npr--2020-11-07--'Secret Life Of Supermarkets' Shines A Light On Bounty's Dark Side

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly heightened our awareness of our food supply — and the grocery stores we visit to stock up .
Grocery workers became even more essential in March and April , as many of the rest of us were sent home to work or were laid off .
But how much do most customers know about what really goes on behind the scenes in our local supermarkets — now or before the pandemic ?
What 's gained and lost as all that food makes its way to the shelves ?
Author Benjamin Lorr spent five years looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of American supermarkets — from the suppliers , the distributors , and supply routes , to the workers in the retail outlets themselves .
In the reporting for his new book The Secret Life of Groceries : The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket , Lorr met with farmers and field workers and spent 120-hours-straight driving the highways with a trucker as she made her multistate rounds .
He worked the fish counter at a Whole Foods market for a few months , and went to trade shows to learn about entrepreneurs who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also traveled to Asia to learn about commodity fishing – finding human rights violations along his journey .
The result is an intense , immersive , humorous , and sometimes shocking portrait of the modern American supermarket — which for all of its abundance and convenience leaves the reader with concerns about the insatiability of American appetites , and how the markets can be a force for good and bad .
Shots interviewed Lorr from his home in Brooklyn , N.Y .
This interview has been edited for clarity and length @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Miracle of the American Supermarket . '
For all their plentitude , our giant grocery stores mask a great deal of human and animal suffering .
Yes !
Here is this institution we spend 2 % of our lives in , so routine we often take it completely for granted .
And yet , if you stop to think for even a moment , you realize it is completely unprecedented in the human experience .
The grocery store is a miracle .
It offers a continuous , dreamlike bounty of products at prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the quality gets higher and higher .
And as a customer , this bounty all appears completely frictionless , like some suburban American birthright .
Of course , from the inside , it is the opposite of frictionless .
It requires tremendous power to maintain .
And when you scratch the surface of that power , you realize there is something slightly menacing underneath it .
And if you scratch further , you get suffering — from our factory-farmed animals to the many workers in our food supply chains .
Far too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food insecurity and health conditions related to obesity , like diabetes and heart disease .
How do our supermarkets contribute to these problems ?
It 's a great question .
But to answer , I 'd almost flip it .
Because it 's not that the supermarket contributes in a uniquely malevolent way , it merely echoes other structures in our society .
So , for me , the question is `` What can the supermarket teach us about our responses to these diseases that typically get overlooked ? ''
And , again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the supermarket does really well .
Rather than respond to our mouthed pieties , the industry caters to our actions , working very hard to provide a few key values that we select at the checkout counter again and again : convenience , low price , and choice .
And by choice , I mean something very particular — food options that allow us to express meaning .
That is , food that allows us to demonstrate who we want to be — whether that is worldly and sophisticated , thin and athletic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , connected to our ancestors , distinct from our kin , etc.
, down the line of human aspiration .
Now , to circle back to your question : We know that food insecurity , non-communicable disease , and poverty track closely .
But our public health responses could benefit by mimicking the grocery store , focusing less on predetermined idea of what people should do and more on what they actually need and want .
Poverty is multidimensional .
There is financial poverty , i.e .
the lack of wealth we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also poverty of time .
And poverty of choice .
And rather than being distinct , all those different forms of poverty compound .
And they parallel the very things grocery excels at serving .
So simply offering cheap vegetables from a CSA is not enough .
Nor is pummeling food-insecure folks with `` education '' about the `` right '' foods going to flip a switch .
Very often that switch has long been flipped , but there are other barriers getting in the way .
To get more concrete , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beyond merely offering affordable healthy options , into affordable healthy options that are also convenient , grab n ' go , ready-to-cook , pre-made , or in individual servings for a kid left on their own while a busy parent is working a second job .
Similarly , it means recognizing that `` health food '' all too often expresses a value set that does n't dovetail with people who are actually poor .
I was surprised to learn that food quality and taste are not the leading criteria that supermarket employees consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And maybe not even the third or fourth qualities !
Again and again , when talking both to food entrepreneurs working to get their product on the shelf , or supermarket buyers evaluating a product to add to their mix , they 'd say things like , `` Stop focusing on taste ; rookie mistake , '' or `` Stop thinking about this as food ; this is a 'food product . '
`` And they did n't mean that in a sneering , holier-than-thou , `` Velveeta is not cheese '' sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to excel as a retail product before its identity as food even mattered to them .
So qualities like gross margin , stability of the underlying commodities in its ingredient list , shelf life , packaging , availability in a continuous manner — these are what got a buyer 's attention .
Far more important than knockout flavor .
Health certifications for food , like 'gluten-free ' or 'non-GMO ' are laden with compromises that consumers are not likely aware of .
How can we be better , more informed shoppers ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ certifications — from `` non-GMO '' to `` fair trade '' — is deeply flawed .
I think the simplest answer here , from a consumer perspective , is not one people want to hear : Shrink the supply chain .
These problems accumulate from lack of visibility in a supply chain that has grown enormous and complex from serving the needs of a supermarket .
Buying from sources you implicitly trust , not ones you need dubious proof of that trust , is the way to go .
That means local , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me say , farmers are ready to set up these relationships .
I get my pecans from a single family farm , New Ground Orchards , that I trust .
Do I need to see a list of their certifications ?
No .
Though we profess to care greatly about the provenance of the foods we eat , price seems to be the main driver of our choices .
This can have deleterious effects on laborers like farmhands or fishermen .
Yes , again and again , labor is the place where the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It really fits together with what we have been talking about previously .
To become a global commodity , you need to meet all sorts of certifications and standards just to gain entry — safety standards , environmental standards , packaging , shipping , and volume standards — and a lot of these can be tracked empirically in ways that are much more difficult with labor .
Then , once you are trapped by these fixed costs , every few years your buyer comes and asks for a lower price , as that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home .
If you are a producer looking at your cost structure , trying to meet your buyer 's demands , labor is often the place where you have control .
And so it is the place where cuts occur .
The result , of course , when translated into human lives is devastating .
Humans are adaptable and can adapt to misery when they are desperate .
For me , a key part of the book is helping readers see the connections on a human level , elevating the `` out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the bottom of the chain into a visible place .
As part of your research , you worked as a 'team member ' at the Bowery Whole Foods in New York City .
You relate difficulties among your fellow workers in feeling valued as team members .
I was really surprised by the ways these minimum-wage jobs have changed .
I 've worked a lot of minimum wage jobs over the years , but I worked them 20 years ago or more in high school and right after college .
So I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost tinged by nostalgia .
But , just like everywhere else in the chain , labor in retail has become more `` efficient . ''
Industry-wide practices like variable scheduling , on-call scheduling , just-in-time scheduling — where employees do n't have a fixed schedule , but rather one that varies week to week by up to 40 % — or who only receive their schedule a few days in advance , have devastating effects .
You ca n't get a second job , because there is no schedule to schedule around .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and your take home pay swings wildly with the changes in hours worked .
And , of course , given our growing wealth divide , these jobs are no longer `` high school '' jobs , but careers for middle-aged adults .
So the nostalgia I and many people hold can be actively harmful when grappling with the reality and empathy for others .
You also embedded with a long-haul trucker to see what it 's like to bring food to market .
The freedom seemingly offered by life on the road made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a boulder uphill .
And it 's even tougher for women drivers .
Yes .
Trucking is this enormous profession — 10.7 billion tons of freight per year , the number one form of employment in the majority of states — that serves as a literal circulatory system for our economy .
And yet , the life of the trucker has been systematically degraded .
In the 1970s , trucking was this true middle class profession — blue collar , outlaw maybe , but also deeply stable .
Over the last decades that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to create twice the output at 40 % less in wages .
Many are caught in a debt peonage they call `` sharecropping on wheels , '' a descriptor that seems overblown until you hear the stories .
And you can see the effects of everything we 've talked about here in their lives .
The trucker I rode with for the book was wracked with health problems , suffering from many of the noncommunicable diseases we started off talking about .
Yet this was not the result of lack of education .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthily , and talked about wanting to `` go Paleo . ''
Yet in the book it almost reads as a joke .
The demands of her job , the extremely variable scheduling , the sedentary nature of the profession , the lack of food options at the truck stops — it all conspired to make health an impossible bar for her .
My friend makes his own barbecue sauce — we like to say he should bottle it and sell it .
But getting shelf space in our local supermarket is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I 'd say , `` Good luck , '' but then suggest that before investing any of his own money , he do a real gut check about how important this is to him .
And maybe read my book .
The entrepreneur I followed , Julie Busha , who was marketing a delicious condiment called Slawsa , disabused me of any idea this was be easy .
Julie was one of the hardest working , most intelligent people I 've ever met , and yet as a small- business woman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ geared to dealing with much bigger players ( or those with easy access to venture capital ) .
Most people do n't know that supermarkets make a significant amount of their profit directly from these entrepreneurs — i.e .
extracted through direct fees , like a landlord leasing space .
And so , at every stage Julie was met with demands for payments — for shelf space , for free product , for advertising , for demos .
Julie kept moving forward , but it was like watching a hurdler .
Do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their customers ?
In the book , I talk with a retail architect , a brilliant guy , Kevin Kelley , who talked about the intricate ways he helps stores create meaning for customers .
But this is rarely — if ever — applied to people who are food-insecure .
What does a consumer in the South Bronx or San Joaquin valley want to express ?
How can we craft messages around healthy food that will speak to their cultural values , as opposed to a Marion Nestle/Michael Pollan paradigm ?
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will get snatched off the shelves .
And I am sure people will become healthier for it .
John Henning Schumann is a doctor and writer in Tulsa , Okla .
He hosts `` StudioTulsa : # MedicalMonday '' on KWGS Public Radio Tulsa .
Follow him on Twitter : @ GlassHospital .

'Secret Life Of Groceries' Shines A Light On Bounty's Dark Side
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Ryder/Getty Images David Ryder/Getty Images
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly heightened our awareness of our food supply — and the grocery stores we visit to stock up. Grocery workers became even more essential in March and April, as many of the rest of us were sent home to work or were laid off.
But how much do most customers know about what really goes on behind the scenes in our local supermarkets — now or before the coronavirus pandemic? What's gained and lost as all that food makes its way to the shelves?
Author Benjamin Lorr spent five years looking into that as he studied all aspects of American supermarkets — from the suppliers, distributors and supply routes to the workers in the retail outlets themselves. In the reporting for his new book, The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket, Lorr met with farmers and fieldworkers and spent 120 hours straight driving the highways with a trucker as she made her multistate rounds. He worked the fish counter at a Whole Foods Market for a few months and went to trade shows to learn about entrepreneurs who were trying to break into the industry. He also traveled to Asia to learn about commodity fishing — finding human rights violations along his journey.
The result is an intense, immersive, humorous and sometimes shocking portrait of the modern American supermarket, which for all its abundance and convenience leaves the reader with concerns about the insatiability of American appetites and how the markets can be a force for good and bad.
Shots interviewed Lorr from his home in Brooklyn, N.Y.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Your book is subtitled The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket. For all their plentitude, our giant grocery stores mask a great deal of human and animal suffering.
Yes! Here is this institution we spend 2% of our lives in, so routine we often take it completely for granted. And yet, if you stop to think for even a moment, you realize it is completely unprecedented in the human experience. The grocery store is a miracle. It offers a continuous, dreamlike bounty of products at prices that get lower each year, even as the quality gets higher and higher. And as a customer, this bounty all appears completely frictionless, like some suburban American birthright. Of course, from the inside, it is the opposite of frictionless. It requires tremendous power to maintain. And when you scratch the surface of that power, you realize there is something slightly menacing underneath it. And if you scratch further, you get suffering — from our factory-farmed animals to the many workers in our food supply chains.
Far too many Americans suffer from paradoxical afflictions — food insecurity and health conditions related to obesity, like diabetes and heart disease. How do our supermarkets contribute to these problems?
It's a great question. But to answer, I'd almost flip it. Because it's not that the supermarket contributes in a uniquely malevolent way — it merely echoes other structures in our society. So, for me, the question is "What can the supermarket teach us about our responses to these diseases that typically get overlooked?"
And, again, I think this starts with what the supermarket does really well. Rather than respond to our mouthed pieties, the industry caters to our actions, working very hard to provide a few key values that we select at the checkout counter again and again: convenience, low price and choice. And by choice, I mean something very particular — food options that allow us to express meaning. That is, food that allows us to demonstrate who we want to be — whether that is worldly and sophisticated, thin and athletic, decadent and indulgent, ecologically virtuous, connected to our ancestors, distinct from our kin, etc., down the line of human aspiration.
Now, to circle back to your question: We know that food insecurity, noncommunicable disease and poverty track closely. But our public health responses could benefit by mimicking the grocery store, focusing less on a predetermined idea of what people should do and more on what they actually need and want. Poverty is multidimensional. There is financial poverty, i.e. the lack of wealth we are all familiar with. But there is also poverty of time. And poverty of choice. And rather than being distinct, all those different forms of poverty compound. And they parallel the very things grocery excels at serving.
So simply offering cheap vegetables from a CSA is not enough. Nor is pummeling food-insecure folks with "education" about the "right" foods going to flip a switch. Very often that switch has long been flipped, but there are other barriers getting in the way.
To get more concrete, I'd say that means supermarkets are going beyond merely offering affordable healthy options, into affordable healthy options that are also convenient, grab 'n' go, ready-to-cook, pre-made or in individual servings for a kid left on their own while a busy parent is working a second job. Similarly, it means recognizing that "health food" all too often expresses a value set that doesn't dovetail with people who are actually poor.
I was surprised to learn that food quality and taste are not the leading criteria that supermarket employees consider when stocking their shelves.
Yes! And maybe not even the third or fourth qualities! Again and again, when talking both to food entrepreneurs working to get their product on the shelf or supermarket buyers evaluating a product to add to their mix, they'd say things like, "Stop focusing on taste — rookie mistake," or "Stop thinking about this as food — this is a 'food product.' " And they didn't mean that in a sneering, holier-than-thou, "Velveeta is not cheese" sense. They mean that a grocery item needed to excel as a retail product before its identity as food even mattered to them. So qualities like gross margin, stability of the underlying commodities in its ingredient list, shelf life, packaging, availability in a continuous manner — these are what got a buyer's attention. Far more important than knockout flavor.
Health certifications for food, like "gluten-free" or "non-GMO," are laden with compromises that consumers are not likely aware of. How can we be better, more informed shoppers?
The audit process that undergirds most food certifications — from "non-GMO" to "fair trade" — is deeply flawed. I think the simplest answer here, from a consumer perspective, is not one people want to hear: Shrink the supply chain. These problems accumulate from lack of visibility in a supply chain that has grown enormous and complex from serving the needs of a supermarket. Buying from sources you implicitly trust, not ones you need dubious proof of that trust, is the way to go. That means local, direct from the farm.
And let me say, farmers are ready to set up these relationships. I get my pecans from a single family farm, New Ground Orchards, that I trust. Do I need to see a list of their certifications? No.
Though we profess to care greatly about the provenance of the foods we eat, price seems to be the main driver of our choices. This can have deleterious effects on laborers like farmhands or fishermen.
Yes, again and again, labor is the place where the industry can extract "efficiencies." It really fits together with what we have been talking about previously. To become a global commodity, you need to meet all sorts of certifications and standards just to gain entry — safety standards, environmental standards, packaging, shipping and volume standards — and a lot of these can be tracked empirically in ways that are much more difficult with labor. Then, once you are trapped by these fixed costs, every few years your buyer comes and asks for a lower price, as that buyer is competing with other outlets back home. If you are a producer looking at your cost structure, trying to meet your buyer's demands, labor is often the place where you have control. And so it is the place where cuts occur.
The result, of course, when translated into human lives, is devastating. Humans are adaptable and can adapt to misery when they are desperate. For me, a key part of the book is helping readers see the connections on a human level, elevating the "out of sight, out of mind" voices at the bottom of the chain into a visible place.
As part of your research, you worked as a "team member" at the Bowery Whole Foods in New York City. You relate difficulties among your fellow workers in feeling valued as team members.
I was really surprised by the ways these minimum-wage jobs have changed. I've worked a lot of minimum-wage jobs over the years, but I worked them 20 years ago or more in high school and right after college. So I had a memory of them that was almost tinged by nostalgia. But just like everywhere else in the chain, labor in retail has become more "efficient." Industrywide practices like variable scheduling, on-call scheduling, just-in-time scheduling — where employees don't have a fixed schedule, but rather one that varies week to week by up to 40% or who only receive their schedule a few days in advance — have devastating effects. You can't get a second job, because there is no schedule to schedule around. You can't arrange child care, and your take-home pay swings wildly with the changes in hours worked.
And, of course, given our growing wealth divide, these jobs are no longer "high school" jobs but careers for middle-aged adults. So the nostalgia I and many people hold can be actively harmful when grappling with the reality and empathy for others.
You also embedded with a long-haul trucker to see what it's like to bring food to market. The freedom seemingly offered by life on the road made me think more of Sisyphus endlessly rolling a boulder uphill. And it's even tougher for women drivers.
Yes. Trucking is this enormous profession — 10.7 billion tons of freight per year, the No. 1 form of employment in the majority of states — that serves as a literal circulatory system for our economy. And yet, the life of the trucker has been systematically degraded. In the 1970s, trucking was this true middle-class profession — blue-collar, outlaw maybe, but also deeply stable. Over the last decades, that has all changed. Truckers now work to create twice the output at 40% less in wages. Many are caught in a debt peonage they call "sharecropping on wheels," a descriptor that seems overblown until you hear the stories.
And you can see the effects of everything we've talked about here in their lives. The trucker I rode with for the book was racked with health problems, suffering from many of the noncommunicable diseases we started off talking about. Yet this was not the result of lack of education. She knew what it meant to eat healthily and talked about wanting to "go paleo." Yet in the book it almost reads as a joke. The demands of her job, the extremely variable scheduling, the sedentary nature of the profession, the lack of food options at the truck stops — it all conspired to make health an impossible bar for her.
My friend makes his own barbecue sauce — we like to say he should bottle it and sell it. But getting shelf space in our local supermarket is a lot harder than any hobbyist can imagine.
I'd say, "Good luck," but then suggest that before investing any of his own money, he do a real gut check about how important this is to him. And maybe read my book. The entrepreneur I followed, Julie Busha, who was marketing a delicious condiment called Slawsa, disabused me of any idea this was to be easy. Julie was one of the hardest-working, most intelligent people I've ever met, and yet as a small-business woman, she was extremely vulnerable to an industry geared to dealing with much bigger players (or those with easy access to venture capital). Most people don't know that supermarkets make a significant amount of their profit directly from these entrepreneurs — i.e., extracted through direct fees, like a landlord leasing space. And so at every stage, Julie was met with demands for payments — for shelf space, for free product, for advertising, for demos. Julie kept moving forward, but it was like watching a hurdler.
Do you see ways supermarkets could do better by their customers?
In the book, I talk with a retail architect, a brilliant guy, Kevin Kelley, who talked about the intricate ways he helps stores create meaning for customers. But this is rarely — if ever — applied to people who are food insecure. What does a consumer in the South Bronx or San Joaquin Valley want to express? How can we craft messages around healthy food that will speak to their cultural values, as opposed to a Marion Nestle/Michael Pollan paradigm? If you provide all that, I am sure they will get snatched off the shelves. And I am sure people will become healthier for it.
John Henning Schumann is a doctor and writer in Tulsa, Okla. He hosts StudioTulsa's Medical Mondays on KWGS Public Radio Tulsa. Follow him on Twitter: @GlassHospital.


npr--2020-11-07--As Trump's Chances Fade, Murdoch's Fox News Faces Wrath And Tough Choices

There may be no figure more important in preparing Republicans and President Trump himself for a post-Trump period than media magnate Rupert Murdoch .
Among his properties , the top-rated Fox News Channel stands out , its role in shaping conservative thought and Republican party politics unrivaled , at least within media .
Murdoch allied himself with Trump , despite holding the former reality show host in low esteem .
And Fox has been one of Trump 's strongest sources of support .
So how the channel presents Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden 's rising election fortunes matters .
Deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ became the first major news outlet to declare that Biden would win Arizona .
An angry Jared Kushner , the president 's son-in-law , dialed Murdoch to demand he reverse the network 's call .
Pro-Trump supporters in Maricopa County , Ariz. — some of them armed — led chants of `` Fox sucks . ''
And for days , the network 's top opinion hosts gave ballast to the president 's unfounded and corrosive claims of voter fraud by Democrats , seeking to discredit the entire electoral process .
Fox News 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempting to navigate a gentle landing for their audiences so that , should Biden defeat Trump , they will recognize the result .
But the network 's stars are larding their shows with Trump advocates who make baseless but incendiary accusations to ensure that viewers never accept Biden as legitimate .
Murdoch threw his weight and his media outlets behind the president early on , although his Wall Street Journal 's news pages have also offered muscular investigative reporting on Trump .
That alliance has served Murdoch well , giving him full and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a presidential seal of approval on his sale of entertainment properties to Disney despite antitrust concerns .
The president considers many Fox News figures among his closest advisers , including Sean Hannity , Lou Dobbs , Jeanine Pirro and others .
He has drawn from the ranks of Fox contributors to fill senior White House appointments and even considered stars for Cabinet positions .
And they , in turn , have been ferocious in relaying the president 's baseless claims , winning his frequent appearances on their programs and stratospheric ratings in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News stars helped whip up protests in opposition to Covid-related shutdowns and orders to wear masks .
Fox News stars stoked potential scandals involving Biden 's son , Hunter , based on unauthenticated reports from Murdoch 's New York Post - material Fox 's own reporters largely could not validate .
As one small sign of the ways in which Fox and Trump Republicans can orchestrate programming , on Friday evening NPR reviewed an internal GOP memo sent to top party officials to prepare Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for her appearance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It set out in great specificity the entire intended flow of the show 's lengthy opening segment - including its guests , articles and subjects , and the primary point Hannity would make .
The two jointly focused on stoking suspicions of voter fraud .
( The RNC confirmed the memo 's authenticity but declined to comment on the collaboration . )
The network 's projection Tuesday night of a Biden win in Arizona meant any further determination of a win by Biden would lead to a designation of his victory on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a statement trashing the head of Fox 's elections projection decision desk , Arnon Mishkin , who later appeared on air to acknowledge he had done work for Democrats in the past .
One Republican senator , Kevin Cramer of North Dakota , accused Fox of a cover-up in a radio interview and called on the network to fire Mishkin .
`` Fox News owes the American people an apology , '' he said .
So far , the network has stood by its decision desk .
But others say the Murdochs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accept the verdict of the American public .
CNN anchor Jake Tapper said , on air , `` The Murdochs and the people at Fox have an obligation to put their country above their profits . ''
Murdoch 's liberal daughter-in-law Kathryn Murdoch tweeted that she agreed .
She is married to Murdoch 's younger son James , who is no longer a top executive within the family media empire , though he retains a major stake .
And the culture clash between the network 's top news anchors and its brightest stars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump train to ratings glory , is at its most stark .
`` The [ question about ] transparency and watching the ballots is different than finding fraud that narrows the gap , '' anchor Bret Baier told GOP chairwoman McDaniel on the air Friday morning .
`` There 's all kinds of stuff flying on the Internet .
But when we look into it , it does n't pan out . ''
He and anchor Martha MacCallum sounded like they were staging an intervention : They were affirming , even soothing McDaniel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her claims .
Compare that to Hannity 's rhetoric on Thursday night : `` Americans will never be able to believe in the integrity and legitimacy of these [ election ] results . ''
Or Dobbs , who condemned GOP lawmakers Thursday for being insufficiently loyal to Trump : `` I do n't even hear thank yous , let alone engagement to do the right thing and stop this corruption at the ballot on the part of the Democrats . ''
Fox 's conservative stars gave guests uncritical time to make baseless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system , as Trump has for weeks .
`` President Trump won this election , '' House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said , without offering any evidence .
`` So everyone who 's listening : Do not be quiet .
Do not be silent about this .
We can not allow this to happen before our very eyes . ''
( McCarthy later claimed he was referring to Trump 's winning seats in the House for Republicans , not the White House , but that would render the rest of his comments incomprehensible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News anchors had received a memo warning them not to call Biden `` president-elect '' even if the network projects him to win Nevada 's six electoral votes .
( Because of the Arizona projection , that would give Biden enough to secure the network 's call for the presidency . )
According to a Fox News staffer , mid-level producers were advising on-air journalists to await more concrete direction from the network 's Washington desk before bestowing that title .
A Fox News spokesperson said there have been no network-wide memos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the day , Baier and Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace went out of their way to indicate Biden would be president-elect should he win Pennsylvania or another state .
On Thursday , the New York Post published online two stories deeply discounting claims made by Trump in his White House remarks that night and in an earlier Tweet from his son Donald Jr. What Trump and his supporters may forget is that Murdoch 's conservatism is tempered by his pragmatism .
He is always in the business of finding a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much wants to back a winner .
Which means , at times , that Murdoch and his properties pivot — severely .
Just after Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney went down to defeat in 2012 , Hannity announced he had had an `` evolution '' on immigration .
It happened within 24 hours of then-Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes telling his broadcasting team that people in the U.S. without legal status could no longer be demonized as illegal immigrants .
( Ailes , and Fox , would later backslide in a big way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , on Friday , after a fairly fiery hour of Sean Hannity 's show , Laura Ingraham encouraged Trump to depart the scene with dignity , should the occasion arise .
( And yes , Fox hosts do communicate with Trump by speaking directly on the air as well as off . )
`` President Trump 's legacy will only become more significant if he focuses on moving the country forward , '' Ingraham said .
`` And then the love and respect his supporters feel for him ?
It 's only going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can watch Fox 's conservative hosts on the air - the ones who make the network so profitable - maintain their loyalty to Trump while the news side gently pulls the network into the orbit of political gravity .
How deftly the network negotiates that shift more completely - and how soon it does so - will help determine how readily its viewers , the president 's fans and the president himself come to terms with the emerging political reality .
Murdoch 's Fox will always emerge to greet another day .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The news cycle will moderate , '' Fox Corp Executive Chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch ( Rupert 's older son ) told investors this week .
`` We fully expect to be number one and maintain share through that . ''
And it 's pretty clear what Fox News would look like under a Biden administration : giving air time to potential Republican presidential hopefuls and attacking Joe and Hunter Biden , Vice President Kamala Harris , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , and young progressive House stars , including Rep. Alexandria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Murdoch covets access to power , his media outlets are always most at home in muscular opposition .

With Trump's Loss, Murdoch's Fox News Faces Wrath And Tough Choices
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ethan Miller/Getty Images Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Updated at 3:16 p.m. ET
There may be no media figure more important in preparing Republicans and President Trump himself for a post-Trump period than magnate Rupert Murdoch.
Among his properties, the top-rated Fox News Channel stands out, its role in shaping conservative thought and Republican Party politics unrivaled, at least within media. Murdoch allied himself with Trump despite holding the former reality show host in low esteem. And Fox has been one of Trump's strongest sources of support. So how the channel presented Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's rising election fortunes matters. Deeply.
On Tuesday night, Fox News became the first major news outlet to declare that Biden would win Arizona. An angry Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, dialed Murdoch to demand he reverse the network's call. Pro-Trump supporters in Maricopa County, Ariz. — some of them armed — led chants of "Fox sucks." And for days, the network's top opinion hosts gave ballast to the president's unfounded and corrosive claims of voter fraud by Democrats, seeking to discredit the entire electoral process.
Fox News' journalists, by and large, have attempted to navigate a gentle landing for their audiences so that they recognize Trump has lost the election. But the network's stars have larded their shows with Trump advocates. All this week, they've made baseless but incendiary accusations to ensure that viewers never accept Biden as legitimate.
Murdoch threw his weight and his media outlets behind the president early on, although his Wall Street Journal's news pages have also offered muscular investigative reporting on Trump. That alliance has served Murdoch well, giving him full and frequent access to Trump as well as a presidential seal of approval on his sale of entertainment properties to Disney despite antitrust concerns.
The president considers many Fox News figures among his closest advisers. These include Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs, Jeanine Pirro and others. He has drawn from the ranks of Fox contributors to fill senior White House appointments and even considered stars for Cabinet positions. And they, in turn, have been ferocious in relaying the president's baseless claims, winning his frequent appearances on their programs and stratospheric ratings in response.
Earlier this year, Fox News stars helped whip up protests in opposition to shutdowns related to COVID-19 and orders to wear masks. Fox News stars stoked potential scandals involving Biden's son Hunter based on unauthenticated reports from Murdoch's New York Post — material Fox's own reporters largely could not validate.
As one small sign of the ways in which Fox and Trump Republicans can orchestrate programming, on Friday evening, NPR reviewed an internal GOP memo sent to top party officials to prepare Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel for her appearance on Hannity's show that night. It set out in great specificity the intended flow of the show's lengthy opening segment — including its guests, articles and subjects — and the primary points Hannity would make. The two jointly focused on stoking suspicions of voter fraud. (The RNC confirmed the memo's authenticity but declined to comment on the collaboration.)
After Fox's election project decision desk called Arizona for Biden late Tuesday night local time, the Trump campaign put out a statement trashing its head, Arnon Mishkin, who later appeared on-air to acknowledge he had done work for Democrats in the past. One Republican senator, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, accused Fox of a cover-up in a radio interview and called on the network to fire Mishkin. "Fox News owes the American people an apology," he said.
The network stood by its decision desk.
But others say the Murdochs need to do more to help viewers accept the verdict of the American public. CNN anchor Jake Tapper said on-air, "The Murdochs and the people at Fox have an obligation to put their country above their profits." Murdoch's liberal daughter-in-law Kathryn Murdoch tweeted that she agreed. She is married to Murdoch's younger son, James, who is no longer a top executive within the family media empire, though he retains a major stake.
And the culture clash between the network's top news anchors and its brightest stars, many of whom climbed aboard the Trump train to ratings glory, is at its most stark.
"The [question about] transparency and watching the ballots is different than finding fraud that narrows the gap," anchor Bret Baier told McDaniel, the GOP chairwoman, on the air Friday morning. "There's all kinds of stuff flying on the Internet. But when we look into it, it doesn't pan out."
He and anchor Martha MacCallum sounded like they were staging an intervention: They were affirming, even soothing McDaniel, while taking issue with the substance of her claims.
Compare that with Hannity's rhetoric on Thursday night: "Americans will never be able to believe in the integrity and legitimacy of these [election] results." Or Dobbs, who condemned GOP lawmakers Thursday for being insufficiently loyal to Trump: "I don't even hear thank yous, let alone engagement to do the right thing and stop this corruption at the ballot on the part of the Democrats."
Fox's conservative stars gave guests uncritical time to make baseless claims bashing the integrity of the electoral system, as Trump has for weeks.
"President Trump won this election," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said without offering any evidence. "So everyone who's listening: Do not be quiet. Do not be silent about this. We cannot allow this to happen before our very eyes." (McCarthy later claimed he was referring to Trump's winning seats in the House for Republicans, not the White House, but that would render the rest of his comments incomprehensible.)
CNN reported Friday that Fox News anchors had received a memo warning them not to call Biden "president-elect" even if the network projected him to win Nevada's six electoral votes. (Because of the Arizona projection, that would give Biden enough to secure the network's call for the presidency.) According to a Fox News staffer, midlevel producers were advising on-air journalists to await more concrete direction from the network's Washington desk before bestowing that title. A Fox News spokesperson said there have been no networkwide memos or editorial guidance from Fox News.
Later in the day, Baier and Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace went out of their way to indicate Biden would be president-elect should he win Pennsylvania or another state.
On Thursday, the New York Post published online two stories deeply discounting claims made by Trump in his White House remarks that night and in an earlier tweet from his son Donald Jr.
What Trump and his supporters may forget is that Murdoch's conservatism is tempered by his pragmatism. He is always in the business of finding a way to do business. And he very much wants to back a winner. Which means, at times, that Murdoch and his properties pivot — severely.
Just after Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney went down to defeat in 2012, Hannity announced he had had an "evolution" on immigration. It happened within 24 hours of then-Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes telling his broadcasting team that people in the U.S. without legal status could no longer be demonized as illegal immigrants. (Ailes, and Fox, would later backslide in a big way on that conclusion.)
And indeed, on Friday, after a fairly fiery hour of Hannity's show, Laura Ingraham encouraged Trump to depart the scene with dignity, should the occasion arise. (And yes, Fox hosts do communicate with Trump by speaking directly on the air as well as off.) "President Trump's legacy will only become more significant if he focuses on moving the country forward," Ingraham said. "And then the love and respect his supporters feel for him? It's only going to grow stronger."
Now you can watch Fox's conservative hosts on the air — the ones who make the network so profitable — maintain their loyalty to Trump, while the news side gently pulls the network into the orbit of political gravity. How deftly the network negotiates that shift more completely — and how soon it does so — will help determine how readily its viewers, the president's fans and the president himself come to terms with the political reality.
Murdoch's Fox will always emerge to greet another day. It flourished during the Clinton and Obama administrations. "The news cycle will moderate," Fox Corp. Executive Chairman and CEO Lachlan Murdoch, Rupert's older son, told investors this week. "We fully expect to be No. 1 and maintain share through that."
And it's pretty clear what Fox News would look like under a Biden administration: giving airtime to potential Republican presidential hopefuls and attacking Joe and Hunter Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and young progressive House stars, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
As much as Murdoch covets access to power, his media outlets are always most at home in muscular opposition.


npr--2020-11-07--White House Chief Of Staff Mark Meadows Tests Positive For The Coronavirus

White House Chief Of Staff Mark Meadows Tests Positive For The Coronavirus Mark Meadows , the chief of staff to President Trump , has tested positive for the coronavirus , multiple news organizations reported late Friday night .
He is the latest person in the president 's inner circle to catch the virus , which is surging across the country .
Meadows was last seen by reporters on election night , when Trump gave a defiant speech to supporters packed into the East Room of the White House .
Meadows walked into the room ahead of Trump 's adult children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman for the White House declined comment .
The news comes as President Trump remains in a tight race for reelection , with Democratic nominee Joe Biden just shy of winning .
Meadows is one of many Trump White House and campaign aides to contract the virus .
President Trump himself was hospitalized for COVID-19 in October .
First lady Melania Trump and their son Barron also had the virus .
Cases are hitting new records across the U.S. and the country is now averaging more than 94,000 cases a day , double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meadows , who infrequently wore face masks , traveled extensively with Trump in the late stages of his campaign as he raced across swing states .
He was seen in close quarters with most of Trump 's senior staff as well as with Vice President Mike Pence .
He also joined Trump for an Election Day visit to Trump 's campaign headquarters in Arlington , Va.. Trump has long undermined guidance even from his own administration regarding pandemic protocols , including social distancing and mask-wearing .
The president continued to hold massive campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and did not wear masks .
Biden made the coronavirus pandemic central to his campaign and his argument against Trump .
In a speech Friday evening , Biden said he and running mate Kamala Harris had already begun planning for the months ahead and how to combat the virus , expecting the presidency to eventually be declared for him .

White House Chief Of Staff Mark Meadows Tests Positive For The Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
Updated 9:15 a.m. ET
Mark Meadows, the chief of staff to President Trump, has tested positive for the coronavirus. He is the latest person in the president's inner circle to catch the virus, which is surging across the country.
Meadows was last seen by reporters on election night, when Trump gave a defiant speech to supporters packed into the East Room of the White House. Meadows walked into the room ahead of Trump's adult children just ahead of his remarks.
Bloomberg News was first to report the development late Friday evening. A senior official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss Meadows' health information publicly confirmed the news to NPR. A spokesman for the White House declined comment.
The news comes as President Trump remains in a tight race for reelection, with Democratic nominee Joe Biden just shy of winning.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Meadows is just the latest of many Trump White House and campaign aides to contract the virus. President Trump himself was hospitalized for COVID-19 in October. First lady Melania Trump and their son Barron also had the virus.
Cases are hitting new records across the U.S., and the country is now averaging more than 94,000 cases a day, double where it was a month ago.
Meadows, who infrequently wore face masks, traveled extensively with Trump in the late stages of his campaign as he raced across swing states. Meadows was seen in close quarters with most of Trump's senior staff as well as with Vice President Pence. He also joined Trump for an Election Day visit to Trump's campaign headquarters in Arlington, Va.
Trump has long undermined guidance even from his own administration regarding pandemic protocols, including social distancing and mask-wearing. The president continued to hold massive campaign rallies where supporters were packed close together and many did not wear masks.
Biden made the coronavirus pandemic central to his campaign and his argument against Trump. In a speech Friday evening, Biden said he and running mate Kamala Harris had already begun planning for the months ahead and how to combat the virus, expecting the presidency to eventually be declared for him.


npr--2020-11-06--Biden Urges Patience As His Lead Widens In Key States

Biden Urges Patience As His Lead Widens In Key States Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden spoke on Friday evening to reaffirm his belief that he would eventually emerge victorious against President Trump , urging calm and patience as his lead against the Republican incumbent has widened in key swing states that are still counting votes .
`` We 're going to win this race with a clear majority , '' Biden said , speaking alongside his running mate , Kamala Harris , in his home state of Delaware .
`` What 's becoming clear each hour is that record number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faiths , religions , chose change over more of the same , '' he said .
Biden has delivered remarks every day since Election Day , promoting optimism from his supporters and encouraging states to continue counting ballots so that a clear winner in the race could emerge .
As of Friday evening , Biden had won 264 of the 270 electoral votes necessary to secure the presidency .
Trump , the Republican nominee , had won 214 .
Biden 's remarks come as the president 's path to reelection has narrowed considerably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of voter fraud in an effort to undermine the integrity of the election .
Election experts agree there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud , despite Trump and his allies continuing to push unfounded conspiracies on the issue .
On Friday evening , Trump tweeted : `` Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President .
I could make that claim also .
Legal proceedings are just now beginning ! ''
In a later tweet , he wrote : `` I had such a big lead in all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only to see the leads miraculously disappear as the days went by .
Perhaps these leads will return as our legal proceedings move forward ! ''
Biden on Friday had chiseled away at earlier Trump leads in Georgia and Pennsylvania .
The former vice president pulled ahead in both states , which Trump depends on if he is to be reelected .

Biden Urges Patience As His Lead Widens In Key States
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 11:19 p.m. ET
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden spoke on Friday evening to reaffirm his belief that he would eventually emerge victorious against President Trump, urging calm and patience as his lead against the Republican incumbent has widened in key swing states that are still counting votes.
"We're going to win this race with a clear majority," Biden said, speaking alongside his running mate, Kamala Harris, in his home state of Delaware.
"What's becoming clear each hour is that record number of Americans, of all races, faiths, religions, chose change over more of the same," he said.
Biden has delivered remarks every day since Election Day, promoting optimism from his supporters and encouraging states to continue counting ballots so that a clear winner in the race could emerge.
As of Friday evening, Biden had won 264 of the 270 electoral votes necessary to secure the presidency. Trump, the Republican nominee, had won 214.
Biden's remarks come as the president's path to reelection has narrowed considerably, prompting Trump to spew baseless accusations of voter fraud in an effort to undermine the integrity of the election.
Election experts agree there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, despite Trump and his allies continuing to push unfounded conspiracies on the issue.
On Friday evening, Trump tweeted: "Joe Biden should not wrongfully claim the office of the President. I could make that claim also. Legal proceedings are just now beginning!"
In a later tweet, he wrote: "I had such a big lead in all of these states late into election night, only to see the leads miraculously disappear as the days went by. Perhaps these leads will return as our legal proceedings move forward!"
Biden on Friday had chiseled away at earlier Trump leads in Georgia and Pennsylvania. The former vice president pulled ahead in both states, which Trump depends on if he is to be reelected.


npr--2020-11-06--Trump Wants To Fight Election, But 'It's Dawning On Him,' Former Adviser Says

Trump Wants To Fight Election , But 'It 's Dawning On Him , ' Former Adviser Says Aides to President Trump have been counseling him this week that his legal options to try to contest the election are limited , but Trump wants to fight it out , a former campaign adviser who remains in touch with key players told NPR .
`` It 's dawning on him , '' the former adviser said , speaking on condition of anonymity to comment on private conversations .
`` He never thought he could lose ... and those of us who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believed he could lose . ''
Trump 's ability to withstand crisis after crisis conditioned his team to have `` a false sense of reality because he 's survived so many times .
You just assume he 's going to survive again , '' the former adviser said .
The former adviser said he believes Trump will eventually concede , but at this stage believes he has a responsibility to the people who voted for him to `` go to the mattresses to push , you know , as far as he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's legal options are limited , the former adviser said , given his large deficits in Georgia and Pennsylvania .
`` There 's only so many legal options that he has , '' the former adviser said .
`` And even those legal options , they do n't make sense because he still does n't get to 270 . ''
Democratic nominee Joe Biden is currently six electoral votes from securing the presidency , while President Trump 's path to reelection has narrowed considerably .
Trump has been baselessly claiming that Democrats are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named David Bossie , a close sounding board for Trump during both campaigns , to lead the broader effort to fight .
Bossie is not directing lawyers , but rather is a conduit between Trump and his base , the former adviser said .
But many election law experts say that the number of votes that would be fought over in legal challenges likely would n't be seen as being large enough by the courts , and ultimately the Supreme Court , to justify the litigation .
In public , Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aggressively .
The campaign has filed lawsuits in several states , many of which have been dismissed .
Others are pending .
`` We will pursue this process through every aspect of the law to guarantee that the American people have confidence in our government , '' Trump said in a statement Friday . ''
I will never give up fighting for you and our nation . ''

Trump Wants To Fight Election, But 'It's Dawning On Him,' Former Adviser Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Aides to President Trump have been counseling him this week that his legal options to try to contest the election are limited, but Trump wants to fight it out, a former campaign adviser who remains in touch with key players told NPR.
"It's dawning on him," the former adviser said, speaking on condition of anonymity to comment on private conversations. "He never thought he could lose ... and those of us who are in Trump World, we actually never believed he could lose."
Trump's ability to withstand crisis after crisis conditioned his team to have "a false sense of reality because he's survived so many times. You just assume he's going to survive again," the former adviser said.
The former adviser said he believes Trump will eventually concede, but at this stage believes he has a responsibility to the people who voted for him to "go to the mattresses to push, you know, as far as he can."
The campaign recognizes that Trump's legal options are limited, the former adviser said, given his large deficits in Georgia and Pennsylvania. "There's only so many legal options that he has," the former adviser said. "And even those legal options, they don't make sense because he still doesn't get to 270."
Loading...
Democratic nominee Joe Biden is currently six electoral votes from securing the presidency, while President Trump's path to reelection has narrowed considerably. Trump has been baselessly claiming that Democrats are stealing the election.
The campaign has named David Bossie, a close sounding board for Trump during both campaigns, to lead the broader effort to fight. Bossie is not directing lawyers, but rather is a conduit between Trump and his base, the former adviser said.
But many election law experts say that the number of votes that would be fought over in legal challenges likely wouldn't be seen as being large enough by the courts, and ultimately the Supreme Court, to justify the litigation.
In public, Trump and his campaign have vowed to pursue legal challenges aggressively. The campaign has filed lawsuits in several states, many of which have been dismissed. Others are pending.
"We will pursue this process through every aspect of the law to guarantee that the American people have confidence in our government," Trump said in a statement Friday." I will never give up fighting for you and our nation."


npr--2020-11-07--Harris: 'You Ushered In A New Day For America'

Harris : 'You Ushered In A New Day For America' Under a sky lit up by blue Jumbotrons outside the Chase Center in Wilmington , Del.
, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris thanked Democratic supporters for organizing to deliver a victory and spoke about the historic nature of her win .
`` Protecting our democracy takes struggle , it takes sacrifice , '' she said , `` but there is joy in it .
There is progress because we the people have the power to build a better future . ''
Harris spoke Saturday evening ahead of President-elect Joe Biden to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cars and trucks waving American flags .
The Associated Press called the presidential race for Biden and Harris earlier Saturday .
`` You ushered in a new day for America , '' she said .
`` Thank you for turning out in record numbers to make your voices heard , '' she said .
In addition to supporters , she thanked campaign staff and poll workers .
Speaking of her historic win , Harris said was thinking about her immigrant mother and generations of Black women and other women of color who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris is the first woman , first Black person and first Asian American to be elected vice president .
Biden , she said , `` had the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers ... and select a woman as his vice president , '' she said to honks and cheers .
`` But while I will be the first woman in this office , I will not be the last . ''
She wore a white suit , a nod to suffragists who fought for women 's right to vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't mention the coronavirus by name , she said , `` I know times have been challenging , especially the last several months ... but we have also witnessed your courage , '' referring to the pandemic that has killed nearly a quarter million Americans .
Despite that , she said , `` you voted , and you delivered a clear message : You chose hope . ''
Introducing Biden at the event , Harris praised him as a man with purpose , a big heart — `` a healer , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Congressman John Lewis , before his passing , wrote : `` Democracy is not a state .
It is an act . ''
And what he meant was that America 's democracy is not guaranteed .
It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it , to guard it and never take it for granted .
It takes sacrifice .
There is joy in it and there is progress .
Because We The People have the power to build a better future .
And when our very democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the very soul of America at stake , and the world watching , you ushered in a new day for America .
To our campaign staff and volunteers , this extraordinary team — thank you for bringing more people than ever before into the democratic process and for making this victory possible .
To the poll workers and election officials across our country who have worked tirelessly to make sure every vote is counted — our nation owes you a debt of gratitude as you have protected the integrity of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who make up our beautiful country — thank you for turning out in record numbers to make your voices heard .
I know times have been challenging , especially the last several months .
The grief , sorrow , and pain .
The worries and the struggles .
But we 've also witnessed your courage , your resilience , and the generosity of your spirit .
For 4 years , you marched and organized for equality and justice , for our lives , and for our planet .
And then , you voted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You chose hope , unity , decency , science , and , yes , truth .
You chose Joe Biden as the next President of the United States of America .
A person whose own experience of loss gives him a sense of purpose that will help us , as a nation , reclaim our own sense of purpose .
And a man with a big heart who loves with abandon .
It 's his love for Jill , who will be an incredible First Lady .
It 's his love for Hunter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire Biden family .
And while I first knew Joe as Vice President , I really got to know him as the father who loved Beau , my dear friend , who we remember here today .
To my husband Doug , our children Cole and Ella , my sister Maya , and our whole family — I love you all more than I can express .
We are so grateful to Joe and Jill for welcoming our family into theirs on this incredible journey .
And to the woman most responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother , Shyamala Gopalan Harris , who is always in our hearts .
When she came here from India at the age of 19 , maybe she did n't quite imagine this moment .
But she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible .
So , I 'm thinking about her and about the generations of women — Black Women .
Asian , White , Latina , and Native American women throughout our nation 's history who have paved the way for this moment tonight .
Women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equality , liberty , and justice for all , including the Black women , who are too often overlooked , but so often Prove that they are the backbone of our democracy .
All the Women who worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century : 100 years ago with the 19th Amendment , 55 years ago with the Voting Rights Act , and now , in 2020 , with a new generation of women in our country who cast their ballots and continued the fight for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Tonight , I reflect on their struggle , their determination and the strength of their vision — to see what can be unburdened by what has been — I stand on their shoulders .
And what a testament it is to Joe 's character that he had the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers that exists in our country and select a woman as his Vice President .
But while I may be the first woman in this office , I wo n't be the last .
Because every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a country of possibilities .
And to the children of our country , regardless of your gender , our country has sent you a clear message : Dream with ambition , lead with conviction , and see yourself in a way that others might not see you , simply because they 've never seen it before .
And we will applaud you every step of the way .
No matter who you voted for , I will strive to be the Vice President that Joe was to President Obama — loyal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every day thinking of you and your families .
Because now is when the real work begins .
The Hard work .
The Necessary work .
The Good work .
The essential work to save lives and beat this pandemic .
To rebuild our economy so it works for working people .
To root out systemic racism in our justice system and society .
To unite our country and heal the soul of our nation .
The road ahead will not be easy .
But America is ready .
And so are Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president who represents the best in us .
A leader the world will respect and our children can look up to .
A Commander in Chief who will respect our troops and keep our country safe .
And a President for all Americans .
It is now my great honor to introduce the President-elect of the United States of America , Joe Biden .

Harris: 'You Ushered In A New Day For America'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images
Under a sky lit up by blue Jumbotrons outside the Chase Center in Wilmington, Del., Vice President-elect Kamala Harris thanked Democratic supporters for organizing to deliver a victory and spoke about the historic nature of her win.
"Protecting our democracy takes struggle, it takes sacrifice," she said, "but there is joy in it. There is progress because we the people have the power to build a better future."
Harris spoke Saturday evening ahead of President-elect Joe Biden to an energetic crowd as people sat on top of cars and trucks waving American flags. The Associated Press called the presidential race for Biden and Harris earlier Saturday.
"You ushered in a new day for America," she said. "Thank you for turning out in record numbers to make your voices heard," she said. In addition to supporters, she thanked campaign staff and poll workers.
Read a transcript of Harris' remarks below.
Speaking of her historic win, Harris said was thinking about her immigrant mother and generations of Black women and other women of color who had paved the way for her. Harris is the first woman, first Black person and first Asian American to be elected vice president.
Biden, she said, "had the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers ... and select a woman as his vice president," she said to honks and cheers. "But while I will be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last."
She wore a white suit, a nod to suffragists who fought for women's right to vote a century ago.
And while she didn't mention the coronavirus by name, she said, "I know times have been challenging, especially the last several months ... but we have also witnessed your courage," referring to the pandemic that has killed nearly a quarter million Americans.
Despite that, she said, "you voted, and you delivered a clear message: You chose hope."
Introducing Biden at the event, Harris praised him as a man with purpose, a big heart — "a healer, a uniter, a tested and steady hand."
Read Harris' prepared remarks below.
Good evening.
Congressman John Lewis, before his passing, wrote: "Democracy is not a state. It is an act."
And what he meant was that America's democracy is not guaranteed.
It is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it, to guard it and never take it for granted.
And protecting our democracy takes struggle.
It takes sacrifice. There is joy in it and there is progress.
Because We The People have the power to build a better future.
And when our very democracy was on the ballot in this election, with the very soul of America at stake, and the world watching, you ushered in a new day for America.
To our campaign staff and volunteers, this extraordinary team — thank you for bringing more people than ever before into the democratic process and for making this victory possible.
To the poll workers and election officials across our country who have worked tirelessly to make sure every vote is counted — our nation owes you a debt of gratitude as you have protected the integrity of our democracy.
And to the American people who make up our beautiful country — thank you for turning out in record numbers to make your voices heard.
I know times have been challenging, especially the last several months.
The grief, sorrow, and pain. The worries and the struggles.
But we've also witnessed your courage, your resilience, and the generosity of your spirit.
For 4 years, you marched and organized for equality and justice, for our lives, and for our planet.
And then, you voted. You delivered a clear message.
You chose hope, unity, decency, science, and, yes, truth.
You chose Joe Biden as the next President of the United States of America.
Joe is a healer. A uniter. A tested and steady hand.
A person whose own experience of loss gives him a sense of purpose that will help us, as a nation, reclaim our own sense of purpose.
And a man with a big heart who loves with abandon.
It's his love for Jill, who will be an incredible First Lady.
It's his love for Hunter, Ashley, his grandchildren, and the entire Biden family.
And while I first knew Joe as Vice President, I really got to know him as the father who loved Beau, my dear friend, who we remember here today.
To my husband Doug, our children Cole and Ella, my sister Maya, and our whole family — I love you all more than I can express.
We are so grateful to Joe and Jill for welcoming our family into theirs on this incredible journey.
And to the woman most responsible for my presence here today — my mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, who is always in our hearts.
When she came here from India at the age of 19, maybe she didn't quite imagine this moment.
But she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible.
So, I'm thinking about her and about the generations of women — Black Women.
Asian, White, Latina, and Native American women throughout our nation's history who have paved the way for this moment tonight.
Women who fought and sacrificed so much for equality, liberty, and justice for all, including the Black women, who are too often overlooked, but so often Prove that they are the backbone of our democracy.
All the Women who worked to secure and protect the right to vote for over a century: 100 years ago with the 19th Amendment, 55 years ago with the Voting Rights Act, and now, in 2020, with a new generation of women in our country who cast their ballots and continued the fight for their fundamental right to vote and be heard.
Tonight, I reflect on their struggle, their determination and the strength of their vision — to see what can be unburdened by what has been — I stand on their shoulders.
And what a testament it is to Joe's character that he had the audacity to break one of the most substantial barriers that exists in our country and select a woman as his Vice President.
But while I may be the first woman in this office, I won't be the last.
Because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities.
And to the children of our country, regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message:
Dream with ambition, lead with conviction, and see yourself in a way that others might not see you, simply because they've never seen it before.
And we will applaud you every step of the way.
To the American people:
No matter who you voted for, I will strive to be the Vice President that Joe was to President Obama — loyal, honest, and prepared, waking up every day thinking of you and your families. Because now is when the real work begins.
The Hard work. The Necessary work. The Good work.
The essential work to save lives and beat this pandemic.
To rebuild our economy so it works for working people.
To root out systemic racism in our justice system and society.
To combat the climate crisis.
To unite our country and heal the soul of our nation.
The road ahead will not be easy.
But America is ready. And so are Joe and I.
We have elected a president who represents the best in us.
A leader the world will respect and our children can look up to.
A Commander in Chief who will respect our troops and keep our country safe.
And a President for all Americans.
It is now my great honor to introduce the President-elect of the United States of America, Joe Biden.


npr--2020-11-07--Major And Champ Are Major Champs In This Election: Dogs Return To The White House

Major And Champ Are Major Champs In This Election : Dogs Return To The White House It 's the question that millions of Americans have spent five long , anxious days waiting and wondering about : Will there be any dogs in the White House come January ?
OK , in what was likely the most consequential election of a lifetime , this is probably the least consequential implication .
But it 's true .
After four years of a president who could n't abide pets , dogs will once again cavort on the White House lawn .
And yes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that platform .
At least on social media .
Biden and his wife , Jill Biden , have two German shepherds , Major and Champ .
While there is a very long tradition of presidential pets , one of the Biden dogs will be making a bit of history .
NBC News has reported that Major will be the first rescue dog in the White House .
The Bidens fostered and then adopted Major two years ago , through the Delaware Humane Association .
The Bidens got Champ as a puppy in 2008 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president .
On Twitter , Democratic dogs are unleashing a lot of joy over the news .

Major And Champ Are Major Champs In This Election: Dogs Return To The White House
Enlarge this image toggle caption Win McNamee/Getty Images Win McNamee/Getty Images
It's the question that millions of Americans have spent five long, anxious days waiting and wondering about: Will there be any dogs in the White House come January?
OK, in what was likely the most consequential election of a lifetime, this is probably the least consequential implication. But it's true. After four years of a president who couldn't abide pets, dogs will once again cavort on the White House lawn.
And yes, President-elect Joe Biden did campaign on that platform. At least on social media.
Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, have two German shepherds, Major and Champ.
While there is a very long tradition of presidential pets, one of the Biden dogs will be making a bit of history. NBC News has reported that Major will be the first rescue dog in the White House. The Bidens fostered and then adopted Major two years ago, through the Delaware Humane Association.
The Bidens got Champ as a puppy in 2008, while Biden was serving as vice president.
On Twitter, Democratic dogs are unleashing a lot of joy over the news.


npr--2020-11-07--World Leaders Congratulate Biden On Win, And Some Celebrate Trump's Defeat

World Leaders Congratulate Biden On Win , And Some Celebrate Trump 's Defeat Reactions to Joe Biden 's victory in the 2020 election poured in Saturday from world leaders expressing everything from congratulations for the president-elect to relief at President Trump 's defeat .
The statements came after The Associated Press called the election for Biden and without a concession from Trump , who prematurely declared victory and has sought to halt ballot counting in several key states .
U.S. allies such as the U.K. , France , Germany , the European Union and Ukraine are among those congratulating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he looks forward to working with Biden , Harris and the incoming administration .
`` Our shared geography , common interests , deep personal connections , and strong economic ties make us close friends , partners , and allies , '' Trudeau said in a statement .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also congratulated Harris ' historic win as the first woman to be vice president-elect , and praised the relationship between Germany and the United States .
`` Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Merkel said .
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted , `` The Americans have chosen their President .
Congratulations @ JoeBiden and @ KamalaHarris !
We have a lot to do to overcome today 's challenges .
Let 's work together ! ''
Macron had tried to develop a working relationship with Trump during the president 's 2017 visit to France .
But the leaders failed to see eye to eye on the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal : Trump withdrew the U.S. from both .
Ukrainian President Volodymyr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` is optimistic about the future of the strategic partnership '' with the United States .
An alleged U.S. attempt at a quid pro quo with Ukraine over military funding was at the center of Trump 's impeachment .
`` I know Joe Biden as a strong supporter of our Alliance & look forward to working closely with him .
A strong # NATO is good for both North America & Europe , '' Stoltenberg tweeted .
Trump has been a vocal critic of NATO , which he called `` obsolete '' at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown some enthusiasm for it .
In the Middle East , Qatar 's emir , Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani , tweeted that he looked forward to working with a Biden administration `` to continue strengthening the friendship between our countries . ''
Trump was seen as siding with Saudi Arabia in 2017 during a rift that pitted other Gulf states against Qatar .
Congratulations and well wishes to Biden and Harris also came from some leaders who have been Trump 's closest international allies .
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , echoed other European leaders ' sentiments as he looked toward the future .
`` The US is our important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities , from climate change to trade and security , '' Johnson said in a statement posted to Twitter .
Days ago , a spokesperson for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he was confident he could establish `` equally warm personal relations '' with Biden as he did with Trump .
Duterte openly rooted for Trump during the election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with former President Barack Obama over his criticisms of Duterte 's bloody drug war .
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — a right-wing nationalist who calls Trump a close friend — said Biden 's work as vice president had been `` critical and invaluable '' to strengthening the India-U.S. relationship .
Modi also praised the vice president-elect , who has Indian heritage through her mother .
He called Harris ' success `` pathbreaking and a matter of immense pride '' for Indian-Americans .
`` I am confident that the vibrant India-US ties will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership , '' Modi tweeted .
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi — whom Trump once reportedly referred to as `` my favorite dictator '' — was one of the first Arab leaders to congratulate Biden .
The Trump administration has removed blocks on military aid to Egypt that were previously imposed due to human rights concerns .
But while most world leaders highlighted Biden 's victory , others celebrated Trump 's defeat .
Iran 's state news agency quoted President Hassan Rouhani as saying the U.S. must now correct its `` false approach toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' In his comments , Rouhani made apparent reference to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the world 's major powers , which called for easing sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran pulling back on its nuclear program .
Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal in 2018 and has since reimposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Iran .
Rouhani said the Iranian people had stood up to American `` economic terrorism '' under Trump and that it was time for the U.S. to return to `` honoring its commitments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relief at Trump 's loss .
`` America Detrumped !
The world also needs to be able to breathe .
Trumpism must be carefully scrutinized & remedied to restore the human , moral & legal equilibrium within and beyond the US , '' Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi tweeted .
In Gaza , the political leader of the militant group Hamas , Ismail Haniyeh , called the Trump administration `` the most extremist in supporting the occupation at the expense of Palestinian national rights . ''
Trump has been a fervent ally of Israeli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the U.S. Embassy there — even though Palestinians seek part of the city for their future capital .
`` We call on the elected administration to abandon the so-called deal of the century and to cancel the decision to consider Jerusalem as the capital of the occupation and to transfer the American embassy to it , `` Haniyeh said in a statement .
Netanyahu has n't released any statement regarding the results of the 2020 election .
Another Trump ally , Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the election results .
NPR 's Julie McCarthy , Jane Arraf , Lauren Frayer , Peter Kenyon and Daniel Estrin contributed to this report .

World Leaders Congratulate Biden On Win, And Some Celebrate Trump's Defeat
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carolyn Kaster/AP Carolyn Kaster/AP
Updated at 12:44 p.m. ET Sunday
World leaders have acknowledged — and even celebrated — the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the 2020 United States presidential election.
Even one of President Trump's most fervent allies, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, eventually congratulated Biden, tweeting on Sunday that he was a "great friend" of Israel.
But there are still holdouts. Russia's Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping and Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro remain silent. And the leader of Melania Trump's home country, Slovenia, is spreading conspiracy theories about a rigged vote.
The Slovenian prime minister, Janez Jansa, belongs to a clique of European populists who share Trump's disdain for migrants, dissent and the media. These populists, led by Hungary's Viktor Orban, claim Brussels is run by liberal elites working with George Soros, the financier demonized by far-right nationalists on both sides of the Atlantic.
Orban finally acknowledged Biden's win on Sunday, telling a news agency that Biden had run a "successful campaign." The lukewarm tone mirrored that of another Trump ally in Europe, Polish president Andrzej Duda.
Jansa, who served prison time on corruption charges, is known for using Twitter to attack his political opponents. Jansa was ridiculed for (prematurely) congratulating Trump on Wednesday, when the president declared himself the winner, and has since tweeted baseless accusations of voter fraud. Government-controlled media in Slovenia and Hungary have repeated that false claim.
Here's a snapshot of reactions from around the world:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he looks forward to working with Biden, Harris and the incoming administration.
"Our shared geography, common interests, deep personal connections, and strong economic ties make us close friends, partners, and allies," Trudeau said in a statement.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also congratulated Harris' historic win as the first woman to be vice president-elect, and praised the relationship between Germany and the U.S.
"Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to master the great challenges of our time," Merkel said.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted, "The Americans have chosen their President. Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris! We have a lot to do to overcome today's challenges. Let's work together!"
Macron had tried to develop a working relationship with Trump during the president's 2017 visit to France. But the leaders failed to see eye to eye on the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear deal: Trump withdrew the U.S. from both.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Twitter that his country "is optimistic about the future of the strategic partnership" with the United States. An alleged U.S. attempt at a quid pro quo with Ukraine over military funding was at the center of Trump's impeachment.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also offered a statement on Biden's election.
"I know Joe Biden as a strong supporter of our Alliance & look forward to working closely with him. A strong #NATO is good for both North America & Europe," Stoltenberg tweeted.
Trump has been a vocal critic of NATO, which he called "obsolete" at one point. But he has also shown some enthusiasm for it.
In the Middle East, Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, tweeted that he looked forward to working with a Biden administration "to continue strengthening the friendship between our countries." Trump was seen as siding with Saudi Arabia in 2017 during a rift that pitted other Gulf states against Qatar.
Congratulations and well wishes to Biden and Harris also came from some leaders who have been Trump's closest international allies.
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has had a cozy relationship with Trump, echoed other European leaders' sentiments as he looked toward the future.
"The US is our important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security," Johnson said in a statement posted to Twitter.
Days ago, a spokesperson for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he was confident he could establish "equally warm personal relations" with Biden as he did with Trump.
Duterte openly rooted for Trump during the election, and he had a remarkably poor relationship with former President Barack Obama over his criticisms of Duterte's bloody drug war.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — a right-wing nationalist who calls Trump a close friend — said Biden's work as vice president had been "critical and invaluable" to strengthening the India-U.S. relationship.
Modi also praised the vice president-elect, who has Indian heritage through her mother. He called Harris' success "pathbreaking and a matter of immense pride" for Indian-Americans.
"I am confident that the vibrant India-US ties will get even stronger with your support and leadership," Modi tweeted.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi — whom Trump once reportedly referred to as "my favorite dictator" — was one of the first Arab leaders to congratulate Biden. The Trump administration has removed blocks on military aid to Egypt that were previously imposed due to human rights concerns.
But while most world leaders highlighted Biden's victory, others celebrated Trump's defeat.
Iran's state news agency quoted President Hassan Rouhani as saying the U.S. must now correct its "false approach toward Iran in the past three years."
In his comments, Rouhani made apparent reference to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the world's major powers, which called for easing sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran pulling back on its nuclear program. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal in 2018 and has since reimposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Iran.
Rouhani said the Iranian people had stood up to American "economic terrorism" under Trump and that it was time for the U.S. to return to "honoring its commitments."
Some Palestinian leaders also expressed relief at Trump's loss.
"America Detrumped! The world also needs to be able to breathe. Trumpism must be carefully scrutinized & remedied to restore the human, moral & legal equilibrium within and beyond the US," Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi tweeted.
In Gaza, the political leader of the militant group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, called the Trump administration "the most extremist in supporting the occupation at the expense of Palestinian national rights."
Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the U.S. Embassy there — even though Palestinians seek part of the city for their future capital.
"We call on the elected administration to abandon the so-called deal of the century and to cancel the decision to consider Jerusalem as the capital of the occupation and to transfer the American embassy to it, " Haniyeh said in a statement.
NPR's Julie McCarthy, Jane Arraf, Lauren Frayer, Peter Kenyon and Daniel Estrin contributed to this report.


npr--2020-11-07--Leaders Of Hungary And Slovenia, Stout Trump Allies In EU, Say U.S. Vote Isn't Over

Leaders Of Hungary And Slovenia , Stout Trump Allies In EU , Say U.S. Vote Is n't Over Most European leaders are congratulating Joe Biden on Saturday for winning the U.S. presidency .
Not Janez Jansa , prime minister of Slovenia , the alpine country in Eastern Europe where Melania Trump was born and raised .
Instead , Jansa attacked the media .
He tweeted that the `` # MSM ( and not some official body ) announced the winner . ''
Jansa noted that `` complaints have been filed '' and said `` the courts have not even begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attorneys have filed legal challenges in several states where Biden edged out the incumbent .
Some have been thrown out , and others are pending .
Jansa , an anti-immigrant conservative , is one of the MAGA-style populists in Europe who endorsed Trump before the election .
Jansa even cheered Trump on when the president prematurely declared victory long before the vote counting had finished .
Another Trump ally , Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban , also did not congratulate Biden on Saturday .
Origo , a pro-government news site controlled by Orban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declaring `` Chaos in America '' and pointing out that `` big media '' declared Biden the victor .
Orban , the first European Union leader to back Trump in 2016 , called the U.S. president a friend and predicted he would win reelection .
Orban has accused the Democrats of `` moral imperialism , '' and his government has recycled Trump attacks on Hunter Biden , Joe Biden 's son .
Biden got a shoutout from at least one leader in Hungary : Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony said he hopes the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Trump was good for the Orban government , '' Karacsony wrote on his Facebook page .
`` President Biden will be good for Hungary . ''
Orban 's main partner in the EU , Polish President Andrzej Duda — a Trump ally who narrowly won reelection this year — also acknowledged Biden 's victory .
Duda applauded Biden `` for a successful presidential campaign '' and tweeted , `` Poland is determined to upkeep high-level and high-quality PL-US strategic partnership for an even stronger alliance . ''

Leaders Of Hungary And Slovenia, Stout Trump Allies In EU, Say U.S. Vote Isn't Over
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chris Kleponis/Pool via Bloomberg/Getty Images Chris Kleponis/Pool via Bloomberg/Getty Images
Most European leaders are congratulating Joe Biden on Saturday for winning the U.S. presidency. Not Janez Jansa, prime minister of Slovenia, the alpine country in Eastern Europe where Melania Trump was born and raised.
Instead, Jansa attacked the media. He tweeted that the "#MSM (and not some official body) announced the winner." Jansa noted that "complaints have been filed" and said "the courts have not even begun to decide."
President Trump's attorneys have filed legal challenges in several states where Biden edged out the incumbent. Some have been thrown out, and others are pending.
Jansa, an anti-immigrant conservative, is one of the MAGA-style populists in Europe who endorsed Trump before the election. Jansa even cheered Trump on when the president prematurely declared victory long before the vote counting had finished.
Another Trump ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, also did not congratulate Biden on Saturday. Origo, a pro-government news site controlled by Orban's allies, instead flashed a headline declaring "Chaos in America" and pointing out that "big media" declared Biden the victor.
Orban, the first European Union leader to back Trump in 2016, called the U.S. president a friend and predicted he would win reelection. Orban has accused the Democrats of "moral imperialism," and his government has recycled Trump attacks on Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son.
Biden got a shoutout from at least one leader in Hungary: Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony said he hopes the new American leadership will help uphold democratic values.
"Trump was good for the Orban government," Karacsony wrote on his Facebook page. "President Biden will be good for Hungary."
Orban's main partner in the EU, Polish President Andrzej Duda — a Trump ally who narrowly won reelection this year — also acknowledged Biden's victory.
Duda applauded Biden "for a successful presidential campaign" and tweeted, "Poland is determined to upkeep high-level and high-quality PL-US strategic partnership for an even stronger alliance."


npr--2020-11-07--Drums, Confetti And 'Thank Youse': Philadelphia Parties For Trump's Defeat

Drums , Confetti And 'Thank Youse ' : Philadelphia Parties For Trump 's Defeat Cheers , honking , cowbell and drum sounds and even confetti filled the air in downtown Philadelphia on Saturday as supporters of President-elect Joe Biden poured into the streets with signs reading : `` The People Have Spoken , '' `` Thank Youse '' and `` Philly Says : Donald Trump , You 're Fired . ''
A reliable Democratic stronghold , Philadelphia had gripped the attention of the nation as Pennsylvania became the state that tipped the presidential election in Biden 's favor on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel like it 's been four years that we 've been waiting .
...
I think people have a feeling that their voices are finally being heard after all this time , '' said Shayne Rasay , standing on the sidelines of a procession down Broad Street .
People pumped fists in the air and erupted in sporadic cheer .
Someone dressed as a unicorn doled out loud affirmations .
A tour bus driver leaned on the horn in the background .
Flag-waving passengers popped out of sunroofs in passing cars .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden , Kamala Harris and their administration can bring the country together , '' Rasay said .
`` That 's a tall order for any incoming president , but I feel that with their leadership we can unite ... and move on . ''
For days , pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators gathered in front of Philadelphia 's massive ballot-counting venue at the city 's convention center .
On Saturday , President Trump 's supporters continued to wave flags and stand in solidarity with the president , saying they have not accepted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` They told us Biden was going to win in a landslide .
They 're just trying to demoralize us , '' said Andi , who held a sign in support of Trump .
She asked to use only her first name for fear of retaliation from her colleagues and bosses .
`` I 'm here because I support transparency , '' she said .
`` I 'm watching for the recount .
I 'm watching this going through the court .
...
This has to be a legal and civil process , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it . ''
Across the street — and across several lines of barriers separating them — a raucous celebratory rally ballooned by the hour .

Drums, Confetti And 'Thank Youse': Philadelphia Parties For Trump's Defeat
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP
Cheers, honking, cowbell and drum sounds and even confetti filled the air in downtown Philadelphia on Saturday as supporters of President-elect Joe Biden poured into the streets with signs reading: "The People Have Spoken," "Thank Youse" and "Philly Says: Donald Trump, You're Fired."
A reliable Democratic stronghold, Philadelphia had gripped the attention of the nation as Pennsylvania became the state that tipped the presidential election in Biden's favor on the fifth day of ballot counting.
"I feel like it's been four years that we've been waiting. ... I think people have a feeling that their voices are finally being heard after all this time," said Shayne Rasay, standing on the sidelines of a procession down Broad Street.
People pumped fists in the air and erupted in sporadic cheer. Someone dressed as a unicorn doled out loud affirmations. A tour bus driver leaned on the horn in the background. Flag-waving passengers popped out of sunroofs in passing cars.
toggle caption Rebecca Blackwell/AP
"I have really high hopes that Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and their administration can bring the country together," Rasay said. "That's a tall order for any incoming president, but I feel that with their leadership we can unite ... and move on."
For days, pro- and anti-Trump demonstrators gathered in front of Philadelphia's massive ballot-counting venue at the city's convention center. On Saturday, President Trump's supporters continued to wave flags and stand in solidarity with the president, saying they have not accepted the call that Biden won the election.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rebecca Blackwell/AP Rebecca Blackwell/AP
"They told us Biden was going to win in a landslide. They're just trying to demoralize us," said Andi, who held a sign in support of Trump. She asked to use only her first name for fear of retaliation from her colleagues and bosses.
"I'm here because I support transparency," she said. "I'm watching for the recount. I'm watching this going through the court. ... This has to be a legal and civil process, and I'm confident America can do it."
Across the street — and across several lines of barriers separating them — a raucous celebratory rally ballooned by the hour.