npr--2020-09-14--How The Coronavirus Has Affected Individual Members Of Congress

How The Coronavirus Has Affected Individual Members Of Congress Updated on September 14 at 12:45 p.m .
ET The coronavirus pandemic has upended the daily work of Congress .
Starting in March , House and Senate leaders delayed bringing back members for several weeks as public health guidelines recommended social distancing because of the outbreak .
The Senate finally returned in May , but the much larger House still stayed mostly away as a result of advice from the attending physician to Congress .
That same month , the House approved historic rule changes allowing remote voting and hearings .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced many more members to self-quarantine .
Dozens more members of their staffs and Capitol Hill workers have tested positive .
And it remains an ongoing threat .
Two Republican lawmakers , Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona , were the first members of Congress to announce self-quarantines on March 8 .
Both had attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor , Md.
, a few days earlier .
An attendee at the conference had fallen ill , its organizers revealed .
The following week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they tested positive for the coronavirus .
Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah both said they developed symptoms after a March 14 vote on a coronavirus relief package .
Since that time , dozens more lawmakers entered self-quarantine as a result of exposure to someone who was sick , including fellow members of Congress , constituents and dignitaries .
And by late July , at least 85 Capitol workers have reported a positive test or were presumed so , including more than two dozen members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 , Gary Tibbetts , a longtime staffer for Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida , died from COVID-19 .
And some lawmakers have taken antibody tests to see if they were previously ill .
Among them , Democratic Sens .
Tim Kaine of Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania , both said they tested positive months after experiencing symptoms in the spring .
To stem the flow of new cases , both chambers have issued new social distancing guidance .
Also , the U.S. Capitol remains closed to public tours and open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and official business visitors .
In late July , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also issued a new mask mandate after Rep. Louie Gohmert , R-Texas , who has often rejected mask protocols , tested positive for the coronavirus .
Gohmert had attended several hearings a day before testing and returned to the Capitol following a White House screening that caught his infection .
This story was originally published on April 15 , 2020 .

Congress and COVID-19: members' cases and quarantines
Enlarge this image toggle caption Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Editor's note: This page is no longer updating as of Dec. 31, 2021.
A number of congressional lawmakers experienced breakthrough COVID-19 infections as coronavirus cases rose nationwide with the spread of the omicron variant.
Earlier in 2021, Congress went months with no coronavirus cases among its members. That came a halt amid a national surge driven by the delta variant, when Republican Reps. Vern Buchanan of Florida and Clay Higgins of Louisiana reported infections in July. Buchanan says he was fully vaccinated, but that was less clear for Higgins.
At least another dozen members followed throughout the fall with news they had also tested positive for coronavirus; many of those infections involving vaccinated Senate and House members.
Before these latest waves, Congress' nearly six-month case pause came after a majority of more than 500 lawmakers were fully vaccinated by January. The Capitol's attending physician then lifted much of the mask mandates that dominated the past year. However, a minority of House Republican members have refused to seek vaccination.
Lawmakers impact by the coronavirus
This new threat arrives after the coronavirus already exacted a large toll on the Capitol.
Last year, the pandemic upended daily work for months, sickening dozens of members and hundreds of workers. A sitting congressman, a member-elect and an aide died.
By February 2021, more than 60 lawmakers and 360 Capitol Hill workers had tested positive, or were presumed so, for the coronavirus, according to NPR's tracker and congressional aides.
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See a list of all members who tested positive or quarantined.
That same month, Rep. Ron Wright, R-Texas, became the first sitting member of Congress to die after a more than two-week battle with COVID-19. In December, Rep.-elect Luke Letlow of Louisiana died days before he was due to be sworn in for a seat that was later filled in April by his widow, Rep. Julia Letlow, following a special election.
And last summer, an aide to Buchanan died from COVID-19.
The rash of infections among members continued at a consistent pace since the pandemic began, with the longest stretch without any such cases lasting about three weeks during recess periods away from Washington, D.C.
But this past March, Capitol Hill began its first month-long stretch without any reported cases or quarantines among members. The most recent positive case before July was reported by Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., on Jan. 29, despite his having received his second dose of the vaccine days earlier.
Another member, House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., reported that she quarantined on Feb. 1. It ended Feb. 8 without a report of a positive test.
January 6 insurrection caused spike in cases on Capitol Hill
Up until this summer, the most recent outbreak of cases on Capitol Hill for members was triggered by the Jan. 6 insurrection, which forced members to cluster together in rooms for several hours. Some House Republicans were seen refusing to wear masks during the ordeal.
Later, Monahan told Congress that at least one of these holding rooms for House members included a lawmaker who was already positive.
More than a half-dozen members quarantined as a result, and several tested positive, including Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey and Brad Schneider of Illinois.
In all, January proved to be one of members' worst month for the coronavirus, with at least 16 lawmakers testing positive. Before the insurrection, the House met to launch a new session before reinstating rules allowing proxy voting.
This, as congressional leaders and lawmakers received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which became available to members in December. The doses were provided to meet long-standing requirements for continuity of government operations, Monahan told members in a Dec. 17 note.
Pandemic impacted congressional operations
Ahead of the vaccinations, both chambers of Congress recessed multiple times last year as the Capitol went largely without a widespread testing program.
The Democratic-controlled House installed emergency proxy voting and remote hearings in May 2020, and Pelosi extended the covered period several times due to the pandemic. It remains in place until at least until mid-August.
In November, Pelosi triggered a broader coronavirus testing program for Congress following new requirement for travelers to the Washington, D.C., area.
Pelosi has previously said with about 75% of House members vaccinated, and several Republicans who refuse to do so, she's unclear when Congress will fully get back to normal.
"One of the most substantial steps that can be taken is that everybody should be vaccinated," Pelosi told reporters in March, later adding, "We need 100% of the members vaccinated, because it just takes one to endanger others."
The pandemic delayed other rituals, such as President Biden's first address before a joint session of Congress, which was held with only 200 socially distanced guests on April 28.
Last year remains a reminder of how quickly outbreaks spiraled out of control among lawmakers.
In December, at least nine House members, including six Republicans, tested positive for the coronavirus. And November proved to be another one of the worst months of the pandemic for Congress, when at least 15 lawmakers said they were infected, including two of the oldest, Republicans Rep. Don Young of Alaska and Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
A previous outbreak in September was tied to a White House Rose Garden ceremony to announce Amy Coney Barrett as then-President Donald Trump's Supreme Court justice nominee. Trump, then-first lady Melania Trump and dozens of others in attendance tested positive, including Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
It was one of several instances forcing leaders to change the congressional schedule.
Starting in the first month of the pandemic, in March 2020, House and Senate leaders delayed bringing back members in light of public health guidelines recommending social distancing.
The Senate returned in May 2020, but the much larger House remained mostly away under the advice of Monahan, the Capitol's attending physician. That same month, the House approved its historic rule changes to allow remote voting and hearings.
The first spate of cases began March 8, 2020, when two Republican lawmakers, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, were the first members of Congress to announce self-quarantines. Both attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Md., where another guest fell ill.
The following week, the first two members of Congress said they tested positive for the coronavirus. Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and then-Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah both said they developed symptoms after a March 14 floor vote on a coronavirus relief package.
By last summer, dozens of Capitol workers reported a positive test or were presumed so, and Gary Tibbetts, a longtime staffer for Buchanan died from COVID-19 on July 24.
Some lawmakers also took antibody tests to see if they were previously infected. They include Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, who both said they tested positive months after experiencing symptoms in the spring.
To stem the flow of new cases, both chambers early on issued new social distancing guidance. Also, the U.S. Capitol closed to public tours and remained open only to members, staff, the press and official business visitors, and aside from the Jan. 6 breach by pro-Trump extremists, it has remained so.
In late July 2020, Pelosi also issued a temporary, new mask mandate after Texas GOP Rep. Louie Gohmert, who often rejected such protocols, tested positive. Gohmert had attended several hearings a day earlier and returned to the Capitol following a White House screening that caught his infection.
Gohmert's case triggered quarantines for five House members, including Arizona Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva. Days later, Grijalva tested positive but fully recovered symptom free. Until recent changes lifting the mask mandates, members could be fined or be forcibly removed by Capitol Police if they are not wearing masks.


npr--2020-09-14--At Least 25 Indian Lawmakers Test Positive For Coronavirus As Parliament Reopens

At Least 25 Indian Lawmakers Test Positive For Coronavirus As Parliament Reopens India 's parliament reopened Monday for the first time in nearly six months , but at least 25 lawmakers were barred from entering the chamber after testing positive for the coronavirus .
The virus is spreading faster in India than anywhere in the world , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
India has been reporting nearly 100,000 new infections a day , despite a low testing rate per capita .
More than 1,000 deaths per day have also been reported .
With nearly 5 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second-most affected country , behind the United States .
Nearly 80,000 people in India have died from COVID-19 .
Indian lawmakers were required to get tested for the coronavirus 72 hours in advance of entering parliament Monday .
Among those who tested positive , and were barred from entering , was Meenakshi Lekhi , a national spokeswoman for Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party , or BJP .
At parliament in New Delhi , lawmakers who tested negative were allowed to take their seats inside the chamber Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupied every third seat and were separated by plexiglass dividers .
Everyone wore masks , and some lawmakers also wore face shields .
But many stayed away .
Out of 541 lawmakers in the lower house , or Lok Sabha , only about 200 attended Monday 's session .
A few dozen members sat in a visitors ' gallery above the main chamber .
There are a total of 785 lawmakers currently serving in India 's bicameral parliament .
With 25 of them testing positive before Monday 's session , that 's at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 10 times higher than that of the general population .
Many lawmakers also tested positive earlier in the pandemic and have since recovered .
Aside from officially confirmed cases , serological studies have shown that as many as 1 in 4 Indians already have antibodies against the coronavirus — suggesting the real rates of exposure to the virus may be much higher than the case number indicates .
India 's parliament convened Monday for the first time since March 23 .
The session has been shortened , with the Lok Sabha meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sabha , the upper house , conducting business in the afternoons .
There is a lot on Indian lawmakers ' agenda : They 're expected to debate measures to try to rescue India 's economy , and to address fraying relations with neighboring China .
Last quarter , India 's economy shrank by nearly 24 % .
An initial lockdown , imposed in late March , stranded hundreds of millions of poor laborers in urban centers and industrial zones , leaving many of them with little to eat .
The government eased the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 260 billion in aid , but that failed to halt economic losses .
Meanwhile , there have been skirmishes on the India-China border , high in the Himalayas , including a bout of bloody , hand-to-hand combat that left at least 20 Indian troops dead in June .
Diplomats from both countries say they 're de-escalating and communicating .
But there are fears of all-out war between the world 's two most populous countries , at a time of multiple crises .
`` Parliament session is beginning in distinct times , '' Modi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` There 's corona and there 's duty . ''

At Least 25 Indian Lawmakers Test Positive For Coronavirus As Parliament Reopens
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
India's parliament reopened Monday for the first time in nearly six months, but at least 25 lawmakers were barred from entering the chamber after testing positive for the coronavirus.
The virus is spreading faster in India than anywhere in the world, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. India has been reporting nearly 100,000 new infections a day, despite a low testing rate per capita. More than 1,000 deaths per day have also been reported.
With nearly 5 million total confirmed cases, India is currently the second-most affected country, behind the United States. Nearly 80,000 people in India have died from COVID-19.
Indian lawmakers were required to get tested for the coronavirus 72 hours in advance of entering parliament Monday. Among those who tested positive, and were barred from entering, was Meenakshi Lekhi, a national spokeswoman for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP.
At parliament in New Delhi, lawmakers who tested negative were allowed to take their seats inside the chamber Monday, but at a social distance. They occupied every third seat and were separated by plexiglass dividers. Everyone wore masks, and some lawmakers also wore face shields.
But many stayed away. Out of 541 lawmakers in the lower house, or Lok Sabha, only about 200 attended Monday's session. A few dozen members sat in a visitors' gallery above the main chamber.
There are a total of 785 lawmakers currently serving in India's bicameral parliament. With 25 of them testing positive before Monday's session, that's at least a 3% infection rate — about 10 times higher than that of the general population. Many lawmakers also tested positive earlier in the pandemic and have since recovered.
Aside from officially confirmed cases, serological studies have shown that as many as 1 in 4 Indians already have antibodies against the coronavirus — suggesting the real rates of exposure to the virus may be much higher than the case number indicates.
India's parliament convened Monday for the first time since March 23. The session has been shortened, with the Lok Sabha meeting in the mornings, and the Rajya Sabha, the upper house, conducting business in the afternoons.
There is a lot on Indian lawmakers' agenda: They're expected to debate measures to try to rescue India's economy, and to address fraying relations with neighboring China.
Last quarter, India's economy shrank by nearly 24%. An initial lockdown, imposed in late March, stranded hundreds of millions of poor laborers in urban centers and industrial zones, leaving many of them with little to eat. The government eased the lockdown in early June and announced $260 billion in aid, but that failed to halt economic losses.
Meanwhile, there have been skirmishes on the India-China border, high in the Himalayas, including a bout of bloody, hand-to-hand combat that left at least 20 Indian troops dead in June. Diplomats from both countries say they're de-escalating and communicating. But there are fears of all-out war between the world's two most populous countries, at a time of multiple crises.
"Parliament session is beginning in distinct times," Modi told reporters before Monday's session began. "There's corona and there's duty."


npr--2020-09-14--A Possible Sign Of Life Right Next Door To Earth, On Venus

A Possible Sign Of Life Right Next Door To Earth , On Venus Scientists say they 've detected a gas in the clouds of Venus that , on Earth , is produced by microbial life .
The researchers have racked their brains trying to understand why this toxic gas , phosphine , is there in such quantities , but they ca n't think of any geologic or chemical explanation .
The mystery raises the astonishing possibility that Venus , the planet that comes closest to Earth as it whizzes around the sun , might have some kind of life flourishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yellow , hazy clouds .
Nothing could live on what passes for land on Venus ; its smooth volcanic plains are a scorching hellscape hot enough to melt lead , where the temperatures exceed 800 degrees Fahrenheit .
High in the clouds , however , the pressures and temperatures and acidity levels would be less intense — though still vile .
The clouds are far more acidic than any environments where microbes make their home on Earth .
And instead of water , the clouds on Venus contain droplets of concentrated sulfuric acid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ water that it 's many times drier than the driest desert on Earth .
All in all , it seems like an unlikely place for life .
Nonetheless , the new report in the journal Nature Astronomy has astrobiologists and planetary scientists talking .
Two different telescopes , at two different times , looked at Venus and saw the chemical signature that is unique to phosphine .
If this gas is really there , Venus has either got some kind of geologic or chemical activity going on that no one understands , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door .
In many ways , Venus is similar to Earth .
`` Before its quite dramatic , runaway greenhouse effect , the surface was pretty habitable , '' says Clara Sousa-Silva at MIT , who explains that there has long been a theory out there that Venus might have once been inhabited and that life could have retained a stronghold in the clouds .
Even Carl Sagan entertained this idea back in the 1960s .
That 's why she was so intrigued when Jane Greaves of Cardiff University contacted her .
Greaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently found an estimated abundance of 20 parts per billion of phosphine in Venus ' clouds .
Sousa-Silva had been studying phosphine as a possible biosignature that could indicate the potential for life being present on planets that orbit distant stars .
At first glance , phosphine might seem like a funny molecule to associate with life , given that it 's a `` highly flammable , extremely toxic , outrageously foul-smelling molecule , '' says Sousa-Silva .
`` It 's an extremely dangerous molecule that kills in a variety of imaginative ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and macabre . ''
`` It 's used widely as a fumigant and it was used as a chemical warfare agent in the first world war , '' she says , noting that the colorless gas can burn with a green and blue light .
As for its odor , well , `` apparently it smells basically like death , '' says Sousa-Silva .
`` It just smells horrific .
We once , I think , found a report of someone saying it smelled like the rancid diapers of the spawn of Satan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ metabolism , it 's toxic for the majority of life on Earth .
Still , says Sousa-Silva , `` there 's plenty of life , mostly in the shadows , that does n't particularly enjoy oxygen and does n't rely on oxygen .
And these anaerobic ecosystems on Earth happily produce phosphine in reasonably large quantities . ''
Life that makes phosphine on Earth is found in swamps and sewage plants and the bottoms of lakes , she says , as well as in the intestines of animals — that 's why phosphine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` This is not life that we would find pleasant , '' says Sousa-Silva .
`` Then again , they probably find us disgusting . ''
Phosphine is so chemically reactive that it breaks down quickly , however , so how was it accumulating in the clouds of Venus ?
The researchers considered possible sources on the surface of Venus , as well as delivery by meteorites , creation by lightning , or obscure chemical reactions in the atmosphere .
Nothing they dreamed up could do the trick .
That left the possibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ microbes in the clouds circulate up and down from the surface , but that would n't be possible on Venus because the surface is so deadly , says Janusz Petkowski of MIT .
Any life in the clouds of Venus , he says , would have to somehow survive in highly concentrated sulfuric acid that 's around a billion times worse than any acidic environment on Earth .
That 's very difficult to imagine , says Petkowski .
`` But is it impossible ?
I would say that it is not impossible .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on , he says , scientists might end up having to just send a mission to Venus that could sample the cloud chemistry .
Calls for a new look at Venus have already been growing , even before this new discovery .
A mission that would send a spherical probe plunging through the atmosphere of Venus down to its surface , for example , is one of the proposals that NASA is currently considering for future solar system exploration .
`` Venus is like a giant unknown , '' says Hilairy Hartnett @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's one of the planets that we almost know the least about in our own solar system . ''
NASA astrobiologist Giada Arney agrees .
`` If there 's life in the Venus clouds , that would be extraordinary , but there 's still much we do n't understand about the Venus environment , '' she says .
While the research team that produced this new study clearly has done a lot of thinking about what non-living processes might produce phosphine on Venus , `` there is much about Venus we still do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poorly .
It 'll take the combined work of the Venus and astrobiology communities to answer this important question fully . ''
Venus was the first planet ever visited by a spacecraft , when NASA 's Mariner 2 flew by in 1962 .
Before that mission , scientists could only peer at its shroud of clouds and wonder what lay beneath them .
Mariner 2 showed that the surface of Venus was an inhospitable furnace , so it could n't be the kind of primordial jungle that some had imagined .
Conditions on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's hard to send a probe that can survive .
In 1982 , the Soviet spacecraft Venera 13 lasted only a couple of hours after landing , sending home photos of orange-brown rocks before it succumbed .
Venus was n't always this way ; it used to be much more cozy .
New climate models show that Venus could have sustained liquid water on its surface as recently as a billion years ago , says Stephen Kane of the University of California , Riverside .
If the phosphine find represents `` the remnants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it probably would have had to have sustained its presence in the clouds for about a billion years , '' says Kane , calling that `` an extremely difficult problem '' to solve .
`` We do need to seriously consider that there is a much more natural geological explanation that we just have n't figured out yet , '' says Kane .
He notes that frequently when scientists talk about finding `` biosignatures '' that could indicate the possible presence of life , they focus on far-off planets around stars other than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kane , are so remote that they 're basically unreachable in human lifetimes , but Venus is close at hand .
`` This is a test for us because in this case , we can go to Venus , '' says Kane .
`` This is really an incredibly important test for the whole concept of biosignatures . ''
Just the presence of phosphorus in Venus ' atmosphere is fascinating , even if it does n't turn out to be linked to life on Venus , says Hartnett .
She points out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the genetic code and the energy currency of cells , yet scientists know little about how phosphorus is distributed in planets .
`` The phosphine detection is exciting , '' agrees Bethany Ehlmann , a planetary scientist at Caltech .
`` Of course , you know , the big tantalizing aspect is that it could be life . ''
But , echoing Carl Sagan , she says , `` 'Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence . '
Put phosphine on Venus in the list of mysteries , big mysteries , in the solar @ @ @

A Possible Sign Of Life Right Next Door To Earth, On Venus
Enlarge this image toggle caption NASA NASA
Scientists say they've detected a gas in the clouds of Venus that, on Earth, is produced by microbial life.
The researchers have racked their brains trying to understand why this toxic gas, phosphine, is there in such quantities, but they can't think of any geologic or chemical explanation.
The mystery raises the astonishing possibility that Venus, the planet that comes closest to Earth as it whizzes around the sun, might have some kind of life flourishing more than 30 miles up in its yellow, hazy clouds.
Nothing could live on what passes for land on Venus; its smooth volcanic plains are a scorching hellscape hot enough to melt lead, where the temperatures exceed 800 degrees Fahrenheit. High in the clouds, however, the pressures and temperatures and acidity levels would be less intense — though still vile.
The clouds are far more acidic than any environments where microbes make their home on Earth. And instead of water, the clouds on Venus contain droplets of concentrated sulfuric acid; the atmosphere is so bereft of water that it's many times drier than the driest desert on Earth.
All in all, it seems like an unlikely place for life. Nonetheless, the new report in the journal Nature Astronomy has astrobiologists and planetary scientists talking. Two different telescopes, at two different times, looked at Venus and saw the chemical signature that is unique to phosphine. If this gas is really there, Venus has either got some kind of geologic or chemical activity going on that no one understands, or alien life might be living right next door.
In many ways, Venus is similar to Earth. "Before its quite dramatic, runaway greenhouse effect, the surface was pretty habitable," says Clara Sousa-Silva at MIT, who explains that there has long been a theory out there that Venus might have once been inhabited and that life could have retained a stronghold in the clouds. Even Carl Sagan entertained this idea back in the 1960s.
That's why she was so intrigued when Jane Greaves of Cardiff University contacted her. Greaves shared that she and some colleagues had recently found an estimated abundance of 20 parts per billion of phosphine in Venus' clouds. Sousa-Silva had been studying phosphine as a possible biosignature that could indicate the potential for life being present on planets that orbit distant stars.
At first glance, phosphine might seem like a funny molecule to associate with life, given that it's a "highly flammable, extremely toxic, outrageously foul-smelling molecule," says Sousa-Silva. "It's an extremely dangerous molecule that kills in a variety of imaginative ways, all of which are very final and macabre."
"It's used widely as a fumigant and it was used as a chemical warfare agent in the first world war," she says, noting that the colorless gas can burn with a green and blue light.
As for its odor, well, "apparently it smells basically like death," says Sousa-Silva. "It just smells horrific. We once, I think, found a report of someone saying it smelled like the rancid diapers of the spawn of Satan."
Because phosphine interferes with oxygen metabolism, it's toxic for the majority of life on Earth. Still, says Sousa-Silva, "there's plenty of life, mostly in the shadows, that doesn't particularly enjoy oxygen and doesn't rely on oxygen. And these anaerobic ecosystems on Earth happily produce phosphine in reasonably large quantities."
Life that makes phosphine on Earth is found in swamps and sewage plants and the bottoms of lakes, she says, as well as in the intestines of animals — that's why phosphine can be detected in their flatulence.
"This is not life that we would find pleasant," says Sousa-Silva. "Then again, they probably find us disgusting."
Phosphine is so chemically reactive that it breaks down quickly, however, so how was it accumulating in the clouds of Venus? The researchers considered possible sources on the surface of Venus, as well as delivery by meteorites, creation by lightning, or obscure chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Nothing they dreamed up could do the trick.
That left the possibility of life. On Earth, any microbes in the clouds circulate up and down from the surface, but that wouldn't be possible on Venus because the surface is so deadly, says Janusz Petkowski of MIT. Any life in the clouds of Venus, he says, would have to somehow survive in highly concentrated sulfuric acid that's around a billion times worse than any acidic environment on Earth.
That's very difficult to imagine, says Petkowski. "But is it impossible? I would say that it is not impossible."
To find out what's really going on, he says, scientists might end up having to just send a mission to Venus that could sample the cloud chemistry.
Calls for a new look at Venus have already been growing, even before this new discovery. A mission that would send a spherical probe plunging through the atmosphere of Venus down to its surface, for example, is one of the proposals that NASA is currently considering for future solar system exploration.
"Venus is like a giant unknown," says Hilairy Hartnett of Arizona State University. "It's one of the planets that we almost know the least about in our own solar system."
NASA astrobiologist Giada Arney agrees. "If there's life in the Venus clouds, that would be extraordinary, but there's still much we don't understand about the Venus environment," she says. While the research team that produced this new study clearly has done a lot of thinking about what non-living processes might produce phosphine on Venus, "there is much about Venus we still don't understand, or that we understand poorly. It'll take the combined work of the Venus and astrobiology communities to answer this important question fully."
Venus was the first planet ever visited by a spacecraft, when NASA's Mariner 2 flew by in 1962. Before that mission, scientists could only peer at its shroud of clouds and wonder what lay beneath them. Mariner 2 showed that the surface of Venus was an inhospitable furnace, so it couldn't be the kind of primordial jungle that some had imagined.
Conditions on the surface are so extreme that it's hard to send a probe that can survive. In 1982, the Soviet spacecraft Venera 13 lasted only a couple of hours after landing, sending home photos of orange-brown rocks before it succumbed.
Venus wasn't always this way; it used to be much more cozy. New climate models show that Venus could have sustained liquid water on its surface as recently as a billion years ago, says Stephen Kane of the University of California, Riverside.
If the phosphine find represents "the remnants of some past ecosystem, that means it probably would have had to have sustained its presence in the clouds for about a billion years," says Kane, calling that "an extremely difficult problem" to solve.
"We do need to seriously consider that there is a much more natural geological explanation that we just haven't figured out yet," says Kane.
He notes that frequently when scientists talk about finding "biosignatures" that could indicate the possible presence of life, they focus on far-off planets around stars other than our sun. Those planets, notes Kane, are so remote that they're basically unreachable in human lifetimes, but Venus is close at hand.
"This is a test for us because in this case, we can go to Venus," says Kane. "This is really an incredibly important test for the whole concept of biosignatures."
Just the presence of phosphorus in Venus' atmosphere is fascinating, even if it doesn't turn out to be linked to life on Venus, says Hartnett. She points out that on Earth, phosphorus is the backbone of the genetic code and the energy currency of cells, yet scientists know little about how phosphorus is distributed in planets.
"The phosphine detection is exciting," agrees Bethany Ehlmann, a planetary scientist at Caltech. "Of course, you know, the big tantalizing aspect is that it could be life."
But, echoing Carl Sagan, she says, " 'Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.' Put phosphine on Venus in the list of mysteries, big mysteries, in the solar system."


npr--2020-09-14--'We Had To Take Action': States In Mexico Move To Ban Junk Food Sales To Minors

'We Had To Take Action ' : States In Mexico Move To Ban Junk Food Sales To Minors Picture this : You 're 17 , you walk into a corner store and grab a Coca-Cola and Doritos , but the cashier refuses to sell them to you because you 're underage .
That rule is expected to soon become reality in parts of Mexico , as lawmakers in several states push legislation to keep junk food away from children , partly in response to the coronavirus pandemic .
First Oaxaca 's state legislature passed a ban on selling or giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to minors on Aug. 5 .
Less than two weeks later , Tabasco state approved a prohibition , too .
Now at least a dozen other states are considering similar legislation .
`` I know it can sound a bit drastic but we had to take action now , '' says Magaly López , a lawmaker in Oaxaca 's Congress who spearheaded the ban .
More than 70,000 Mexicans have died from COVID-19 , the world 's fourth-highest recorded death toll , according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University .
Two-thirds of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical condition such as obesity , diabetes , hypertension and cardiovascular problems , according to Health Department officials .
That has led to a new urgency to change diets so that the younger generation does n't suffer those ailments .
`` The damage of this kind of diet is even more visible because of the pandemic , '' says López , who is a member of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador 's Morena party .
The party 's critics , however , say its leaders are using preexisting health conditions in COVID-19 patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the virus outbreak .
Yet few would deny the country consumes large amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages and processed snacks with little nutrition — or that Mexico has a major weight problem .
One-third of Mexicans aged 6 to 19 are overweight or obese , according to UNICEF .
They may not be disproportionately affected by COVID-19 now , but they can suffer myriad health issues , especially in adulthood .
Senior federal officials have been calling on citizens to cut back on junk food .
Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell has called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country 's overweight health issue `` is not the fault of individuals , it 's the fault of this nutritional environment that has been developed to favor those [ junk food ] products instead of health , '' López-Gatell , Mexico 's coronavirus czar , said in July .
He has since endorsed the Oaxaca bill .
Oaxaca congresswoman López says legislators from all over the country have called her for advice .
In addition to Tabasco , Chihuahua state is debating a junk food ban , and Mexico City 's mayor says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A federal senator from Oaxaca says he wants to make it national law .
Oaxaca 's governor approved the state 's law last week .
Legislators still have to draw up enforcement mechanisms , and punishment could include fines and even jail .
A nationwide law would not be easy .
`` There are powerful commercial interests that do n't want it to happen , but we must prioritize the well-being of our children , '' López says .
The business owners ' association COPARMEX said the legislation `` will be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the informal economy . ''
Cuauhtémoc Rivera , the president of the National Small Businesses ' Alliance , has been a vociferous critic .
`` Formal businesses will close and transition to sidewalks and street corners , where consumption of these products will continue , '' without regulation or oversight , he says .
Rivera finds these laws particularly troubling at a time when coronavirus prevention measures have crushed small businesses .
His group estimates 150,000 businesses had to close during the pandemic and it expects many will not reopen .
Business groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the underprivileged .
`` The daily battle of the average Mexican is to stretch the little money you have as far as it can go , to fill the stomachs of everyone in your house , '' Rivera says .
The cheapest , easiest calories , especially in urban areas , he says , are things like soda , potato chips and white bread .
There are power dynamics at play that helped make these kinds of foods so widely consumed , according to Ana Larrañaga , of the public health advocacy group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
`` We should not only be looking at the companies , the brands , that are involved in the processing in the food but also the political context that allowed the lack of regulations , '' she says .
Larrañaga says the government failed to regulate junk food and soda for decades .
She notes that a former leader , Vicente Fox , had once served as CEO of Coca-Cola Mexico before becoming president in 2000 .
In 2013 , Coca-Cola tried to buy goodwill by sponsoring a school fitness program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the program , but it 's now widely seen as a failure .
Things began to change in 2014 , when the government imposed a tax on sugary drinks .
The tax contributed to a 6 % drop in soda drinking in its first year , according to government research , while milk and water consumption climbed .
And last year , a new federal law passed .
Starting in October , giant-font warning labels will be slapped on the front of food packages : `` EXCESS SUGAR ! ''
`` EXCESS SODIUM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Larrañaga says the junk food ban for minors is another encouraging step toward nutrition , if it really catches on .
`` Whether this policy will work or not ...
I definitely think it depends on the acceptance of the population , '' she says .
Oaxaca could be primed to embrace it .
In the rural Oaxacan town of Villa Hidalgo Yalálag , citizens have physically blocked chips and soda delivery trucks from entering since April , saying they do n't want outsiders to bring in the coronavirus or junk food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mexico City and Oaxaca state and found almost all knew about health problems related to junk food and agreed change was needed .
`` I 'd be frustrated at first if I could n't buy a Coke , '' said 16-year-old Wendy Treviño , `` but I 'd adapt .
And maybe I 'd think twice and buy fruit or something healthy instead . ''
And 17-year-old Daniela Santiago in Natividad , a small town in the highlands of Oaxaca , said during a workshop with a nonprofit : `` We learned about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diet , hypertension , diabetes , things like that , and I did n't know about all that . ''
Santiago thinks avoiding junk food should not be a problem , since Natividad 's residents have easy access to fresh produce and can stick with traditional dishes based around beans , vegetables , fruit and corn tortillas .
But she knows it may not be so simple in urban areas .
`` People in cities are always pressured by their work or school schedule and have no option but to eat junk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they know it 's unhealthy . ''

'We Had To Take Action': States In Mexico Move To Ban Junk Food Sales To Minors
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mauricio Palos/Bloomberg via Getty Images Mauricio Palos/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Picture this: You're 17, you walk into a corner store and grab a Coca-Cola and Doritos, but the cashier refuses to sell them to you because you're underage.
That rule is expected to soon become reality in parts of Mexico, as lawmakers in several states push legislation to keep junk food away from children, partly in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
First Oaxaca's state legislature passed a ban on selling or giving out high-calorie packaged foods and sugar-sweetened drinks to minors on Aug. 5. Less than two weeks later, Tabasco state approved a prohibition, too. Now at least a dozen other states are considering similar legislation.
"I know it can sound a bit drastic but we had to take action now," says Magaly López, a lawmaker in Oaxaca's Congress who spearheaded the ban.
More than 70,000 Mexicans have died from COVID-19, the world's fourth-highest recorded death toll, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University. Two-thirds of those who died in Mexico had an underlying medical condition such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular problems, according to Health Department officials. That has led to a new urgency to change diets so that the younger generation doesn't suffer those ailments.
"The damage of this kind of diet is even more visible because of the pandemic," says López, who is a member of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's Morena party.
The party's critics, however, say its leaders are using preexisting health conditions in COVID-19 patients to distract from a weak government response to the virus outbreak.
Yet few would deny the country consumes large amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages and processed snacks with little nutrition — or that Mexico has a major weight problem.
One-third of Mexicans aged 6 to 19 are overweight or obese, according to UNICEF. They may not be disproportionately affected by COVID-19 now, but they can suffer myriad health issues, especially in adulthood.
"Bottled poison"
Senior federal officials have been calling on citizens to cut back on junk food. Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell has called soda "bottled poison."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Hector Vivas/Getty Images Hector Vivas/Getty Images
The country's overweight health issue "is not the fault of individuals, it's the fault of this nutritional environment that has been developed to favor those [junk food] products instead of health," López-Gatell, Mexico's coronavirus czar, said in July. He has since endorsed the Oaxaca bill.
Oaxaca congresswoman López says legislators from all over the country have called her for advice. In addition to Tabasco, Chihuahua state is debating a junk food ban, and Mexico City's mayor says her administration is looking into something similar. A federal senator from Oaxaca says he wants to make it national law.
Oaxaca's governor approved the state's law last week. Legislators still have to draw up enforcement mechanisms, and punishment could include fines and even jail.
Business pressure
A nationwide law would not be easy. "There are powerful commercial interests that don't want it to happen, but we must prioritize the well-being of our children," López says.
The business owners' association COPARMEX said the legislation "will be an obstacle to commercial freedom and will incentivize the informal economy."
Cuauhtémoc Rivera, the president of the National Small Businesses' Alliance, has been a vociferous critic. "Formal businesses will close and transition to sidewalks and street corners, where consumption of these products will continue," without regulation or oversight, he says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eduardo Verdugo/AP Eduardo Verdugo/AP
Rivera finds these laws particularly troubling at a time when coronavirus prevention measures have crushed small businesses. His group estimates 150,000 businesses had to close during the pandemic and it expects many will not reopen.
Business groups also say the bans would disproportionately affect the underprivileged.
"The daily battle of the average Mexican is to stretch the little money you have as far as it can go, to fill the stomachs of everyone in your house," Rivera says. The cheapest, easiest calories, especially in urban areas, he says, are things like soda, potato chips and white bread.
Power dynamics
There are power dynamics at play that helped make these kinds of foods so widely consumed, according to Ana Larrañaga, of the public health advocacy group Salud Crítica ("critical health").
"We should not only be looking at the companies, the brands, that are involved in the processing in the food but also the political context that allowed the lack of regulations," she says.
Larrañaga says the government failed to regulate junk food and soda for decades. She notes that a former leader, Vicente Fox, had once served as CEO of Coca-Cola Mexico before becoming president in 2000.
In 2013, Coca-Cola tried to buy goodwill by sponsoring a school fitness program in Mexico. Several public institutions adopted the program, but it's now widely seen as a failure.
Things began to change in 2014, when the government imposed a tax on sugary drinks. The tax contributed to a 6% drop in soda drinking in its first year, according to government research, while milk and water consumption climbed.
And last year, a new federal law passed. Starting in October, giant-font warning labels will be slapped on the front of food packages: "EXCESS SUGAR!" "EXCESS SODIUM!" "EXCESS TRANS FATS!"
Larrañaga says the junk food ban for minors is another encouraging step toward nutrition, if it really catches on. "Whether this policy will work or not ... I definitely think it depends on the acceptance of the population," she says.
"Something healthy instead"
Oaxaca could be primed to embrace it. In the rural Oaxacan town of Villa Hidalgo Yalálag, citizens have physically blocked chips and soda delivery trucks from entering since April, saying they don't want outsiders to bring in the coronavirus or junk food.
NPR spoke to several teenagers in Mexico City and Oaxaca state and found almost all knew about health problems related to junk food and agreed change was needed.
"I'd be frustrated at first if I couldn't buy a Coke," said 16-year-old Wendy Treviño, "but I'd adapt. And maybe I'd think twice and buy fruit or something healthy instead."
And 17-year-old Daniela Santiago in Natividad, a small town in the highlands of Oaxaca, said during a workshop with a nonprofit: "We learned about all the diseases associated with a bad diet, hypertension, diabetes, things like that, and I didn't know about all that."
Santiago thinks avoiding junk food should not be a problem, since Natividad's residents have easy access to fresh produce and can stick with traditional dishes based around beans, vegetables, fruit and corn tortillas.
But she knows it may not be so simple in urban areas.
"People in cities are always pressured by their work or school schedule and have no option but to eat junk," Santiago says, "even if they know it's unhealthy."


npr--2020-09-14--Hurricane Sally Predicted To Bring 110-MPH Winds To Gulf Coast On Tuesday

Hurricane Sally Predicted To Bring 110-MPH Winds To Gulf Coast On Tuesday Hurricane Sally will likely make landfall on Tuesday or Tuesday night with sustained winds of at least 110 mph , making it a strong and dangerous Category 2 storm , the National Hurricane Center said .
Some coastal areas in Louisiana , Mississippi , Florida and Alabama are already seeing floods from the slow-moving storm , with Sally meandering over the north-central Gulf of Mexico .
Its forward speed will slow even further as it heads northwest and finally north toward landfall .
The surge could be as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The storm will also bring a huge amount of rain — from 8 to 16 inches , with up to 24 inches in isolated areas of the central Gulf Coast and the western Florida Panhandle .
`` Slow movement means more rain , '' National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said in an online briefing .
`` These rainfall totals are dangerous . ''
As of Monday afternoon , Sally was about 145 miles southeast of Biloxi , Miss.
, creeping west-northwest at 6 mph .
Its maximum sustained winds were measured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to develop winds of at least 111 mph to become a Category 3 storm — a major hurricane .
`` Impacts of an extremely dangerous and life-threatening storm surge , hurricane-force winds and torrential rain with flash flooding from Sally will likely begin later today , '' the National Weather Service said on Monday .
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft confirmed that Sally had strengthened into a hurricane , the National Hurricane Center announced at noon ET .
`` Additional strengthening is forecast during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center said .
Forecasters said conditions are too unstable to predict exactly where the storm will arrive .
Current projections show Sally coming ashore east of Gulfport , Miss .
The predicted track has shifted consistently eastward in the past 24 hours , bringing a measure of relief to people in southwestern Louisiana , which is still recovering from Hurricane Laura in late August .
Sally 's effects are already being felt in Florida , where it was expected to create flash floods across the peninsula Monday , the hurricane center said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ already happening across western and central Florida , the agency said .
Sally is one of five named storms the agency is tracking – tying a record from September 1971 for the most tropical cyclones at one time , according to senior hurricane specialist Eric Blake of the hurricane center .
The newest is Tropical Storm Vicky , which developed late Monday morning .
Hurricane Paulette made landfall on Bermuda early Monday , bringing sustained winds of at least 90 mph with higher gusts , the hurricane center said .
At around 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was inside the storm 's eyewall .
The storm 's center is now moving north-northwest away from the island , but dangers persist from strong winds and heavy rain that are still to come .
`` Please stay hunkered down Bermuda , '' the Bermuda Weather Service said Monday morning .
People in Bermuda should remain indoors until at least Monday afternoon , the National Hurricane Center said , warning that `` winds will increase suddenly from the southwest . ''
The massive amount of water Sally brings will pose a perilous threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Heightening that risk , the storm is expected to continue to move slowly , increasing the impact of its rainfall .
`` Life-threatening flash flooding is possible and widespread minor to isolated major flooding on area rivers is likely along and just inland of the Central Gulf Coast , '' the National Hurricane Center said .
A storm surge warning is in effect from Port Fourchon , La.
, to the Alabama-Florida border , including several lakes and Mobile Bay .
A hurricane warning is in effect from Morgan City , La.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Mississippi-Alabama border .
Parts of Mississippi and Alabama will also see the risk of significant flash and urban flooding through the middle of the week , the National Hurricane Center said .
`` Life threatening surf and rip currents have begun along our beaches this morning , '' said the National Weather Service office in Mobile , Ala. `` Waves will continue to increase throughout the day and DOUBLE RED flags are flying at all of our beaches .
Stay out of the water ! ''
`` The window of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly closing , '' Louisiana Gov .
John Bel Edwards told residents Sunday night .
Edwards declared a state of emergency over the weekend ; he has also asked President Trump to declare a federal emergency .
`` The storm is expected to impact New Orleans , where the state is currently housing more than 12,000 Hurricane Laura evacuees in hotels , '' NPR member station WWNO reported .
Overall , the hurricane center is tracking seven systems — the five named storms and two disturbances that have only small chances of developing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Storm Teddy formed in the distant Atlantic Ocean overnight and is expected to become a major hurricane – but its forecast path veers northward away from the Caribbean and over the open water , and it 's not yet certain what dangers it could bring to any populated areas .
At this early stage , Teddy is expected to follow a similar path to Paulette 's , although with a sharper turn to the north .
The other named storm is Tropical Storm Vicky – which formed Monday but is expected to devolve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fate ; it was declared a tropical depression over the Atlantic on Monday .

Hurricane Sally Predicted To Bring 110-MPH Winds To Gulf Coast On Tuesday
Enlarge this image toggle caption National Weather Service National Weather Service
Updated at 10:27 p.m. ET
Hurricane Sally will likely make landfall on Tuesday or Tuesday night with sustained winds of at least 110 mph, making it a strong and dangerous Category 2 storm, the National Hurricane Center said.
Some coastal areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida and Alabama are already seeing floods from the slow-moving storm, with Sally meandering over the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Its forward speed will slow even further as it heads northwest and finally north toward landfall.
The surge could be as high as 11 feet in some areas. The storm will also bring a huge amount of rain — from 8 to 16 inches, with up to 24 inches in isolated areas of the central Gulf Coast and the western Florida Panhandle.
"Slow movement means more rain," National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham said in an online briefing. "These rainfall totals are dangerous."
As of Monday night, Sally was about 100 miles east of the mouth of the Mississippi RiverBiloxi, creeping west-northwest at 5 mph. Its maximum sustained winds were measured at 100 mph. It would need to develop winds of at least 111 mph to become a Category 3 storm — a major hurricane.
"Impacts of an extremely dangerous and life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force winds and torrential rain with flash flooding from Sally will likely begin later today," the National Weather Service said on Monday.
Enlarge this image toggle caption NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft confirmed that Sally had strengthened into a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center announced at noon ET.
"Additional strengthening is forecast during the next day or so," the center said.
Forecasters said conditions are too unstable to predict exactly where the storm will arrive. Current projections show Sally coming ashore east of Gulfport, Miss. The predicted track has shifted consistently eastward in the past 24 hours, bringing a measure of relief to people in southwestern Louisiana, which is still recovering from Hurricane Laura in late August.
Sally's effects are already being felt in Florida, where it was expected to create flash floods across the peninsula Monday, the hurricane center said. The storm is adding to major flooding already happening across western and central Florida, the agency said.
Sally is one of five named storms the agency is tracking – tying a record from September 1971 for the most tropical cyclones at one time, according to senior hurricane specialist Eric Blake of the hurricane center. The newest is Tropical Storm Vicky, which developed late Monday morning.
Hurricane Paulette made landfall on Bermuda early Monday, bringing sustained winds of at least 90 mph with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. At around 5 a.m. local time, the entire island was inside the storm's eyewall. The storm's center is now moving north-northwest away from the island, but dangers persist from strong winds and heavy rain that are still to come.
"Please stay hunkered down Bermuda," the Bermuda Weather Service said Monday morning.
People in Bermuda should remain indoors until at least Monday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said, warning that "winds will increase suddenly from the southwest."
The massive amount of water Sally brings will pose a perilous threat from its storm surge and heavy rainfall. Heightening that risk, the storm is expected to continue to move slowly, increasing the impact of its rainfall.
"Life-threatening flash flooding is possible and widespread minor to isolated major flooding on area rivers is likely along and just inland of the Central Gulf Coast," the National Hurricane Center said.
A storm surge warning is in effect from Port Fourchon, La., to the Alabama-Florida border, including several lakes and Mobile Bay. A hurricane warning is in effect from Morgan City, La., (west of New Orleans) to the Mississippi-Alabama border.
Parts of Mississippi and Alabama will also see the risk of significant flash and urban flooding through the middle of the week, the National Hurricane Center said.
"Life threatening surf and rip currents have begun along our beaches this morning," said the National Weather Service office in Mobile, Ala. "Waves will continue to increase throughout the day and DOUBLE RED flags are flying at all of our beaches. Stay out of the water!"
"The window of time you have left to get ready is quickly closing," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards told residents Sunday night. Edwards declared a state of emergency over the weekend; he has also asked President Trump to declare a federal emergency.
"The storm is expected to impact New Orleans, where the state is currently housing more than 12,000 Hurricane Laura evacuees in hotels," NPR member station WWNO reported.
Overall, the hurricane center is tracking seven systems — the five named storms and two disturbances that have only small chances of developing over the next 48 hours.
Tropical Storm Teddy formed in the distant Atlantic Ocean overnight and is expected to become a major hurricane – but its forecast path veers northward away from the Caribbean and over the open water, and it's not yet certain what dangers it could bring to any populated areas.
At this early stage, Teddy is expected to follow a similar path to Paulette's, although with a sharper turn to the north.
The other named storm is Tropical Storm Vicky – which formed Monday but is expected to devolve quickly. Rene is experiencing a similar fate; it was declared a tropical depression over the Atlantic on Monday.


npr--2020-09-14--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

Coronavirus world map: We've now passed the 600 million mark for infections
Editor's note: This page is no longer being updated. The last update was Sept. 5, 2022. For current data about COVID-19 cases and deaths around the world, Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data are useful resources.
In late January 2020 only a few dozen COVID-19 infections had been identified outside of China. A year later, the world tallied its first 100 million cases. It took the globe just 7 more months to pass the 200 million mark— then another 5 months to hit 300 million, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Now the virus has spread to every corner of the globe and has been blamed for more than 6 million deaths.
The United States, India and Brazil in that order have had the most COVID cases and the three nations collectively account for almost half of all recorded infections so far in the pandemic.
Explore the chart below to find a country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January 2020.
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Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time. The first chart compares each continent to each other, while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region.
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This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-09-14--Coronavirus Maps: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Maps : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 6 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 190,000 have died .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily .
Some state outbreaks are worse than others .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on new daily cases per capita .
These color-coded risk levels were developed by a consortium of researchers and public health experts .
The group advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
Orange states may need to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and both yellow and green states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 600 per day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid August , California , Florida and Texas have surpassed New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends state by state , the table below shows the change in average new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over week for the last 28 days .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to reconcile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
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Note: This page was last updated on Feb. 1, 2023. It will no longer be updated. For current data on COVID cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Feb. 1, there have been more than 101 million confirmed coronavirus infections in the U.S. and more than 1 million people have died of COVID-19. In the graphics below, explore the trends in your state.
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The above charts show average new cases per 100,000 people for each state over the last 12 months.
Note: Actual cases may be substantially higher, since many who test positive with at-home tests don't report their cases.
For additional data about COVID-19 in the U.S, including cases and deaths, demographics, and hospitalizations, consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
To show trends, the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state, week over week for the last 28 days. States marked in shades of red have growing outbreaks; those in shades of green, are declining.
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Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-09-14--Oracle's Deal For TikTok May Not Include A Purchase

Oracle 's Deal For TikTok May Not Include A Purchase A deal with Oracle for TikTok 's U.S. operations may end up including a partnership instead of an outright purchase .
With its deadline to sell or be banned in the U.S. fast approaching , Chinese tech giant ByteDance said it will not be selling its video-sharing app TikTok to either Microsoft or Oracle , according to China state TV .
Separately , Oracle said in a statement that it is `` part of the proposal submitted by ByteDance to the Treasury Department over the weekend in which Oracle will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' In a statement of its own , TikTok confirmed the talks with the U.S. government .
`` We can confirm that we 've submitted a proposal to the Treasury Department which we believe would resolve the Administration 's security concerns , '' a TikTok spokesperson told NPR .
`` This proposal would enable us to continue supporting our community of 100 million people in the US who love TikTok for connection and entertainment , as well as the hundreds of thousands of small business owners and creators who rely upon TikTok to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Microsoft said Sunday that ByteDance informed the company that its bid for TikTok 's U.S. operations had been rejected .
Microsoft , a $ 1.5 trillion company , had been seen as the most likely buyer because of its vast resources and long history of doing business with the federal government .
`` We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok 's users , while protecting national security interests , '' a Microsoft spokesman said .
`` To do this , we would have made significant changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for security , privacy , online safety , and combating disinformation .
... We look forward to seeing how the service evolves in these important areas . ''
Walmart , which had proposed teaming up with Microsoft in a TikTok bid , said the giant retailer `` continues to have an interest in a TikTok investment and continues discussions with ByteDance leadership and other interested parties . ''
The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Oracle was in negotiations to be TikTok 's `` trusted tech partner , '' an ambiguous relationship that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the platform , according to the Journal .
Reuters , citing unidentified sources , reported that Oracle would `` assume management of TikTok 's U.S. user data .
Oracle is also negotiating taking a stake in TikTok 's U.S .
operations . ''
Oracle , a software company that sells database products and cloud computing services to businesses , did not return a request for comment .
Any potential sale of the app , known for short viral videos of lip-syncing and dance challenges , has been complicated by China 's recent decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be exported from the country .
The move means that any deal for TikTok might not include the app 's sophisticated algorithm , seen as the secret ingredient to its success .
Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said Microsoft likely was only interested in acquiring TikTok with its algorithm , which ByteDance may have resisted .
`` Given the need now to get a green light from Beijing after its export rules were changed a few weeks ago , TikTok 's days in the U.S. likely are numbered with a shutdown now the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unless there are some last minute changes , ByteDance heads into the White House deadline this week with some dark days ahead as the plug now likely gets pulled on the TikTok app within the U.S. '' For months , the Trump administration has been pressuring TikTok to divorce itself from its Beijing parent company , ByteDance , as officials in Washington fear the Chinese government could use the video app as a tool to spy on Americans .
Trump signed an executive order last month that makes it illegal for U.S. citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its subsidiaries starting on Sept. 20 .
In a separate action , Trump ordered that TikTok sell off its U.S. operations by Nov. 12 .
Trump has said several times that TikTok must be purchased by Sept. 15 , though it is unclear how that date would be enforced .
Lawyers for TikTok have filed a legal challenge to block Trump 's executive order outlawing transactions between ByteDance subsidiaries and U.S. businesses , saying the move is unconstitutional and is rooted in speculation .
TikTok , which has became a super hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. more than 100 million times .
The company says it has taken steps to protect the data of Americans , which the company said is stored mostly in the U.S. Worries that the Chinese government can access such data is unfounded , TikTok has long said , claiming that government officials in Beijing have never asked for data on Americans and if such a request were made , the company would deny it .
NPR 's Avie Schneider and NPR 's Shannon Bond contributed to this report .

Oracle's Deal For TikTok May Not Include A Purchase
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ng Han Guan/AP Ng Han Guan/AP
Updated at 1:04 p.m. ET
A deal with Oracle for TikTok's U.S. operations may end up including a partnership instead of an outright purchase.
With its deadline to sell or be banned in the U.S. fast approaching, Chinese tech giant ByteDance said it will not be selling its video-sharing app TikTok to either Microsoft or Oracle, according to China state TV.
Separately, Oracle said in a statement that it is "part of the proposal submitted by ByteDance to the Treasury Department over the weekend in which Oracle will serve as the trusted technology provider."
In a statement of its own, TikTok confirmed the talks with the U.S. government.
"We can confirm that we've submitted a proposal to the Treasury Department which we believe would resolve the Administration's security concerns," a TikTok spokesperson told NPR. "This proposal would enable us to continue supporting our community of 100 million people in the US who love TikTok for connection and entertainment, as well as the hundreds of thousands of small business owners and creators who rely upon TikTok to grow their livelihoods and build meaningful careers."
Microsoft said Sunday that ByteDance informed the company that its bid for TikTok's U.S. operations had been rejected.
Microsoft, a $1.5 trillion company, had been seen as the most likely buyer because of its vast resources and long history of doing business with the federal government.
"We are confident our proposal would have been good for TikTok's users, while protecting national security interests," a Microsoft spokesman said. "To do this, we would have made significant changes to ensure the service met the highest standards for security, privacy, online safety, and combating disinformation. ... We look forward to seeing how the service evolves in these important areas."
Walmart, which had proposed teaming up with Microsoft in a TikTok bid, said the giant retailer "continues to have an interest in a TikTok investment and continues discussions with ByteDance leadership and other interested parties."
The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Oracle was in negotiations to be TikTok's "trusted tech partner," an ambiguous relationship that did not involve an outright sale of the platform, according to the Journal.
Reuters, citing unidentified sources, reported that Oracle would "assume management of TikTok's U.S. user data. Oracle is also negotiating taking a stake in TikTok's U.S. operations."
Oracle, a software company that sells database products and cloud computing services to businesses, did not return a request for comment.
Any potential sale of the app, known for short viral videos of lip-syncing and dance challenges, has been complicated by China's recent decision to restrict how artificial intelligence technology can be exported from the country.
The move means that any deal for TikTok might not include the app's sophisticated algorithm, seen as the secret ingredient to its success.
Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said Microsoft likely was only interested in acquiring TikTok with its algorithm, which ByteDance may have resisted.
"Given the need now to get a green light from Beijing after its export rules were changed a few weeks ago, TikTok's days in the U.S. likely are numbered with a shutdown now the next step," Ives said. "Unless there are some last minute changes, ByteDance heads into the White House deadline this week with some dark days ahead as the plug now likely gets pulled on the TikTok app within the U.S."
For months, the Trump administration has been pressuring TikTok to divorce itself from its Beijing parent company, ByteDance, as officials in Washington fear the Chinese government could use the video app as a tool to spy on Americans.
Trump signed an executive order last month that makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to do business with ByteDance or any of its subsidiaries starting on Sept. 20. In a separate action, Trump ordered that TikTok sell off its U.S. operations by Nov. 12. Trump has said several times that TikTok must be purchased by Sept. 15, though it is unclear how that date would be enforced.
Lawyers for TikTok have filed a legal challenge to block Trump's executive order outlawing transactions between ByteDance subsidiaries and U.S. businesses, saying the move is unconstitutional and is rooted in speculation.
TikTok, which has became a super hit during the pandemic, has been downloaded in the U.S. more than 100 million times. The company says it has taken steps to protect the data of Americans, which the company said is stored mostly in the U.S.
Worries that the Chinese government can access such data is unfounded, TikTok has long said, claiming that government officials in Beijing have never asked for data on Americans and if such a request were made, the company would deny it.
NPR's Avie Schneider and NPR's Shannon Bond contributed to this report.


npr--2020-09-15--With Theaters Still Closed, 136-Year-Old 'Playbill' Does A Quick Online Pivot

With Theaters Still Closed , 136-Year-Old 'Playbill ' Does A Quick Online Pivot Playbill — the program magazine given out at theaters — has been around for 136 years and it 's not just a program , it 's a cherished souvenir .
`` It has become kind of the best memento of your night out at the theater , '' says Alex Birsh , the company 's vice president . ''
But with theaters on Broadway and across the country shut down since March because of the coronavirus pandemic , Playbill is just one of the many companies servicing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adapt .
The printing presses and delivery trucks have stopped for this small family-owned publishing company , which , in normal times , distributes programs to upwards of 3.5 million theatergoers a month , in 125 venues around the country for free — because of the ads for cars and jewelry and shows and restaurants .
`` We lost 75 to 80 % of our revenue because of theater being closed , Birsh says .
Playbill got a PPP loan , which lasted a couple of months , but had to furlough about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time-being , it 's a digital-only company .
And here 's the kicker — it 's doing really well .
Before the pandemic , Playbill.com attracted about 2 million unique users a month .
Now , it 's over three million .
During the pandemic , Ruthie Fierberg , Playbill 's features editor , has begun producing online performances for the website .
On the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots , she put together a Gay Pride program , and in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` These full on hour and a half benefit concert spectaculars that you are more accustomed to seeing on CBS after a hurricane is something that you are now seeing on Playbill.com and Playbill 's YouTube channel instead , '' Fierberg says .
With Broadway idled , Playbill has been able to get all kinds of theater stars to appear online , like BD Wong , Alexandra Billings and Brandon Victor Dixon .
Vice president Alex Birsh says this has been a big shift for the company .
`` It has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theaters , at productions , and then now producing productions ourselves online , '' says Birsh .
Playbill 's photo editor Marc J. Franklin did his last photo shoot on March 6 , so he 's had to figure out new ways to create content .
`` A lot of times , it feels like you 're making something out of nothing , because we do n't have opening nights or red carpets or events , which kind of was the bread and butter of what I do , '' he says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ archive to create new photo galleries during the pandemic .
Playbill is creating quizzes and contests online as well – and has seen an uptick in engagement .
`` My philosophy has always been , let 's create a digital community of Broadway fans , '' says social media director Felicia Fitzpatrick .
`` Theater kids have so many opinions — they love sharing them . ''
Playbill 's president and CEO , Philip Birsh , says he 's proud of the way the company has adapted to the moment , but knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before theater comes back .
`` We 'll have to reinvest our own capital back into the company in order to bring it up to speed , once Broadway is back , '' Birsh says .
`` But the online is functioning and keeping us in the public 's eye and keeping the doors , you know , partially open , the lights on dim .
But we will return . ''
In the meantime , theatergoers will get their fix of show tunes and high kicks ... online .

With Theaters Still Closed, 136-Year-Old 'Playbill' Does A Quick Online Pivot
Enlarge this image toggle caption Dean Greer/Playbill Dean Greer/Playbill
Playbill, the program magazine given out at theaters, has been around for 136 years. It's not just a program, it's a cherished souvenir. "It has become kind of the best memento of your night out at the theater," says Alex Birsh, the company's vice president.
But with theaters on Broadway and across the country shut down since March because of the coronavirus pandemic, Playbill is just one of the many companies servicing the performing arts that has had to adapt.
The printing presses and delivery trucks have stopped for this small family-owned publishing company, which, in normal times, distributes programs to upwards of 3.5 million theatergoers a month in 125 venues around the country for free — because of the ads for cars and jewelry and shows and restaurants.
"We lost 75 to 80% of our revenue because of theater being closed," Birsh says.
Playbill got a Paycheck Protection Program loan, which lasted a couple of months, but had to furlough about half its staff. So for the time-being, it's a digital-only company. And here's the kicker — it's doing really well. Before the pandemic, Playbill.com attracted about 2 million unique users a month. Now, it's over 3 million.
During the pandemic, Ruthie Fierberg, Playbill's features editor, has begun producing online performances for the website. On the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, she put together a Gay Pride program, and in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, she produced a Women in Theatre special.
YouTube
"These full-on, hour-and-a-half benefit concert spectaculars that you are more accustomed to seeing on CBS after a hurricane is something that you are now seeing on Playbill.com and Playbill's YouTube channel instead," Fierberg says.
With Broadway idled, Playbill has been able to get all kinds of theater stars to appear online, such as B.D. Wong, Alexandra Billings and Brandon Victor Dixon. Vice President Alex Birsh says this has been a big shift for the company.
It has been a remarkable 180 to be serving within theaters, at productions, and then now producing productions ourselves online.
"It has been a remarkable 180 to be serving within theaters, at productions, and then now producing productions ourselves online," says Birsh.
Playbill's photo editor, Marc J. Franklin, did his last photo shoot on March 6, so he's had to figure out new ways to create content. "A lot of times, it feels like you're making something out of nothing, because we don't have opening nights or red carpets or events, which kind of was the bread and butter of what I do," he says. So Franklin has dug into Playbill's archive to create new photo galleries during the pandemic.
Playbill is creating quizzes and contests online as well and has seen an uptick in engagement. "My philosophy has always been, let's create a digital community of Broadway fans," says social media director Felicia Fitzpatrick. "Theater kids have so many opinions — they love sharing them."
Playbill's president and CEO, Philip Birsh, says he's proud of the way the company has adapted to the moment but knows it's going to be a while before theater comes back.
"We'll have to reinvest our own capital back into the company in order to bring it up to speed, once Broadway is back," Birsh says. "But the online is functioning and keeping us in the public's eye and keeping the doors, you know, partially open, the lights on dim. But we will return."
In the meantime, theatergoers will get their fix of show tunes and high kicks --online.


npr--2020-09-15--For 'Ike,' A Monument Unlike Any Other: Eisenhower Memorial Is Dedicated In D.C.

For 'Ike , ' A Monument Unlike Any Other : Eisenhower Memorial Is Dedicated In D.C. Dwight David Eisenhower was one of the towering figures of the 20th century : A five-star general , he led the D-Day invasion and helped defeat the Nazis .
A two-term president , he brought stability to postwar America .
Since his death in 1969 , memories of the man called Ike have faded .
But this week , the dedication of an Eisenhower Memorial in Washington , D.C. , will bring him vividly back to mind .
This memorial is not like any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sky-piercing white obelisk ( George Washington ) , no massive , looming bronze statue ( Abraham Lincoln . )
The Eisenhower is just a bit above street level with somewhat larger than life sculptures .
It sits on 4 acres of a nondescript street near the National Mall and the Air and Space Museum .
Modern and clean , with geometrical shapes , it 's designed by star architect Frank Gehry .
`` To be creating something that has so much gravitas for the world — whew !
In the end it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , '' Gehry says .
An open-air plaza with two tableaux , set several feet apart , highlights major points of Ike 's career .
On one , bronze sculptures of General Eisenhower , talking with his men before D-Day .
On the other , President Eisenhower standing with three assistants in front of a map of the world carved into the limestone wall .
Behind the tableaux , a screen — Gehry calls it a `` tapestry '' — made of woven stainless steel cables is patterned with an outline of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runs the length of the memorial , softens the dull Department of Education building behind it , and , lit at night , makes magic , says Washington Post architecture critic Philip Kennicott .
`` I went down there one evening right around sunset and they were just turning the lights on and it was really spectacular , '' Kennicott says .
Gehry did n't know much about Eisenhower until he read Stephen Ambrose 's biography , Eisenhower : Soldier and President .
He liked Ike 's modesty , his diplomacy , how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't grandstand .
Gehry got a kick out of what Ike said about the kind of memorial he 'd prefer .
`` He had said to his family that he did n't want to be on a horse , '' Gehry says , laughing .
`` And I understood that .
I just fell in love with the guy . ''
Gehry had to jump through several hoops to get the memorial approved .
There were Eisenhower 's family , various commissions and arts groups all wanting changes .
It took forever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another sculpture in the plan — a life-size statue of a young boy , maybe 15 , sitting the way boys do with knees up , arms around them , looking into the distance .
It 's Ike as a Kansas kid .
He never forgot where he came from .
`` He referred to it many times , ' I 'm the barefoot boy from Abilene who never fully leaves , ' `` says Gehry .
Gehry 's original design put the boy behind and between the two tableaux — General and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of critics .
Now it sits on a far side , looking toward the sculpted men .
It 's very moving there .
The boy looks toward his future .
At what , exactly , he ca n't know — what he will become .
It 's a statement about hope .
After this week , kids coming to the Eisenhower Memorial can think , `` I could do that !
That could be me someday . ''
In Ike 's day , that was true .
It can be true today , @ @

For 'Ike,' A Monument Unlike Any Other: Eisenhower Memorial Is Dedicated In D.C.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alan Karchmer/Eisenhower Memorial Commission Alan Karchmer/Eisenhower Memorial Commission
Dwight David Eisenhower was one of the towering figures of the 20th century: A five-star general, he led the D-Day invasion and helped defeat the Nazis. A two-term president, he brought stability to postwar America.
Since his death in 1969, memories of the man called Ike have faded. But this week, the dedication of an Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, D.C., will bring him vividly back to mind.
This memorial is not like any other presidential monument in Washington. No sky-piercing white obelisk (George Washington), no massive, looming statue (Abraham Lincoln.)
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eisenhower Memorial Commission Eisenhower Memorial Commission
The Eisenhower is just a bit above street level with somewhat larger than life sculptures. It sits on 4 acres of a nondescript street near the National Mall and the Air and Space Museum. Modern and clean, with geometrical shapes, it's designed by star architect Frank Gehry.
"To be creating something that has so much gravitas for the world — whew! In the end it's a great honor to be part of it," Gehry says.
An open-air plaza with two tableaux, set several feet apart, highlights major points of Ike's career. On one, bronze sculptures of General Eisenhower, talking with his men before D-Day. On the other, President Eisenhower standing with three assistants in front of a map of the world carved into the limestone wall.
toggle caption Eisenhower Memorial Commission
Behind the tableaux, a screen — Gehry calls it a "tapestry" — made of woven stainless steel cables is patterned with an outline of the cliffs of Normandy. This scrim runs the length of the memorial, softens the dull Department of Education building behind it, and, lit at night, makes magic, says Washington Post architecture critic Philip Kennicott.
"I went down there one evening right around sunset and they were just turning the lights on and it was really spectacular," Kennicott says.
Gehry didn't know much about Eisenhower until he read Stephen Ambrose's biography, Eisenhower: Soldier and President. He liked Ike's modesty, his diplomacy, how he always gave credit to others and didn't grandstand. Gehry got a kick out of what Ike said about the kind of memorial he'd prefer.
"He had said to his family that he didn't want to be on a horse," Gehry says, laughing. "And I understood that. I just fell in love with the guy."
Gehry had to jump through several hoops to get the memorial approved. There were Eisenhower's family, various commissions and arts groups all wanting changes. It took forever.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eisenhower Memorial Commission Eisenhower Memorial Commission
Much of the fuss was about another sculpture in the plan — a life-size statue of a young boy, maybe 15, sitting the way boys do with knees up, arms around them, looking into the distance. It's Ike as a Kansas kid. He never forgot where he came from.
"He referred to it many times, 'I'm the barefoot boy from Abilene who never fully leaves,' " says Gehry.
Gehry's original design put the boy behind and between the two tableaux — General and President. No, said a chorus of critics. Now it sits on a far side, looking toward the sculpted men.
It's very moving there. The boy looks toward his future. At what, exactly, he can't know — what he will become. It's a statement about hope.
After this week, kids coming to the Eisenhower Memorial can think, "I could do that! That could be me someday."
In Ike's day, that was true. It can be true today, too.