npr--2020-11-18--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 11 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 245,000 have died of COVID-19 .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily nationwide .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the risk of infection in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capita .
The consortium of researchers and public health experts who developed these risk levels advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
They advise orange states to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and all states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each state 's totals to date .
This type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
New cases fell from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 900 a day most of the summer , before starting to rise in the fall .
Explore the map above to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid October , California , Florida and Texas surpass New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week for the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of red have growing outbreaks ; those in shades of green , are declining .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases and or update their methodologies .
For example , in early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
On Sept. 2 , Massachusetts changed its methodology for counting probable cases , which lowered its overall case and death numbers .
The JHU team maintains a list of such changes .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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


npr--2020-11-18--As U.S. Reaches 250,000 Deaths From COVID-19, A Long Winter Is Coming

As U.S .
Reaches 250,000 Deaths From COVID-19 , A Long Winter Is Coming The United States has surpassed yet another devastating milestone in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic : 250,000 Americans have now died from the disease .
That 's more than twice the number of U.S. service members killed in World War I. Coronavirus case numbers are exploding across the country at the beginning of what is shaping up to be a difficult winter of illness in America .
`` Unfortunately , we are entering what I think will be the worst stretch that we have experienced so far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security .
`` We 're seeing hot spots all across the country and new highs for the number of cases and hospitalizations . ''
In the past week , 36 states and one territory set records for daily new confirmed cases , and 12 states saw a day with the highest number of new deaths .
The virus is currently hitting the middle of the country especially hard , with the highest number of new cases per capita in North and South Dakota , Minnesota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nebraska and Montana .
More than 76,000 people are currently hospitalized with the virus , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
With cases spiking , more deaths will follow — but advances in medicine in recent months have improved the odds of surviving COVID-19 .
The infection fatality rate is declining by about 30 % , says Ali Mokdad , professor and epidemiologist with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation , and the chief strategy officer for Population Health at the University of Washington .
That rate measures the fatality of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who are diagnosed , by using antibody testing data to understand the prevalence of the virus at a large scale .
And the infection fatality rate is falling in all age groups , including among the elderly .
Doctors and nurses now have more experience dealing with COVID-19 and anticipating its complications , and there have been advances in treatment and triage , Mokdad says .
Unfortunately , that decline in the infection fatality rate comes as winter arrives , and more hospitalizations and deaths are expected .
`` The virus loves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people are also moving more of their socializing indoors as temperatures drop .
Now more infections are happening among family and friends in home settings .
`` These are the people you trust the most — you feel like they 're not going to hurt you .
And we see a lot of people not wearing a mask , not paying attention to safe distance , '' Mokdad says .
`` The virus is more likely to stay in the air , and more people are likely to get infected indoors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ trajectory of the coronavirus ?
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation 's latest model , by March 1 , the U.S. may see nearly 439,000 total deaths from COVID-19 .
But Mokdad and his colleagues have calculated two alternative scenarios , depending on the path the country takes .
If governmental mandates to limit the spread are eased , the model predicts more deaths : perhaps 587,000 by March 1 .
But if everyone in the U.S. would wear masks every time they are in public , the number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 371,000 .
While the coronavirus continues to ravage communities across the country , much has been learned about the virus and how to treat it .
Doctors have learned to put patients on their stomachs – known as `` proning '' – to ease breathing difficulties .
A steroid called dexamethasone has proved effective in treating seriously ill patients .
`` Every day that we learn about it , I think we 're treating it more effectively , '' says Ryan Taube , an emergency medicine physician in Fort Lauderdale , Fla. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with any kind of respiratory symptoms , the recommendation was to have them be intubated and put on ventilators right at the get-go — and that was why there was such a fear of critical shortage of ICU beds and ventilators throughout the United States , '' Taube said .
`` But I think we 're finding now that if we can try to keep them off of the ventilator with other means of therapies , that the patients do better . ''
Taube remembers that at the beginning of the pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home – out of fear of going to the hospital .
`` We had patients with delayed heart attacks who stayed at their home for three days with chest pain thinking , 'Oh , I would normally go get this checked out , but I 'm not going to because of I 'm scared of COVID , ' `` he said .
`` People breaking legs and limbs and things like that ... scared to come in .
Now I still see some of that , but it 's much , much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good news this month , with Pfizer and Moderna each announcing that their experimental vaccines are highly effective in preventing disease – 95 % in the case of Pfizer 's , and nearly 95 % for Moderna 's .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , the country 's foremost infectious disease expert , told NPR this week that hopefully by the end of the year , the two companies will have enough doses available for 20 million people .
Health care workers are expected to receive the vaccine first .
Mokdad calls the vaccine progress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warns that any vaccines wo n't come in time to help us this winter .
`` All that we have between now and March 1 is to wear a mask , watch our distance and wash our hands , '' he says .
Rivers concurs : `` We are still going to be facing the holidays .
We 're still going to be facing the winter months using the nonpharmaceutical interventions : the hand-washing , the masks , the closures that we have all been using to slow transmission for the last number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the first emergency use authorization for the vaccines will likely not apply to children as more data need to be collected to ensure any vaccines are safe and effective for them as well .
`` That means that schools and other institutions that serve primarily children may continue to need to follow the nonpharmaceutical interventions longer than older adult communities , for example , just because they will not be eligible for the vaccine right away , '' she says .
The problems we 're facing now In many places with spiking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers is plaguing hospitals as the beds fill with COVID-19 patients .
Unlike early in the pandemic , cases are n't clustered in a few big hot spots .
The virus is everywhere .
`` We are in a worse place than we were even in the spring , because in the spring it was primarily New York City and New Jersey and Connecticut that were experiencing a strain on their health care systems , '' Rivers says .
`` Right now we are seeing intense community transmission really all across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of wiggle room to make sure that we are able to deploy extra resources to those places . ''
Adding to the problem is pandemic fatigue : As the pandemic stretches on , people get tired of being vigilant about masks and social distancing and not gathering with others indoors .
Many people have suffered economic pain from the virus and the restrictions that have followed , and are eager for their lives to return to normal .
But the times are not normal .
`` Unfortunately , because we are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's more important now than ever that we are vigilant about taking these protective measures , '' Rivers says .
Earlier case upticks in some places followed holiday weekends such as Memorial Day , Mother 's Day and July Fourth — and those all took place in warmer months .
`` Now we are concerned that potentially Thanksgiving could be a superspreader event , '' Mokdad says .
Not only is Thanksgiving generally celebrated by bringing family and friends together , often over long distances , but the main event is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mask while you 're eating .
Public health officials are pleading with Americans not to celebrate Thanksgiving the way they usually do but instead use this occasion to invent new traditions .
One idea is to drop off food contactlessly to another household and then share the meal over video .
Video meeting platform Zoom announced it will lift the 40-minute limit for its free accounts on Thanksgiving , to make it easier for loved ones to gather at a distance .
We can always hold Thanksgiving dinners on a future date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can never get our loved ones back if they die because we did n't pay attention .
So delay it , cancel it , isolate yourself .
Make sure you behave extremely well before you join your family . ''

As U.S. Reaches 250,000 Deaths From COVID-19, A Long Winter Is Coming
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Chiu/AP Jeff Chiu/AP
The United States has surpassed yet another devastating milestone in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: 250,000 Americans have now died from the disease. That's more than twice the number of U.S. service members killed in World War I.
Coronavirus case numbers are exploding across the country at the beginning of what is shaping up to be a difficult winter of illness in America.
"Unfortunately, we are entering what I think will be the worst stretch that we have experienced so far," says Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "We're seeing hot spots all across the country and new highs for the number of cases and hospitalizations."
Loading...
In the past week, 36 states and one territory set records for daily new confirmed cases, and 12 states saw a day with the highest number of new deaths.
The virus is currently hitting the middle of the country especially hard, with the highest number of new cases per capita in North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska and Montana. More than 76,000 people are currently hospitalized with the virus, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
With cases spiking, more deaths will follow — but advances in medicine in recent months have improved the odds of surviving COVID-19.
The infection fatality rate is declining by about 30%, says Ali Mokdad, professor and epidemiologist with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and the chief strategy officer for Population Health at the University of Washington.
That rate measures the fatality of those who are infected, not only those who are diagnosed, by using antibody testing data to understand the prevalence of the virus at a large scale.
And the infection fatality rate is falling in all age groups, including among the elderly. Doctors and nurses now have more experience dealing with COVID-19 and anticipating its complications, and there have been advances in treatment and triage, Mokdad says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images
Unfortunately, that decline in the infection fatality rate comes as winter arrives, and more hospitalizations and deaths are expected. "The virus loves the cold," Mokdad says, and people are also moving more of their socializing indoors as temperatures drop.
Now more infections are happening among family and friends in home settings. "These are the people you trust the most — you feel like they're not going to hurt you. And we see a lot of people not wearing a mask, not paying attention to safe distance," Mokdad says. "The virus is more likely to stay in the air, and more people are likely to get infected indoors."
So where are we in the trajectory of the coronavirus?
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's latest model, by March 1, the U.S. may see nearly 439,000 total deaths from COVID-19. But Mokdad and his colleagues have calculated two alternative scenarios, depending on the path the country takes. If governmental mandates to limit the spread are eased, the model predicts more deaths: perhaps 587,000 by March 1.
But if everyone in the U.S. would wear masks every time they are in public, the number of anticipated casualties by that date drops to about 371,000.
Better methods for treatment
While the coronavirus continues to ravage communities across the country, much has been learned about the virus and how to treat it. Doctors have learned to put patients on their stomachs – known as "proning" – to ease breathing difficulties. A steroid called dexamethasone has proved effective in treating seriously ill patients.
"Every day that we learn about it, I think we're treating it more effectively," says Ryan Taube, an emergency medicine physician in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Go Nakamura/Getty Images Go Nakamura/Getty Images
"When patients were first coming in with any kind of respiratory symptoms, the recommendation was to have them be intubated and put on ventilators right at the get-go — and that was why there was such a fear of critical shortage of ICU beds and ventilators throughout the United States," Taube said. "But I think we're finding now that if we can try to keep them off of the ventilator with other means of therapies, that the patients do better."
Taube remembers that at the beginning of the pandemic, people who were very ill were staying at home – out of fear of going to the hospital.
"We had patients with delayed heart attacks who stayed at their home for three days with chest pain thinking, 'Oh, I would normally go get this checked out, but I'm not going to because of I'm scared of COVID,' " he said. "People breaking legs and limbs and things like that ... scared to come in. Now I still see some of that, but it's much, much less now."
Vaccines on the horizon
There has been good news this month, with Pfizer and Moderna each announcing that their experimental vaccines are highly effective in preventing disease – 95% in the case of Pfizer's, and nearly 95% for Moderna's.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country's foremost infectious disease expert, told NPR this week that hopefully by the end of the year, the two companies will have enough doses available for 20 million people. Health care workers are expected to receive the vaccine first.
Mokdad calls the vaccine progress welcome, life-changing news — but he warns that any vaccines won't come in time to help us this winter. "All that we have between now and March 1 is to wear a mask, watch our distance and wash our hands," he says.
Rivers concurs: "We are still going to be facing the holidays. We're still going to be facing the winter months using the nonpharmaceutical interventions: the hand-washing, the masks, the closures that we have all been using to slow transmission for the last number of months."
And she notes that the first emergency use authorization for the vaccines will likely not apply to children as more data need to be collected to ensure any vaccines are safe and effective for them as well.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Moore/Getty Images John Moore/Getty Images
"That means that schools and other institutions that serve primarily children may continue to need to follow the nonpharmaceutical interventions longer than older adult communities, for example, just because they will not be eligible for the vaccine right away," she says.
The problems we're facing now
In many places with spiking cases, a shortage of health care workers is plaguing hospitals as the beds fill with COVID-19 patients.
Unlike early in the pandemic, cases aren't clustered in a few big hot spots. The virus is everywhere.
"We are in a worse place than we were even in the spring, because in the spring it was primarily New York City and New Jersey and Connecticut that were experiencing a strain on their health care systems," Rivers says. "Right now we are seeing intense community transmission really all across the country. And that doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room to make sure that we are able to deploy extra resources to those places."
Adding to the problem is pandemic fatigue: As the pandemic stretches on, people get tired of being vigilant about masks and social distancing and not gathering with others indoors. Many people have suffered economic pain from the virus and the restrictions that have followed, and are eager for their lives to return to normal.
But the times are not normal.
"Unfortunately, because we are in such a bad spot right now, it's more important now than ever that we are vigilant about taking these protective measures," Rivers says.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
"Thanksgiving could be a superspreader event"
Earlier case upticks in some places followed holiday weekends such as Memorial Day, Mother's Day and July Fourth — and those all took place in warmer months.
"Now we are concerned that potentially Thanksgiving could be a superspreader event," Mokdad says. Not only is Thanksgiving generally celebrated by bringing family and friends together, often over long distances, but the main event is a meal. It's hard to wear a mask while you're eating.
Public health officials are pleading with Americans not to celebrate Thanksgiving the way they usually do but instead use this occasion to invent new traditions. One idea is to drop off food contactlessly to another household and then share the meal over video.
Video meeting platform Zoom announced it will lift the 40-minute limit for its free accounts on Thanksgiving, to make it easier for loved ones to gather at a distance.
We can always hold Thanksgiving dinners on a future date, Mokdad said, "but we can never get our loved ones back if they die because we didn't pay attention. So delay it, cancel it, isolate yourself. Make sure you behave extremely well before you join your family."
NPR's Audrey Carlsen contributed to this report.


npr--2020-11-18--How The Coronavirus Has Affected Individual Members Of Congress

How The Coronavirus Has Affected Individual Members Of Congress Updated on Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m .
ET The coronavirus pandemic continues to upend the daily work of Congress , which has seen a series of outbreaks .
By November , more than 25 members of Congress and at least 150 workers have tested positive , or were presumed so , for the coronavirus .
And a Florida member 's aide died this summer from COVID-19 .
As a result , both chambers of Congress have recessed multiple times throughout the year as the Capitol has largely gone without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Democrat-controlled House installed emergency proxy voting and remote hearings earlier this year .
And in November , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi triggered a broader COVID-19 testing program for Congress following a new requirement for travelers to the Washington , D.C. , area .
But the plan to test as many as 2,000 a week still falls woefully short for a Capitol complex that includes more than 530 lawmakers and a workforce of 20,000 or more .
Before traveling to Washington , D.C. , for a November session , several House members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Alaska Republican Don Young .
Others included outgoing Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Cheri Bustos of Illinois and Republican Tim Walberg of Michigan .
A previous outbreak was tied to a September White House Rose Garden ceremony to announce Amy Coney Barrett as President Trump 's Supreme Court justice nominee .
Trump , 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 a recess for Capitol @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since its March beginnings , as House and Senate leaders delayed bringing back members for several weeks in light of public health guidelines recommending social distancing .
The Senate 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 to allow remote voting and hearings .
The initial rash of cases began March 8 , when two Republican lawmakers , Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of Congress to announce self-quarantines .
Both had attended the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor , Md.
, where an attendee at the conference had fallen ill .
The following week , the first two members of Congress said they tested positive for the coronavirus illness .
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 .
By this summer , dozens of Capitol workers reported a positive test or were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a longtime staffer for Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida , died from COVID-19 on July 24 .
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 issued new social distancing guidance .
Also , the U.S. Capitol remains closed to public tours and open only to members , staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
Gohmert had attended several hearings a day before testing 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 .
Now , members can be forcibly removed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor if they are not wearing masks .
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--2020-11-18--As Georgia's Hand Recount Concludes, Vote Count Shows Biden Still Ahead

Georgia election officials expect to release the results of a statewide audit by noon Thursday , as a handful of counties finish data entry from a full hand recount of 5 million presidential votes .
Gabriel Sterling with the secretary of state 's office said Wednesday afternoon that at least 21 of 159 counties show their risk-limiting audit is still in process , including some of the large jurisdictions in metro Atlanta .
The deadline for the audit is 11:59 p.m. Wednesday .
`` We can not do the full quality-control process until all the data entry is in there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will likely be having to use every minute of that midnight deadline . ''
Announcing the hand audit last week , Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the recount was necessary because of the close margin of the race .
Since Friday morning , thousands of workers across the state have counted each ballot to ensure that President-elect Joe Biden did narrowly defeat President Trump in the Nov. 3 contest in Georgia .
While the risk-limiting audit is designed to check the correct winner and not change the margins , four counties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not originally uploaded to the state 's election results .
Those votes narrowly cut into Biden 's margin but are not nearly enough to reverse Biden 's lead .
Douglas County failed to include a memory card from an Election Day precinct that included 156 votes for Biden , 128 votes for Trump , seven votes for Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen and two ballots where no presidential selection was made .
This brings the margin by which Biden leads Trump to 12,781 , after Walton County discovered a memory card with 284 votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Floyd County had about 2,600 ballots that were never scanned .
Trump and other top Republicans have suggested that Georgia 's vote counting and risk-limiting audit is fraudulent , something that Sterling of the secretary of state 's office said is a ridiculous notion .
`` The irony of his saying 'fraudulent votes have been found ' — he has gained in the finding of these votes , '' Sterling said .
`` So the system is working the way it is intended .
And the frustrating situation overall ... if this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I believe Biden supporters would be screaming that this was all inappropriate and not done correctly . ''
Sterling also addressed a Twitter thread from David Shafer , chair of the Georgia Republican Party , that seemed to suggest an error in DeKalb County almost gave Biden an extra 9,000 votes .
The social media outlet flagged those tweets as disputed on Wednesday afternoon .
During the audit , one batch of ballots was recorded as containing more than 10,000 votes when the label on the box said just over 1,000 .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an affidavit submitted by a Republican audit monitor , the final tally showed a difference of only two votes from the label .
`` This is why we do n't give out interim audit results , because it can be misleading to look at them because there will be human errors on this , '' Sterling said .
`` This was discovered on Sunday , the secretary 's office was made aware of it since then and we all knew what had happened here . ''
As of 4 p.m .
ET @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand-counted , and the secretary of state 's office says the process will finish on time .
The results of the risk-limiting audit and all of the accompanying documents will be posted publicly and will not alter the county-certified totals .
State officials said that since the audit is designed to check winners and not margins , the original vote totals showing Biden ahead will stand .
Those four counties that failed to tally all of their votes must recertify , and the state 's deadline to sign off on the election results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complete the audit is 11:59 p.m. Wednesday , state officials say they will not release results until Thursday , after the election staff gets some rest .
`` We 're running our audit teams into the ground right now , '' Sterling said .
Meanwhile , the Trump campaign can still request a machine recount of election results after the state 's certification , something that would take at least a week for some counties to complete .
The elections director in Fulton County , Georgia 's most populous , told commissioners it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rescan more than half a million ballots .

As Georgia's Hand Recount Concludes, Vote Count Shows Biden Still Ahead
Enlarge this image toggle caption Grant Blankenship/GPB Grant Blankenship/GPB
Georgia election officials expect to release the results of a statewide audit by noon Thursday, as a handful of counties finish data entry from a full hand recount of 5 million presidential votes.
Gabriel Sterling with the secretary of state's office said Wednesday afternoon that at least 21 of 159 counties show their risk-limiting audit is still in process, including some of the large jurisdictions in metro Atlanta. The deadline for the audit is 11:59 p.m. Wednesday.
"We cannot do the full quality-control process until all the data entry is in there," he said. "We will likely be having to use every minute of that midnight deadline."
Announcing the hand audit last week, Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the recount was necessary because of the close margin of the race.
Since Friday morning, thousands of workers across the state have counted each ballot to ensure that President-elect Joe Biden did narrowly defeat President Trump in the Nov. 3 contest in Georgia. While the risk-limiting audit is designed to check the correct winner and not change the margins, four counties uncovered a few thousand votes that were not originally uploaded to the state's election results. Those votes narrowly cut into Biden's margin but are not nearly enough to reverse Biden's lead.
Douglas County failed to include a memory card from an Election Day precinct that included 156 votes for Biden, 128 votes for Trump, seven votes for Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen and two ballots where no presidential selection was made. This brings the margin by which Biden leads Trump to 12,781, after Walton County discovered a memory card with 284 votes, Fayette Country tabulated 2,755 missing votes and Floyd County had about 2,600 ballots that were never scanned.
Trump and other top Republicans have suggested that Georgia's vote counting and risk-limiting audit is fraudulent, something that Sterling of the secretary of state's office said is a ridiculous notion.
"The irony of his saying 'fraudulent votes have been found' — he has gained in the finding of these votes," Sterling said. "So the system is working the way it is intended. And the frustrating situation overall ... if this was 14,000 votes the other way, I believe Biden supporters would be screaming that this was all inappropriate and not done correctly."
Sterling also addressed a Twitter thread from David Shafer, chair of the Georgia Republican Party, that seemed to suggest an error in DeKalb County almost gave Biden an extra 9,000 votes. The social media outlet flagged those tweets as disputed on Wednesday afternoon.
During the audit, one batch of ballots was recorded as containing more than 10,000 votes when the label on the box said just over 1,000. But the error was caught, and according to an affidavit submitted by a Republican audit monitor, the final tally showed a difference of only two votes from the label.
"This is why we don't give out interim audit results, because it can be misleading to look at them because there will be human errors on this," Sterling said. "This was discovered on Sunday, the secretary's office was made aware of it since then and we all knew what had happened here."
As of 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, 5 million ballots had been hand-counted, and the secretary of state's office says the process will finish on time.
The results of the risk-limiting audit and all of the accompanying documents will be posted publicly and will not alter the county-certified totals. State officials said that since the audit is designed to check winners and not margins, the original vote totals showing Biden ahead will stand.
Those four counties that failed to tally all of their votes must recertify, and the state's deadline to sign off on the election results is Friday. While the deadline to complete the audit is 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, state officials say they will not release results until Thursday, after the election staff gets some rest.
"We're running our audit teams into the ground right now," Sterling said.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign can still request a machine recount of election results after the state's certification, something that would take at least a week for some counties to complete.
The elections director in Fulton County, Georgia's most populous, told commissioners it could take up to nine days to rescan more than half a million ballots.


npr--2020-11-18--Early Trials Of Chinese Company's Vaccine Show It Triggers An Immune Response

Early Trials Of Chinese Company 's Vaccine Show It Triggers An Immune Response As companies around the world race to develop coronavirus vaccines , hundreds of thousands of people in China were inoculated with a vaccine before its efficacy was proven in trials .
Now , researchers have released preliminary results that show the vaccine produces an immune response , although it 's too early to say whether it can prevent disease .
The results were released Tuesday in a peer-reviewed paper in the medical journal The Lancet .
The data is from the earliest clinical trials — Phase 1 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called CoronaVac .
The early trials tested whether the vaccine produced an immune response , and also monitored side effects , using two different dosages and vaccine schedules .
Phase 1 and 2 trials are not designed to show efficacy , says Dr. Kirsten Lyke , an immunologist and medical professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine .
`` This is not a Phase 3 study where they will have efficacy or be able to say , OK , it 's 90 % protective .
We just do n't know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , making it different from the mRNA , or messenger RNA , vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna .
While CoronaVac was produced with tried-and-true methods , the mRNA technology is new , and there has n't been an mRNA vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration before .
Researchers say the latest results for CoronaVac support moving forward to Phase 3 trials .
They found the Sinovac vaccine did create an antibody immune response , but at lower levels than those found in people who recovered from the coronavirus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same or higher antibody levels for their mRNA vaccines than those in recovered patients .
`` I 'd be concerned ... that [ CoronaVac ] seemed to induce lower antibody levels than what we 've seen with other vaccines and lower than what you see in most people who have had disease and recovered , '' says Dr. Gregory Poland , a vaccinologist and professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minn. Indonesia , Turkey and Brazil are currently in phase 3 trials of CoronaVac with tens of thousands of participants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out the vaccine by the end of the year .
Moderna said Monday its vaccine is 94.5 % effective in preventing the disease , and Pfizer announced Wednesday that its efficacy rate is 95 % .
Pfizer is ready to seek authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the emergency use of its vaccine .
One potential advantage of CoronaVac is that it 's cheap and fast to make in comparison to the mRNA vaccines , so even if it offers only partial protection , that could be useful in areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to the other vaccines , Poland says .
`` In ... Indonesia , parts of China ...
It would just be logistically very difficult to transport [ an mRNA ] vaccine at the cold and ultra-cold temperatures that are required , '' he adds .
`` But nonetheless , the more vaccine globally , the better , assuming that it 's safe and effective . ''

Early Trials Of Chinese Company's Vaccine Show It Triggers An Immune Response
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
As companies around the world race to develop coronavirus vaccines, hundreds of thousands of people in China were inoculated with a vaccine before its efficacy was proven in trials. Now, researchers have released preliminary results that show the vaccine produces an immune response, although it's too early to say whether it can prevent disease.
The results were released Tuesday in a peer-reviewed paper in the medical journal The Lancet. The data is from the earliest clinical trials — Phase 1 and 2 — of the vaccine, called CoronaVac.
The early trials tested whether the vaccine produced an immune response, and also monitored side effects, using two different dosages and vaccine schedules.
Phase 1 and 2 trials are not designed to show efficacy, says Dr. Kirsten Lyke, an immunologist and medical professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
"This is not a Phase 3 study where they will have efficacy or be able to say, OK, it's 90% protective. We just don't know," she adds.
CoronaVac uses inactivated coronavirus, making it different from the mRNA, or messenger RNA, vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna. While CoronaVac was produced with tried-and-true methods, the mRNA technology is new, and there hasn't been an mRNA vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration before.
Researchers say the latest results for CoronaVac support moving forward to Phase 3 trials.
They found the Sinovac vaccine did create an antibody immune response, but at lower levels than those found in people who recovered from the coronavirus. In comparison, Moderna and Pfizer reported the same or higher antibody levels for their mRNA vaccines than those in recovered patients.
"I'd be concerned ... that [CoronaVac] seemed to induce lower antibody levels than what we've seen with other vaccines and lower than what you see in most people who have had disease and recovered," says Dr. Gregory Poland, a vaccinologist and professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Indonesia, Turkey and Brazil are currently in phase 3 trials of CoronaVac with tens of thousands of participants. Indonesia is reportedly aiming to roll out the vaccine by the end of the year.
Moderna said Monday its vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing the disease, and Pfizer announced Wednesday that its efficacy rate is 95%. Pfizer is ready to seek authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the emergency use of its vaccine.
One potential advantage of CoronaVac is that it's cheap and fast to make in comparison to the mRNA vaccines, so even if it offers only partial protection, that could be useful in areas of the world that might not have access to the other vaccines, Poland says.
"In ... Indonesia, parts of China ... It would just be logistically very difficult to transport [an mRNA] vaccine at the cold and ultra-cold temperatures that are required," he adds. "But nonetheless, the more vaccine globally, the better, assuming that it's safe and effective."


npr--2020-11-18--Judge Says Coronavirus Can't Be Used As Reason To Quickly Deport Unaccompanied Minors

Judge Says Coronavirus Ca n't Be Used As Reason To Quickly Deport Unaccompanied Minors A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to stop deporting minor immigrants on the grounds that they are a coronavirus threat .
The government has already expelled nearly 9,000 children who crossed the border alone , seeking protection , citing a public health order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Since March , immigration agents have been ejecting nearly everyone — children and adults — who shows up at the U.S. border asking for asylum .
The government had insisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent the possible infection of border agents , youth shelter workers and other immigrants in custody .
But federal Judge Emmet Sullivan issued a preliminary injunction in Washington , telling immigration agents to stop the rapid expulsions of unaccompanied children .
U.S. Customs and Border Protection had been housing the children temporarily in border hotels before they could be deported , but another federal judge 's order told them to stop that practice .
`` Like so many other Trump administration policies , it was gratuitously cruel and unlawful , '' said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberties Union attorney .
He argued the class-action lawsuit in August , maintaining the government can not house migrant children in unlicensed facilities and remove them from the country without hearing their asylum claims .
Another advocate , Wendy Young of Kids in Need of Defense , said the Trump administration `` policy is counter to our nation 's longstanding commitment to protecting refugees , including unaccompanied kids on the move , and the court rightly enjoined it . ''
`` Today 's ruling affirms the Trump administration can not use the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obligations to children fleeing persecution , '' said Jamie Crook of the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies , who also represents the class of children .
The Trump administration 's border expulsion policy rested on a rarely used public health law , known as Title 42 .
Sullivan ruled that the 1944 statute allows the government to block the entrance of noncitizens who carry diseases , but it does not allow expulsions .
`` Expelling persons , as a matter of ordinary language , is entirely different from interrupting , intercepting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the judge wrote in his opinion .
In September , a U.S. magistrate judge said the government had misinterpreted the 76-year-old statute and assumed `` breathtakingly broad '' powers .
CBP agents have used the CDC order to send back more than 200,000 people crossing the northern and southern borders since March .
The Justice Department had argued that the courts were impinging on the federal government 's power to protect the American public from COVID-19 .
The Associated Press has reported that Vice President Pence pressured the CDC to use its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overruling a CDC official who refused to comply because there was no valid public health reason .
Neither the Justice Department nor CBP had a comment on the judge 's ruling .

Judge Says Coronavirus Can't Be Used As Reason To Quickly Deport Unaccompanied Minors
Enlarge this image toggle caption Eric Gay/AP Eric Gay/AP
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Trump administration to stop deporting minor immigrants on the grounds that they are a coronavirus threat. The government has already expelled nearly 9,000 children who crossed the border alone, seeking protection, citing a public health order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since March, immigration agents have been ejecting nearly everyone — children and adults — who shows up at the U.S. border asking for asylum. The government had insisted that it had to turn youngsters back to prevent the possible infection of border agents, youth shelter workers and other immigrants in custody.
But federal Judge Emmet Sullivan issued a preliminary injunction in Washington, telling immigration agents to stop the rapid expulsions of unaccompanied children. U.S. Customs and Border Protection had been housing the children temporarily in border hotels before they could be deported, but another federal judge's order told them to stop that practice.
Immigrant advocates reacted with relief to Wednesday's order.
"Like so many other Trump administration policies, it was gratuitously cruel and unlawful," said Lee Gelernt, a senior American Civil Liberties Union attorney. He argued the class-action lawsuit in August, maintaining the government cannot house migrant children in unlicensed facilities and remove them from the country without hearing their asylum claims.
Another advocate, Wendy Young of Kids in Need of Defense, said the Trump administration "policy is counter to our nation's longstanding commitment to protecting refugees, including unaccompanied kids on the move, and the court rightly enjoined it."
"Today's ruling affirms the Trump administration cannot use the pandemic as a pretext to flout its legal obligations to children fleeing persecution," said Jamie Crook of the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, who also represents the class of children.
The Trump administration's border expulsion policy rested on a rarely used public health law, known as Title 42. Sullivan ruled that the 1944 statute allows the government to block the entrance of noncitizens who carry diseases, but it does not allow expulsions.
"Expelling persons, as a matter of ordinary language, is entirely different from interrupting, intercepting, or halting the process of introduction," the judge wrote in his opinion.
In September, a U.S. magistrate judge said the government had misinterpreted the 76-year-old statute and assumed "breathtakingly broad" powers. CBP agents have used the CDC order to send back more than 200,000 people crossing the northern and southern borders since March.
The Justice Department had argued that the courts were impinging on the federal government's power to protect the American public from COVID-19.
The Associated Press has reported that Vice President Pence pressured the CDC to use its emergency powers to shut the border, overruling a CDC official who refused to comply because there was no valid public health reason.
Neither the Justice Department nor CBP had a comment on the judge's ruling.


npr--2020-11-18--Apple Agrees To Pay $113 Million To Settle 'Batterygate' Case Over iPhone Slowdowns

Apple Agrees To Pay $ 113 Million To Settle 'Batterygate ' Case Over iPhone Slowdowns Apple on Wednesday agreed to pay $ 113 million to settle consumer fraud lawsuits brought by more than 30 states over allegations that it secretly slowed down old iPhones , a controversy that became known as `` batterygate . ''
Apple first denied that it purposely slowed down iPhone batteries , then said it did so to preserve battery life amid widespread reports of iPhones unexpectedly turning off .
The company maintained that it was n't necessary for iPhone users to replace their sluggish phones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arizona found people saw no other choice .
Apple , the most valuable company in the world , acted deceptively by hiding the shutdown and slowdown issues , according to the court filing .
`` Many consumers decided that the only way to get improved performance was to purchase a newer-model iPhone from Apple , '' Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich wrote in a complaint made public on Wednesday .
`` Apple , of course , fully understood such effects on sales . ''
According to state investigators , the move boosted iPhone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per year . ''
The slowdown reportedly affected Apple phones that were released between 2014 and 2016 .
It first came to light after iPhone users complained on Reddit and technology blogs .
At the time , Apple claimed the unexpected iPhone shutdowns affected a `` very small number '' of iPhones , but state investigators say that behind the scenes , Apple worked to conceal the problem from the public .
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the settlement .
As part of the deal , Apple did not admit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Eventually , in December 2017 , Apple did admit to the battery slowdowns aimed at addressing the device shut down problem , leading the company to issue a rare apology .
`` We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product , or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades , '' Apple stated at the time .
In March , Apple agreed to pay up to $ 500 million to settle claims of intentionally slowing down older phones .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least $ 25 per iPhone , though some consumers who had already spent hundreds on new devices saw the payments as too little , too late .
As part of Wednesday 's settlement , $ 113 million will be distributed among the states , including California , Tennessee and Pennsylvania .
In Arizona , the funds will cover attorneys ' fees and will be used to fund future consumer protection investigations , according to the state 's attorney general 's office .
The deal also stipulates that Apple operate a website that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear and conspicuous '' to consumers .
The agreement still awaits final approval from the court .
Starting in 2018 , iPhone users have been able to better control an iPhone 's battery life and check on the health of the battery , along with allowing users to turn off iPhone battery throttling .
Arizona Attorney General Brnovich said the settlement on Wednesday exposed Apple 's deceptive behavior before the company opened up over slowing down users ' batteries .
`` Big Tech companies must stop manipulating consumers and tell them the whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Brnovich said .
`` I 'm committed to holding these Goliath technology companies to account if they conceal the truth from their users . ''

Apple Agrees To Pay $113 Million To Settle 'Batterygate' Case Over iPhone Slowdowns
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kiichiro Sato/AP Kiichiro Sato/AP
Apple on Wednesday agreed to pay $113 million to settle consumer fraud lawsuits brought by more than 30 states over allegations that it secretly slowed down old iPhones, a controversy that became known as "batterygate."
Apple first denied that it purposely slowed down iPhone batteries, then said it did so to preserve battery life amid widespread reports of iPhones unexpectedly turning off. The company maintained that it wasn't necessary for iPhone users to replace their sluggish phones, but state attorneys general led by Arizona found people saw no other choice.
Apple, the most valuable company in the world, acted deceptively by hiding the shutdown and slowdown issues, according to the court filing.
"Many consumers decided that the only way to get improved performance was to purchase a newer-model iPhone from Apple," Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich wrote in a complaint made public on Wednesday. "Apple, of course, fully understood such effects on sales."
According to state investigators, the move boosted iPhone sales "potentially by millions of devices per year."
The slowdown reportedly affected Apple phones that were released between 2014 and 2016. It first came to light after iPhone users complained on Reddit and technology blogs.
At the time, Apple claimed the unexpected iPhone shutdowns affected a "very small number" of iPhones, but state investigators say that behind the scenes, Apple worked to conceal the problem from the public.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the settlement. As part of the deal, Apple did not admit to breaking any laws or any other wrongdoing.
Eventually, in December 2017, Apple did admit to the battery slowdowns aimed at addressing the device shut down problem, leading the company to issue a rare apology.
"We have never — and would never — do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades," Apple stated at the time.
Nonetheless, the legal challenges continued.
In March, Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle claims of intentionally slowing down older phones. That settlement called for Apple to pay consumers at least $25 per iPhone, though some consumers who had already spent hundreds on new devices saw the payments as too little, too late.
As part of Wednesday's settlement, $113 million will be distributed among the states, including California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. In Arizona, the funds will cover attorneys' fees and will be used to fund future consumer protection investigations, according to the state's attorney general's office.
The deal also stipulates that Apple operate a website that makes iPhone updates that affect batteries "clear and conspicuous" to consumers. The agreement still awaits final approval from the court.
Starting in 2018, iPhone users have been able to better control an iPhone's battery life and check on the health of the battery, along with allowing users to turn off iPhone battery throttling.
Arizona Attorney General Brnovich said the settlement on Wednesday exposed Apple's deceptive behavior before the company opened up over slowing down users' batteries.
"Big Tech companies must stop manipulating consumers and tell them the whole truth about their practices and products," Brnovich said. "I'm committed to holding these Goliath technology companies to account if they conceal the truth from their users."


npr--2020-11-18--'Without Our Work, Facebook Is Unusable': Content Moderators Demand Safer Offices

'Without Our Work , Facebook Is Unusable ' : Content Moderators Demand Safer Offices More than 200 Facebook workers say the social media company is making content moderators return to the office during the pandemic because the company 's attempt to rely more heavily on automated systems has `` failed . ''
The workers made the claim in an open letter Wednesday to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg as well as the heads of two companies , Accenture and CPL , to which Facebook subcontracts content moderation .
`` Without our work , Facebook is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Your algorithms can not spot satire .
They can not sift journalism from disinformation .
They can not respond quickly enough to self-harm or child abuse .
We can . ''
The letter was organized by Foxglove , a law firm representing content moderators , and was signed by both contractors and full-time Facebook employees .
In August , Facebook told employees they could keep working from home until July 2021 .
The open letter accused the company of putting content moderators ' lives at risk by pressuring them back into offices .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a worker at a Facebook content moderation facility in Austin , Texas , tested positive for the coronavirus just days after returning to the office in October .
The workers called on the company and its outsourcing partners to improve safety and working conditions .
Their list of demands includes hazard pay for moderators who must return to the office .
They also want Facebook to hire all of its moderators directly , let those who live with high-risk people work from home indefinitely and offer better health care and mental health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` maximize '' the amount of work that can be performed at home .
Facebook relies on more than 15,000 people around the world to review which posts break its rules and must come down , and which can stay up — ranging from spam and nudity to hate speech and violence .
Most moderators are not Facebook employees but contractors who work for third parties , including Accenture and CPL .
Facebook spokesman Drew Pusateri said in a statement that the majority of content moderators continue to work from home during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health guidance on keeping facilities safe for any in-office work . ''
`` We appreciate the valuable work content reviewers do and we prioritize their health and safety , '' he said .
Moderators have access to health care and `` confidential wellbeing resources '' from their first day on the job , he added .
Accenture said in a statement : `` We are gradually inviting our people to return to offices , but only where there is a critical need to do so and only when we are comfortable that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , following local ordinances .
These include vastly reduced building occupancy , extensive social distancing and masks , daily office cleaning , individual transportation and other measures . ''
The company is also finding alternative arrangements for workers who are vulnerable or live with someone who is vulnerable .
CPL did not respond to a request for comment .
As the coronavirus began spreading earlier this year , Facebook , like other tech companies , sent most of its workers home , including contractors .
The company said that decision meant it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to flag violating content — and Zuckerberg acknowledged those systems would not always get things right .
`` We may be a little less effective in the near term while we 're adjusting to this , '' he told reporters in March .
Workers who signed the open letter said the pandemic had revealed the automated systems ' shortcomings .
`` Important speech got swept into the maw of the Facebook filter — and risky content , like self-harm , stayed up , '' they wrote .
`` Facebook 's algorithms are years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sophistication to moderate content automatically .
They may never get there . ''
Facebook has invested significantly in artificial intelligence and machine learning to review content , and the company has made no secret of the fact that it wants automated systems to take on more work over time .
It is under pressure to keep its platform free of harmful and misleading content — and has faced extensive criticism over how it treats contractors , who say they perform a grueling job that takes a big toll on their mental health .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers wrote in Wednesday 's letter .
`` It is time that you acknowledged this and valued our work . ''
Editor 's note : Facebook is among NPR 's financial supporters .

'Without Our Work, Facebook Is Unusable': Content Moderators Demand Safer Offices
Enlarge this image toggle caption Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
Updated Thursday at 11:02 a.m. ET
More than 200 Facebook workers say the social media company is making content moderators return to the office during the pandemic because the company's attempt to rely more heavily on automated systems has "failed."
The workers made the claim in an open letter Wednesday to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg as well as the heads of two companies, Accenture and CPL, to which Facebook subcontracts content moderation.
"Without our work, Facebook is unusable," they wrote. "Your algorithms cannot spot satire. They cannot sift journalism from disinformation. They cannot respond quickly enough to self-harm or child abuse. We can."
The letter was organized by Foxglove, a law firm representing content moderators, and was signed by both contractors and full-time Facebook employees.
In August, Facebook told employees they could keep working from home until July 2021. The open letter accused the company of putting content moderators' lives at risk by pressuring them back into offices. It follows a report from The Intercept that a worker at a Facebook content moderation facility in Austin, Texas, tested positive for the coronavirus just days after returning to the office in October.
The workers called on the company and its outsourcing partners to improve safety and working conditions. Their list of demands includes hazard pay for moderators who must return to the office. They also want Facebook to hire all of its moderators directly, let those who live with high-risk people work from home indefinitely and offer better health care and mental health support. They also said Facebook should "maximize" the amount of work that can be performed at home.
Facebook relies on more than 15,000 people around the world to review which posts break its rules and must come down, and which can stay up — ranging from spam and nudity to hate speech and violence. Most moderators are not Facebook employees but contractors who work for third parties, including Accenture and CPL.
Facebook spokesman Drew Pusateri said in a statement that the majority of content moderators continue to work from home during the pandemic and that "Facebook has exceeded health guidance on keeping facilities safe for any in-office work."
"We appreciate the valuable work content reviewers do and we prioritize their health and safety," he said. Moderators have access to health care and "confidential wellbeing resources" from their first day on the job, he added.
Accenture said in a statement: "We are gradually inviting our people to return to offices, but only where there is a critical need to do so and only when we are comfortable that we have put the right safety measures in place, following local ordinances. These include vastly reduced building occupancy, extensive social distancing and masks, daily office cleaning, individual transportation and other measures." The company is also finding alternative arrangements for workers who are vulnerable or live with someone who is vulnerable.
CPL said in a statement: "Our employees carry out extremely important work, keeping the Facebook platform safe. They are positively contributing to society in the work that they do in ensuring the safety of our online communities, and their roles are deemed essential. Due to the nature of the work, it cannot be carried out from home." It added that health and safety are its top priority, and it has put measures in place including reduced capacity in the office and providing private transportation.
As the coronavirus began spreading earlier this year, Facebook, like other tech companies, sent most of its workers home, including contractors.
The company said that decision meant it would increase its use of automated systems to flag violating content — and Zuckerberg acknowledged those systems would not always get things right. "We may be a little less effective in the near term while we're adjusting to this," he told reporters in March.
Workers who signed the open letter said the pandemic had revealed the automated systems' shortcomings. "Important speech got swept into the maw of the Facebook filter — and risky content, like self-harm, stayed up," they wrote. "Facebook's algorithms are years away from achieving the necessary level of sophistication to moderate content automatically. They may never get there."
Facebook has invested significantly in artificial intelligence and machine learning to review content, and the company has made no secret of the fact that it wants automated systems to take on more work over time.
It is under pressure to keep its platform free of harmful and misleading content — and has faced extensive criticism over how it treats contractors, who say they perform a grueling job that takes a big toll on their mental health.
"Facebook needs us," the workers wrote in Wednesday's letter. "It is time that you acknowledged this and valued our work."
Editor's note: Facebook is among NPR's financial supporters.


npr--2020-11-18--U.K. Police Arrest Man Over 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings That Killed 21

Nearly 46 years ago , terrorists placed bombs in Birmingham , England .
The explosions ripped apart two pubs , killing 21 people and injuring about 200 .
Six men were sentenced to life in prison in 1975 in connection with the terrorist act , but 16 years later their convictions were thrown out .
The men were released and compensated in one of the country 's most notorious miscarriages of justice .
For years the case has been quiet , with no additional arrests .
That changed this week .
Police arrested a 65-year-old man Wednesday in Belfast , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bombing , days before the Nov. 21 , 1974 attack 's 46th anniversary .
The man will be interviewed and his home searched .
British police do not typically release a suspect 's name until charges are filed .
Last month , British Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government would consider a public inquiry into the bombing , following years of campaigning by the victims ' families , according to The Independent .
The Irish Republican Army is believed to have been behind the attack , but it never claimed responsibility , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest single loss of life on the British mainland during the 30 years of conflict known as `` The Troubles , '' between mostly Catholic nationalists and Protestants , according to Reuters .
More than 3,600 people were killed in the decades-long conflict .
The Irish Republican Army fought to force Britain out of Northern Ireland but the conflict officially ended with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement .
Reese Oxner is an intern on NPR 's News Desk .

U.K. Police Arrest Man Over 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings That Killed 21
Enlarge this image toggle caption Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Nearly 46 years ago, terrorists placed bombs in Birmingham, England. The explosions ripped apart two pubs, killing 21 people and injuring about 200.
Six men were sentenced to life in prison in 1975 in connection with the terrorist act, but 16 years later their convictions were thrown out. The men were released and compensated in one of the country's most notorious miscarriages of justice.
For years the case has been quiet, with no additional arrests.
That changed this week. Police arrested a 65-year-old man Wednesday in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in connection with the bombing, days before the Nov. 21, 1974 attack's 46th anniversary.
The man will be interviewed and his home searched. British police do not typically release a suspect's name until charges are filed.
Last month, British Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government would consider a public inquiry into the bombing, following years of campaigning by the victims' families, according to The Independent.
The Irish Republican Army is believed to have been behind the attack, but it never claimed responsibility, according to Reuters.
The bombings caused the largest single loss of life on the British mainland during the 30 years of conflict known as "The Troubles," between mostly Catholic nationalists and Protestants, according to Reuters. More than 3,600 people were killed in the decades-long conflict.
The Irish Republican Army fought to force Britain out of Northern Ireland but the conflict officially ended with the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Reese Oxner is an intern on NPR's News Desk.


npr--2020-11-18--Trump Shakes Up The Military, But To What End?

Trump Shakes Up The Military , But To What End ?
In the past 10 days , President Trump has fired the defense secretary as part of a leadership shake-up at the Pentagon .
His administration has announced troop cutbacks in Afghanistan and Iraq .
And the president huddled with his national security team and discussed possible military action against Iran .
Critics say the moves appear motivated by anger , revenge and an attempt to keep campaign promises dating to 2016 .
In addition , they say the president is taking steps that lack strategic coherence , complicate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confuse allies of the U.S. and harm America 's standing in the world .
In the aftermath of the election , `` President Trump and those loyal to him started to sow chaos and division , '' said Rep. Adam Smith , the Washington Democrat who heads the House Armed Services Committee .
He called on Trump to stop `` firing or forcing out national security professionals , '' adding that the next two months could be `` precarious at best and downright dangerous at worst . ''
Here 's a breakdown of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — and what it could mean when Biden becomes commander in chief on Jan. 20 .
Defense Department leadership : Trump soured on Defense Secretary Mark Esper months ago , and Esper 's opposition to further troop cuts in Afghanistan sealed his fate .
Trump fired Esper in a Nov. 9 tweet and replaced him with Chris Miller , a counterterrorism official who has a long military background , though limited experience in running a huge bureaucracy like the Pentagon .
In addition , several other Trump loyalists , who supported troop cuts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ installed in top Pentagon jobs , a highly unusual move in the waning days of an administration .
Biden will choose his own defense secretary and other senior military advisers , but Trump 's moves add layers of uncertainty to the transition .
Afghanistan : Barely a week on the job , Miller announced Tuesday that the U.S. would cut troops in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by Jan. 15 .
Based on a preliminary agreement reached by the U.S. and the Taliban in February , U.S. troop levels have been coming down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban has failed to meet its commitments , which include a halt to attacks in urban areas and breaking with al-Qaida .
One military official told NPR the cuts were `` capricious and arbitrary , '' although another called them `` the best possible alternative , '' since Trump had earlier tweeted that all U.S. troops should be home by Christmas .
The president faced criticism from some of his staunchest supporters , like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Kentucky Republican .
`` A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the people who wish us harm , '' McConnell said .
The Taliban on Wednesday welcomed the Pentagon 's announcement , calling it a `` good step . ''
Defense analysts predicted the troop cuts in Afghanistan will undermine the current peace talks involving the U.S. , the Afghan government and the Taliban .
They say the U.S. drawdown could give the Taliban more leverage and encourage the group to simply wait the Americans out rather than offer any concessions .
National security adviser Robert O'Brien said the president would like to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May — though that decision would be left to the incoming Biden administration .
Iraq : Miller also announced Tuesday that the U.S. would trim its forces in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500 .
The Americans continue to go after Islamic State remnants there and in neighboring Syria .
Shortly after Miller spoke , rockets were fired at the U.S. Embassy and at other sites in Baghdad .
Many analysts said the president 's moves in Afghanistan and Iraq appeared designed to fulfill a long-standing promise to end `` forever wars , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Compared with Afghanistan , Iraq is a bit more stable and is receiving less attention in the United States .
However , then-President Barack Obama withdrew U.S. forces from the country in 2011 at a time of relative calm .
He sent troops back in 2014 after the Islamic State emerged and captured large parts of western and northern Iraq .
Biden says that he favors keeping a small number of U.S. forces in the region to focus on counterterrorism .
`` There is a big difference between large-scale , open-ended deployments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troops , which must end , and using a few hundred Special Forces soldiers and intelligence assets to support local partners , '' Biden wrote in Foreign Affairs in March .
`` Those smaller-scale missions are sustainable militarily , economically , and politically . ''
Iran : Last week , Trump and his national security team discussed options for dealing with Iran — including military options .
They gathered at the White House after the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran continues stockpiling uranium enriched to low levels .
The stockpile is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2015 nuclear deal that the U.S. has withdrawn from and that Iran openly flouts .
Still , Iran would have to take several additional steps before it could make a nuclear weapon .
The president 's advisers presented him a range of options but counseled against taking military action , a military official told NPR , speaking on condition of anonymity .
The advisers fear a U.S. strike would escalate to a wider conflict , so it appears that any military action is off the table for now .
The president has pursued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran that has focused largely on sanctions and other punitive measures .
Launching a military attack at the same time the U.S. is scaling back in the region makes little sense , according to Karim Sadjadpour , an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace .
`` If your goal is to end wars in the Middle East and reduce U.S. presence in the Middle East , but also ask for options about military attacks against Iran , those are two contradictory goals , '' said Sadjadpour .
Also , former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leading proponent of toppling the Iranian regime when he was part of the administration .
But in an interview with NPR last week , Bolton acknowledged that Trump always rejected regime change .
`` I think the only way to guarantee that Iran does not become a nuclear weapon state is to remove the regime .
And the president was never willing to take that as his policy , '' Bolton said .
Biden says he would be willing to return to the 2015 nuclear deal if Iran agreed to go back and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's planned troop reduction in Afghanistan prompted a rare rebuke from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg .
NATO has thousands of troops in Afghanistan , mostly training Afghan forces .
`` We have been in Afghanistan for almost 20 years , and no NATO ally wants to stay any longer than necessary , '' Stoltenberg said in a statement .
`` But at the same time , the price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high .
Afghanistan risks becoming once again a platform for international terrorists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homelands . ''
Trump has repeatedly quarreled with NATO over his demand that member countries spend more on defense .
Biden says one of his first foreign policy moves will be to repair frayed relations with long-standing allies of the U.S. , including NATO members .
Tom Bowman is NPR 's Pentagon correspondent .
Follow him on Twitter : @ TBowmanNPR .
Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent .
Follow him on Twitter : @ gregmyre1 .

Trump Shakes Up The Military, But To What End?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/AP
In the past 10 days, President Trump has fired the defense secretary as part of a leadership shake-up at the Pentagon. His administration has announced troop cutbacks in Afghanistan and Iraq. And the president huddled with his national security team and discussed possible military action against Iran.
Critics say the moves appear motivated by anger, revenge and an attempt to keep campaign promises dating to 2016. In addition, they say the president is taking steps that lack strategic coherence, complicate a transition to a Joe Biden presidency, confuse allies of the U.S. and harm America's standing in the world.
In the aftermath of the election, "President Trump and those loyal to him started to sow chaos and division," said Rep. Adam Smith, the Washington Democrat who heads the House Armed Services Committee. He called on Trump to stop "firing or forcing out national security professionals," adding that the next two months could be "precarious at best and downright dangerous at worst."
Here's a breakdown of what Trump has done in recent days — and what it could mean when Biden becomes commander in chief on Jan. 20.
Defense Department leadership: Trump soured on Defense Secretary Mark Esper months ago, and Esper's opposition to further troop cuts in Afghanistan sealed his fate. Trump fired Esper in a Nov. 9 tweet and replaced him with Chris Miller, a counterterrorism official who has a long military background, though limited experience in running a huge bureaucracy like the Pentagon. In addition, several other Trump loyalists, who supported troop cuts or were hawkish on Iran, were installed in top Pentagon jobs, a highly unusual move in the waning days of an administration.
Biden will choose his own defense secretary and other senior military advisers, but Trump's moves add layers of uncertainty to the transition.
Afghanistan: Barely a week on the job, Miller announced Tuesday that the U.S. would cut troops in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by Jan. 15. Based on a preliminary agreement reached by the U.S. and the Taliban in February, U.S. troop levels have been coming down.
But U.S. military officials say the Taliban has failed to meet its commitments, which include a halt to attacks in urban areas and breaking with al-Qaida.
One military official told NPR the cuts were "capricious and arbitrary," although another called them "the best possible alternative," since Trump had earlier tweeted that all U.S. troops should be home by Christmas.
The president faced criticism from some of his staunchest supporters, like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican.
"A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight the people who wish us harm," McConnell said.
The Taliban on Wednesday welcomed the Pentagon's announcement, calling it a "good step."
Defense analysts predicted the troop cuts in Afghanistan will undermine the current peace talks involving the U.S., the Afghan government and the Taliban. They say the U.S. drawdown could give the Taliban more leverage and encourage the group to simply wait the Americans out rather than offer any concessions.
National security adviser Robert O'Brien said the president would like to see all U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by May — though that decision would be left to the incoming Biden administration.
Iraq: Miller also announced Tuesday that the U.S. would trim its forces in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500. The Americans continue to go after Islamic State remnants there and in neighboring Syria. Shortly after Miller spoke, rockets were fired at the U.S. Embassy and at other sites in Baghdad.
Many analysts said the president's moves in Afghanistan and Iraq appeared designed to fulfill a long-standing promise to end "forever wars," rather than a reasoned and deliberate drawdown.
Compared with Afghanistan, Iraq is a bit more stable and is receiving less attention in the United States. However, then-President Barack Obama withdrew U.S. forces from the country in 2011 at a time of relative calm. He sent troops back in 2014 after the Islamic State emerged and captured large parts of western and northern Iraq.
Biden says that he favors keeping a small number of U.S. forces in the region to focus on counterterrorism.
"There is a big difference between large-scale, open-ended deployments of tens of thousands of American combat troops, which must end, and using a few hundred Special Forces soldiers and intelligence assets to support local partners," Biden wrote in Foreign Affairs in March. "Those smaller-scale missions are sustainable militarily, economically, and politically."
Iran: Last week, Trump and his national security team discussed options for dealing with Iran — including military options. They gathered at the White House after the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran continues stockpiling uranium enriched to low levels. The stockpile is many times larger than permitted under the 2015 nuclear deal that the U.S. has withdrawn from and that Iran openly flouts. Still, Iran would have to take several additional steps before it could make a nuclear weapon.
The president's advisers presented him a range of options but counseled against taking military action, a military official told NPR, speaking on condition of anonymity. The advisers fear a U.S. strike would escalate to a wider conflict, so it appears that any military action is off the table for now.
The president has pursued a "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran that has focused largely on sanctions and other punitive measures. Launching a military attack at the same time the U.S. is scaling back in the region makes little sense, according to Karim Sadjadpour, an Iran expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
"If your goal is to end wars in the Middle East and reduce U.S. presence in the Middle East, but also ask for options about military attacks against Iran, those are two contradictory goals," said Sadjadpour.
Also, former national security adviser John Bolton was a leading proponent of toppling the Iranian regime when he was part of the administration. But in an interview with NPR last week, Bolton acknowledged that Trump always rejected regime change.
"I think the only way to guarantee that Iran does not become a nuclear weapon state is to remove the regime. And the president was never willing to take that as his policy," Bolton said.
Biden says he would be willing to return to the 2015 nuclear deal if Iran agreed to go back and accept the original restrictions.
NATO: Trump's planned troop reduction in Afghanistan prompted a rare rebuke from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. NATO has thousands of troops in Afghanistan, mostly training Afghan forces.
"We have been in Afghanistan for almost 20 years, and no NATO ally wants to stay any longer than necessary," Stoltenberg said in a statement. "But at the same time, the price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high. Afghanistan risks becoming once again a platform for international terrorists to plan and organize attacks on our homelands."
Trump has repeatedly quarreled with NATO over his demand that member countries spend more on defense. Biden says one of his first foreign policy moves will be to repair frayed relations with long-standing allies of the U.S., including NATO members.
Tom Bowman is NPR's Pentagon correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @TBowmanNPR.
Greg Myre is an NPR national security correspondent. Follow him on Twitter: @gregmyre1.