already experienced by the ongoing U.S.-China trade war.
Businesses in Wuhan have been told to remain closed until at least Feb. 21. Schools and universities are also closed until further notice.
Fear of contagion has also caused the U.S., and much of Asia and Europe, to implement travel restrictions on visitors from China.
In Japan, the Diamond Princess cruise liner has been in quarantine for days in the port of Yokohama, near Tokyo, as the number of confirmed cases aboard continues to rise.
Japan's health ministry said Thursday that 44 new cases had been identified on the giant cruise ship, bringing the total to 218 among the vessel's 3,700 passengers and crew.
Another cruise ship, the MS Westerdam, which made port calls last month in Singapore and Hong Kong — two places that have reported coronavirus cases — has prompted fear and concern from officials in many countries. Despite having no reported cases of coronavirus among its 1,455 passengers and 802 crew members, the vessel, operated by Holland America, has been turned away by Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Guam and Thailand.
The saga of the wayward Westerdam had been going on for days until Cambodia finally allowed it to dock there. Marinetraffic.com on Thursday listed the Westerdam as anchored at the port of Sihanoukville, where Holland America said in a statement Wednesday that the cruise would end.
"Guests will disembark in Sihanoukville over the next few days and transfer via charter flights to Phnom Penh for forward travel home," the statement on the cruise operator's website said. "Holland America Line will arrange and pay for all flights home, in addition to the full cruise refund and 100% future cruise credit already communicated."


npr--2020-02-12--Scientists ♥ Their Emojis, But It's Complicated

Scientists ♥ Their Emojis , But It 's Complicated Scientists can get very excited about what they study , and that means they can be pretty jazzed when what they study gets turned into one of the official emojis of the world and enters our shared visual language .
But sometimes that enthusiasm is tempered by more complex feelings , which is the case with some of the latest emojis that are about to hit our smartphones .
`` I was aware of the mountain emoji , which is quite helpful for geologists , and there 's a hammer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot , '' says Stacy Phillips , a geologist at The Open University in the United Kingdom .
Then she happened to look through the list of emojis recently approved by the Unicode Consortium , which sets the world standard for text and emojis on computers and mobile devices .
She saw that a `` rock '' had made the cut , and thought to herself , `` Yes ! ''
But then she thought , `` Wait , what type of rock is that ? ''
To her , the rock icon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` It was just kind of dark green , a little wrinkly , a little bumpy , '' she says , `` which I guess is what a rock looks like to most people . ''
Geologists have been pondering this emoji and discussing it on Twitter .
`` One of the most popular suggestions that I got was that it was a rock called serpentinite , '' says Phillips .
Or , maybe it 's a rock covered in green moss or lichen .
It does n't really matter , because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or platform .
Technology companies like Apple and Google create their own rendering of each emoji character approved by the consortium .
Geologists are n't the only scientists to get an important new emoji .
The list of soon-to-be-released emojis also includes a fly .
The fruit fly has long been a mainstay of genetics research and is one of the most studied creatures on the planet .
`` I 'm happy that there 's a fly , now , and now I have to change my Twitter bio to reflect that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of Houston , whose lab uses fruit flies and whose Twitter bio says he is `` waiting for a fly emoji . ''
He recalls that , a couple years ago , he went searching for a fly emoji .
The only choices that popped up were a mosquito or a butterfly .
It made him a little sad .
`` You look at all the other insects or animals that are available with emojis and you see that there are emojis for them and not for yours , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grand scheme of things , it 's a trivial emotional blow , but there 's still an emotional component to it . ''
Still , some say the long-awaited fly emoji is a disappointment .
Mark Peifer , a biologist at the University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill , is currently the president of a research association called the Fly Board .
He surveyed fruit fly researchers and found that more than half of them thought the initial rendering of a fly emoji was n't cute enough .
After all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and adorable .
The fly emoji he 's seen looked to him like a housefly , which he thinks are big and ugly , a pest associated with garbage and filth .
Anything that looks like that should be called the `` housefly '' emoji , so as not to `` tarnish the reputation of tens of thousands of other flies with the bad associations people have with houseflies and fly swatters and so on , '' he says .
`` I mean , really ?
It 's just not right , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want our lovely Drosophila associated with those nasty houseflies . ''
When he was looking at the other insect emojis , to see how the fly would fit in , he noted scientific inaccuracies .
`` Honeybees have four wings , '' Peifer points out , but some honeybee emojis appear to have only two .
In the past , biologically-implausible emojis have been fixed .
A few years ago , for example , Apple created a squid emoji that had a key part of its anatomy -- the siphon used for jet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sitting between its eyes and looking disturbingly like a nose .
`` I saw the problem immediately , but I was honestly just so thrilled to bits to have a squid emoji at all that I did n't complain , '' says Sarah McAnulty , a squid biologist at the University of Connecticut .
The Monterey Bay Aquarium tweeted about the error , however , and the issue got picked up by the press .
In the next rollout of emojis , the trouble was fixed .
`` The squid 's siphon was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the squid , '' says McAnulty .
`` So , that 's a win for us ! ''
It was a rare win for invertebrates , given that emojis are heavily biased towards mammals .
Kyle David , a biologist at Auburn University , says he checks every batch of new emojis `` to see , you know , are we getting any cool new marine critters or are we just getting our fourth bear , or whatever . ''
Big groups from the tree of life are missing , he says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are so over-represented we 're now doing extinct species and color morphs before a single representative from six of the ten largest animal phyla . ''
The currently available emojis include no creatures from the large groups of species that include jellyfish , corals , starfish , and sea urchins , he says .
The entire fungi kingdom is represented by one mushroom emoji .
And then there is the emoji called `` microbe , '' the only available emoji to represent all microbes—like archaea , bacteria , and viruses—unless someone wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kristen Bernard , a virologist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison , says people in her field had been hoping for a virus emoji .
`` I will say we were all a little bit disappointed , '' she recalls , noting that the microbe emoji `` just does n't look like any of the viruses that any of us work on . ''
If she was designing a virus emoji , she 'd give it an icosahedral structure , which has twenty triangular sides .
`` Most virologists , '' she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ icosahedral-type shape , we would go , 'Ah , it 's a virus ! '
'' She , or anyone else , could actually propose an emoji like that , because the Unicode Consortium takes suggestions from the public .
Jessica Morrison , a product manager at Chemical & Engineering News , was part of a group that pitched a whole set of science emojis back in 2016 .
A bunch of them were accepted , such as DNA , a test tube , and a lab coat .
One of their proposals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not accepted back then , which shows how this process can take time .
`` I was a geologist in undergrad , that 's why I wanted a rock , '' says Morrison , who has called the emojis she worked on her `` greatest contribution to science . ''
`` If there 's any emoji you want , propose it .
That 's all you have to do , '' says Morrison .
That same message is echoed by Melissa Thermidor , who works for NHS Blood and Transplant , which oversees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kingdom .
When she was trying to encourage blood donation , she noticed that the only available blood-related emoji was a syringe , which looked a bit scary .
`` I googled 'how does an emoji become an emoji ? '
and started going down this rabbit hole , '' says Thermidor , who worked to win approval for a blood drop emoji , as well as the band-aid and stethoscope emojis .
Most recently her proposals for an anatomical heart and lungs were accepted .
She also successfully pitched the new worm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wiggly worms , '' she says , `` it was just , I guess , a nice little homage to her , because she loves worms , and I thought , why not ? ''
That means all worm researchers will no longer have to resort to the bug ; they 'll soon have their own worm emoji , and whatever complex feelings come along with it .

Scientists ♥ Their Emojis, But It's Complicated
Enlarge this image toggle caption Emojipedia Emojipedia
Scientists can get very excited about what they study, and that means they can be pretty jazzed when what they study gets turned into one of the official emojis of the world and enters our shared visual language.
But sometimes that enthusiasm is tempered by more complex feelings, which is the case with some of the latest emojis that are about to hit our smartphones.
Consider the "rock" emoji.
toggle caption Emojipedia
"I was aware of the mountain emoji, which is quite helpful for geologists, and there's a hammer and a pick that I use quite a lot," says Stacy Phillips, a geologist at The Open University in the United Kingdom.
Then she happened to look through the list of emojis recently approved by the Unicode Consortium, which sets the world standard for text and emojis on computers and mobile devices. She saw that a "rock" had made the cut, and thought to herself, "Yes!"
But then she thought, "Wait, what type of rock is that?"
To her, the rock icon in Emojipedia looked like a cabbage. "It was just kind of dark green, a little wrinkly, a little bumpy," she says, "which I guess is what a rock looks like to most people."
Geologists have been pondering this emoji and discussing it on Twitter. "One of the most popular suggestions that I got was that it was a rock called serpentinite," says Phillips.
Or, maybe it's a rock covered in green moss or lichen. It doesn't really matter, because the rock will look different on every device or platform. Technology companies like Apple and Google create their own rendering of each emoji character approved by the consortium.
Geologists aren't the only scientists to get an important new emoji. The list of soon-to-be-released emojis also includes a fly.
The fruit fly has long been a mainstay of genetics research and is one of the most studied creatures on the planet.
"I'm happy that there's a fly, now, and now I have to change my Twitter bio to reflect that," says Richard Meisel, a biologist at the University of Houston, whose lab uses fruit flies and whose Twitter bio says he is "waiting for a fly emoji."
He recalls that, a couple years ago, he went searching for a fly emoji. The only choices that popped up were a mosquito or a butterfly. It made him a little sad.
"You look at all the other insects or animals that are available with emojis and you see that there are emojis for them and not for yours," says Meisel. "Obviously, in the grand scheme of things, it's a trivial emotional blow, but there's still an emotional component to it."
toggle caption Emojipedia
Still, some say the long-awaited fly emoji is a disappointment.
Mark Peifer, a biologist at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is currently the president of a research association called the Fly Board. He surveyed fruit fly researchers and found that more than half of them thought the initial rendering of a fly emoji wasn't cute enough.
After all, he says, fruit flies are small and adorable. The fly emoji he's seen looked to him like a housefly, which he thinks are big and ugly, a pest associated with garbage and filth.
Anything that looks like that should be called the "housefly" emoji, so as not to "tarnish the reputation of tens of thousands of other flies with the bad associations people have with houseflies and fly swatters and so on," he says.
"I mean, really? It's just not right," says Peifer. "We don't want our lovely Drosophila associated with those nasty houseflies."
When he was looking at the other insect emojis, to see how the fly would fit in, he noted scientific inaccuracies. "Honeybees have four wings," Peifer points out, but some honeybee emojis appear to have only two.
In the past, biologically-implausible emojis have been fixed.
A few years ago, for example, Apple created a squid emoji that had a key part of its anatomy--the siphon used for jet propulsion--in the wrong place, sitting between its eyes and looking disturbingly like a nose.
"I saw the problem immediately, but I was honestly just so thrilled to bits to have a squid emoji at all that I didn't complain," says Sarah McAnulty, a squid biologist at the University of Connecticut.
toggle caption Apple
The Monterey Bay Aquarium tweeted about the error, however, and the issue got picked up by the press. In the next rollout of emojis, the trouble was fixed.
"The squid's siphon was no longer visible on the top of the squid," says McAnulty. "So, that's a win for us!"
It was a rare win for invertebrates, given that emojis are heavily biased towards mammals.
Kyle David, a biologist at Auburn University, says he checks every batch of new emojis "to see, you know, are we getting any cool new marine critters or are we just getting our fourth bear, or whatever."
Big groups from the tree of life are missing, he says, writing on Twitter that "Mammal emojis are so over-represented we're now doing extinct species and color morphs before a single representative from six of the ten largest animal phyla."
The currently available emojis include no creatures from the large groups of species that include jellyfish, corals, starfish, and sea urchins, he says. The entire fungi kingdom is represented by one mushroom emoji.
And then there is the emoji called "microbe," the only available emoji to represent all microbes—like archaea, bacteria, and viruses—unless someone wants to resort to "petri dish."
toggle caption Emojipedia
Kristen Bernard, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, says people in her field had been hoping for a virus emoji.
"I will say we were all a little bit disappointed," she recalls, noting that the microbe emoji "just doesn't look like any of the viruses that any of us work on."
If she was designing a virus emoji, she'd give it an icosahedral structure, which has twenty triangular sides. "Most virologists," she explains, "if we saw an icosahedral-type shape, we would go, 'Ah, it's a virus!'"
She, or anyone else, could actually propose an emoji like that, because the Unicode Consortium takes suggestions from the public.
Jessica Morrison, a product manager at Chemical & Engineering News, was part of a group that pitched a whole set of science emojis back in 2016. A bunch of them were accepted, such as DNA, a test tube, and a lab coat.
toggle caption Emojipedia
One of their proposals was the rock emoji. It was not accepted back then, which shows how this process can take time. "I was a geologist in undergrad, that's why I wanted a rock," says Morrison, who has called the emojis she worked on her "greatest contribution to science."
"If there's any emoji you want, propose it. That's all you have to do," says Morrison.
That same message is echoed by Melissa Thermidor, who works for NHS Blood and Transplant, which oversees blood and organ donations in the United Kingdom. When she was trying to encourage blood donation, she noticed that the only available blood-related emoji was a syringe, which looked a bit scary.
"I googled 'how does an emoji become an emoji?' and started going down this rabbit hole," says Thermidor, who worked to win approval for a blood drop emoji, as well as the band-aid and stethoscope emojis.
toggle caption Emojipedia
Most recently her proposals for an anatomical heart and lungs were accepted. She also successfully pitched the new worm emoji.
"My three-year-old absolutely loves wiggly worms," she says, "it was just, I guess, a nice little homage to her, because she loves worms, and I thought, why not?"
That means all worm researchers will no longer have to resort to the bug; they'll soon have their own worm emoji, and whatever complex feelings come along with it.


npr--2020-02-13--U.S. Prosecutors Hit Huawei With New Federal Charges

U.S .
Prosecutors Hit Huawei With New Federal Charges Federal prosecutors have added new charges against Chinese telecom giant Huawei , its U.S. subsidiaries , and its chief financial officer , including accusing it of racketeering and conspiracy to steal trade secrets from U.S.-based companies .
The company already faced a long list of criminal accusations in the case , which was first filed in August 2018 , including bank fraud , wire fraud , and conspiracy to defraud the United States .
Prosecutors filed the expanded indictment in federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday .
Huawei 's lawyers did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment .
It has previously pleaded not guilty to all counts .
`` The Trump administration has repeatedly made clear it has national security concerns about Huawei , including economic espionage , '' NPR 's Ryan Lucas reported .
Recently , Trump tried to convince the U.K. not to contract with Huawei to provide equipment to build a 5G network , but British leaders did so anyway .
Sens .
Richard Burr , R-N.C. , and Mark Warner , D-Va. , said in a joint statement that the indictment `` paints a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lacks any regard for the law . ''
Huawei is also accused of doing business in countries subject to U.S. sanctions such as North Korea and Iran .
Prosecutors accuse Huawei of helping Iran 's government `` by installing surveillance equipment , including surveillance equipment used to monitor , identify and detain protesters during the anti-government demonstrations of 2009 in Tehran , Iran . ''
They say that for decades , Huawei has worked to `` misappropriate intellectual property , including from six U.S. technology companies , in an effort to grow and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegedly pushed its employees to bring in confidential information from competitors , even offering bonuses for the `` most valuable stolen information , '' according to the indictment .
The 56-page indictment is rife with examples of Huawei scheming to obtain trade secrets from U.S. companies .
They also allegedly attempted to recruit employees from rival companies or would use proxies such as professors working at research institutions to access intellectual property .
For example , starting in 2000 the defendants allegedly took source code and user manuals for Internet routers from an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incorporated it into its own routers .
They then allegedly marketed those routers as a lower-cost version of the tech company 's devices .
During a 2003 lawsuit , Huawei allegedly claimed that it had removed the source code from the routers and recalled them , but also erased the memories of the recalled devices and sent them to China so they could not be used as evidence .
In an incident that drew headlines last year , a Huawei employee in 2012 and 2013 allegedly repeatedly tried to steal technical information about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operator , eventually going as far as making off with the robot 's arm .
The details match those in a separate federal lawsuit in Seattle where the company is accused of targeting T-Mobile .
A subsidiary of the firm also allegedly entered into a partnership in 2009 with a New York and California-based company working to improve cellular telephone reception .
Despite a nondisclosure agreement , Huawei employees allegedly stole technology .
The subsidiary eventually filed a patent that allegedly relied on the other company 's intellectual property .

U.S. Prosecutors Hit Huawei With New Federal Charges
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Schiefelbein/AP Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Updated 6:50 a.m. ET Friday
Federal prosecutors have added new charges against Chinese telecom giant Huawei, its U.S. subsidiaries and its chief financial officer, including accusing it of racketeering and conspiracy to steal trade secrets from U.S.-based companies.
The company already faced a long list of criminal accusations in the case, which was first filed in August 2018, including bank fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prosecutors filed the expanded indictment in federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday.
In a statement provided to NPR by Huawei, the company said the charges are "an attempt to irrevocably damage Huawei's reputation and its business for reasons related to competition rather than law enforcement... The government will not prevail on its charges, which we will prove to be both unfounded and unfair."
"The Trump administration has repeatedly made clear it has national security concerns about Huawei, including economic espionage," NPR's Ryan Lucas reported. Recently, Trump tried to convince the U.K. not to contract with Huawei to provide equipment to build a 5G network, but British leaders did so anyway.
Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a joint statement that the indictment "paints a damning portrait of an illegitimate organization that lacks any regard for the law."
Huawei is also accused of doing business in countries subject to U.S. sanctions such as North Korea and Iran. Prosecutors accuse Huawei of helping Iran's government "by installing surveillance equipment, including surveillance equipment used to monitor, identify and detain protesters during the anti-government demonstrations of 2009 in Tehran, Iran."
They say that for decades, Huawei has worked to "misappropriate intellectual property, including from six U.S. technology companies, in an effort to grow and operate Huawei's business."
Huawei allegedly pushed its employees to bring in confidential information from competitors, even offering bonuses for the "most valuable stolen information," according to the indictment.
The 56-page indictment is rife with examples of Huawei scheming to obtain trade secrets from U.S. companies. They also allegedly attempted to recruit employees from rival companies or would use proxies such as professors working at research institutions to access intellectual property.
For example, starting in 2000 the defendants allegedly took source code and user manuals for Internet routers from an unnamed northern California-based tech company, and incorporated it into its own routers. They then allegedly marketed those routers as a lower-cost version of the tech company's devices. During a 2003 lawsuit, Huawei allegedly claimed that it had removed the source code from the routers and recalled them, but also erased the memories of the recalled devices and sent them to China so they could not be used as evidence.
In an incident that drew headlines last year, a Huawei employee in 2012 and 2013 allegedly repeatedly tried to steal technical information about a robot from an unnamed wireless network operator, eventually going as far as making off with the robot's arm. The details match those in a separate federal lawsuit in Seattle where the company is accused of targeting T-Mobile.
A subsidiary of the firm also allegedly entered into a partnership in 2009 with a New York and California-based company working to improve cellular telephone reception. Despite a nondisclosure agreement, Huawei employees allegedly stole technology. The subsidiary eventually filed a patent that allegedly relied on the other company's intellectual property.


npr--2020-02-13--Trump Administration Diverts $3.8 Billion In Pentagon Funding To Border Wall

The Trump administration has notified Congress that it plans to divert $ 3.8 billion from the Defense Department 's budget to build the border wall .
This is in addition to more than $ 11 billion that 's already been identified to construct roughly 500 miles of new barriers along the southern U.S. border with Mexico .
That includes money that Congress has appropriated and funding that was previously diverted from military construction and counternarcotic operations .
The latest funding diversion takes $ 1.5 billion originally allocated for buying equipment for National Guard and Reserve units , such as trucks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as fighter jets and ships .
This administration said the diversion of funds was in support of `` higher priority items '' that were `` necessary in the national interest , '' according to the notice transmitted to Congress .
It continues : '' [ The Department of Homeland Security ] has identified areas along the southern border of the United States that are being used by individuals , groups , and transnational criminal organizations as drug smuggling corridors , and determined that the construction of additional physical barriers and roads in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is necessary in order to impede and deny drug smuggling activities . ''
The move drew bipartisan criticism , including from the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee , Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry .
`` The wall should be funded , but the funding must come through the Department of Homeland Security rather than diverting critical military resources that are needed and in law , '' Thornberry said in a statement .
He added that Congress must act and is weighing how to proceed .
`` Congress has the constitutional responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` The re-programming announced today is contrary to Congress 's constitutional authority , and I believe that it requires Congress to take action .
I will be working with my colleagues to determine the appropriate steps to take . ''
Rep. Adam Smith , D-Wash. , the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee , accused the president of being `` obsessed with fulfilling a campaign promise '' while accusing the administration in a tweet of `` stealing billions '' from the Department of Defense .
Meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ranking member on the House Committee on Appropriations , championed the President 's decision .
She blamed Democrats for failing to work on securing the border , which in turn `` forced the president to redirect funds . ''
`` I unequivocally support President Trump 's efforts to secure our nation 's borders and support our men and women in uniform .
Democrats have refused to work with us on border security , which has forced the President to redirect funds from other defense programs in the short term in order to secure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell , a Pentagon spokesperson , said the Department of Defense was `` committed '' to helping Homeland Security to construct fences and roads , and install lighting to thwart drug smuggling .
He said the $ 3.8 billion will build more miles of barrier `` to protect our borders . ''
`` Last month we received a new request from the Department of Homeland Security asking for assistance in blocking drug-smuggling corridors on Federal land along the southern border of the United States , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Secretary of Defense authorized support of $ 3.8B to build approximately 177 miles of fencing that will help to protect our borders .
We will continue to support DHS and other agencies as needed to keep our homeland is secure . ''
Democrats , including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , and the top Democrat in the Senate , Chuck Schumer of New York disagree .
They issued a joint statement that said Congress , not the executive branch , has the power of the purse , adding that it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nullified so the President can fulfill an outrageous campaign promise . ''
`` This latest theft of nearly $ 4 billion in military funds represents another of President Trump 's broken promises to our servicemembers , especially our brave sailors who he assured would receive funding for urgently needed , state-of-the-art ships , '' the press release said .
This is not the first time the Trump administration has redirected funds from the Pentagon to go toward a wall along the southern border .
Last March the Defense Department announced it would shift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account in order to pay for a 57-mile section of fencing .
The administration said at the time the dollars became available after recruiting goals of some service branches fell came up short of expectations .
The border wall has been controversial since then-candidate Trump made building a barrier a central pillar of his 2016 presidential campaign .
He promised back then the wall would come at no cost to U.S. taxpayers and that Mexico would fully fund the project , which it has not .
In a status report last month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Customs and Border Protection , which is overseeing the barrier construction , said the price tag for project has exceeded $ 11 billion dollars , making it the most expensive wall of its kind in the world .

Trump Administration Diverts $3.8 Billion In Pentagon Funding To Border Wall
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
Updated at 6:54 p.m. ET
The Trump administration has notified Congress that it plans to divert $3.8 billion from the Defense Department's budget to build the border wall.
This is in addition to more than $11 billion that's already been identified to construct more than 500 miles of new barriers along the southern U.S. border with Mexico. That includes money that Congress has appropriated and funding that was previously diverted from military construction and counternarcotic operations.
The latest funding diversion takes $1.5 billion originally allocated for buying equipment for National Guard and Reserve units, such as trucks, generators and spare parts, as well as fighter jets and ships.
This administration said the diversion of funds was in support of "higher priority items" that were "necessary in the national interest," according to the notice transmitted to Congress. It continues:
"[The Department of Homeland Security] has identified areas along the southern border of the United States that are being used by individuals, groups, and transnational criminal organizations as drug smuggling corridors, and determined that the construction of additional physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the United States border is necessary in order to impede and deny drug smuggling activities."
The move drew bipartisan criticism, including from the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Texas Rep. Mac Thornberry.
"The wall should be funded, but the funding must come through the Department of Homeland Security rather than diverting critical military resources that are needed and in law," Thornberry said in a statement.
He added that Congress must act and is weighing how to proceed.
"Congress has the constitutional responsibility to determine how defense dollars are spent," he said. "The re-programming announced today is contrary to Congress's constitutional authority, and I believe that it requires Congress to take action. I will be working with my colleagues to determine the appropriate steps to take."
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, accused the president of being "obsessed with fulfilling a campaign promise" while accusing the administration in a tweet of "stealing billions" from the Department of Defense.
Meanwhile, Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, the ranking member on the House Committee on Appropriations, championed the President's decision.
She blamed Democrats for failing to work on securing the border, which in turn "forced the president to redirect funds."
"I unequivocally support President Trump's efforts to secure our nation's borders and support our men and women in uniform. Democrats have refused to work with us on border security, which has forced the President to redirect funds from other defense programs in the short term in order to secure the southern border," she said in a statement.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Elliot Spagat/AP Elliot Spagat/AP
Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said the Department of Defense was "committed" to helping Homeland Security to construct fences and roads, and install lighting to thwart drug smuggling. He said the $3.8 billion will build more miles of barrier "to protect our borders."
"Last month we received a new request from the Department of Homeland Security asking for assistance in blocking drug-smuggling corridors on Federal land along the southern border of the United States," Mitchell said.
"In response, the Secretary of Defense authorized support of $3.8B to build approximately 177 miles of fencing that will help to protect our borders. We will continue to support DHS and other agencies as needed to keep our homeland is secure."
Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York disagree.
They issued a joint statement that said Congress, not the executive branch, has the power of the purse, adding that it's "a power that cannot be nullified so the President can fulfill an outrageous campaign promise."
"This latest theft of nearly $4 billion in military funds represents another of President Trump's broken promises to our servicemembers, especially our brave sailors who he assured would receive funding for urgently needed, state-of-the-art ships," the press release said.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has redirected funds from the Pentagon to go toward a wall along the southern border.
Last March the Defense Department announced it would shift $1 billion from a military personnel account in order to pay for a 57-mile section of fencing.
The administration said at the time the dollars became available after recruiting goals of some service branches came up short of expectations.
The border wall has been controversial since then-candidate Trump made building a barrier a central pillar of his 2016 presidential campaign. He promised back then the wall would come at no cost to U.S. taxpayers and that Mexico would fully fund the project, which it has not.
In a status report last month, NPR's John Burnett noted that U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is overseeing the barrier construction, said the price tag for project has exceeded $11 billion dollars, making it the most expensive wall of its kind in the world.
Read the Reprogramming Action Notice below.


npr--2020-02-13--Key Florida Elections Office Endured Cyberattack Ahead of 2016 Election

The elections office of Florida 's third-most populous county was breached by a crippling cyberattack in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election , NPR confirmed on Thursday .
There is no indication that the ransomware attack was connected to Russian interference efforts leading up to the last presidential race , but the revelation about it now shows how election officials are preparing for this year 's election without knowing all the details of what happened before .
The attack on Palm Beach County came to light during a Palm Beach Post editorial board interview with county elections supervisor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been hacked in Palm Beach County ?
Yeah , we have , '' Link told the paper .
A spokesperson for the elections office also confirmed the attack to NPR .
`` It was in 2016 , and as soon as Wendy found out about it , we went and did the necessary precautions to make sure that we were going to be 100 % secure and safe , '' said Judy Lamey , an assistant public information officer for the elections office .
`` They did n't know about it '' Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including how much data the attackers were able to access and lock up , and whether money was paid to unlock it .
Link , the elections supervisor , only learned of the attack after a change of leadership within the county election office 's information technology department .
Longtime IT manager Jeffrey Darter was fired in November of last year after he was arrested on child pornography charges .
His acting replacement , Ed Sacerio , mentioned the hack to Link .
Sacario told The Post that Darter dealt with the issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details , but that he did n't think it affected voting information or election results .
Darter called Sacario at one point and screamed at him to `` shut down all the servers ! ''
Sacario told The Post .
According to Link , details of the attack were kept secret even from law enforcement and state government officials .
Link told The Post that she `` called the state , they did n't know about it .
FBI did n't know about it .
Homeland ( Security ) did n't know about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security began a campaign last year to warn state and local election officials about the dangers of ransomware to their systems , and how to recover in the case of a successful breach .
`` Recent history has shown that state and county governments and those who support them are targets for ransomware attacks , '' said Chris Krebs , the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within DHS , when the program was announced .
`` A successful ransomware attack at a critical point before an election could limit access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undermine public confidence in the election itself . ''
It 's not the first detail about an elections cyber breach in 2016 to come out belatedly .
Members of Congress , the public , and even Florida 's governor learned that two counties in Florida were breached by Russian attackers only from reading special counsel Robert Mueller 's report last year .
`` This chaotic dribs and drabs of information that 's coming out is doing more harm to our constituents ' faith in the electoral system than just coming out and providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murphy , a Democrat who represents Florida 's 7th District , at the time .
Link told the The Post that she thinks the ransomware attack on the Palm Beach County elections office was separate from the attacks mentioned in the Mueller report .
There are no federal disclosure requirements for localities when they are breached .
So the possibility remains that even more local election offices across the country have dealt with similar breaches , or even ransomware , that the public does n't know about .
At a press briefing last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rep. Michael Waltz , a Republican who represents Florida 's 6th District , was asked if he thought there were more U.S. counties breached in 2016 that the public still does n't know about .
`` It 's possible , '' he said .

Key Florida Elections Office Endured Cyberattack Ahead Of 2016 Election
Enlarge this image toggle caption Wilfredo Lee/AP Wilfredo Lee/AP
The elections office of Florida's third-most populous county was breached by a crippling cyberattack in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election, NPR confirmed on Thursday.
There is no indication that the ransomware attack was connected to Russian interference efforts leading up to the last presidential race, but the revelation about it now shows how election officials are preparing for this year's election without knowing all the details of what happened before.
The attack on Palm Beach County came to light during a Palm Beach Post editorial board interview with county elections supervisor Wendy Sartory Link.
"Have we been hacked in Palm Beach County? Yeah, we have," Link told the paper.
A spokesperson for the elections office also confirmed the attack to NPR.
"It was in 2016, and as soon as Wendy found out about it, we went and did the necessary precautions to make sure that we were going to be 100% secure and safe," said Judy Lamey, an assistant public information officer for the elections office.
"They didn't know about it"
Many details remain unclear about the attack, including how much data the attackers were able to access and lock up, and whether money was paid to unlock it.
Link, the elections supervisor, only learned of the attack after a change of leadership within the county election office's information technology department.
Longtime IT manager Jeffrey Darter was fired in November of last year after he was arrested on child pornography charges. His acting replacement, Ed Sacerio, mentioned the hack to Link.
Sacario told The Post that Darter dealt with the issue himself so he didn't know many details, but that he didn't think it affected voting information or election results.
Darter called Sacario at one point and screamed at him to "shut down all the servers!" Sacario told The Post.
According to Link, details of the attack were kept secret even from law enforcement and state government officials.
Link told The Post that she "called the state, they didn't know about it. FBI didn't know about it. Homeland (Security) didn't know about it."
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the office was infected with a type of ransomware known as a zepto virus.
The Department of Homeland Security began a campaign last year to warn state and local election officials about the dangers of ransomware to their systems, and how to recover in the case of a successful breach.
"Recent history has shown that state and county governments and those who support them are targets for ransomware attacks," said Chris Krebs, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within DHS, when the program was announced.
"A successful ransomware attack at a critical point before an election could limit access to information and has the potential to undermine public confidence in the election itself."
"Drips and drabs"
It's not the first detail about an elections cyber breach in 2016 to come out belatedly.
Members of Congress, the public, and even Florida's governor learned that two counties in Florida were breached by Russian attackers only from reading special counsel Robert Mueller's report last year.
"This chaotic dribs and drabs of information that's coming out is doing more harm to our constituents' faith in the electoral system than just coming out and providing some information," said Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Democrat who represents Florida's 7th District, at the time.
Link told the The Post that she thinks the ransomware attack on the Palm Beach County elections office was separate from the attacks mentioned in the Mueller report.
There are no federal disclosure requirements for localities when they are breached. So the possibility remains that even more local election offices across the country have dealt with similar breaches, or even ransomware, that the public doesn't know about.
At a press briefing last year about the Mueller report news, Rep. Michael Waltz, a Republican who represents Florida's 6th District, was asked if he thought there were more U.S. counties breached in 2016 that the public still doesn't know about.
"It's possible," he said.


npr--2020-02-13--Poland's Overhaul Of Its Courts Leads To Confrontation With European Union

Poland 's Overhaul Of Its Courts Leads To Confrontation With European Union WARSAW — Growing up under Soviet rule , Małgorzata Gersdorf says she yearned for a day when Poland would have freedom and justice .
As a young lawyer , she took part in the Solidarity labor movement that sparked the transformation from communism to democracy in her country .
After Poland 's first democratic elections in 1989 , she helped build her country 's court system , and for the past six years , she 's overseen the judiciary as First President of Poland 's Supreme Court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' she says of the current ruling party 's overhaul of Poland 's judiciary .
`` It had been our dream to be a free European country ... we thought no one would take away our freedom . ''
The 67-year-old says building Poland 's democracy took decades of work , and in a matter of just a few years , she 's watched in horror as the populist party in power since 2015 has systematically dismantled it .
`` The only thing they have n't managed to achieve is removing me from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
Failing to oust Gersdorf was but a minor setback in the ruling party 's step-by-step removal of judicial powers that led to Polish President Andrzej Duda 's signing of a new law last week that promises punishment for any judge who dares to criticize the government 's changes to the judiciary .
`` This means we no longer are a democracy based on the rule of law , as defined by our constitution , '' says the bespectacled Gersdorf .
`` The executive in Poland is now placed above the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a country based on the rule of law . ''
That ruling party stripping power from Poland 's courts is named Law and Justice .
The EU-skeptic , anti-immigrant party was founded in 2001 by former Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński and his twin brother Lech Kaczyński , who died in a plane crash in 2010 while serving as president .
The party won parliamentary elections in 2015 and again in 2019 on a platform that promised to overhaul the country 's overburdened and inefficient court system .
The party went straight to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribunal , the body that decides whether new laws are constitutional , with judges loyal to Law and Justice .
Then , in 2017 , it tried to purge the country 's supreme court of nearly half its judges by introducing a law that lowered the retirement age .
When that failed , the party changed tactics , turning its attention to the National Council of the Judiciary , a body charged with appointing Poland 's judges .
It took over the council , and when judges complained , the party then passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishable .
With each step , the party 's tactics were met with protests attracting tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands .
Throughout its campaign , the Law and Justice party has used Poland 's popular government-funded public media broadcaster , TVP , as a tool to target judges who have fought back against its changes .
After one judge appealed to the Court of Justice of the European Union , a host of a popular TVP nightly news program asked during a news segment if that judge thought he was part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Igor Tuleya , says after years of media attacks on him , he no longer feels safe .
`` I pass a person on the street , and they shout , 'You whore , you traitor . '
After someone smeared dog feces on my doorknob , my landlord kicked me out of my flat , '' he says .
Tuleya , who 's been summoned by Poland 's overhauled National Council of the Judiciary to explain his criticism of the government 's judicial changes , says the Law and Justice Party has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be famous for burning down the judicial system , '' says the 49-year-old .
`` They want subordination of the final independent institutions on which democracy is based , which is the independent courts .
When that power is no more , then the fourth power — the free press — will disappear , because without free courts , you can not defend a free press .
This way , the entire state will be subordinated to the politicians of one single party . ''
Poland 's Minister of Justice , Zbigniew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an interview .
Law and Justice party member Marek Ast , who chairs the justice and human rights committee in parliament , calls his party 's overhaul of the courts `` reforms '' that restore balance to Poland 's government .
`` Until now in Poland , we 've had a 'judgeocracy , ' '' says Ast .
`` It was judges who decided what the justice system looks like .
They alone judged themselves within the disciplinary system .
Despite their many pathological behaviors , they remain unpunished . ''
Ast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overhauling Poland 's courts because they believe too many judges are ideological holdovers from the county 's decades under Soviet rule .
He estimates that one-third of all judges in Poland from the previous political system continue to adjudicate cases today .
The actual figure is closer to 10 % , but he says it does n't matter .
`` The problem is that those who used to adjudicate under communism have trained the next generation of judges , so their mentality has not changed , '' according to Ast .
He maintains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extensive privileges that judges in other European countries do n't enjoy , and despite that , he says the quality of their work is terrible .
When asked –jokingly- why his party has n't fired all of the country 's judges , he considers the question seriously .
`` We would need a constitutional majority to make that possible , but maybe that kind of solution would be best . ''
Ast is n't alone in his thinking .
Judge Maciej Mitera , the spokesman for the judiciary council , says Polish judges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by protesting the government 's overhaul of the judiciary .
`` Can you imagine an American judge of any kind — especially a Supreme Court justice — parading in the street in their robes , carrying banners ?
That 's not their place , '' says Ast .
Law and Justice Party supporters agree .
Last weekend , they staged pro-government rallies after the European Union criticized the party 's judicial overhaul .
Warsaw University Law Professor Marcin Matczak says the ruling party 's conservative base may agree the judiciary needs to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they may not understand that doing so could lead to real economic consequences .
Matczak consults with foreign companies and says they 're scared to invest in Poland for fear that they wo n't be protected by local courts in the case of a dispute .
`` How can you trust that the Polish court that is under some kind of an impact of the politicians who urge the court to take into consideration the national interest that they can solve the problem ?
, '' he asks .
He calls the ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the eventual exit of Poland from the EU .
In late 2017 , the EU invoked Article 7 to deal with Poland 's judicial overhaul .
Dubbed `` the nuclear option '' for member states , it 's a timeline that begins with warnings , proceeds to economic sanctions and risks the removal of the country from the EU parliamentary process .
Gersdorf of the Supreme Court is more worried about how Poland 's gutting of its court system is part of a trend in Europe that started in Hungary and could also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracies .
She 's done a lot of thinking about where her country went wrong .
`` We failed at educating people about what democracy is and how it works , '' says Gersdorf .
`` We did n't teach people what the constitution is , what its role is .
I blame myself .
I 'm a teacher .
I should have taught these young people that democracy is not just cool because it enables you to go skiing abroad .
Because we were so thrilled with our freedoms — we just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Despite all this , Gersdorf insists she remains an optimist .
When she steps down as head of the Supreme Court on April 30th , Gersdorf plans to devote the rest of her life to teaching young Poles how a democracy functions , and why a healthy legal system is crucial for its survival .

Poland's Overhaul Of Its Courts Leads To Confrontation With European Union
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rob Schmitz/NPR Rob Schmitz/NPR
WARSAW — Growing up under Soviet rule, Małgorzata Gersdorf says she yearned for a day when Poland would have freedom and justice. As a young lawyer, she took part in the Solidarity labor movement that sparked the transformation from communism to democracy in her country. After Poland's first democratic elections in 1989, she helped build her country's court system, and for the past six years, she's overseen the judiciary as First President of Poland's Supreme Court.
"But I never expected this," she says of the current ruling party's overhaul of Poland's judiciary. "It had been our dream to be a free European country ... we thought no one would take away our freedom."
The 67-year-old says building Poland's democracy took decades of work, and in a matter of just a few years, she's watched in horror as the populist party in power since 2015 has systematically dismantled it.
"The only thing they haven't managed to achieve is removing me from office before my term expired," she says.
Failing to oust Gersdorf was but a minor setback in the ruling party's step-by-step removal of judicial powers that led to Polish President Andrzej Duda's signing of a new law last week that promises punishment for any judge who dares to criticize the government's changes to the judiciary.
"This means we no longer are a democracy based on the rule of law, as defined by our constitution," says the bespectacled Gersdorf. "The executive in Poland is now placed above the judiciary. This is totally unacceptable in a country based on the rule of law."
That ruling party stripping power from Poland's courts is named Law and Justice. The EU-skeptic, anti-immigrant party was founded in 2001 by former Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński and his twin brother Lech Kaczyński, who died in a plane crash in 2010 while serving as president. The party won parliamentary elections in 2015 and again in 2019 on a platform that promised to overhaul the country's overburdened and inefficient court system.
The party went straight to work, first filling the country's constitutional tribunal, the body that decides whether new laws are constitutional, with judges loyal to Law and Justice. Then, in 2017, it tried to purge the country's supreme court of nearly half its judges by introducing a law that lowered the retirement age.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rob Schmitz/NPR Rob Schmitz/NPR
When that failed, the party changed tactics, turning its attention to the National Council of the Judiciary, a body charged with appointing Poland's judges. It took over the council, and when judges complained, the party then passed a law making those complaints illegal and punishable. With each step, the party's tactics were met with protests attracting tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands.
Throughout its campaign, the Law and Justice party has used Poland's popular government-funded public media broadcaster, TVP, as a tool to target judges who have fought back against its changes. After one judge appealed to the Court of Justice of the European Union, a host of a popular TVP nightly news program asked during a news segment if that judge thought he was part of an elite caste. The judge, Igor Tuleya, says after years of media attacks on him, he no longer feels safe.
"I pass a person on the street, and they shout, 'You whore, you traitor.' After someone smeared dog feces on my doorknob, my landlord kicked me out of my flat," he says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rob Schmitz/NPR Rob Schmitz/NPR
Tuleya, who's been summoned by Poland's overhauled National Council of the Judiciary to explain his criticism of the government's judicial changes, says the Law and Justice Party has a clear goal.
"They want to be famous for burning down the judicial system," says the 49-year-old. "They want subordination of the final independent institutions on which democracy is based, which is the independent courts. When that power is no more, then the fourth power — the free press — will disappear, because without free courts, you cannot defend a free press. This way, the entire state will be subordinated to the politicians of one single party."
Poland's Minister of Justice, Zbigniew Ziobro, did not reply to requests for an interview. Law and Justice party member Marek Ast, who chairs the justice and human rights committee in parliament, calls his party's overhaul of the courts "reforms" that restore balance to Poland's government.
"Until now in Poland, we've had a 'judgeocracy,'" says Ast. "It was judges who decided what the justice system looks like. They alone judged themselves within the disciplinary system. Despite their many pathological behaviors, they remain unpunished."
Ast and his party brethren say they're overhauling Poland's courts because they believe too many judges are ideological holdovers from the county's decades under Soviet rule. He estimates that one-third of all judges in Poland from the previous political system continue to adjudicate cases today. The actual figure is closer to 10%, but he says it doesn't matter.
"The problem is that those who used to adjudicate under communism have trained the next generation of judges, so their mentality has not changed," according to Ast.
He maintains that Polish judges have high salaries and extensive privileges that judges in other European countries don't enjoy, and despite that, he says the quality of their work is terrible. When asked — jokingly — why his party hasn't fired all of the country's judges, he considers the question seriously. "We would need a constitutional majority to make that possible, but maybe that kind of solution would be best."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rob Schmitz/NPR Rob Schmitz/NPR
Ast isn't alone in his thinking. Judge Maciej Mitera, the spokesman for the judiciary council, says Polish judges have hurt the integrity of their profession by protesting the government's overhaul of the judiciary.
"Can you imagine an American judge of any kind — especially a Supreme Court justice — parading in the street in their robes, carrying banners? That's not their place," says Mitera.
Law and Justice Party supporters agree. Last weekend, they staged pro-government rallies after the European Union criticized the party's judicial overhaul.
Warsaw University Law Professor Marcin Matczak says the ruling party's conservative base may agree the judiciary needs to be brought under control, but he says they may not understand that doing so could lead to real economic consequences. Matczak consults with foreign companies and says they're scared to invest in Poland for fear that they won't be protected by local courts in the case of a dispute.
"How can you trust that the Polish court that is under some kind of an impact of the politicians who urge the court to take into consideration the national interest that they can solve the problem?," he asks.
He calls the ruling party's endgame "Polexit," the eventual exit of Poland from the EU. In late 2017, the EU invoked Article 7 to deal with Poland's judicial overhaul. Dubbed "the nuclear option" for member states, it's a timeline that begins with warnings, proceeds to economic sanctions and risks the removal of the country from the EU parliamentary process.
Gersdorf of the Supreme Court is more worried about how Poland's gutting of its court system is part of a trend in Europe that started in Hungary and could also plague Romania, Bulgaria and other fledgling democracies. She's done a lot of thinking about where her country went wrong.
"We failed at educating people about what democracy is and how it works," says Gersdorf. "We didn't teach people what the constitution is, what its role is. I blame myself. I'm a teacher. I should have taught these young people that democracy is not just cool because it enables you to go skiing abroad. Because we were so thrilled with our freedoms — we just thought nobody would take it away."
Despite all this, Gersdorf insists she remains an optimist. When she steps down as head of the Supreme Court on April 30th, Gersdorf plans to devote the rest of her life to teaching young Poles how a democracy functions, and why a healthy legal system is crucial for its survival.


npr--2020-02-13--Attorney General Says Trump's Tweets About DOJ Make His Job 'Impossible'

Attorney General Says Trump 's Tweets About DOJ Make His Job 'Impossible' Attorney General William Barr asked President Trump to stop his social media commentary on Thursday after the flap over the case involving Trump 's adviser Roger Stone .
Barr told ABC News in an interview scheduled to air on Thursday evening that he wants Trump to `` stop tweeting '' and that the president 's comments make it `` impossible '' to do his job as the head of federal law enforcement .
Trump has never asked Barr to intervene in a criminal case , the attorney general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's comments surrounding the Stone matter have been corrosive to the image of the Justice Department , which has a tradition of independence .
`` As I said at my confirmation hearing , I think the essential role of the attorney general is to keep law enforcement , the criminal process sacrosanct to make sure there is no political interference in it , '' Barr says in the material released by ABC .
Barr said he was responsible for directing the submission of a second memo in Stone 's case recommending a lighter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas asked Barr , according to an account given by the network , about whether the attorney general is prepared for the potential consequences of openly criticizing the president .
`` Of course , '' Barr says , according to ABC , vowing that he wo n't `` be bullied or influenced by anybody . ''
Trump forced his first attorney general , Jeff Sessions , to resign .
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said later on Thursday evening that Trump `` was n't bothered '' by Barr 's comments .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any American citizen , to publicly offer his opinions , '' Grisham said of the president .
The press secretary also said Trump uses social media `` very effectively to fight for the American people '' and that he has `` full faith and confidence '' in Barr to do his job .
Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee — which is responsible for confirming attorneys general and other such nominees — signaled earlier that he believes Barr should retain his job at Main Justice .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right time to reform the department and stand up for the rule of law , '' Graham said in a statement .
`` Attorney General Barr has my complete confidence . ''
Barr 's interview followed attacks about what critics perceived as Trump 's interference in Stone 's case .
Prosecutors filed a memo on Monday in which they recommended between seven and nine years in prison for Stone , who was convicted by a jury last year in a case that stemmed from the Russia investigation .
Trump complained about that recommendation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a senior Justice Department official told NPR that leaders at the department 's headquarters in Washington found the suggested sentence too harsh .
The department directed the U.S. Attorney 's Office in Washington , D.C. , to submit a second memo seeking less punishment , which it later did .
The four federal prosecutors who had brought the case to that point all withdrew , according to court records .
The senior DOJ official said leaders at headquarters had decided on their own on Monday , after seeing the sentencing memo , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr made clear in the interview with ABC aired on Thursday that he made the decision .
But the public response following Trump 's post on Twitter made it appear that Barr and the department were bowing to the president 's desire to protect his friend .
Democrats demanded an investigation .
Barr has agreed to appear before the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing scheduled for next month .
His relationship with the Democratic-controlled House has been sour since a dispute with its chairman , Rep. Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , prompted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amid a dispute over witnesses and evidence .
This week , Trump hailed Barr for `` taking charge '' of the Stone case , further compounding the perception that the attorney general was taking instructions from Trump .
That is n't so , Barr says in the excerpted ABC News interview , but the appearance that he is puts him in a difficult position — which is why the attorney general says he wants the president to keep silent .

Attorney General Says Trump's Tweets About DOJ Make His Job 'Impossible'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
Updated at 6:14 p.m. ET
Attorney General William Barr asked President Trump to stop his social media commentary on Thursday after the flap over the case involving Trump's adviser Roger Stone.
Barr told ABC News in an interview scheduled to air on Thursday evening that he wants Trump to "stop tweeting" and that the president's comments make it "impossible" to do his job as the head of federal law enforcement.
Trump has never asked Barr to intervene in a criminal case, the attorney general said, but he added that Trump's comments surrounding the Stone matter have been corrosive to the image of the Justice Department, which has a tradition of independence.
"As I said at my confirmation hearing, I think the essential role of the attorney general is to keep law enforcement, the criminal process sacrosanct to make sure there is no political interference in it," Barr says in the material released by ABC.
Barr said he was responsible for directing the submission of a second memo in Stone's case recommending a lighter punishment.
Barr's job appears safe
ABC News' correspondent Pierre Thomas asked Barr, according to an account given by the network, about whether the attorney general is prepared for the potential consequences of openly criticizing the president.
"Of course," Barr says, according to ABC, vowing that he won't "be bullied or influenced by anybody."
Trump forced his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to resign.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said later on Thursday evening that Trump "wasn't bothered" by Barr's comments.
"He has the right, just like any American citizen, to publicly offer his opinions," Grisham said of the president. The press secretary also said Trump uses social media "very effectively to fight for the American people" and that he has "full faith and confidence" in Barr to do his job.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee — which is responsible for confirming attorneys general and other such nominees — signaled earlier that he believes Barr should retain his job at Main Justice.
"He is the right man at the right time to reform the department and stand up for the rule of law," Graham said in a statement. "Attorney General Barr has my complete confidence."
The Stone matter
Barr's interview followed attacks about what critics perceived as Trump's interference in Stone's case.
Prosecutors filed a memo on Monday in which they recommended between seven and nine years in prison for Stone, who was convicted by a jury last year in a case that stemmed from the Russia investigation.
Trump complained about that recommendation on Twitter, and the same day, a senior Justice Department official told NPR that leaders at the department's headquarters in Washington found the suggested sentence too harsh.
The department directed the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C., to submit a second memo seeking less punishment, which it later did.
The four federal prosecutors who had brought the case to that point all withdrew, according to court records.
The senior DOJ official said leaders at headquarters had decided on their own on Monday, after seeing the sentencing memo, that they would request a revision.
Barr made clear in the interview with ABC aired on Thursday that he made the decision.
But the public response following Trump's post on Twitter made it appear that Barr and the department were bowing to the president's desire to protect his friend.
Democrats demanded an investigation. Barr has agreed to appear before the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing scheduled for next month.
His relationship with the Democratic-controlled House has been sour since a dispute with its chairman, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., prompted Barr to skip a hearing last spring amid a dispute over witnesses and evidence.
This week, Trump hailed Barr for "taking charge" of the Stone case, further compounding the perception that the attorney general was taking instructions from Trump.
That isn't so, Barr says in the excerpted ABC News interview, but the appearance that he is puts him in a difficult position — which is why the attorney general says he wants the president to keep silent.