npr--2020-01-07--A 3-Decade-Long Water Dispute Heads To The Supreme Court

For three decades , Georgia and Florida have been battling over how to share a precious resource : water .
Georgia has it , and Florida , which is downstream , says it 's not getting its fair share .
The dispute is once again headed to the U.S. Supreme Court , where Florida wants the justices to cap Georgia 's water use .
But a court-appointed special master recently rejected that idea .
More than 6 million people depend on water that starts at Lake Lanier , a reservoir northeast of Atlanta .
It generates hydropower as its water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chattahoochee River .
`` We generate power based on a peak demand , '' says powerhouse manager Cecil Quinley , with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers .
It 's a big lake , covering some 60 square miles , but it fills slowly .
In times of plenty , there 's enough water to serve the needs of metro Atlanta plus communities , industry and farming in southern Georgia , eastern Alabama and a section of Florida 's panhandle .
The problems arise when there 's a drought .
`` A one-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a three-year drought does , '' says Katherine Zitsch , with the Atlanta Regional Commission .
A drought from 2006 to 2008 led then-Gov .
Sonny Perdue to hold a prayer meeting for rain .
It also gave urgency to efforts by Florida and Alabama to fight for their share of a scarce resource that 's becoming even more unpredictable as the climate warms .
After two decades of talks and lawsuits , Florida finally went to the Supreme Court in 2013 , asking it to limit how much water Georgia could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and limits for farmers Zitsch says Georgia has done a lot to limit its use .
`` It 's high-efficiency toilets , '' she says .
`` It 's conservation pricing , where the more water you use , the more you pay . ''
It has worked so well that despite growing by 1.5 million people since 2000 , metro Atlanta uses 10 % less water .
Zitsch say the next step is to update water treatment plants so communities can reclaim water that was being lost .
Gwinnett County has spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that now gets wastewater clean enough so that it can be returned to the lake .
The Flint River is also part of the lawsuit .
It starts near Atlanta and meanders south to the border with Florida , passing through pine forests and providing water for small towns and lots of farmland .
`` If you want to grow a reliable , dependable quality crop , '' says Christopher Worsham , `` it takes water .
And it takes a lot of it . ''
Worsham 's great-grandfather used mules to raise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles north of the border with Florida .
Now the family-run business , Worsham Farms , has a cavernous warehouse where pecans are sorted and bagged .
Most will be shipped to China , a big market for premium Georgia pecans .
Worsham also raises peanuts and corn , and they all require irrigation .
Because of the droughts and the lawsuits , Georgia had to take a hard look at the water it uses for farming .
It has placed a moratorium on new wells for agriculture and is requiring all farmers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A short distance from the warehouse , pecan trees are lined up in rows .
`` This is actually where the water 's coming from , '' says Worsham , as he bends down and points out a small black tube about the size of a straw .
All his trees use this efficient drip irrigation .
For crops such as peanuts and corn , farmers have moved to low-pressure irrigation systems that use less water and lose less of it to evaporation .
Most also now use soil sensors to let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irrigate .
`` I do n't see any of the other states doing it , '' says Worsham .
Just across the state line , he says , `` you can dig a well , and pump as much water , and do whatever you want . ''
Georgians say they 're working to conserve water and are willing to compromise , but wonder if the same is true in Florida .
At the southernmost point of the Georgia-Florida water dispute is Florida 's Apalachicola Bay , where there 's not enough fresh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthy .
`` It 's almost like a slow death , '' says Apalachicola river keeper Georgia Ackerman .
`` It 's very difficult to watch . ''
She says the water has declined so much that the needs of this local ecosystem are not being met .
`` So it 's kind of like we were taught in kindergarten .
We need to share , and we need to share fairly . ''
Ackerman navigates an aluminum motorboat into the delta where the Apalachicola River and its tributaries empty into the bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breeding ground , you know , for shrimp and fish and crabs , '' says Shannon Hartsfield , president of the local seafood workers ' association .
`` It 's all changed up drastically . ''
This is where the river meets the Gulf of Mexico and the tides mix salty seawater with the fresh river water flowing downstream .
It 's the perfect brew for what has historically been the most famous harvest here — oysters .
`` Apalachicola oyster is known for half-shell oysters , '' Hartsfield says .
`` Everybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But they 're hard to come by .
Hartsfield comes from a family of oystermen and has watched the fishery decline in the last 20 years .
After an extended drought , there was a total collapse in 2012 .
Hartsfield says it has yet to recover — going from more than 300 working oyster boats when he was a kid to about a dozen today .
`` If we go through another drought that 's even close to the 2012 drought , that 's going to completely devastate and finish us off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move upriver , the vegetation changes from salt marsh to more of a wooded riverbank with towering cypress trees .
My tour guides point out what has already been lost , including millions of tupelo trees , and the freshwater marsh grasses that have been choked out by salt water creeping farther inshore .
UNESCO has recognized the region as a critical biosphere reserve .
`` Without the Supreme Court giving relief to Florida from Georgia 's domination of the water , we will see this ecosystem go away , '' says river @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched as attempts at a congressional remedy and tristate negotiations all failed to get more water downstream , leaving the question now to the Supreme Court .
Apalachicola is old Florida — no high-rise condos or big-box stores .
Shops and restaurants downtown draw tourists alongside what 's left of a working waterfront .
But once bustling seafood-processing plants are closed up and for sale .
One of the few still in operation is 13 Mile Seafood , where workers in early December are hosing down the stainless steel shrimp-sorting table .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we 're doing our maintenance , '' says Joseph `` Smokey '' Parrish , who has worked here for 37 years , overseeing the wholesale shrimp operation .
Parrish is also a Franklin County commissioner who has been embroiled in the water war since he was first elected in 2006 .
`` I 've lived it my whole life , '' he says .
`` And I represent the people in Franklin County and all these jobs that we 're losing . ''
Parrish says nearly 5,000 jobs are at stake if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's nothing for metro Atlanta .
So in comparison , it may not mean much , '' he says .
But what 's at stake is `` our history and our heritage and our way of life . ''
These issues are going to become more critical with climate change , says Robin Kundis Craig , the James I. Farr presidential endowed chair of law at the University of Utah .
She specializes in water law and says compacts have worked in the West where water is scarce .
But she says there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Climate change is introducing the East to bigger and worse droughts , but also bigger and worse floods , '' Craig says .
Figuring out how to share water given that extreme variability may be even more difficult than simply coping with a shortage .
`` Ecosystems need water too , '' she says , `` and there 's no real precedent for how to fit that into these equitable apportionment decisions . ''

A 3-Decade-Long Water Dispute Heads To The Supreme Court
Enlarge this image toggle caption Greg Allen/NPR Greg Allen/NPR
For three decades, Georgia and Florida have been battling over how to share a precious resource: water. Georgia has it, and Florida, which is downstream, says it's not getting its fair share. The dispute is once again headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Florida wants the justices to cap Georgia's water use. But a court-appointed special master recently rejected that idea.
More than 6 million people depend on water that starts at Lake Lanier, a reservoir northeast of Atlanta. It generates hydropower as its water is released from a dam into the Chattahoochee River.
"We generate power based on a peak demand," says powerhouse manager Cecil Quinley, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
It's a big lake, covering some 60 square miles, but it fills slowly. In times of plenty, there's enough water to serve the needs of metro Atlanta plus communities, industry and farming in southern Georgia, eastern Alabama and a section of Florida's panhandle.
The problems arise when there's a drought.
"A one-year drought doesn't cause particular complications, but a three-year drought does," says Katherine Zitsch, with the Atlanta Regional Commission.
A drought from 2006 to 2008 led then-Gov. Sonny Perdue to hold a prayer meeting for rain. It also gave urgency to efforts by Florida and Alabama to fight for their share of a scarce resource that's becoming even more unpredictable as the climate warms.
After two decades of talks and lawsuits, Florida finally went to the Supreme Court in 2013, asking it to limit how much water Georgia could use.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Greg Allen/NPR Greg Allen/NPR
In Georgia, high-efficiency toilets and limits for farmers
Zitsch says Georgia has done a lot to limit its use. "It's high-efficiency toilets," she says. "It's conservation pricing, where the more water you use, the more you pay." It has worked so well that despite growing by 1.5 million people since 2000, metro Atlanta uses 10% less water.
Zitsch say the next step is to update water treatment plants so communities can reclaim water that was being lost. Gwinnett County has spent nearly a billion dollars building a plant that now gets wastewater clean enough so that it can be returned to the lake.
The Flint River is also part of the lawsuit. It starts near Atlanta and meanders south to the border with Florida, passing through pine forests and providing water for small towns and lots of farmland.
"If you want to grow a reliable, dependable quality crop," says Christopher Worsham, "it takes water. And it takes a lot of it."
Worsham's great-grandfather used mules to raise row crops here in Camilla, 50 miles north of the border with Florida. Now the family-run business, Worsham Farms, has a cavernous warehouse where pecans are sorted and bagged. Most will be shipped to China, a big market for premium Georgia pecans. Worsham also raises peanuts and corn, and they all require irrigation.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Greg Allen/NPR Greg Allen/NPR
Because of the droughts and the lawsuits, Georgia had to take a hard look at the water it uses for farming. It has placed a moratorium on new wells for agriculture and is requiring all farmers to move to more efficient irrigation systems.
A short distance from the warehouse, pecan trees are lined up in rows. "This is actually where the water's coming from," says Worsham, as he bends down and points out a small black tube about the size of a straw. All his trees use this efficient drip irrigation.
For crops such as peanuts and corn, farmers have moved to low-pressure irrigation systems that use less water and lose less of it to evaporation. Most also now use soil sensors to let them know when and how much to irrigate.
"I don't see any of the other states doing it," says Worsham. Just across the state line, he says, "you can dig a well, and pump as much water, and do whatever you want."
Georgians say they're working to conserve water and are willing to compromise, but wonder if the same is true in Florida.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Debbie Elliott/NPR Debbie Elliott/NPR
In Florida, estuary ecosystem faces "a slow death"
At the southernmost point of the Georgia-Florida water dispute is Florida's Apalachicola Bay, where there's not enough fresh water coming downriver to keep the estuary healthy.
"It's almost like a slow death," says Apalachicola river keeper Georgia Ackerman. "It's very difficult to watch."
She says the water has declined so much that the needs of this local ecosystem are not being met. "So it's kind of like we were taught in kindergarten. We need to share, and we need to share fairly."
Ackerman navigates an aluminum motorboat into the delta where the Apalachicola River and its tributaries empty into the bay.
"This used to be a breeding ground, you know, for shrimp and fish and crabs," says Shannon Hartsfield, president of the local seafood workers' association. "It's all changed up drastically."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Debbie Elliott/NPR Debbie Elliott/NPR
This is where the river meets the Gulf of Mexico and the tides mix salty seawater with the fresh river water flowing downstream. It's the perfect brew for what has historically been the most famous harvest here — oysters.
"Apalachicola oyster is known for half-shell oysters," Hartsfield says. "Everybody wants to eat them raw."
But they're hard to come by. Hartsfield comes from a family of oystermen and has watched the fishery decline in the last 20 years. After an extended drought, there was a total collapse in 2012. Hartsfield says it has yet to recover — going from more than 300 working oyster boats when he was a kid to about a dozen today.
"If we go through another drought that's even close to the 2012 drought, that's going to completely devastate and finish us off," he says.
As we move upriver, the vegetation changes from salt marsh to more of a wooded riverbank with towering cypress trees.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Debbie Elliott/NPR Debbie Elliott/NPR
My tour guides point out what has already been lost, including millions of tupelo trees, and the freshwater marsh grasses that have been choked out by salt water creeping farther inshore.
UNESCO has recognized the region as a critical biosphere reserve.
"Without the Supreme Court giving relief to Florida from Georgia's domination of the water, we will see this ecosystem go away," says river keeper emeritus Dan Tonsmeire.
He has watched as attempts at a congressional remedy and tristate negotiations all failed to get more water downstream, leaving the question now to the Supreme Court.
Apalachicola is old Florida — no high-rise condos or big-box stores. Shops and restaurants downtown draw tourists alongside what's left of a working waterfront.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Debbie Elliott/NPR Debbie Elliott/NPR
But once bustling seafood-processing plants are closed up and for sale. One of the few still in operation is 13 Mile Seafood, where workers in early December are hosing down the stainless steel shrimp-sorting table.
"It's kinda slow here now, so we're doing our maintenance," says Joseph "Smokey" Parrish, who has worked here for 37 years, overseeing the wholesale shrimp operation.
Parrish is also a Franklin County commissioner who has been embroiled in the water war since he was first elected in 2006.
"I've lived it my whole life," he says. "And I represent the people in Franklin County and all these jobs that we're losing."
Parrish says nearly 5,000 jobs are at stake if the fisheries here collapse.
"That's nothing for metro Atlanta. So in comparison, it may not mean much," he says. But what's at stake is "our history and our heritage and our way of life."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Debbie Elliott/NPR Debbie Elliott/NPR
These issues are going to become more critical with climate change, says Robin Kundis Craig, the James I. Farr presidential endowed chair of law at the University of Utah.
She specializes in water law and says compacts have worked in the West where water is scarce. But she says there's a different dynamic here.
"Climate change is introducing the East to bigger and worse droughts, but also bigger and worse floods," Craig says. Figuring out how to share water given that extreme variability may be even more difficult than simply coping with a shortage.
"Ecosystems need water too," she says, "and there's no real precedent for how to fit that into these equitable apportionment decisions."


npr--2020-01-07--Thousands More Overseas Taiwanese Register For Key Elections Than For Last Vote

Thousands More Overseas Taiwanese Register For Key Elections Than For Last Vote Millions of Taiwanese are preparing for key elections this weekend — and some are even flying back by plane to vote .
Taiwan does not allow absentee voting , so those abroad have to return to the exact county where they were born , or where they have a registered household , to cast their ballot .
Saturday 's presidential and legislative elections feel particularly urgent for many citizens both on the island and abroad .
China 's leaders have repeatedly vowed to annex self-ruled Taiwan .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how forcefully Taiwanese authorities should counter the Communist Party in Beijing .
While Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party have taken a firm stance against Beijing , some of their opponents advocate for closer ties .
`` For a lot of people overseas , when they 're coming back , and when they 're voting , it 's about securing Taiwan .
It 's about defending democracy , '' says Wei-Ting Yen , an assistant professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania .
She says she extended a recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could vote .
A total of 5,328 overseas Taiwanese have applied to vote in the upcoming elections , more than twice the number in 2016 , according to Taiwan 's cabinet-level Overseas Community Affairs Council .
Of this year 's total , 5,100 ultimately qualified to vote .
( Many other Taiwanese abroad spend enough time visiting the island that they do n't need to register as overseas voters . )
Separated from the mainland by a narrow waterway , Taiwan broke away politically from the mainland in 1949 after Chinese Nationalist leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Communists .
Many countries recognized the new authority in Taipei as China 's legitimate government .
But as communist China 's economic and geopolitical power has grown , all but 15 of Taiwan 's allies have left it for Beijing .
The U.S. government says it does not recognize Taiwanese independence but maintains `` strong , unofficial relations with Taiwan . ''
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Taiwan to seek peaceful unification but warned he would not `` renounce the use of force '' if needed .
Beijing has also pressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unification as Hong Kong .
But more than seven months of protest in Hong Kong have hardened even mainstream Taiwanese public opinion against the `` one country , two systems '' model that China uses to govern Hong Kong .
President Tsai has declared that model a `` failure '' and said it is `` not feasible '' for Taiwan .
Yen , who researches and teaches about politics , says Taiwan 's unification with China used to seem `` like an empty threat ... a fantasy . ''
She says , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kong basically shows us a very explicit example of how 'one country , two systems ' can play out in the long run . ''
Tsai 's ruling Democratic Progressive Party has rattled Beijing by becoming increasingly forthright in its pro-independence stance .
Tsai 's opponent , Han Kuo-yu , of the opposition Kuomintang , or Nationalist Party , has drawn criticism by advocating for closer cultural and economic ties with Beijing and by employing campaign language criticized for offensive remarks about women and migrants .
Populist , pro-Beijing candidates like Han mobilized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social work at Rutgers University , to create a series of videos that encourage Taiwanese abroad to go home and vote .
The videos feature figures including veteran activists and graduate students urging others to `` stand with Taiwan . ''
`` You want to be Taiwanese , not Chinese , and that identification needs to be protected , '' says Liu , explaining why this election feels like a live or die moment for Taiwan .
Wen Liu , an assistant professor at the State University of New York at Albany , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` [ Voting ] is a way for people who care about politics to pay attention , particularly in Taiwan , which is such a young democracy , '' Liu says .
Liu , who teaches and researches sexuality and gender studies , says her priority was to vote in legislative elections in which dozens of activists are running as first-time candidates on progressive issues such as gender equality and LGBTQ rights .
`` The election now feels much more personal .
... That 's why I also feel more engaged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
Ellie Chang , a tech worker in the San Francisco Bay Area , used her vacation days to vote in Taiwan .
Her family is solidly pro-Kuomintang , which leans more in favor of Beijing .
Chang says she grew up ambivalent about how aggressively Taiwan pushed back against China , because candidates across the political spectrum supported Taiwan 's political status quo : de facto separation from Beijing .
`` Whenever I voted , I never really considered too much about unification versus independence because it feels like whoever we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't really change anything , '' Chang says .
But this year , the Hong Kong protests against Beijing 's overreach and the detention of hundreds of thousands of Muslims in China 's Xinjiang region have jarred Chang so much that she now believes Taiwan needs to protect its de facto independence or even explore options for formal independence .
`` I think China has changed their attitude , '' Chang says , `` so people think the status quo is no longer an option . ''

Thousands More Overseas Taiwanese Register For Key Elections Than For Last Vote
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
Millions of Taiwanese are preparing for key elections this weekend — and some are even flying back by plane to vote.
Taiwan does not allow absentee voting, so those abroad have to return to the exact county where they were born, or where they have a registered household, to cast their ballot.
Saturday's presidential and legislative elections feel particularly urgent for many citizens both on the island and abroad. China's leaders have repeatedly vowed to annex self-ruled Taiwan. The vote has become a tense referendum on how forcefully Taiwanese authorities should counter the Communist Party in Beijing. While Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party have taken a firm stance against Beijing, some of their opponents advocate for closer ties.
"For a lot of people overseas, when they're coming back, and when they're voting, it's about securing Taiwan. It's about defending democracy," says Wei-Ting Yen, an assistant professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Pennsylvania. She says she extended a recent visit with family in Taiwan so she could vote.
A total of 5,328 overseas Taiwanese have applied to vote in the upcoming elections, more than twice the number in 2016, according to Taiwan's cabinet-level Overseas Community Affairs Council. Of this year's total, 5,100 ultimately qualified to vote. (Many other Taiwanese abroad spend enough time visiting the island that they don't need to register as overseas voters.)
Separated from the mainland by a narrow waterway, Taiwan broke away politically from the mainland in 1949 after Chinese Nationalist leaders retreated to the island following defeat to the Communists. Many countries recognized the new authority in Taipei as China's legitimate government.
But as communist China's economic and geopolitical power has grown, all but 15 of Taiwan's formal allies have left it for Beijing. The U.S. government says it does not support Taiwanese independence but maintains "strong, unofficial relations with Taiwan."
Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Taiwan to seek peaceful unification but warned he would not "renounce the use of force" if needed.
Beijing has also pressed Taiwan to follow a similar step toward unification as Hong Kong.
But more than seven months of protest in Hong Kong have hardened even mainstream Taiwanese public opinion against the "one country, two systems" model that China uses to govern Hong Kong.
President Tsai has declared that model a "failure" and said it is "not feasible" for Taiwan.
Yen, who researches and teaches about politics, says Taiwan's unification with China used to seem "like an empty threat ... a fantasy." She says, "But what's been happening in Hong Kong basically shows us a very explicit example of how 'one country, two systems' can play out in the long run."
Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party has rattled Beijing by becoming increasingly forthright in its pro-independence stance. Tsai's opponent, Han Kuo-yu, of the opposition Kuomintang, or Nationalist Party, has drawn criticism by advocating for closer cultural and economic ties with Beijing and by employing campaign language criticized for offensive remarks about women and migrants.
Populist, pro-Beijing candidates like Han mobilized Liu Feng-yi, a doctoral candidate in social work at Rutgers University, to create a series of videos that encourage Taiwanese abroad to go home and vote. The videos feature figures including veteran activists and graduate students urging others to "stand with Taiwan."
"You want to be Taiwanese, not Chinese, and that identification needs to be protected," says Liu, explaining why this election feels like a live or die moment for Taiwan.
Wen Liu, an assistant professor at the State University of New York at Albany, also flew back to Taiwan to vote. "[Voting] is a way for people who care about politics to pay attention, particularly in Taiwan, which is such a young democracy," Liu says.
Liu, who teaches and researches sexuality and gender studies, says her priority was to vote in legislative elections in which dozens of activists are running as first-time candidates on progressive issues such as gender equality and LGBTQ rights. "The election now feels much more personal. ... That's why I also feel more engaged with electoral politics in Taiwan," Liu says.
People think the status quo is no longer an option.
Ellie Chang, a tech worker in the San Francisco Bay Area, used her vacation days to vote in Taiwan. Her family is solidly pro-Kuomintang, which leans more in favor of Beijing. Chang says she grew up ambivalent about how aggressively Taiwan pushed back against China, because candidates across the political spectrum supported Taiwan's political status quo: de facto separation from Beijing.
"Whenever I voted, I never really considered too much about unification versus independence because it feels like whoever we voted [for], it wouldn't really change anything," Chang says.
But this year, the Hong Kong protests against Beijing's overreach and the detention of hundreds of thousands of Muslims in China's Xinjiang region have jarred Chang so much that she now believes Taiwan needs to protect its de facto independence or even explore options for formal independence.
"I think China has changed their attitude," Chang says, "so people think the status quo is no longer an option."


npr--2020-01-07--Venezuela's Guaidó Vows To Reclaim Legislature After Takeover By Maduro Supporters

Venezuela 's Guaidó Vows To Reclaim Legislature After Takeover By Maduro Supporters Venezuela , a country that has lived under dueling presidents for nearly a year , looks as though it is heading for competing legislatures as well .
On Sunday , allies of President Nicolás Maduro hijacked a session of the country 's National Assembly while security forces locked out the body 's president , Juan Guaidó , and his supporters .
Meanwhile , inside the chamber , lawmakers allied to Maduro 's government quickly selected a new head of the chamber .
The National Assembly was one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoys almost dictatorial powers , and has been a particular thorn in his side because it is headed by the 36-year-old Guaidó , who ran for president against Maduro in 2018 and lost .
However , that election was widely seen as fraudulent and last January , Guaidó , with the backing of the U.S. and nearly 60 other countries , declared himself Venezuela 's head of state .
But Maduro , who took over when longtime socialist leader Hugo Chávez died in 2013 , has refused to step down , adding political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which has experienced hyperinflation , chronic shortages and widespread corruption .
On Sunday , scuffles broke out inside and outside the National Assembly as Luis Parra — who has denied allegations of accepting bribes from Maduro to side with the socialists in the legislature — was sworn in to replace Guaidó as the chamber 's president .
Opposition lawmakers , barred from the legislature , met later at a newspaper office and defiantly voted to reelect Guaidó .
The U.S. has condemned the move by Maduro 's allies to seize the legislature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pence called Guaidó , whom the administration recognizes as the country 's legitimate leader , to pledge its support for him .
A showdown was in the offing on Tuesday , with the opposition , led by Guaidó , vowing to retake the assembly .
Speaking to reporters in the capital , Caracas , on Monday , Guaidó said he and lawmakers belonging to his Democratic Unity Roundtable alliance , which forms a majority in the 167-seat assembly , are willing to risk a confrontation because `` Venezuela deserves it '' and said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` if it will continue its farce , which no one recognizes . ''
On Monday , Parra appeared to regard his election to lead the National Assembly as a fait accompli , posting videos of himself assuming his new duties and changing his Twitter profile to read `` President of the National Assembly of Venezuela . ''
Parra said Monday that Guaidó `` will be permitted '' back in the legislature , but `` as any other lawmaker , '' he would first need to acknowledge Parra 's undisputed leadership of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims to remain a Maduro critic , says Venezuela needs to end its `` politics of polarization '' and work toward free and fair parliamentary elections to be held later this year .
`` We are working on achieving a political change in Venezuela , '' Parra said from the assembly building , according to The Associated Press .
`` Our efforts are focused on holding clean , free elections immediately . ''

Venezuela's Guaidó Vows To Reclaim Legislature After Takeover By Maduro Supporters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matias Delacroix/AP Matias Delacroix/AP
Updated at 2:30 p.m. ET
Venezuela is starting the year with a dramatic new twist to its political crisis.
On Sunday, allies of President Nicolás Maduro hijacked a session of the country's National Assembly while security forces locked out the body's president, Juan Guaidó, and his supporters. Meanwhile, inside the chamber, lawmakers allied to Maduro's government quickly selected a new head of the chamber.
The National Assembly was one of the few checks on Maduro, who enjoys almost dictatorial powers. It has been a particular thorn in his side because it is headed by Guaidó, 36. After the 2018 election was widely seen as fraudulent, Guaidó declared himself Venezuela's head of state last January, with the backing of the U.S. and nearly 60 other countries.
But Maduro, who took over when longtime socialist leader Hugo Chávez died in 2013, has refused to step down, adding political instability to the already economically unstable country, which has experienced hyperinflation, chronic shortages and widespread corruption.
On Sunday, scuffles broke out inside and outside the National Assembly as Luis Parra — who has denied allegations of accepting bribes from Maduro to side with the socialists in the legislature — was sworn in to replace Guaidó as the chamber's president.
Opposition lawmakers, barred from the legislature, met later at a newspaper office and defiantly voted to reelect Guaidó.
The U.S. has condemned the move by Maduro's allies to seize the legislature, and on Monday, Vice President Pence called Guaidó, whom the administration recognizes as the country's legitimate leader, to pledge its support for him.
A showdown was in the offing on Tuesday, with the opposition, led by Guaidó, vowing to retake the assembly.
Speaking to reporters in the capital, Caracas, on Monday, Guaidó said he and lawmakers belonging to his Democratic Unity Roundtable alliance, which forms a majority in the 167-seat assembly, are willing to risk a confrontation because "Venezuela deserves it" and said Maduro's "dictatorship" must decide "if it will continue its farce, which no one recognizes."
On Monday, Parra appeared to regard his election to lead the National Assembly as a fait accompli, posting videos of himself assuming his new duties and changing his Twitter profile to read "President of the National Assembly of Venezuela."
Parra said Monday that Guaidó "will be permitted" back in the legislature, but "as any other lawmaker," he would first need to acknowledge Parra's undisputed leadership of the body.
Parra, an independent who claims to remain a Maduro critic, says Venezuela needs to end its "politics of polarization" and work toward free and fair parliamentary elections to be held later this year.
"We are working on achieving a political change in Venezuela," Parra said from the assembly building, according to The Associated Press. "Our efforts are focused on holding clean, free elections immediately."


npr--2020-01-06--What's Next In Tech? We Dodged Robots At CES To Find Out

What 's Next In Tech ?
We Dodged Robots At CES To Find Out Flying cars , big-screen TVs that rotate vertically to better show your mobile videos , a trash can that changes its own bag : Welcome to CES .
About 200,000 people will descend on Las Vegas this week to check it all out at annual technology extravaganza of the consumer electronics show .
Among the robots they will encounter is the Charmin RollBot .
That 's roll as in , a roll of toilet paper , which is what the small-wheel robot carries on top of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the commode , you look over , oh no , somebody did n't change the roll .
Hello ?
Nobody home , '' explained Gregg Weaver , who works in research and development at Charmin-maker Procter & Gamble .
That 's when you take out your smartphone and summon the RollBot via Bluetooth .
It `` delivers a fresh roll of Charmin , saves the day , '' Weaver says .
That might sound a bit dramatic , but this single-task robot could save you a few uncomfortable steps to retrieve a spare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & G 's robot — or a lot of the stuff on display here .
But that 's what much of CES is about : glimpsing the future of technology .
Things like touchscreens and voice assistants showed up here years before they became mainstream .
The show is a dizzying display of tech in every form imaginable , spread over almost 3 million square feet of exhibition space .
Visitors must dodge rolling robots and people stumbling around , their eyes covered by virtual reality headsets .
A lot of the buzz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5G — the next generation of much faster cellular networks .
It promises to be up to 100 times faster than current networks , said Kevin Westcott , a vice chairman at consulting firm Deloitte .
5G is still in the early stages , but that 's not dampening the excitement .
`` It does n't mean a huge amount today , because can I download a movie faster or do I get my traffic updates faster ?
That 's not going to change my life , '' Westcott said .
`` What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people start envisioning new applications that use absolutely real time data . ''
Thanks to 5G , self-driving cars will be able to communicate with each other — and to the roads they are driving on .
Among the companies at CES working on this is Valerann , a British-Israeli startup that puts sensors in roads .
The sensors detect traffic and weather , and can light up to direct cars around a vehicle pulled over onto the shoulder .
Shahar Bahiri , a co-founder of Valerann , says the company is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it 's the fastest way to share data .
`` When you know that you have this stopped vehicle , when you know that you have black ice on the road , '' he said , `` your life is easier using data . ''
But CES is not all robots and futuristic cars .
Health is also a big theme here , and many of the startups at this year 's show are making apps and devices that bring the tools of the doctor 's office to your smartphone .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uses an iPad 's camera to read a person 's vital signs by scanning her face .
It looks for a tiny movement in the skin under the eye each time the heart beats .
`` There 's a change in the reflection of the light on your skin , '' said Mona Popilian , Binah 's director of marketing .
`` And we say OK , now there 's been a heartbeat , and then there 's another and another .
And so we have the heart rate .
And based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of the measurements , '' she said .
That includes oxygen levels , respiration rate and mental stress .
Binah plans to add blood pressure measurements this year .
It 's useful not just for individuals .
Popilian says Binah 's app can be used by doctors to remotely examine patients .
A big Japanese insurance company is using it to monitor drivers ' stress levels .
Popilian invites me to try out the app , so I step in front of the iPad and she starts the scan .
It takes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
My heart rate and oxygen levels are normal — but , after dodging robots and surrounded by flashing screens , unsurprisingly , I am mildly stressed .

What's Next In Tech? We Dodged Robots At CES To Find Out
Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Marcus/Reuters Steve Marcus/Reuters
Flying cars, big-screen TVs that rotate vertically to better show your mobile videos, a trash can that changes its own bag: Welcome to CES.
About 200,000 people will descend on Las Vegas this week to check it all out at the annual technology extravaganza of the Consumer Electronics Show.
Among the robots they will encounter is the Charmin RollBot. That's roll as in a roll of toilet paper, which is what the small-wheel robot carries on top of itself.
"So you're on the commode, you look over, oh no, somebody didn't change the roll. Hello? Nobody home," explained Gregg Weaver, who works in research and development at Procter & Gamble, Charmin's parent company.
That's when you take out your smartphone and summon the RollBot via Bluetooth. It "delivers a fresh roll of Charmin, saves the day," Weaver says.
That might sound a bit dramatic, but this single-task robot could save you a few uncomfortable steps to retrieve a spare roll.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP
You can't buy P&G's robot — or a lot of the stuff on display here.
But that's what much of CES is about: glimpsing at the future of technology. Things like touch screens and voice assistants showed up here years before they became mainstream.
The show is a dizzying display of tech in every form imaginable, spread over almost 3 million square feet of exhibition space.
Visitors must dodge rolling robots and people stumbling around, their eyes covered by virtual reality headsets.
A lot of the buzz at this year's show is about 5G — the next generation of much faster cellular networks. It promises to be up to 100 times faster than current networks, said Kevin Westcott, a vice chairman at consulting firm Deloitte.
5G is still in the early stages, but that's not dampening the excitement.
"It doesn't mean a huge amount today, because can I download a movie faster or do I get my traffic updates faster? That's not going to change my life," Westcott said. "What's going to change it is when people start envisioning new applications that use absolutely real-time data."
Thanks to 5G, self-driving cars will be able to communicate with each other — and to the roads they are driving on.
Among the companies at CES working on this is Valerann, a British-Israeli startup that puts sensors in roads.
The sensors detect traffic and weather, and can light up to direct cars around a vehicle pulled over onto the shoulder.
Shahar Bahiri, a co-founder of Valerann, says the company is already using 5G connections in some places because it's the fastest way to share data.
"When you know that you have this stopped vehicle, when you know that you have black ice on the road," he said, "your life is easier using data."
But CES is not all robots and futuristic cars. Health is also a big theme here, and many of the startups at this year's show are making apps and devices that bring the tools of the doctor's office to your smartphone.
At another booth, a company called Binah uses an iPad's camera to read a person's vital signs by scanning her face.
It looks for a tiny movement in the skin under the eye each time the heart beats.
"There's a change in the reflection of the light on your skin," said Mona Popilian, Binah's director of marketing.
"And we say OK, now there's been a heartbeat, and then there's another and another. And so we have the heart rate. And based on this, we continue to calculate the rest of the measurements," she said.
That includes oxygen levels, respiration rate and mental stress. Binah plans to add blood pressure measurements this year.
It's useful not just for individuals. Popilian says Binah's app can be used by doctors to remotely examine patients. A big Japanese insurance company is using it to monitor drivers' stress levels.
Popilian invites me to try out the app, so I step in front of the iPad and she starts the scan.
It takes a few seconds to deliver my results. My heart rate and oxygen levels are normal — but, after dodging robots and surrounded by flashing screens, unsurprisingly, I am mildly stressed.


npr--2020-01-06--Trump Says He'll Target Iran's Cultural Sites. That's Illegal

Iran 's cultural heritage is suddenly a topic of urgent global interest , after President Trump threatened to strike such sites if the country retaliates for the United States ' killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week .
In a series of tweets Saturday evening , Trump wrote that `` if Iran strikes any Americans , or American assets , '' the U.S. has targeted 52 Iranian sites — `` some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture , and those targets , and Iran itself , WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mohammad Javad Zarif , tweeted that targeting Iranian cultural sites would be a war crime .
On Monday , Defense Secretary Mark Esper indicated that U.S. forces would n't carry out Trump 's threat , saying , `` We will follow the laws of armed conflict . ''
On Sunday , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had appeared to walk back Trump 's statements on ABC 's This Week .
`` We 'll behave lawfully .
We 'll behave inside the system .
We always have , and we always will , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nonetheless , Trump doubled down on his threat .
`` They 're allowed to kill our people .
They 're allowed to torture and maim our people .
They 're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people , '' he told reporters on Sunday evening .
`` And we 're not allowed to touch their cultural sites ?
It does n't work that way . ''
The targeting of cultural properties by the U.S. is indeed not allowed .
The U.S. is a signatory to the 1954 Hague Convention , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of hostility '' directed against cultural property .
The convention covers `` movable or immovable property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people , such as monuments of architecture , art or history , whether religious or secular ; archaeological sites ; groups of buildings which , as a whole , are of historical or artistic interest ; works of art ; manuscripts , books and other objects of artistic , historical or archaeological interest ; as well as scientific collections and important collections of books or archives or of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' as well as buildings and centers whose main purpose is to house such items .
It also bars using a cultural site `` for purposes which are likely to expose it to destruction or damage in the event of armed conflict . ''
That means signatory nations ca n't use such sites to house soldiers or weapons with the goal of shielding them from attack .
The convention permits immunity in `` exceptional cases of unavoidable military necessity . ''
U.S. military policy agrees .
The Department of Defense 's Law of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , repeatedly citing the Hague Convention .
It also addresses the subject of military necessity : `` Acts of hostility may be directed against cultural property , its immediate surroundings , or appliances in use for its protection when military necessity imperatively requires such acts . ''
Accordingly , the U.S. military educates its soldiers about their responsibilities not to target or destroy cultural property , and to help in its preservation , says Nancy Wilkie , president of the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield .
The organization is dedicated to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heritage .
The Pentagon has even distributed playing cards with photos of cultural sites in Afghanistan and elsewhere to remind troops to safeguard heritage sites and artifacts .
`` Cultural sites and cultural objects that can provide sort of a baseline for recovering from strife , whether it 's civil war or war against an external agent , '' says Wilkie , an archaeologist and the former president of the Archaeological Institute of America .
`` And so one way to demoralize the population is to destroy its cultural heritage . ''
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower issued an order to his commanders demanding the protection of historical monuments : '' Today we are fighting in a country which has contributed a great deal to our cultural inheritance , a country rich in monuments which by their creation helped and now in their old age illustrate the growth of the civilization which is ours .
We are bound to respect those monuments so far as war allows .
`` If we have to choose between destroying a famous building and sacrificing our own men , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more and the building must go .
But the choice is not always so clear-cut as that .
In many cases the monuments can be spared without any detriment to operational needs .
Nothing can stand against the argument of military necessity .
That is an accepted principle .
But the phrase 'military necessity ' is sometimes used where it would be more truthful to speak of military convenience or even of personal convenience .
I do not want it to cloak slackness or indifference . ''
The Hague Convention was developed after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural sites such as the monastery at Monte Cassino , founded in 529 and bombed by the Allies in 1944 .
The Department of Defense 's Law of War manual quotes from Eisenhower 's order and repeats some of its language in its current policy .
To aid the U.S. military in its obligations not to destroy important cultural heritage sites , the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield has previously provided `` no-strike lists '' of such sites in countries including Iraq , Afghanistan and Libya .
The organization has not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran because it has been difficult for scholars to work there .
`` Iran is huge , '' Wilkie says , estimating that such a list would include 5,000 to 10,000 sites .
UNESCO has 22 cultural sites in Iran on its World Heritage list , from the ancient ruins of Persepolis to the historic bazaar complex in Tabriz .
Wilkie hopes that the U.S. military will stand by its policy to protect cultural sites , despite Trump 's threats .
Such places are important to local people as sites of honor or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have worldwide significance .
`` Culture is what we have , '' she says .
`` It reminds us of our past , and it unites us in our desire to preserve our sensibilities and sensitivities to cultural differences , and yet — to the fact that we 're all human and we all share human values . ''

Trump Says He'll Target Iran's Cultural Sites. That's Illegal
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Moore/Getty Images John Moore/Getty Images
Iran's cultural heritage is suddenly a topic of urgent global interest, after President Trump threatened to strike such sites if the country retaliates for the United States' killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week.
In a series of tweets Saturday evening, Trump wrote that "if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets," the U.S. has targeted 52 Iranian sites — "some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD."
Iran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, tweeted that targeting Iranian cultural sites would be a war crime.
On Monday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper indicated that U.S. forces wouldn't carry out Trump's threat, saying, "We will follow the laws of armed conflict."
On Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had appeared to walk back Trump's statements on ABC's This Week. "We'll behave lawfully. We'll behave inside the system. We always have, and we always will," he said on Sunday morning.
Nonetheless, Trump doubled down on his threat. "They're allowed to kill our people. They're allowed to torture and maim our people. They're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people," he told reporters on Sunday evening. "And we're not allowed to touch their cultural sites? It doesn't work that way."
The targeting of cultural properties by the U.S. is indeed not allowed. The U.S. is a signatory to the 1954 Hague Convention, which requires "refraining from any act of hostility" directed against cultural property.
The convention covers "movable or immovable property of great importance to the cultural heritage of every people, such as monuments of architecture, art or history, whether religious or secular; archaeological sites; groups of buildings which, as a whole, are of historical or artistic interest; works of art; manuscripts, books and other objects of artistic, historical or archaeological interest; as well as scientific collections and important collections of books or archives or of reproductions of the property defined above," as well as buildings and centers whose main purpose is to house such items.
It also bars using a cultural site "for purposes which are likely to expose it to destruction or damage in the event of armed conflict." That means signatory nations can't use such sites to house soldiers or weapons with the goal of shielding them from attack.
The convention permits immunity in "exceptional cases of unavoidable military necessity."
U.S. military policy agrees. The Department of Defense's Law of War manual mentions cultural property 625 times, repeatedly citing the Hague Convention. It also addresses the subject of military necessity: "Acts of hostility may be directed against cultural property, its immediate surroundings, or appliances in use for its protection when military necessity imperatively requires such acts."
Accordingly, the U.S. military educates its soldiers about their responsibilities not to target or destroy cultural property, and to help in its preservation, says Nancy Wilkie, president of the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield. The organization is dedicated to the prevention of destruction and theft of cultural heritage.
The Pentagon has even distributed playing cards with photos of cultural sites in Afghanistan and elsewhere to remind troops to safeguard heritage sites and artifacts.
"Cultural sites and cultural objects that can provide sort of a baseline for recovering from strife, whether it's civil war or war against an external agent," says Wilkie, an archaeologist and the former president of the Archaeological Institute of America. "And so one way to demoralize the population is to destroy its cultural heritage."
As World War II was underway in 1943, then-Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower issued an order to his commanders demanding the protection of historical monuments:
"Today we are fighting in a country which has contributed a great deal to our cultural inheritance, a country rich in monuments which by their creation helped and now in their old age illustrate the growth of the civilization which is ours. We are bound to respect those monuments so far as war allows. "If we have to choose between destroying a famous building and sacrificing our own men, then our men's lives count infinitely more and the building must go. But the choice is not always so clear-cut as that. In many cases the monuments can be spared without any detriment to operational needs. Nothing can stand against the argument of military necessity. That is an accepted principle. But the phrase 'military necessity' is sometimes used where it would be more truthful to speak of military convenience or even of personal convenience. I do not want it to cloak slackness or indifference."
The Hague Convention was developed after the war brought the destruction of important cultural sites such as the monastery at Monte Cassino, founded in 529 and bombed by the Allies in 1944.
The Department of Defense's Law of War manual quotes from Eisenhower's order and repeats some of its language in its current policy.
To aid the U.S. military in its obligations not to destroy important cultural heritage sites, the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield has previously provided "no-strike lists" of such sites in countries including Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.
The organization has not been able to compile such a list for Iran because it has been difficult for scholars to work there. "Iran is huge," Wilkie says, estimating that such a list would include 5,000 to 10,000 sites.
UNESCO has 22 cultural sites in Iran on its World Heritage list, from the ancient ruins of Persepolis to the historic bazaar complex in Tabriz.
Wilkie hopes that the U.S. military will stand by its policy to protect cultural sites, despite Trump's threats. Such places are important to local people as sites of honor or worship, she says, while others have worldwide significance.
"Culture is what we have," she says. "It reminds us of our past, and it unites us in our desire to preserve our sensibilities and sensitivities to cultural differences, and yet — to the fact that we're all human and we all share human values."
NPR's Jackie Northam contributed to this story.


npr--2020-01-06--Earthquake Hits Puerto Rico And Collapses Punta Ventana — A Landmark Coastal Arch

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake rattled the city of Guayanilla and nearby areas in southern Puerto Rico on Monday morning , shoving brick houses off their foundations , knocking over walls and collapsing a local landmark : Punta Ventana , a natural rock archway that the ocean 's waves had carved over centuries .
`` Today our icon remains in the memory of all , '' Guayanilla press official Glidden López Torres said on Facebook .
Punta Ventana , or Window Point , got its name from the rare and nearly circular view visitors could enjoy through the cliffside that jutted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was popular among tourists , who often stood on the beach to photograph the horizon through the gaping hole .
Before Monday , visitors could even walk out along the top of the rock formation to take in a panoramic view of the coast .
A string of recent seismic movements had already knocked a large chunk out of the window .
Then came Monday 's earthquake , collapsing what had been a circular hole .
The temblor hit offshore at a shallow depth of 6 kilometers , triggering landslides and other damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reported from Monday 's earthquake , which struck just after 6:30 a.m. local time .
But it startled many people awake — sending them rushing outside to escape possible harm and ruining the start of Three Kings Day , a Christian holiday also known as the Feast of the Epiphany .
Gov .
Wanda Vázquez says government agencies will review the safety of roads , bridges and other infrastructure .
And she adds that special attention will be paid to school buildings , where classes will resume on Jan. 13 .
Images from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were crushed beneath their garages after homes toppled off their foundations .
After more than a week of less powerful temblors , many people spent much of the morning outside , fearful of a strong aftershock .
Torres said on Facebook that Monday 's quake was `` the most frightening thing that we 've experienced '' in Guayanilla — which sits in a coastal area that was ravaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017 .
Nearby communities are also reporting seismic damage .
In the town of Guánica , officials say they have recorded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newspaper Primera Hora reports .
And to the east , in the larger city of Ponce , Mayor María Mayita Meléndez declared a state of emergency after several structures were damaged .
`` This is one of the strongest quakes to date since it started shaking on Dec. 28 , '' Angel Vazquez , Ponce 's emergency management director , told The Associated Press .
`` It lasted a long time . ''

Earthquake Hits Puerto Rico And Collapses Punta Ventana — A Landmark Coastal Arch
Enlarge this image toggle caption El Leon Fiscalizador via Storyful El Leon Fiscalizador via Storyful
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake rattled the city of Guayanilla and nearby areas in southern Puerto Rico on Monday morning, shoving brick houses off their foundations, knocking over walls and collapsing a local landmark: Punta Ventana, a natural rock archway that the ocean's waves had carved over centuries.
"Today our icon remains in the memory of all," Guayanilla press official Glidden López Torres said on Facebook.
Punta Ventana, or Window Point, got its name from the rare and nearly circular view visitors could enjoy through the cliffside that jutted out into the Caribbean Sea. It was popular among tourists, who often stood on the beach to photograph the horizon through the gaping hole. Before Monday, visitors could even walk out along the top of the rock formation to take in a panoramic view of the coast.
A string of recent seismic movements had already knocked a large chunk out of the window. Then came Monday's earthquake, collapsing what had been a circular hole. The temblor hit offshore at a shallow depth of 6 kilometers, triggering landslides and other damage inland.
No serious injuries have been reported from Monday's earthquake, which struck just after 6:30 a.m. local time. But it startled many people awake — sending them rushing outside to escape possible harm and ruining the start of Three Kings Day, a Christian holiday also known as the Feast of the Epiphany.
Gov. Wanda Vázquez says government agencies will review the safety of roads, bridges and other infrastructure. And she adds that special attention will be paid to school buildings, where classes will resume on Jan. 13.
Houses and store damaged by quake in Guánica, Puerto Rico El Leon Fiscalizador via Storyful YouTube
Images from southwestern Puerto Rico show that several cars were crushed beneath their garages after homes toppled off their foundations. After more than a week of less powerful temblors, many people spent much of the morning outside, fearful of a strong aftershock.
Torres said on Facebook that Monday's quake was "the most frightening thing that we've experienced" in Guayanilla — which sits in a coastal area that was ravaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
Nearby communities are also reporting seismic damage. In the town of Guánica, officials say they have recorded structural damage at 11 houses, the newspaper Primera Hora reports. And to the east, in the larger city of Ponce, Mayor María Mayita Meléndez declared a state of emergency after several structures were damaged.
"This is one of the strongest quakes to date since it started shaking on Dec. 28," Angel Vazquez, Ponce's emergency management director, told The Associated Press. "It lasted a long time."


npr--2020-01-06--Investor's Naked Selfies Ignite #MeToo Moment: Female Founder Fights Back

The experience of raising money last year bewildered Elizabeth Giorgi at first .
Almost always , she pitched her startup company , Soona , to an all-male audience of investors .
`` People would assume that my male colleague was the founder and not me , '' she says .
`` I would occasionally have people ask me about whether or not I have children or if I was planning on having children anytime soon . ''
There were few women Giorgi could turn to .
Many young companies look to venture capital investments to fund their early years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men .
According to All Raise , a group advocating for women in business , 85 % of partners at venture capital firms are men , and a large majority — 71 % — have no female partner at all .
And the industry has had its share of # MeToo problems — as Giorgi says she soon personally experienced .
Last February , she found an investor who seemed keen on her vision to expand Soona , a same-day photo and video startup she co-founded .
He agreed to invest .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he sent her naked photos of himself .
`` I remember crying in the bedroom upstairs while my colleagues were having dinner downstairs because I just thought , 'Is this what I 'm going to have to subject myself to if I want to raise this money and build our dream ? '
`` she says .
Giorgi turned down his money and blocked all contacts with him .
But the experience reverberated .
`` I 've probably spoken to more than 100 female founders across the U.S. , and I would say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she says .
So Giorgi asked her lawyers to draw up what she calls the `` candor clause . ''
It requires investors in her company to disclose any prior allegations of discrimination or sexual harassment .
Giorgi says that because investors wield an enormous amount of influence over startups and their executives , it 's critical to address potentially toxic personal dynamics upfront .
`` If nothing else , we should be able to have radically honest conversations with each other about how we want to be treated in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far , Giorgi has secured $ 1.5 million in funding from investors , including 2048 Ventures , Matchstick Ventures and Techstars Ventures , all of which endorsed her candor clause and included it in the language of their contracts with her company .
She has since shared it publicly on her company 's website , hoping to help other women founders , who are a relatively rare breed .
Last year , only 2.6 % of all venture capital funds in the U.S. went to firms founded by women , according to All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .
Other surveys find that sexual harassment is a big problem for female founders .
Ellen Pao is a former venture capital investor who sued premier Silicon Valley investment firm Kleiner Perkins for gender discrimination .
She lost at trial in 2015 and now heads Project Include , which advocates for diversity in technology .
Pao applauds the candor clause and its intent but says if it 's violated and the case goes to court , women would still face an uphill battle .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capital firms , '' she says .
`` Having done it myself , they have so many resources . ''
Indeed , meeting the legal standard for sexual harassment is difficult in court , which is one reason that the candor clause and other similar efforts aim to prevent problems before they occur .
Take an online directory called # MovingForward , which publishes discrimination and harassment policies of venture capital firms that agree to post them .
The list is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Cheryl Yeoh Sew Hoy , who says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investor five years ago .
`` When I was harassed , I did n't know what to do , '' she says .
`` There 's a problem between VC-founder relationships and a power imbalance .
What can we do at the very basic level to improve that ? ''
About 150 firms worldwide have posted their policies on # MovingForward so far .
Sew Hoy calls it slow but meaningful progress .
Giorgi says 40 women founders have gotten their investors to sign the candor clause , but others are afraid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had conversations with other female founders who 've expressed fear about trying to talk about the candor clause and concerns that it would somehow cause an investor to rescind their support , '' Giorgi says .
`` Do n't think so little of yourself , '' Giorgi says she counsels them .
`` You have a right to demand better behavior . ''

Investor's Naked Selfies Ignite #MeToo Moment: Female Founder Fights Back
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Soona Studios Courtesy of Soona Studios
The experience of raising money last year bewildered Elizabeth Giorgi at first. Almost always, she pitched her startup company, Soona, to an all-male audience of investors.
"People would assume that my male colleague was the founder and not me," she says. "I would occasionally have people ask me about whether or not I have children or if I was planning on having children anytime soon."
There were few women Giorgi could turn to. Many young companies look to venture capital investments to fund their early years, but that's an industry dominated by men. According to All Raise, a group advocating for women in business, 85% of partners at venture capital firms are men, and a large majority — 71% — have no female partner at all.
And the industry has had its share of #MeToo problems — as Giorgi says she soon personally experienced.
Last February, she found an investor who seemed keen on her vision to expand Soona, a same-day photo and video startup she co-founded. He agreed to invest. Then later that evening, she says, he sent her naked photos of himself.
"I remember crying in the bedroom upstairs while my colleagues were having dinner downstairs because I just thought, 'Is this what I'm going to have to subject myself to if I want to raise this money and build our dream?' " she says.
Giorgi turned down his money and blocked all contacts with him. But the experience reverberated.
"I've probably spoken to more than 100 female founders across the U.S., and I would say that half of us have a story," she says.
So Giorgi asked her lawyers to draw up what she calls the "candor clause."
It requires investors in her company to disclose any prior allegations of discrimination or sexual harassment. Giorgi says that because investors wield an enormous amount of influence over startups and their executives, it's critical to address potentially toxic personal dynamics upfront.
"If nothing else, we should be able to have radically honest conversations with each other about how we want to be treated in the world," she says.
So far, Giorgi has secured $1.5 million in funding from investors, including 2048 Ventures, Matchstick Ventures and Techstars Ventures, all of which endorsed her candor clause and included it in the language of their contracts with her company.
She has since shared it publicly on her company's website, hoping to help other women founders, who are a relatively rare breed. Last year, only 2.6% of all venture capital funds in the U.S. went to firms founded by women, according to All Raise and research firm PitchBook.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
Other surveys find that sexual harassment is a big problem for female founders.
Ellen Pao is a former venture capital investor who sued premier Silicon Valley investment firm Kleiner Perkins for gender discrimination. She lost at trial in 2015 and now heads Project Include, which advocates for diversity in technology.
Pao applauds the candor clause and its intent but says if it's violated and the case goes to court, women would still face an uphill battle.
"It's so hard to sue venture capital firms," she says. "Having done it myself, they have so many resources."
Indeed, meeting the legal standard for sexual harassment is difficult in court, which is one reason that the candor clause and other similar efforts aim to prevent problems before they occur.
Author Interviews Chanel Miller, Sexual Assault Survivor, On The 'Immense Relief' Of Going Public Chanel Miller, Sexual Assault Survivor, On The 'Immense Relief' Of Going Public Listen · 7:02 7:02
Take an online directory called #MovingForward, which publishes discrimination and harassment policies of venture capital firms that agree to post them.
The list is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Cheryl Yeoh Sew Hoy, who says she was sexually harassed and assaulted by an investor five years ago. "When I was harassed, I didn't know what to do," she says. "There's a problem between VC-founder relationships and a power imbalance. What can we do at the very basic level to improve that?"
About 150 firms worldwide have posted their policies on #MovingForward so far. Sew Hoy calls it slow but meaningful progress.
Giorgi says 40 women founders have gotten their investors to sign the candor clause, but others are afraid to push for it.
"I have had conversations with other female founders who've expressed fear about trying to talk about the candor clause and concerns that it would somehow cause an investor to rescind their support," Giorgi says.
"Don't think so little of yourself," Giorgi says she counsels them. "You have a right to demand better behavior."


npr--2020-01-06--U.S. Defense Secretary Says No Plans To Leave Iraq, Forces Being Repositioned

U.S. Defense Secretary Says No Plans To Leave Iraq , Forces Being Repositioned Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced on Monday that some forces are being repositioned inside Iraq , not leaving the country .
Two other U.S. officials told NPR that some are going to Kuwait temporarily .
The troop movement — signaled by heavy helicopter traffic out of a U.S. base in central Baghdad — was coupled with confusion about a letter sent by the U.S. military to Iraqi officials .
That letter said the movements were in response to the Iraqi call for U.S. forces to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a withdrawal was underway .
Late Monday , Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , told reporters that the letter was `` poorly worded . ''
Esper also told reporters at the Pentagon that an Iraqi parliament vote on Sunday to expel U.S. troops was nonbinding and that there are no plans to leave Iraq yet .
The Pentagon press office underscored the message , saying in a tweet , `` There has been no change in US policy with regard to our force presence in Iraq .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ government regarding the defeat-ISIS mission and efforts to support the Iraqi Security Forces . ''
A U.S. military official in Iraq told NPR that the troops would be moved to `` other , safer countries '' while training missions were suspended .
He added that most are coalition and NATO forces , not American .
A letter from Brig .
Gen. William Seely to the director of the Iraqi joint operations task force informed the Iraqi government that the U.S. would be `` repositioning forces over the coming days and weeks to prepare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official said the operation involved several hundred troops , mostly coalition and NATO forces being moved from the main military base in Baghdad 's Green Zone .
The base had been a frequent target of rocket attacks .
Top administration officials are scheduled to brief all House members on the unfolding events in Iran and Iraq on Wednesday , a Democratic aide told NPR .
Esper , Pompeo , CIA Director Gina Haspel , Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire will brief the House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are scheduled brief senators on Wednesday .
Iraqi lawmakers passed a resolution on Sunday calling for all foreign troops to leave the country .
NPR 's Tom Bowman reported that there are about 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq , helping in the fight against ISIS there .
But U.S. military officials said they would halt those efforts while bracing for retaliation from Iran .
The rising tensions stem from a U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and several others last week — a move that Iran said was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iran has vowed to avenge .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hopes the Iraqi parliament will reconsider its decision .
Meanwhile , President Trump threatened Baghdad with sanctions if U.S. forces were required to leave the country .
This is a developing story .
Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong .
We will focus on reports from officials , credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene .
We will update as the situation develops .

U.S. Defense Secretary Says No Plans To Leave Iraq, Forces Being Repositioned
Enlarge this image toggle caption Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs via Reuters Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs via Reuters
Updated at 7:43 p.m. ET
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced on Monday that some forces are being repositioned inside Iraq, not leaving the country.
Two other U.S. officials told NPR that some are going to Kuwait temporarily.
The troop movement — signaled by heavy helicopter traffic out of a U.S. base in central Baghdad — was coupled with confusion about a letter sent by the U.S. military to Iraqi officials. That letter said the movements were in response to the Iraqi call for U.S. forces to leave the country, and the letter implied a withdrawal was underway. Late Monday, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that the letter was "poorly worded."
Esper also told reporters at the Pentagon that an Iraqi parliament vote on Sunday to expel U.S. troops was nonbinding and that there are no plans to leave Iraq yet.
The Pentagon press office underscored the message, saying in a tweet, "There has been no change in US policy with regard to our force presence in Iraq. We continue to consult with the Iraqi government regarding the defeat-ISIS mission and efforts to support the Iraqi Security Forces."
A U.S. military official in Iraq told NPR that the troops would be moved to "other, safer countries" while training missions were suspended. He added that most are coalition and NATO forces, not American.
A letter from Brig. Gen. William Seely to the director of the Iraqi joint operations task force informed the Iraqi government that the U.S. would be "repositioning forces over the coming days and weeks to prepare for onward movement."
The military official said the operation involved several hundred troops, mostly coalition and NATO forces being moved from the main military base in Baghdad's Green Zone. The base had been a frequent target of rocket attacks.
Top administration officials are scheduled to brief all House members on the unfolding events in Iran and Iraq on Wednesday, a Democratic aide told NPR.
Esper, Pompeo, CIA Director Gina Haspel, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire will brief the House in a closed-door session.
Administration officials are scheduled brief senators on Wednesday.
Iraqi lawmakers passed a resolution on Sunday calling for all foreign troops to leave the country.
NPR's Tom Bowman reported that there are about 5,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, helping in the fight against ISIS there. But U.S. military officials said they would halt those efforts while bracing for retaliation from Iran.
The rising tensions stem from a U.S. drone strike that killed top Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and several others last week — a move that Iran said was a violation of the country's sovereignty. Iran has vowed to avenge.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hopes the Iraqi parliament will reconsider its decision.
Meanwhile, President Trump threatened Baghdad with sanctions if U.S. forces were required to leave the country.
This is a developing story. Some things reported by the media will later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from officials, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene. We will update as the situation develops.


npr--2020-01-06--Harvey Weinstein Is Charged With Sexual Assault In Los Angeles, As N.Y. Trial Begins

Harvey Weinstein Is Charged With Sexual Assault In Los Angeles , As N.Y. Trial Begins Harvey Weinstein was charged with four felony counts of sexual assault in Los Angeles County on Monday , the same day jury selection began in the Hollywood mogul 's New York trial .
The Los Angeles County District Attorney 's Office charged Weinstein with raping one woman and sexually assaulting another .
Weinstein is accused of forcible rape , forcible oral copulation , sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by use of restraint .
The charges stem from two alleged incidents in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence will show that the defendant used his power and influence to gain access to his victims and then commit violent crimes against them , '' District Attorney Jackie Lacey said at a news conference Monday .
In one incident , Weinstein allegedly went to a hotel and raped a woman after pushing his way into her room .
The second alleged assault took place the next evening at a hotel in Beverly Hills .
Neither woman was publicly identified by prosecutors .
`` Each of these victims told at least one person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lacey said , adding that they waited to report the crimes until 2017 .
Los Angeles County prosecutors are asking for bail to be set at $ 5 million .
If convicted , Weinstein could face up to 28 years in prison .
Lacey said Weinstein is expected to face the charges in California once the trial in New York is completed .
In all , eight women came forward in Los Angeles County alleging they had been sexually assaulted by Weinstein , according to Lacey .
But , she explained , three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the statute of limitations .
`` For that reason , we have declined to file charges in those three cases , '' Lacey said .
However , the prosecutor 's office is continuing to investigate allegations involving three other women .
`` I want to commend the victims who have come forward and bravely recounted what happened to them , '' Lacey said .
It is the first criminal case filed by the task force created by Lacey in November 2017 in response to the sexual assault allegations in the entertainment industry .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ office declined to pursue criminal prosecution in many cases because of insufficient credible evidence .
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty in the New York case , which centers on allegations that he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and that he performed a forcible sex act on another woman in 2006 .

Harvey Weinstein Is Charged With Sexual Assault In Los Angeles, As N.Y. Trial Begins
Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP
Updated at 7:27 p.m. ET
Harvey Weinstein was charged with four felony counts of sexual assault in Los Angeles County on Monday, the same day jury selection began in the Hollywood mogul's New York trial.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Weinstein with raping one woman and sexually assaulting another. Weinstein is accused of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by use of restraint.
The charges stem from two alleged incidents in February 2013.
"We believe the evidence will show that the defendant used his power and influence to gain access to his victims and then commit violent crimes against them," District Attorney Jackie Lacey said at a news conference Monday.
In one incident, Weinstein allegedly went to a hotel and raped a woman after pushing his way into her room. The second alleged assault took place the next evening at a hotel in Beverly Hills. Neither woman was publicly identified by prosecutors.
"Each of these victims told at least one person about the assault in 2013," Lacey said, adding that they waited to report the crimes until 2017.
Los Angeles County prosecutors are asking for bail to be set at $5 million. If convicted, Weinstein could face up to 28 years in prison.
Lacey said Weinstein is expected to face the charges in California once the trial in New York is completed.
In all, eight women came forward in Los Angeles County alleging they had been sexually assaulted by Weinstein, according to Lacey. But, she explained, three of the alleged incidents took place outside the statute of limitations.
"For that reason, we have declined to file charges in those three cases," Lacey said.
However, the prosecutor's office is continuing to investigate allegations involving three other women.
"I want to commend the victims who have come forward and bravely recounted what happened to them," Lacey said.
It is the first criminal case filed by the task force created by Lacey in November 2017 in response to the sexual assault allegations in the entertainment industry. Lacey added that the district attorney's office declined to pursue criminal prosecution in many cases because of insufficient credible evidence.
Weinstein has pleaded not guilty in the New York case, which centers on allegations that he raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and that he performed a forcible sex act on another woman in 2006.
NPR's Ina Jaffe contributed to this story.


npr--2020-01-06--Bolton Says He Would Testify In Senate Impeachment Trial If Subpoenaed

Bolton Says He Would Testify In Senate Impeachment Trial If Subpoenaed Former national security adviser John Bolton in a surprise announcement said Monday he 'd be willing to testify in the Senate 's impeachment trial of President Trump — if the Senate subpoenas him .
`` I have concluded that , if the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony , I am prepared to testify , '' Bolton said in a statement posted on his website .
It 's a big `` if . ''
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , has shown no inclination to call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has called for a quick trial .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , has yet to send the two articles of impeachment approved by the House last month over to the Senate , nor has the House voted on the managers who will argue the case before senators .
Pelosi said she is waiting for McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , to agree on `` fair '' ground rules for the trial first .
The House attempted to get Bolton 's deputy , Charles Kupperman , to testify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but he was blocked by the White House .
The House withdrew the subpoena after Kupperman 's lawyer sued in an effort to get a court to decide the matter .
Bolton said Monday that as `` it does not appear possible that a final judicial resolution of the still-unanswered Constitutional questions can be obtained before the Senate acts , '' he has `` had to resolve the serious competing issues as best I could . ''
Bolton was among four potential witnesses that Democrats had hoped to call in a Senate trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council aide Fiona Hill , Bolton warned about Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani 's involvement in digging up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter 's activities in Ukraine .
Giuliani , Bolton said , was `` a hand grenade , '' and he said he wanted no part of the `` drug deal '' being cooked up by Trump 's allies .
Democrat 's swiftly responded to Bolton 's offer to testify by turning up the heat on McConnell .
`` The President & Sen. McConnell have run out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` They must allow key witnesses to testify , and produce the documents Trump has blocked , so Americans can see the facts for themselves .
The Senate can not be complicit in the President 's cover-up . ''
Schumer issued a statement saying that `` if any Senate Republican opposes issuing subpoenas to the four witnesses and documents we have requested they would make absolutely clear they are participating in a cover up . ''

Bolton Says He Would Testify In Senate Impeachment Trial If Subpoenaed
Enlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/AP
Updated at 2:11 p.m. ET
Former national security adviser John Bolton in a surprise announcement said Monday he'd be willing to testify in the Senate's impeachment trial of President Trump — if the Senate subpoenas him.
"I have concluded that, if the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify," Bolton said in a statement posted on his website.
It's a big "if." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has shown no inclination to call any public witnesses, and President Trump has called for a quick trial.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has yet to send the two articles of impeachment approved by the House last month over to the Senate, nor has the House voted on the managers who will argue the case before senators. Pelosi said she is waiting for McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to agree on "fair" ground rules for the trial first.
The House attempted to get Bolton's deputy, Charles Kupperman, to testify during its impeachment inquiry last fall, but he was blocked by the White House. The House withdrew the subpoena after Kupperman's lawyer sued in an effort to get a court to decide the matter.
Bolton said Monday that as "it does not appear possible that a final judicial resolution of the still-unanswered Constitutional questions can be obtained before the Senate acts," he has "had to resolve the serious competing issues as best I could."
Bolton was among four potential witnesses that Democrats had hoped to call in a Senate trial.
According to testimony from National Security Council aide Fiona Hill, Bolton warned about Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani's involvement in digging up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter's activities in Ukraine. Giuliani, Bolton said, was "a hand grenade," and he said he wanted no part of the "drug deal" being cooked up by Trump's allies.
Democrat's swiftly responded to Bolton's offer to testify by turning up the heat on McConnell.
"The President & Sen. McConnell have run out of excuses," Pelosi tweeted. "They must allow key witnesses to testify, and produce the documents Trump has blocked, so Americans can see the facts for themselves. The Senate cannot be complicit in the President's cover-up."
Schumer issued a statement saying that "if any Senate Republican opposes issuing subpoenas to the four witnesses and documents we have requested they would make absolutely clear they are participating in a cover up."