npr--2020-12-13--Spy Novelist John Le Carré Dies At 89

Spy Novelist John Le Carré Dies At 89

John le Carré , the British spy novelist behind dozens of works including The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker , Tailor , Soldier , Spy , has died at 89 in Cornwall , England .
Le Carré , who was born David Cornwell , died of pneumonia on the evening of Dec. 12 , according to a statement from his publisher .
`` John le Carré was an undisputed giant of English literature .
He defined the Cold War era and fearlessly spoke truth to power in the decades that followed , '' said Jonny Geller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and le Carré 's agent .
`` I have lost a mentor , an inspiration and most important , a friend .
We will not see his like again . ''
Le Carré worked as a British intelligence officer himself before penning the espionage novels that dominated global bestseller lists for decades — and led to multiple movie and TV adaptations .
He wrote his first three books while working for Britain 's MI5 and MI6 , and became a full-time author after catapulting onto the global scene with the publication of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In From The Cold , in 1963 .
`` From the day my novel was published , I realised that now and for ever more I was to be branded as the spy turned writer , rather than as a writer who , like scores of his kind , had done a stint in the secret world , and written about it , '' le Carré wrote in a postscript to the 50th anniversary edition of the book .
`` The novel 's merit , then — or its offence , depending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was authentic , but that it was credible . ''
Le Carré himself seemed shocked by how credible people found the book .
Writing in the Guardian in 2013 , he recalled that the British government had vetted the book and approved it as `` sheer fiction from start to finish , '' and therefore not a security breach .
`` This was not , however , the view taken by the world 's press , '' he wrote , `` which with one voice decided that the book was not merely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From The Other Side , leaving me with nothing to do but sit tight and watch , in a kind of frozen awe , as it climbed the bestseller list and stuck there , while pundit after pundit heralded it as the real thing . ''
One of those was another novelist , Graham Greene , who called it `` the best spy story I have ever read . ''
Perhaps what made le Carré 's characters so memorable was their very ordinariness — George Smiley , his best-known creation , was famously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and constantly fretting that his wife was unfaithful .
He was n't James Bond , battling clearly defined bad guys with flair , sexy gadgets and well-placed quips .
No , Smiley was brilliant , but slow and methodical , and well aware that he was operating in shades of grey .
That reflects Le Carré 's own experience as a spy .
As he told Fresh Air 's Terry Gross in 2017 , `` Back then , we had a clear philosophy which we thought we were protecting , and it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a notion of individual freedom , of inclusiveness , of tolerance .
All of that we called anti-communism .
That was really a broad brush , because there were many decent people who lived in communist territories who were n't as bad as one might suppose . ''
The other formative figure in le Carré 's life was his father , a flamboyant con man and criminal who was in and out of jail , leaving his son to be raised in boarding schools ( his mother left the family when le @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` He filled my head with a great lot of truthless material , which I found it necessary to check out as a child , with time , '' he told Terry Gross .
`` Yes , in that sense , these were the early makings of a spy . ''
Le Carré wrote 25 novels and one memoir , and sold more than 60 million copies of his work worldwide .
His last novel , Agent Running in the Field , was published in October 2019 .
In early 2020 , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizers called his `` engaging and humanistic opinion making in literary form regarding the freedom of the individual and the fundamental issues of mankind . ''
He donated the $ 100,000 prize to Médecins Sans Frontières .
In that 2017 interview , Terry Gross asked le Carré if he looked back on his life as being `` extraordinarily interesting . ''
`` I do sometimes , '' he answered .
`` I 'm scared of being a bore about it , but it does seem to be a wonderful life in retrospect , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Le Carré is survived by his wife , four sons , 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren .

Spy Novelist John Le Carré Dies At 89
Enlarge this image toggle caption Terry Fincher/Express/Getty Images Terry Fincher/Express/Getty Images
John le Carré, the British spy novelist behind dozens of works including The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, has died at 89 in Cornwall, England.
Le Carré, who was born David Cornwell, died of pneumonia on the evening of Dec. 12, according to a statement from his publisher.
"John le Carré was an undisputed giant of English literature. He defined the Cold War era and fearlessly spoke truth to power in the decades that followed," said Jonny Geller, CEO of The Curtis Brown Group and le Carré's agent. "I have lost a mentor, an inspiration and most important, a friend. We will not see his like again."
Le Carré worked as a British intelligence officer himself before penning the espionage novels that dominated global bestseller lists for decades — and led to multiple movie and TV adaptations.
He wrote his first three books while working for Britain's MI5 and MI6, and became a full-time author after catapulting onto the global scene with the publication of his third novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, in 1963.
"From the day my novel was published, I realised that now and for ever more I was to be branded as the spy turned writer, rather than as a writer who, like scores of his kind, had done a stint in the secret world, and written about it," le Carré wrote in a postscript to the 50th anniversary edition of the book. "The novel's merit, then — or its offence, depending on where you stood — was not that it was authentic, but that it was credible."
Le Carré himself seemed shocked by how credible people found the book. Writing in the Guardian in 2013, he recalled that the British government had vetted the book and approved it as "sheer fiction from start to finish," and therefore not a security breach.
"This was not, however, the view taken by the world's press," he wrote, "which with one voice decided that the book was not merely authentic but some kind of revelatory Message From The Other Side, leaving me with nothing to do but sit tight and watch, in a kind of frozen awe, as it climbed the bestseller list and stuck there, while pundit after pundit heralded it as the real thing." One of those was another novelist, Graham Greene, who called it "the best spy story I have ever read."
Perhaps what made le Carré's characters so memorable was their very ordinariness — George Smiley, his best-known creation, was famously short, dumpy, badly dressed, and constantly fretting that his wife was unfaithful. He wasn't James Bond, battling clearly defined bad guys with flair, sexy gadgets and well-placed quips. No, Smiley was brilliant, but slow and methodical, and well aware that he was operating in shades of grey.
Back then, we had a clear philosophy which we thought we were protecting, and it was a notion of the West ... That was really a broad brush, because there were many decent people who lived in communist territories who weren't as bad as one might suppose.
That reflects Le Carré's own experience as a spy. As he told Fresh Air's Terry Gross in 2017, "Back then, we had a clear philosophy which we thought we were protecting, and it was a notion of the West — it was a notion of individual freedom, of inclusiveness, of tolerance. All of that we called anti-communism. That was really a broad brush, because there were many decent people who lived in communist territories who weren't as bad as one might suppose."
The other formative figure in le Carré's life was his father, a flamboyant con man and criminal who was in and out of jail, leaving his son to be raised in boarding schools (his mother left the family when le Carré was five years old.) "He filled my head with a great lot of truthless material, which I found it necessary to check out as a child, with time," he told Terry Gross. "Yes, in that sense, these were the early makings of a spy."
Le Carré wrote 25 novels and one memoir, and sold more than 60 million copies of his work worldwide. His last novel, Agent Running in the Field, was published in October 2019.
In early 2020, he won the Olof Palme Prize for what organizers called his "engaging and humanistic opinion making in literary form regarding the freedom of the individual and the fundamental issues of mankind." He donated the $100,000 prize to Médecins Sans Frontières.
In that 2017 interview, Terry Gross asked le Carré if he looked back on his life as being "extraordinarily interesting."
"I do sometimes," he answered. "I'm scared of being a bore about it, but it does seem to be a wonderful life in retrospect, or an extraordinarily varied one."
Le Carré is survived by his wife, four sons, 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.


npr--2020-12-13--Carol Sutton, New Orleans Star Known For Role In 'Steel Magnolias,' Dies At 76

Carol Sutton , New Orleans Star Known For Role In 'Steel Magnolias , ' Dies At 76 The actor Carol Sutton , who appeared in well more than 100 movies , plays and television shows , died Thursday in New Orleans of complications from the coronavirus .
She was 76 years old .
In 1974 , Sutton made her television debut in `` The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman , '' then went on to feature films , starring theatrical roles and more television work .
Though she refused to relocate from her hometown , she worked steadily , winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Big Easy , '' `` The Pelican Brief , '' Monster 's Ball , '' `` Ray , '' `` Steel Magnolias , '' `` The Help , '' and `` Poms . ''
Sutton was diagnosed with the virus and hospitalized in November .
Sutton honed her acting abilities beginning in 1968 , when she joined one of the rare African-American theatrical troupes in the Deep South .
The Dashiki Project Theatre , founded by students at Dillard University and other historically black colleges and universities in Louisiana , was based in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the complexities of African-American life .
That work came easily to Sutton , in part , because her mother , Marguerite Bush , was a community activist in the city .
Often , Sutton told stories about a night in 1957 , when her mom took the family car from their Central City neighborhood to pick up the Rev .
Martin Luther King , Jr. when he arrived in the city .
Carol said she and her sleeping siblings rode in the back seat .
King apparently had come for meetings that helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an organization that became a major agent for progress on civil rights .
The year Sutton committed to acting , she also started what would be a more than 40-year career at Total Community Action , an organization that helps struggling families and children with special needs .
She retired from social and educational work in 2011 .
Sutton 's particular talent for lending humanity and dignity to ordinary characters translated from the stage , to television , to film with remarkable ease .
What 's more , her acting style was deceptively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the woman she played spurned a male character 's advances so convincingly that an audience member reportedly shouted , `` You stupid b**** ! ''
And while it 's unclear whether Sutton considered herself a method actor , she could stay in character long after other cast members had stopped performing .
Adella Gautier , an actor and longtime friend , said that in at least one instance , Sutton 's life seemed to mirror that of her character .
In 1974 , Sutton was hired to play the role of Vivian , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Jane Pittman in the award-winning television adaptation of `` The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman . ''
Gautier who also acted in the film , but did not make the final release , said Sutton was likely pregnant at the audition , but the situation became obvious when she arrived on set .
`` Carol was nine months pregnant . ''
Gautier said , while laughing .
`` She was ( riding ) in a canoe .
And there she was , with her big belly . ''
In recent years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Tremé , '' `` True Detective , '' `` Queen Sugar , '' and `` Lovecraft Country . ''
Donald Matthews , who grew up a block away from Sutton in Central City and later acted with her and built sets for Dashiki productions , said she was as accessible to her fans as she was to her friends .
Over a career spanning 60 years in show business , she never moved from the house where she grew up on Josephine Street and raised a son and daughter there .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carol was every day people , '' Matthews said .
`` People would stop her and say how much they liked her in a show and she 'd say , `` Yeah , girl , I 'm some glad . ''
She regularly rode the city buses and carried her change purse in her bra .
`` Carol Sutton would reach into her bosom and ... hand you a $ 50 bill , and say , 'Hey , go get some beer , '' Gautier said .
`` She was a beer drinker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dinner , she 'd say , 'Do n't worry , I got it . '
'' `` If there was a filming project in New Orleans , you knew it would damn well have a part for Carol Sutton , '' said Batou Chandler , an assistant director , who worked with her on several films .
`` Because once you work with Carol , you 'll want to work with her again . ''
And yet , a lengthy filmography tells only part of Sutton 's story .
Aside from the television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any number of local theatrical productions , including `` Sty of the Blind Pig , '' `` Member of the Wedding , '' `` The Women , '' `` Our Town '' and `` A Raisin in the Sun '' and she toured internationally with the musical , `` One Mo ' Time . ''
New Orleans playwright Dalt Wonk remembers her talents overshadowing a play he wrote about a Louisiana plantation household called `` A Bitter Glory .
`` It was supposed to be an `` Upstairs Downstairs '' kind of story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the slaves downstairs , '' Wonk said .
`` But Carol and the other Black actors turned out to be so much more interesting as the slaves , so I rewrote the play to make it about their stories . ''
Shortly before Sutton took sick in November , she 'd participated in an as-yet-unreleased film presentation honoring Breonna Taylor , the African-American emergency room technician who was shot and killed in March during a police raid at her home in Louisville , Ky. Sutton 's illness lasted just over a month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends saying that she and her daughter had tested positive for the virus , adding , `` Please keep us in your prayers . ''
The next day , she reported acute nausea and fever .
By November 17 , she was hospitalized at the Touro Infirmary .
On November 22 , she texted Matthews saying that her oxygen mask made talking difficult .
Her condition apparently improved enough for doctors to move her from intensive care , but she died at the hospital on Thursday night .
The following day , television @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her honor .

Carol Sutton, New Orleans Star Known For Role In 'Steel Magnolias,' Dies At 76
Enlarge this image toggle caption Willy Sanjuan/Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP Willy Sanjuan/Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP
The actor Carol Sutton, who appeared in well more than 100 movies, plays and television shows, died Thursday in New Orleans of complications from the coronavirus. She was 76 years old.
In 1974, Sutton made her television debut in "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman," then went on to feature films, starring theatrical roles and more television work. Though she refused to relocate from her hometown, she worked steadily, winning roles in movies, including "The Big Easy," "The Pelican Brief," Monster's Ball," "Ray," "Steel Magnolias," "The Help," and "Poms." Sutton was diagnosed with the virus and hospitalized in November.
Sutton honed her acting abilities beginning in 1968, when she joined one of the rare African-American theatrical troupes in the Deep South. The Dashiki Project Theatre, founded by students at Dillard University and other historically black colleges and universities in Louisiana, was based in New Orleans and mounted plays that reflected the complexities of African-American life. That work came easily to Sutton, in part, because her mother, Marguerite Bush, was a community activist in the city.
Often, Sutton told stories about a night in 1957, when her mom took the family car from their Central City neighborhood to pick up the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he arrived in the city. Carol said she and her sleeping siblings rode in the back seat. King apparently had come for meetings that helped establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization that became a major agent for progress on civil rights.
The year Sutton committed to acting, she also started what would be a more than 40-year career at Total Community Action, an organization that helps struggling families and children with special needs. She retired from social and educational work in 2011.
Sutton's particular talent for lending humanity and dignity to ordinary characters translated from the stage, to television, to film with remarkable ease. What's more, her acting style was deceptively natural. In one Dashiki production, the woman she played spurned a male character's advances so convincingly that an audience member reportedly shouted, "You stupid b****!"
And while it's unclear whether Sutton considered herself a method actor, she could stay in character long after other cast members had stopped performing.
Adella Gautier, an actor and longtime friend, said that in at least one instance, Sutton's life seemed to mirror that of her character. In 1974, Sutton was hired to play the role of Vivian, the pregnant daughter-in- law of Cicely Tyson's Jane Pittman in the award-winning television adaptation of "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman." Gautier who also acted in the film, but did not make the final release, said Sutton was likely pregnant at the audition, but the situation became obvious when she arrived on set.
"Carol was nine months pregnant." Gautier said, while laughing. "She was (riding) in a canoe. And there she was, with her big belly."
In recent years, Sutton's television work included roles in "Tremé," "True Detective," "Queen Sugar," and "Lovecraft Country."
Donald Matthews, who grew up a block away from Sutton in Central City and later acted with her and built sets for Dashiki productions, said she was as accessible to her fans as she was to her friends. Over a career spanning 60 years in show business, she never moved from the house where she grew up on Josephine Street and raised a son and daughter there. Her children and siblings survive her.
"Carol was every day people," Matthews said. "People would stop her and say how much they liked her in a show and she'd say, "Yeah, girl, I'm some glad." She regularly rode the city buses and carried her change purse in her bra.
Gautier remembers Sutton's generosity.
"Carol Sutton would reach into her bosom and ... hand you a $50 bill, and say, 'Hey, go get some beer," Gautier said. "She was a beer drinker. And if the tab came at dinner, she'd say, 'Don't worry, I got it.'"
"If there was a filming project in New Orleans, you knew it would damn well have a part for Carol Sutton," said Batou Chandler, an assistant director, who worked with her on several films. "Because once you work with Carol, you'll want to work with her again."
And yet, a lengthy filmography tells only part of Sutton's story. Aside from the television and film roles, she appeared in any number of local theatrical productions, including "Sty of the Blind Pig," "Member of the Wedding," "The Women," "Our Town" and "A Raisin in the Sun" and she toured internationally with the musical, "One Mo' Time."
New Orleans playwright Dalt Wonk remembers her talents overshadowing a play he wrote about a Louisiana plantation household called "A Bitter Glory.
"It was supposed to be an "Upstairs Downstairs" kind of story with the white plantation owners upstairs and the slaves downstairs," Wonk said. "But Carol and the other Black actors turned out to be so much more interesting as the slaves, so I rewrote the play to make it about their stories."
Shortly before Sutton took sick in November, she'd participated in an as-yet-unreleased film presentation honoring Breonna Taylor, the African-American emergency room technician who was shot and killed in March during a police raid at her home in Louisville, Ky.
Sutton's illness lasted just over a month. On November 10, she texted her friends saying that she and her daughter had tested positive for the virus, adding, "Please keep us in your prayers." The next day, she reported acute nausea and fever. By November 17, she was hospitalized at the Touro Infirmary.
On November 22, she texted Matthews saying that her oxygen mask made talking difficult. Her condition apparently improved enough for doctors to move her from intensive care, but she died at the hospital on Thursday night.
The following day, television crews filming in the city paused production in her honor.


npr--2020-12-13--U.K. And EU Will Keep Negotiating As Brexit Deadline Looms

U.K. And EU Will Keep Negotiating As Brexit Deadline Looms With a hard end-of-year deadline looming , the U.K. and the European Union will continue negotiations to try to avoid a no-deal Brexit , European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sunday .
Taking the podium at EU headquarters in Brussels , Von der Leyen said that despite the lack of any breakthrough , talks to determine the two sides ' future trading relationship would continue .
Von der Leyen said she had a `` constructive and useful phone call '' with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topics . ''
She did n't go into detail , but sticking points have included fishing rights , fair competition rules and mechanisms for resolving trade disputes .
`` Our negotiation teams have been working day and night over the recent days , and despite the exhaustion after almost one year of negotiations — and despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over — we both think that it is responsible , at this point in time , to go the extra mile , '' von der Leyen said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue the talks , and to see whether an agreement can be reached , even at this late stage . ''
The U.K. left the European Union at the end of January , and negotiators have been working since then to hammer out the details once the U.K. is officially on its own .
But the official transition period is set to expire at the end of the month ; without an agreement , the two sides could face a host of problems .
New tariffs could hurt businesses and increase prices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.K. and the EU will eventually be subject to customs , leading to delays and uncertainty .
U.K. citizens wishing to travel throughout the EU — and vice versa — will face new restrictions .
`` I 'm afraid we 're still very far apart on some key things , but where there 's life , there 's hope , '' Johnson told reporters Sunday .
`` We 're going to keep talking to see what we can do .
The U.K. certainly wo n't be walking away from the talks .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcome , Johnson said , may be that there would be no deal , and the U.K. will have to get ready to trade with the EU under terms established by the World Trade Organization .
`` There is a clarity and a simplicity in that approach that has its own advantages , '' Johnson said .
`` It 's not where we wanted to get to , but if we have to end up with that solution , the U.K. is more than prepared . ''

U.K. And EU Will Keep Negotiating As Brexit Deadline Looms
Enlarge this image toggle caption Olivier Hoslet/AP Olivier Hoslet/AP
With a hard end-of-year deadline looming, the U.K. and the European Union will continue negotiations to try to avoid a no-deal Brexit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on Sunday.
Taking the podium at EU headquarters in Brussels, Von der Leyen said that despite the lack of any breakthrough, talks to determine the two sides' future trading relationship would continue. Von der Leyen said she had a "constructive and useful phone call" with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in which they discussed "major unsolved topics."
She didn't go into detail, but sticking points have included fishing rights, fair competition rules and mechanisms for resolving trade disputes.
"Our negotiation teams have been working day and night over the recent days, and despite the exhaustion after almost one year of negotiations — and despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over — we both think that it is responsible, at this point in time, to go the extra mile," von der Leyen said.
"We have accordingly mandated our negotiators to continue the talks, and to see whether an agreement can be reached, even at this late stage."
The U.K. left the European Union at the end of January, and negotiators have been working since then to hammer out the details once the U.K. is officially on its own. But the official transition period is set to expire at the end of the month; without an agreement, the two sides could face a host of problems.
New tariffs could hurt businesses and increase prices for consumers. All goods moving between the U.K. and the EU will eventually be subject to customs, leading to delays and uncertainty. U.K. citizens wishing to travel throughout the EU — and vice versa — will face new restrictions.
"I'm afraid we're still very far apart on some key things, but where there's life, there's hope," Johnson told reporters Sunday. "We're going to keep talking to see what we can do. The U.K. certainly won't be walking away from the talks."
But the "most likely" outcome, Johnson said, may be that there would be no deal, and the U.K. will have to get ready to trade with the EU under terms established by the World Trade Organization.
"There is a clarity and a simplicity in that approach that has its own advantages," Johnson said. "It's not where we wanted to get to, but if we have to end up with that solution, the U.K. is more than prepared."


npr--2020-12-13--As Year-End Looms, Lawmakers Still Seek Deal On More Coronavirus Aid

As Year-End Looms , Lawmakers Still Seek Deal On More Coronavirus Aid With lawmakers facing a mounting year-end to-do list , a deal on a new coronavirus relief package continues to be elusive for Congress .
But a key House Democrat on Sunday seemed to indicate some flexibility on one of his party 's priorities .
`` [ Democrats ] are not going to get everything we want , '' House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer , D-Md.
, said on CNN 's Inside Politics .
`` We think state and local [ aid ] is important .
And if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get it .
But we want to get aid out to the people who are really , really struggling and are at grave risk . ''
Several existing federal programs , including some unemployment benefits , are set to expire at the end of the month .
Hoyer , who said he 's spent the weekend negotiating with congressional leaders on the relief package , emphasized that legislators have to compromise in order to get a deal , saying , `` life is a series of tradeoffs and give and takes . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the essential done and we 'll have time to get stuff done that we did n't include because we could n't get political agreement . ''
Coronavirus aid could be passed along with a year-end spending bill .
On Friday evening , President Trump signed a one-week temporary funding measure in order to avoid a government shutdown .
Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , who was seeking a vote on a measure that would send direct payments to Americans , said he will raise his demands again when the continuing resolution expires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have anything to say about it , and I guess I do , we 're not going to go home for the Christmas holidays unless we make sure that we provide for the millions of families in this country who are suffering , '' Sanders said on the Senate floor on Friday .
On Sunday , Sen. Chris Coons , D-Del.
, told NBC 's Meet The Press he is `` frustrated and embarrassed '' by the current absence of a new round of coronavirus relief .
`` Bluntly , I will put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet of the leader of the Senate Republican majority , Mitch McConnell , because over and over , as negotiations have tried to move forward over the last nine months , he 's had a key red line and sticking point , '' Coons said .
Kentucky 's McConnell has sought a liability shield to protect businesses against coronavirus-related lawsuits and from some regulations .
McConnell on Tuesday had suggested both sides leave off sought-after provisions from a final agreement .
Despite his frustration , Coons , an ally of President-elect Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bipartisan group of lawmakers who developed a $ 908 billion relief framework .
That group includes Coons ' Democratic colleague from West Virginia , Sen. Joe Manchin , who on Sunday said he believes the bill 's text will be finalized by Monday .
`` It has n't fallen apart , '' he said on Fox News Sunday .
`` We 've been meeting day and night for the last month .
We were on the call all day yesterday , we get on the call again this afternoon to finish things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced for the American people tomorrow , $ 908 billion . ''
Manchin acknowledged that legislation that size will have areas on which not every lawmaker will agree .
He cautioned : `` You ca n't let the perfect be the enemy of the good . ''
He stressed the bill is an emergency measure that will only cover the first quarter of 2021 .
`` We 've got people without nutrition , we have people without shelter , we have people without paychecks , they 're unemployed , we have hospitals that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care workers , we have schools that need to be attended to — this covers all of that , '' Manchin said .
Meanwhile , Trump has once again threatened to veto the annual defense bill .
`` THE BIGGEST WINNER OF OUR NEW DEFENSE BILL IS CHINA !
.
I WILL VETO ! ''
he wrote on Twitter Sunday morning .
As part of the massive annual legislation , the president has wanted Congress to repeal a liability shield for social media companies , known as Section 230 .
Despite Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed the bill , without a Section 230 repeal , by veto-proof majorities .
If Trump does indeed veto the legislation , the chambers could override it .

As Year-End Looms, Lawmakers Still Seek Deal On More Coronavirus Aid
Enlarge this image toggle caption Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
With lawmakers facing a mounting year-end to-do list, a deal on a new coronavirus relief package continues to be elusive for Congress.
But a key House Democrat on Sunday seemed to indicate some flexibility on one of his party's priorities.
"[Democrats] are not going to get everything we want," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said on CNN's Inside Politics. "We think state and local [aid] is important. And if we can get that, we want to get it. But we want to get aid out to the people who are really, really struggling and are at grave risk."
Several existing federal programs, including some unemployment benefits, are set to expire at the end of the month.
Hoyer, who said he's spent the weekend negotiating with congressional leaders on the relief package, emphasized that legislators have to compromise in order to get a deal, saying, "life is a series of tradeoffs and give and takes."
Hoyer added: "We need to get the essential done and we'll have time to get stuff done that we didn't include because we couldn't get political agreement."
Coronavirus aid could be passed along with a year-end spending bill. On Friday evening, President Trump signed a one-week temporary funding measure in order to avoid a government shutdown.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who was seeking a vote on a measure that would send direct payments to Americans, said he will raise his demands again when the continuing resolution expires in one week.
"If I have anything to say about it, and I guess I do, we're not going to go home for the Christmas holidays unless we make sure that we provide for the millions of families in this country who are suffering," Sanders said on the Senate floor on Friday.
On Sunday, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told NBC's Meet The Press he is "frustrated and embarrassed" by the current absence of a new round of coronavirus relief.
"Bluntly, I will put a lot of that responsibility at the feet of the leader of the Senate Republican majority, Mitch McConnell, because over and over, as negotiations have tried to move forward over the last nine months, he's had a key red line and sticking point," Coons said.
Kentucky's McConnell has sought a liability shield to protect businesses against coronavirus-related lawsuits and from some regulations. McConnell on Tuesday had suggested both sides leave off sought-after provisions from a final agreement.
Despite his frustration, Coons, an ally of President-elect Joe Biden, said he's optimistic because of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who developed a $908 billion relief framework.
That group includes Coons' Democratic colleague from West Virginia, Sen. Joe Manchin, who on Sunday said he believes the bill's text will be finalized by Monday.
"It hasn't fallen apart," he said on Fox News Sunday. "We've been meeting day and night for the last month. We were on the call all day yesterday, we get on the call again this afternoon to finish things up. We'll have a bill produced for the American people tomorrow, $908 billion."
Manchin acknowledged that legislation that size will have areas on which not every lawmaker will agree. He cautioned: "You can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."
He stressed the bill is an emergency measure that will only cover the first quarter of 2021.
"We've got people without nutrition, we have people without shelter, we have people without paychecks, they're unemployed, we have hospitals that are being overburdened, we have health care workers, we have schools that need to be attended to — this covers all of that," Manchin said.
Meanwhile, Trump has once again threatened to veto the annual defense bill.
"THE BIGGEST WINNER OF OUR NEW DEFENSE BILL IS CHINA!. I WILL VETO!" he wrote on Twitter Sunday morning.
As part of the massive annual legislation, the president has wanted Congress to repeal a liability shield for social media companies, known as Section 230.
Despite Trump's protestations, the House and Senate have passed the bill, without a Section 230 repeal, by veto-proof majorities. If Trump does indeed veto the legislation, the chambers could override it.


npr--2020-12-13--A Private Jet, A Flight Across State And A Race For COVID-19 Tests To Make Graduation

A Private Jet , A Flight Across State And A Race For COVID-19 Tests To Make Graduation It 's cold out at the regional airport in the small city of Grand Junction , Colorado , with darkness so thick you ca n't see the mesas just off the runway .
Flood lights illuminate a sleek private jet , all 58 feet of it , and a group of faculty and staff from Colorado Mesa University walking its way .
`` This is pretty surreal , to be honest with you , '' says CMU Vice President John Marshall .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surreal than anything else this year , right ? ''
Marshall is one of the passengers accompanying 60 COVID-19 tests to a lab on the other side of the state .
The clock is ticking .
Each of these last-minute tests belongs to a graduate 's family or friend .
And Marshall says this fast flight will ensure the results come in time for the next day 's two ceremonies .
`` In some ways , it 's sort of a joyful , crazy ending to a crazy year , right ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ students dream about for years , but due to the pandemic countless colleges have had to cancel , postpone or move the milestone online this year .
The University of Colorado Boulder , the largest in the state , recently announced all its commencement ceremonies will stay virtual through at least May .
But CMU has taken a different approach .
Marshall and others decided graduating students could still walk , as long attendees at the ceremonies stayed socially distant and everyone wore masks .
The school also decided to test every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be at Friday 's ceremonies .
Some of those people , however , were unable to get a test until the afternoon before the graduations , not enough time to normally get results in time .
That 's where the private jet comes in .
While it might sound like a drastic solution , Grand Junction is isolated — nearly 300 miles and one big mountain pass away from the testing facility in Loveland , outside of Denver .
With the box of COVID-19 tests secured on the jet , the CMU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giddy laughs as the plane accelerates for takeoff , and then the few lights from the community below disappear .
Through the small plane windows , the group can see snow rolling in .
`` If we had to drive the tests tonight , I do n't know that they would have got there , '' said Emma Leenerman , who coordinates CMU 's testing program .
After about half an hour in the air , they land in Loveland .
As they hand off the box of vials , everyone is excited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down to work on testing them .
The pilot , CMU instructor Erling Brabaek , is grinning in his Santa hat .
He saved Christmas , someone jokes .
`` Ah , no ! ''
Brabaek happily counters , in his Danish accent .
`` No , we all saved Christmas . ''
That includes the man who donated the jet , Kevin Davis , who runs a local car dealership .
`` I hope the students appreciate it , '' he says , adding he hopes they `` go out and make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis dropped out of high school decades ago , but eventually got his business degree from CMU .
It means a lot to him that a large portion of these students are the first in their families to graduate college .
`` For sure , I am too .
It 's a big deal , '' he says .
`` It 's pretty exciting . ''
After just a few hours , the testing is done .
Of the 60 tests on the flight , all but three come back negative .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was made available to stream online .
The chilly air is charged with excitement the next morning for graduation , when a few hundred guests are spread out in a stadium that holds 8,000 .
They clap , cheer and occasionally blow air horns as each graduate receives a diploma and a gloved first bump from the school 's president .
The local health department has given the event the green light — as long as no one throws their cap up in the air .
Officials think pawing through a bunch of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a health risk .
After a short ceremony , 26-year-old graduate Linford Ocloo walks back to the stands and waves up at his mom .
`` I do n't want to cry right now , but we 've been through a lot , '' he says , tears filing his eyes .
`` Thank you , God ! ''
His mother , Constance Garvie , makes her way down to her son .
Originally from Ghana , she beams about his accomplishment .
`` I 'm really , really happy .
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` And hey , it 's been a tough year , but at the end of the year , we still happy . ''
And they 're relieved to be sharing this moment together — in person .

A Private Jet, A Flight Across State And A Race For COVID-19 Tests To Make Graduation
Enlarge this image toggle caption Colorado Mesa University Colorado Mesa University
It's cold out at the regional airport in the small city of Grand Junction, Colorado, with darkness so thick you can't see the mesas just off the runway. Flood lights illuminate a sleek private jet, all 58 feet of it, and a group of faculty and staff from Colorado Mesa University walking its way.
"This is pretty surreal, to be honest with you," says CMU Vice President John Marshall. "I mean, I guess no more surreal than anything else this year, right?"
Marshall is one of the passengers accompanying 60 COVID-19 tests to a lab on the other side of the state. The clock is ticking. Each of these last-minute tests belongs to a graduate's family or friend. And Marshall says this fast flight will ensure the results come in time for the next day's two ceremonies.
"In some ways, it's sort of a joyful, crazy ending to a crazy year, right?" Marshall says.
Graduation is something most students dream about for years, but due to the pandemic countless colleges have had to cancel, postpone or move the milestone online this year. The University of Colorado Boulder, the largest in the state, recently announced all its commencement ceremonies will stay virtual through at least May.
But CMU has taken a different approach. Marshall and others decided graduating students could still walk, as long attendees at the ceremonies stayed socially distant and everyone wore masks. The school also decided to test every single graduate, faculty member and guest planning to be at Friday's ceremonies. Some of those people, however, were unable to get a test until the afternoon before the graduations, not enough time to normally get results in time.
That's where the private jet comes in.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stina Sieg/CPR News Stina Sieg/CPR News
While it might sound like a drastic solution, Grand Junction is isolated — nearly 300 miles and one big mountain pass away from the testing facility in Loveland, outside of Denver.
With the box of COVID-19 tests secured on the jet, the CMU group buckles up. There are some giddy laughs as the plane accelerates for takeoff, and then the few lights from the community below disappear.
Through the small plane windows, the group can see snow rolling in.
"If we had to drive the tests tonight, I don't know that they would have got there," said Emma Leenerman, who coordinates CMU's testing program.
After about half an hour in the air, they land in Loveland. As they hand off the box of vials, everyone is excited, even the scientist about to get down to work on testing them.
The pilot, CMU instructor Erling Brabaek, is grinning in his Santa hat. He saved Christmas, someone jokes.
"Ah, no!" Brabaek happily counters, in his Danish accent. "No, we all saved Christmas."
That includes the man who donated the jet, Kevin Davis, who runs a local car dealership.
"I hope the students appreciate it," he says, adding he hopes they "go out and make a difference in the world."
Davis dropped out of high school decades ago, but eventually got his business degree from CMU. It means a lot to him that a large portion of these students are the first in their families to graduate college.
"For sure, I am too. It's a big deal," he says. "It's pretty exciting."
After just a few hours, the testing is done. Of the 60 tests on the flight, all but three come back negative. For those who tested positive, the ceremony was made available to stream online.
The chilly air is charged with excitement the next morning for graduation, when a few hundred guests are spread out in a stadium that holds 8,000. They clap, cheer and occasionally blow air horns as each graduate receives a diploma and a gloved first bump from the school's president. The local health department has given the event the green light — as long as no one throws their cap up in the air. Officials think pawing through a bunch of caps lying on the ground could be a health risk.
After a short ceremony, 26-year-old graduate Linford Ocloo walks back to the stands and waves up at his mom.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stina Sieg/CPR News Stina Sieg/CPR News
"I don't want to cry right now, but we've been through a lot," he says, tears filing his eyes. "Thank you, God!"
His mother, Constance Garvie, makes her way down to her son. Originally from Ghana, she beams about his accomplishment.
"I'm really, really happy. It's a long journey," she said. "And hey, it's been a tough year, but at the end of the year, we still happy."
And they're relieved to be sharing this moment together — in person.


npr--2020-12-14--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 16 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 290,000 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.
Loading...
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.
Loading...
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--2020-12-14--Even Disaster Veterans Are Stunned By What's Happening In Honduras

Even Disaster Veterans Are Stunned By What 's Happening In Honduras Even disaster experts are stunned by the devastation in the Honduras this fall .
`` I 've been to too many disasters all over the world , '' says Vlatko Uzevski , who arrived in Honduras last week from Macedonia to lead an emergency response team for Project Hope .
`` And I have never been to a place that was struck by two hurricanes in two weeks , '' says Uzevski , a physician who has been doing this type of work for 15 years .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — made landfall in Central America on Nov. 3 and Nov. 17 respectively .
Even today , the region continues to dig out from mudslides .
Aid agencies say nearly 7 million people in a zone stretching from Colombia to Mexico are in need of assistance .
Despite both hurricanes initially coming ashore in Nicaragua , neighboring Honduras appears to have suffered the most damage and the most deaths from landslides and flooding caused by the intense rainfall .
The cyclones slowed over Honduras and being the last two named-storms of a record-breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already saturated hillsides .
This week in a nationally broadcast address , Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández assured his people , `` No están solos '' meaning `` You are not alone . ''
The storms destroyed bridges , roads , schools and health clinics .
Families lost their homes , farms and businesses to floodwaters .
Landslides packed small downtown plazas with mud .
Hundreds of thousands of Hondurans remain homeless .
Many are crowded into shelters .
Others are staying with friends and relatives .
President Hernández announced a plan to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget in infrastructure and social programs to help Hondurans recover from the devastating storms .
`` This investment will generate jobs , jobs that so many need , and it will put money into the pocket of hondureños , '' he said .
`` It will rebuild the dignity of hundreds of thousands of workers who because of the pandemic and now the storms lost their jobs , their homes . ''
He said Honduras has been battered this year by a combination of forces like no time in its history .
Vlatko @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Santa Barbara department in northern Honduras for Project Hope .
The Santa Barbara department is one of the 18 departments or states in Honduras .
It 's just east of the nation 's second largest city , San Pedro Sula .
Santa Barbara was hit hard by the rains and ensuing mudslides of Eta and Iota .
`` The water system of the Santa Barbara department is 100 % collapsed , '' he says .
Helping set up temporary water distribution points is one of the things Project Hope is working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government figures , there are 118 official shelters in the Santa Barbara department , holding nearly 6,000 people .
Uzevski has been touring some of them to get a better sense of the needs of people displaced by the storms .
He says one of his first concerns was how COVID-19 might be spreading at the shelters .
`` I 'm really paying attention on this side of the story , '' he says .
`` And I was really happy to see signs ( at the shelters ) saying 'Wear mask !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter the shelter without mask . '
'' He says not everyone is wearing masks but most are .
And volunteers running the shelters are actively trying to minimize the spread of COVID-19 by spacing out mattresses on the floor as much as they can and aligning them so people sleep head-to-toe rather than face-to-face .
`` They are trying to follow these rules , '' he says emphasizing the word trying .
`` But the problem is this [ COVID ] is their secondary problem .
These are people that lost their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost everything that they had . ''
Worrying about COVID is n't on the top of their priority lists .
Yet cases are being detected among the displaced .
`` We were seeing shelters where you have like 15 people who 'd tested positive , '' Uzevski says .
`` And now they 're trying to isolate them as much as possible . ''
Aid officials say that the damage from hurricanes Eta and Iota rival the damage caused by Hurricane Mitch one of the deadliest Atlantic storms of all time .
Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million people homeless and prompted tens of thousands of Hondurans to migrate to the United States .
`` The damage in terms of costs , destruction , damage to agriculture is just as high , '' as from Mitch , says Hugo Rodriguez , deputy assistant secretary of state for Central America , about Eta and Iota .
`` This is Mitch-scale if not bigger . ''
The U.S. through USAID has pledged millions of dollars to help respond to the crisis .
And it 's not just Honduras .
The record-breaking hurricane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Steve McAndrew , deputy regional director , for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says his agency has relief operations in response to Eta and Iota now in seven countries .
`` Hurricane Eta affected almost all of Central America , including Panama , Costa Rica , Guatemala , Honduras , Belize and Nicaragua , '' he says .
`` And then the second hurricane Iota also had a direct hit on the San Andreas Islands , which are part of Colombia .
There 's heavy damage and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' And for relief agencies , like the Red Cross , the coronavirus pandemic makes getting help to people affected by a disaster far more difficult .
McAndrew says COVID travel rules make it hard to get relief teams in to disaster zone .
`` There are restrictions around testing and entrance and exits , '' he says .
`` It 's a changing patchwork every day .
So now we struggle to get specialty teams in from one country to another .
In the past , we could get them within 12 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid officials have n't yet seen a spike in COVID cases linked to the shelters and the aftermath of the hurricanes .
But many of these areas are still without power .
Testing was n't widespread even before the storms .
McAndrew says it may take a while to see the official bump in coronavirus infections but he 's sure it 's coming .
`` There 's people on ferries just being rescued in all the low-lying areas of Central America , '' McAndrew says .
`` They 're cramming as many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going back and doing multiple trips .
That can not be good .
That can not make the COVID situation better . ''

Even Disaster Veterans Are Stunned By What's Happening In Honduras
Enlarge this image toggle caption Edison Umanzur/AFP via Getty Images Edison Umanzur/AFP via Getty Images
Even disaster experts are stunned by the devastation this fall in Honduras.
"I've been to too many disasters all over the world," says Vlatko Uzevski, who arrived in Honduras last week from Macedonia to lead an emergency response team for Project Hope.
"And I have never been to a place that was struck by two hurricanes in two weeks," says Uzevski, a physician who has been doing this type of work for 15 years.
The two Category 4 hurricanes – Eta and Iota — made landfall in Central America on Nov. 3 and Nov. 17, respectively. Even today, the region continues to dig out from mudslides. Aid agencies say nearly 7 million people in a zone stretching from Colombia to Mexico are in need of assistance.
Despite both hurricanes initially coming ashore in Nicaragua, neighboring Honduras appears to have suffered the most damage and the most deaths from landslides and flooding caused by the intense rainfall. The cyclones slowed over Honduras, and being the last two named storms of a record-breaking hurricane season, they dumped precipitation on already saturated hillsides.
This week in a nationally broadcast address, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández assured his people, "No están solos," meaning "You are not alone."
The storms destroyed bridges, roads, schools and health clinics. Families lost their homes, farms and businesses to floodwaters. Landslides packed small downtown plazas with mud.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jose Cabezas/Reuters Jose Cabezas/Reuters
Hundreds of thousands of Hondurans remain homeless. Many are crowded into shelters. Others are staying with friends and relatives.
Hernández announced a plan to invest four times the nation's annual budget in infrastructure and social programs to help Hondurans recover from the devastating storms.
"This investment will generate jobs, jobs that so many need, and it will put money into the pocket of hondureños," the president said. "It will rebuild the dignity of hundreds of thousands of workers who because of the pandemic and now the storms lost their jobs, their homes."
He said Honduras has been battered this year by a combination of forces like no time in its history.
Uzevski is leading an emergency response team in the Santa Barbara department in northern Honduras for Project Hope.
The Santa Barbara department is one of the 18 departments or states in Honduras. It's west of the nation's second-largest city, San Pedro Sula. Santa Barbara was hit hard by the rains and ensuing mudslides of Eta and Iota.
"The water system of the Santa Barbara department is 100% collapsed," he says. Helping set up temporary water distribution points is one of the things Project Hope is working on in the area.
According to government figures, there are 118 official shelters in the Santa Barbara department, holding nearly 6,000 people. Uzevski has been touring some of them to get a better sense of the needs of people displaced by the storms.
He says one of his first concerns was how COVID-19 might be spreading at the shelters.
"I'm really paying attention on this side of the story," he says. "And I was really happy to see signs (at the shelters) saying, 'Wear mask! Wear mask!' and 'Don't enter the shelter without mask.' "
He says not everyone is wearing masks but most are. And volunteers running the shelters are actively trying to minimize the spread of COVID-19 by spacing out mattresses on the floor as much as they can and aligning them so people sleep head to toe rather than face to face.
"They are trying to follow these rules," he says, emphasizing the word trying. "But the problem is this [COVID-19] is their secondary problem. These are people that lost their homes and they moved here. They lost everything that they had."
Worrying about COVID-19 isn't at the top of their priority lists. Yet cases are being detected among the displaced.
"We were seeing shelters where you have like 15 people who'd tested positive," Uzevski says. "And now they're trying to isolate them as much as possible."
Aid officials say that the damage from hurricanes Eta and Iota rival that caused by Hurricane Mitch, one of the deadliest Atlantic storms of all time. Mitch hit Honduras in 1998, leaving 3 million people homeless and prompting tens of thousands of Hondurans to migrate to the United States.
"The damage in terms of costs, destruction, damage to agriculture is just as high" as from Mitch, says Hugo Rodriguez, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Central America, about Eta and Iota. "This is Mitch-scale if not bigger." The United States through the U.S. Agency for International Development has pledged millions of dollars to help respond to the crisis.
And it's not just Honduras. The record-breaking hurricane season displaced even more people in Guatemala.
Steve McAndrew, deputy regional director for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, says his agency has relief operations in response to Eta and Iota now in seven countries.
"Hurricane Eta affected almost all of Central America, including Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and Nicaragua," he says. "And then the second hurricane Iota also had a direct hit on the San Andrés islands, which are part of Colombia. There's heavy damage, and the region's been heavily affected."
And for relief agencies, such as the Red Cross, the coronavirus pandemic makes getting help to people affected by a disaster far more difficult. McAndrew says COVID-19 travel rules make it hard to get relief teams in to disaster zones.
"There are restrictions around testing and entrance and exits," he says. "It's a changing patchwork every day. So now we struggle to get specialty teams in from one country to another. In the past, we could get them within 12 to 24 hours."
So far aid officials haven't seen a spike in COVID-19 cases linked to the shelters and the aftermath of the hurricanes. But many of these areas are still without power. Testing wasn't widespread even before the storms. McAndrew says it may take awhile to see the official bump in coronavirus infections, but he's sure it's coming.
"There's people on ferries just being rescued in all the low-lying areas of Central America," McAndrew says. "They're cramming as many people as they can on these boats and going back and doing multiple trips. That cannot be good. That cannot make the COVID situation better."


npr--2020-12-14--Sudan, Which Once Sheltered Bin Laden, Removed From U.S. Terrorism List

Sudan , Which Once Sheltered Bin Laden , Removed From U.S .
Terrorism List After 27 years as a global pariah , Sudan has been officially removed from the American State Sponsor of Terrorism list .
The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum made the announcement in a Facebook post , saying that the statutory 45 days had lapsed since President Trump gave Congress notice of the administration 's intent to delist Sudan , so the declaration could now come into effect .
Sudan was first added to the list in 1993 , after the United States said it had provided assistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe haven to Osama Bin Laden and it was implicated in the twin bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and then in the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000 .
But last year , a popular uprising lead to the ouster of the Islamist government of Omar al-Bashir .
The leadership who replaced him promised a new era for the country .
Getting off the State Sponsor of Terrorism list became a priority , not just because it would allow Sudan to rejoin the international community , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deep economic crisis .
Across Sudan , a lack of foreign exchange makes fuel is scarce , so people line up for blocks to obtain it .
In the capital Khartoum , residents stand outside bakeries for hours , waiting for bread .
It means regular Sudanese view these international treaties with suspicion , because their worries are much more pressing .
On Thursday , Ismail Yasin and his wife Selma Abdullah set up a tea shop on an abandoned plot on the banks of the Nile .
`` Right now in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst condition , '' Yasin said .
`` People have nothing left but to cry . ''
About a year ago , a glass of tea was going for about 3 Sudanese pounds .
Today that is about 30 pounds .
Inflation has at times this year topped 200 % .
Yasin says that his family can no longer afford to eat bread everyday .
`` If my child gets sick , '' he said , `` it 's just God who will help . ''
The government of Sudan says that getting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with this economic crisis .
The delisting , they say , will bring in foreign investment and open the door to help from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund .
As part of the deal , the Sudanese government agreed to pay $ 335 million in compensation to the victims of the terrorist attacks and separately they agreed to normalize ties with Israel .
Yasin feels all of this has nothing to do with him .
`` Nobody cares about the regular people , '' he said .
`` Nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to basic needs . ''
Abdullah , his wife , nods as she stirs in sugar into one of her teas .
Right now , she says , she is working many more hours just to stay afloat .
A year ago , Sudan was full of hope .
A three-decade-long authoritarian state had been toppled .
Young people looked forward to a more liberal state and everyone believed new opportunities were coming .
Abdullah says at the moment , it 's hard to believe in those promises .
She 's starting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revolution was `` not worth it . ''
`` It was better before , '' she said .
`` Now it seems everything is getting worse . ''
Today , Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said , Sudan had been liberated from the `` global blockade the behavior of the ousted regime had forced upon us . ''
He tweeted a video touting the bright economic future ahead of Sudan .
`` Today we return with all our history , our civilization , our country 's greatness and the vigor of our revolution to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Sudan, Which Once Sheltered Bin Laden, Removed From U.S. Terrorism List
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ebrahim Hamid/AFP via Getty Images Ebrahim Hamid/AFP via Getty Images
After 27 years as a global pariah, Sudan has been officially removed from the American State Sponsor of Terrorism list.
The U.S. Embassy in Khartoum made the announcement in a Facebook post, saying that the statutory 45 days had lapsed since President Trump gave Congress notice of the administration's intent to delist Sudan, so the declaration could now come into effect.
Sudan was first added to the list in 1993 after the United States said it had provided assistance to terrorist groups. The country gave safe haven to Osama Bin Laden and it was implicated in the twin bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and then in the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000.
But last year, a popular uprising led to the ouster of the Islamist government of Omar al-Bashir. The leadership who replaced him promised a new era for the country. Getting off the State Sponsor of Terrorism list became a priority, not just because it would allow Sudan to rejoin the international community, but because it would provide opportunities to escape a deep economic crisis.
Across Sudan, a lack of foreign exchange makes fuel scarce, so people line up for blocks to obtain it. In the capital, Khartoum, residents stand outside bakeries for hours, waiting for bread. It means regular Sudanese view these international treaties with suspicion, because their worries are much more pressing.
On Thursday, Ismail Yasin and his wife, Selma Abdullah, set up a tea shop on an abandoned plot on the banks of the Nile.
"Right now in Sudan, we're living through the worst condition," Yasin said. "People have nothing left but to cry."
About a year ago, a glass of tea was going for about 3 Sudanese pounds. Today that is about 30 pounds. Inflation has at times this year topped 200%. Yasin says that his family can no longer afford to eat bread every day.
"If my child gets sick," he said, "it's just God who will help."
The government of Sudan says that getting off the terrorism list will help it deal with this economic crisis. The delisting, they say, will bring in foreign investment and open the door to help from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. As part of the deal, the Sudanese government agreed to pay $335 million in compensation to the victims of the terrorist attacks and separately it agreed to normalize ties with Israel.
Yasin feels all of this has nothing to do with him.
"Nobody cares about the regular people," he said. "Nobody cares if people eat or have access to basic needs."
Abdullah, his wife, nods as she stirs sugar into one of her teas. Right now, she says, she is working many more hours just to stay afloat.
A year ago, Sudan was full of hope. A three-decade-long authoritarian state had been toppled. Young people looked forward to a more liberal state, and everyone believed new opportunities were coming.
Abdullah says at the moment, it's hard to believe in those promises. She's starting to think, she said, that the revolution was "not worth it."
"It was better before," she said. "Now it seems everything is getting worse."
Today, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said, Sudan had been liberated from the "global blockade the behavior of the ousted regime had forced upon us."
He tweeted a video touting the bright economic future ahead of Sudan.
"Today we return with all our history, our civilization, our country's greatness and the vigor of our revolution to the international community," he wrote.


npr--2020-12-14--Who Are Electors And How Do They Get Picked?

Who Are Electors And How Do They Get Picked ?
Another official move in America 's sometimes-convoluted presidential election process takes place Monday , as the electors of the Electoral College cast their votes .
It 's one of the final steps in picking a president , but who are these electors and how do they get selected ?
It begins and ends with loyalty — loyalty to state and national parties .
That in part is how the candidates are all but guaranteed to have the electors ' votes match the ballots cast by regular people in general election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they and who picks them ?
There are 538 electors , one for each U.S. senator and U.S. representative , plus three for Washington , D.C. , which gets three electoral votes in the presidential election even though it has no voting representation in Congress .
The number of electors has changed through history , as the number of elected members of Congress has changed with the country 's expansion and population growth .
The establishment and role of the Electoral College is spelled out in Article II , Section 1 , Clause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was modified by the 12th Amendment in 1804 and the 23rd in 1961 .
How electors get picked varies by state , but in general state parties file slates of names for who the electors will be .
They include people with ties to those state parties , like current and former party officials , state lawmakers and party activists .
They 're selected either at state party conventions or by party central committees .
Each presidential candidate gets their own unique list of names on their slates .
Are they bound by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In some places , yes ; in others , no .
Thirty-two states plus D.C. have laws requiring electors to vote for the candidate the party has nominated , or they have to sign pledges .
Some states threaten electors with fines or even criminal penalties for going `` faithless . ''
In New Mexico , it 's considered a fourth-degree felony ; in South Carolina , they are subject to criminal action ; Oklahoma holds out a fine of $ 1,000 ; it 's $ 500 in North Carolina .
Many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote of a rogue elector and replace them with someone who holds the line .
Earlier this year , the Supreme Court upheld that laws binding `` faithless electors '' are constitutional .
So is there a chance that President Trump could overturn the election results through the Electoral College ?
Almost certainly not .
While there have been people who stray from the will of the voters before , historically 99 % have shown fidelity to the state 's popular vote results .
That 's largely because of the process that takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So there 's already a natural vetting process .
How many faithless electors have there been ?
In 2016 , seven went against the popular vote in their states .
That was the most since 1972 and the first time there were any faithless electors since 2004 .
Those seven were also more than all the faithless electors combined ( four ) dating back to 1976 .
In the 2016 presidential election between Trump and Hillary Clinton — two candidates who were very unpopular — two Texas electors strayed from Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ex-Texas Rep. Ron Paul , a libertarian star .
Trump should have won 306 electoral votes , but wound up with 304 instead .
On the Democratic side , more electors abandoned Clinton .
In Hawaii and Washington state , a total of five electors cast ballots for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , Colin Powell and Faith Spotted Eagle , a Native American activist who was prominent in trying to block the Keystone XL pipeline .
Before that , there was just one faithless elector in 2004 , one in 2000 , one @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Who Are Electors And How Do They Get Picked?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Rourke/AP Matt Rourke/AP
Another official move in America's sometimes-convoluted presidential election process takes place Monday as the electors of the Electoral College cast their votes.
It's one of the final steps in picking a president, but who are these electors and how do they get selected?
It begins and ends with loyalty — loyalty to state and national parties. That in part is how the candidates are all but guaranteed to have the electors' votes match the ballots cast by regular people in general election voting in each state.
Who are they and who picks them?
There are 538 electors, one for each U.S. senator and U.S. representative, plus three for Washington, D.C., which gets three electoral votes in the presidential election even though it has no voting representation in Congress.
The number of electors has changed through history as the number of elected members of Congress has changed with the country's expansion and population growth.
The establishment and role of the Electoral College is spelled out in Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution. It was modified by the 12th Amendment in 1804 and the 23rd in 1961.
How electors get picked varies by state, but in general state parties file slates of names for who the electors will be. They include people with ties to those state parties, like current and former party officials, state lawmakers and party activists. They're selected either at state party conventions or by party central committees. Each presidential candidate gets their own unique list of names on their slates.
Are they bound by the popular votes in those states?
In some places, yes; in others, no. Thirty-two states plus the District of Columbia have laws requiring electors to vote for the candidate the party has nominated, or they have to sign pledges.
Some states threaten electors with fines or even criminal penalties for going "faithless." In New Mexico, it's considered a fourth-degree felony; in South Carolina, they are subject to criminal action; Oklahoma holds out a fine of $1,000; it's $500 in North Carolina.
Many of these states also will throw out the vote of a rogue elector and replace them with someone who holds the line.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court upheld that laws binding "faithless electors" are constitutional.
So is there a chance that President Trump could overturn the election results through the Electoral College?
Almost certainly not.
While there have been people who stray from the will of the voters before, historically 99% have shown fidelity to the state's popular vote results.
That's largely because of the process that takes place, with state parties selecting them. So there's already a natural vetting process.
How many faithless electors have there been?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Cathy Bussewitz/AP Cathy Bussewitz/AP
In 2016, seven went against the popular vote in their states. That was the most since 1972 and the first time there were any faithless electors since 2004. Those seven were also more than all the faithless electors combined (four) dating back to 1976.
In the 2016 presidential election between Trump and Hillary Clinton — two candidates who were unpopular — two Texas electors strayed from Trump and selected Ohio Gov. John Kasich and ex-Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, a libertarian star.
Trump should have won 306 electoral votes but wound up with 304 instead.
On the Democratic side, more electors abandoned Clinton. In Hawaii and Washington state, five electors cast ballots for Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and Faith Spotted Eagle, a Native American activist who was prominent in trying to block the Keystone XL pipeline.
Before then, there was just one faithless elector in 2004, one in 2000, one in 1988 and one in 1976.


npr--2020-12-14--Electors Across The Country Vote For President: What You Need To Know

Electors Across The Country Vote For President : What You Need To Know On Monday , 538 electors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia will cast their votes for president , marking a key next step for Joe Biden as he gets closer to officially becoming the 46th president of the United States .
The votes come 41 days after Election Day , on Nov. 3 .
In the race for the White House , Biden received about 7 million more votes than President Trump , and is expected to attain 306 Electoral College votes to Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliver remarks Monday evening , after the votes .
Here are answers to some common questions regarding the Electoral College : Why am I hearing so much about this ?
Monday 's events represent the next step in this country 's democratic process as it elects a new leader .
Typically , the day is a relatively quiet affair without a lot of fanfare .
But in this cycle , because of unprecedented efforts by the incumbent 's campaign and its allies to overturn the results , every election step is being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens on Monday ?
When American voters cast their ballots for a presidential ticket , they are technically voting for a slate of electors that were chosen by that candidate 's political party .
Electors are selected by state parties and are usually involved in the political world as donors , activists or even as political officials themselves .
On Monday , they 'll meet in their respective states to cast their votes .
`` I 'm feeling excited , '' said Nina Ahmad , a first-time elector in Pennsylvania .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally here and we can do our duty and move on . ''
The votes will take place at different times across the country , with the earliest beginning at 10 a.m .
ET and the latest at 7 p.m .
ET .
The locations for these meetings will vary , with the majority being held in state capitols .
In Colorado , Nevada and Utah , for instance , the processes will happen virtually .
Many states will offer livestreams for those who wish to view the proceedings .
The final electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electors vote as they are expected to .
Although electors are nominated to support a specific candidate , some have strayed in the past , earning them the title of `` faithless electors . ''
In 2016 , for example , two such electors voted for Hillary Clinton despite being slated to vote for Trump .
But this practice is not common and many states have rules to punish rogue electors .
Once electors cast their votes , we move on to the next step .
The votes are then tallied and electors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be paired with certificates from governors ' offices that include state vote totals .
From there , the certificates are sent to the National Archives and Records Administration ; to every state 's secretary of state ; to the presiding judge of the federal district court where the electors met ; and to the president of the Senate ( Vice President Pence ) .
Congress will then count the votes during a joint session on Jan. 6 and officially declare the winner .
The final step is inauguration , which is scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The House and Senate will jointly meet for the official count .
`` Each state 's Electoral College votes are read off in alphabetical order , '' explained Robert Alexander , a professor at Ohio Northern University .
`` If there is a dispute over any of the votes for those states , there needs to be an objection and that objection should be in writing ; it should not be verbal .
A member of the House must object as well as a member of the Senate in order for that objection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate on that objection . ''
Should there be sustained objections , House and Senate members will disband into their own chambers and have a limited debate of a few hours , he says .
`` Then they have to bring that objection to a vote , '' Alexander said .
`` It would require a majority in both the House and the Senate to carry that objection . ''
Alexander suspects there will be some objections stemming from the House Republican caucus in the January session , but said it 's unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the objections as well .
`` I foresee shenanigans , I foresee debate , I foresee some drama , '' he said , `` but I do not foresee any change in the outcome when all the votes are counted . ''
NPR 's Miles Parks and Elena Moore contributed to this report .

Electors Across The Country Vote For President: What You Need To Know
Enlarge this image toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Updated at 9:37 a.m. ET
On Monday, 538 electors in all 50 states and the District of Columbia will cast their votes for president, marking a key next step for Joe Biden as he gets closer to officially becoming the 46th president of the United States.
The votes come 41 days after Election Day, on Nov. 3. In the race for the White House, Biden received about 7 million more votes than President Trump and is expected to attain 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232.
President-elect Biden is set to deliver remarks Monday evening after the votes.
Here are answers to some common questions regarding the Electoral College:
Why am I hearing so much about this?
Monday's events represent the next step in this country's democratic process as it elects a new leader.
Typically, the day is a relatively quiet affair without a lot of fanfare. But in this cycle, because of unprecedented efforts by the incumbent's campaign and its allies to overturn the results, every election step is being closely watched and analyzed.
So what happens on Monday?
When American voters cast their ballots for a presidential ticket, they are technically voting for a slate of electors that were chosen by that candidate's political party.
Electors are selected by state parties and are usually involved in the political world as donors, activists or even as political officials themselves.
On Monday, they'll meet in their respective states to cast their votes.
"I'm feeling excited," said Nina Ahmad, a first-time elector in Pennsylvania. "I'm feeling glad that the day is finally here and we can do our duty and move on."
The votes will take place at different times across the country with the earliest beginning at 10 a.m. ET and the latest at 7 p.m. ET. The locations for these meetings will vary, with the majority being held in state capitols. In Colorado, Nevada and Utah, for instance, the processes will happen virtually. Many states will offer livestreams for those who wish to view the proceedings.
In Michigan, officials said the state legislature's office buildings will be closed due to "credible threats of violence."
Could the electoral math change?
The final electoral count could vary slightly depending on whether electors vote as they are expected to.
Although electors are nominated to support a specific candidate, some have strayed in the past, earning them the title of "faithless electors." In 2016, for example, there were various attempts from electors to vote for someone other than the candidate they were slated for.
But this practice is not common and many states have rules to punish rogue electors.
Once electors cast their votes, we move on to the next step.
Wait ... there's more?
Yes, it's a process.
The votes are then tallied and electors sign certificates with the results, which will be paired with certificates from governors' offices that include state vote totals.
From there, the certificates are sent to the National Archives and Records Administration; to every state's secretary of state; to the presiding judge of the federal district court where the electors met; and to the president of the Senate (Vice President Pence).
Congress will then count the votes during a joint session on Jan. 6 and officially declare the winner.
The final step is inauguration, which is scheduled to take place on Jan. 20.
Is the congressional counting process pretty straightforward?
Again, usually.
The House and Senate will jointly meet for the official count.
"Each state's Electoral College votes are read off in alphabetical order," explained Robert Alexander, a professor at Ohio Northern University. "If there is a dispute over any of the votes for those states, there needs to be an objection and that objection should be in writing; it should not be verbal. A member of the House must object as well as a member of the Senate in order for that objection to have merit and for them to debate on that objection."
Should there be sustained objections, House and Senate members will disband into their own chambers and have a limited debate of a few hours, he says.
"Then they have to bring that objection to a vote," Alexander said. "It would require a majority in both the House and the Senate to carry that objection."
Alexander suspects there will be some objections stemming from the House Republican caucus in the January session but said it's unclear whether a GOP senator would take up the objections as well.
"I foresee shenanigans, I foresee debate, I foresee some drama," he said, "but I do not foresee any change in the outcome when all the votes are counted."
NPR's Miles Parks and Elena Moore contributed to this report.


npr--2020-12-14--Russia Suspected In Major Cyber Attack On U.S. Treasury, Commerce Departments

Russia Suspected In Major Cyber Attack On U.S. Treasury , Commerce Departments Updated at 7:30 a.m .
ET Russian hackers working for the Kremlin are believed to be behind an attack into U.S. government computer systems at the departments of Treasury and Commerce that may have lasted months before it was detected , according to U.S. officials and media reports .
The hackers reportedly broke into the email systems at those two government departments .
But the full extent of the breach was not immediately clear as U.S. officials scrambled to make an assessment .
There are concerns that hackers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perhaps private companies as well .
The National Security Council and the Department of Homeland Security both acknowledged the intrusion in brief statements Sunday that provided few details .
`` We have been working closely with our agency partners regarding recently discovered activity on government networks , '' said NSC spokesman John Ullyot .
`` The United States government is aware of these reports , and we are taking all necessary steps to identify and remedy any possible issues related to this situation . ''
The U.S. government did not name Russia or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters first reported the story on Sunday , and subsequent reports identified Russia 's foreign intelligence service , the SVR , as the most likely culprit .
Russia 's SVR , the rough equivalent to the CIA in the U.S. , was blamed for major hacks in 2014-15 that involved unclassified email systems at the White House , State Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff .
Russia on Monday denied any involvement in the latest reported breach .
Meanwhile , the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an emergency directive overnight calling on all federal civilian agencies to review their computer networks for signs of the compromise and to disconnect from SolarWinds Orion products immediately .
SolarWinds has government contracts , including with the military and intelligence services , according to Reuters .
The attackers are believed to have used a `` supply chain attack '' method that embeds malicious code into legitimate software updates .
`` The compromise of SolarWinds ' Orion Network Management Products poses unacceptable risks to the security of federal networks , '' CISA 's Acting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Tonight 's directive is intended to mitigate potential compromises within federal civilian networks , and we urge all our partners — in the public and private sectors — to assess their exposure to this compromise and to secure their networks against any exploitation . ''
SolarWinds , based in Austin , Texas , put out its own statement saying it was aware that its systems were experiencing a `` highly sophisticated , manual supply chain attack '' on specific versions of its Orion platform software released between March and June of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advised this attack was likely conducted by an outside nation-state and intended to be a narrow , extremely targeted , and manually executed attack , as opposed to a broad , system-wide attack , '' the company said .
Kevin Thompson , SolarWinds president and CEO , said in a statement shared with NPR that the company is `` acting in close coordination with FireEye , the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the intelligence community , and other law enforcement to investigate these matters .
As such , we are limited as to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Two other tech companies , Microsoft and FireEye , also weighed in .
Microsoft said in a blog post late Sunday , `` We believe this is nation-state activity at significant scale , aimed at both the government and private sector . ''
The Commerce Department and the Treasury Department use the Microsoft Office 365 platform , Reuters and The New York Times reported Sunday .
The Commerce and Treasury departments did not immediately respond to NPR 's request for comment .
FireEye reported last week that hackers , also believed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's key tools used to test vulnerabilities in the computer networks of its customers , which include government agencies .
FireEye said in a blog post late Sunday night that said it had identified `` a global campaign that introduces a compromise into the networks of public and private organizations through the software supply chain .
The compromise is delivered through updates to a widely used IT infrastructure management software – the Orion network monitoring product from SolarWinds . ''
Speaking in Moscow last Friday , Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hack .
`` Once again , I can reject these accusations and once again I want to remind you that it was President ( Vladimir ) Putin who proposed that the American side agree and conclude agreements ( with Russia ) on cyber security , '' Peskov said , adding that Washington had ignored the offer .
`` As for the rest , if there have been attacks for many months , and the Americans could not do anything about it , it is probably not worth immediately groundlessly blaming the Russians .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with it , '' he said .

Russia Suspected In Major Cyberattack On U.S. Government Departments
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
Updated at 5:00 p.m. ET
Russian hackers working for the Kremlin are believed to be behind breaches of U.S. government computer systems at the departments of Treasury, Commerce and Homeland Security that may have lasted months before they were discovered, according to U.S. officials and media reports.
The hackers reportedly broke into the email systems at the government departments, but the full extent of the breach was not immediately clear as U.S. officials scrambled to make an assessment. There are concerns that hackers may have penetrated other government departments and perhaps many private companies as well.
The Commerce Department, the National Security Council and the Department of Homeland Security all acknowledged the intrusion in brief statements but provided no details.
"We can confirm there has been a breach in one of our bureaus," the Commerce Department said.
"We have been working closely with our agency partners regarding recently discovered activity on government networks," said NSC spokesman John Ullyot.
The U.S. government did not name Russia or any other actor as being responsible.
Reuters first reported the story on Sunday, and subsequent reports identified Russia's foreign intelligence service, the SVR, as the most likely culprit.
Russia's SVR, the rough equivalent to the CIA in the U.S., was blamed for major hacks in 2014-15 that involved unclassified email systems at the White House, State Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Russia on Monday denied any involvement in the latest reported breach.
Emergency directive
Meanwhile, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is part of Homeland Security, issued an emergency directive calling on all federal civilian agencies to review their computer networks for signs of the compromise. The statement also said agencies should disconnect from SolarWinds Orion products immediately.
SolarWinds has government contracts, including with the military and intelligence services, and also works with many large private companies. The attackers are believed to have used a "supply chain attack" method that embeds malicious code into legitimate software updates.
"The compromise of SolarWinds' Orion Network Management Products poses unacceptable risks to the security of federal networks," CISA's acting Director Brandon Wales said in a statement. "Tonight's directive is intended to mitigate potential compromises within federal civilian networks, and we urge all our partners — in the public and private sectors — to assess their exposure to this compromise."
SolarWinds, based in Austin, Texas, put out its own statement saying it was aware that its systems were experiencing a "highly sophisticated, manual supply chain attack" on specific versions of its Orion platform software released between March and June of this year.
"We have been advised this attack was likely conducted by an outside nation-state and intended to be a narrow, extremely targeted, and manually executed attack, as opposed to a broad, system-wide attack," the company said.
Kevin Thompson, SolarWinds' president and CEO, said the company was working with the FBI, the U.S. intelligence community and other law enforcement agencies to investigate.
Tech companies respond
Two other tech companies, Microsoft and FireEye, also weighed in.
Microsoft said in a blog post late Sunday, "We believe this is nation-state activity at significant scale, aimed at both the government and private sector."
The Commerce Department and the Treasury Department use the Microsoft Office 365 platform, Reuters and The New York Times reported Sunday.
FireEye reported last week that hackers, also believed to be Russians, stole the company's key tools used to test vulnerabilities in the computer networks of its customers, which include government agencies.
FireEye said in a blog post late Sunday night that it had identified "a global campaign that introduces a compromise into the networks of public and private organizations through the software supply chain."
Speaking in Moscow last Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed allegations that Russia was involved in the FireEye hack.
"I want to remind you that it was President (Vladimir) Putin who proposed that the American side agree and conclude agreements (with Russia) on cybersecurity," Peskov said, adding that Washington had ignored the offer.
"If there have been attacks for many months, and the Americans could not do anything about it, it is probably not worth immediately, groundlessly blaming the Russians. We didn't have anything to do with it," he said.
NPR's national security correspondent Greg Myre contributed to this report.