npr--2020-02-05--Trump Delivers State Of The Union Address To A Divided Nation

Trump Delivers State Of The Union Address To A Divided Nation President Trump took full advantage of the large television audience for his State of the Union speech on Tuesday to make his case for reelection in November , touting the strong economy and delighting Republicans in the room with a series of made-for-TV moments .
But his address also laid bare his bitter partisan standoff with Democrats and left little doubt that legislative accomplishments between now and the election will be difficult , if not impossible .
Before declaring that `` the state of our union is stronger than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snub Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , turning away as she reached out to shake his hand after he handed her a copy of his remarks .
After Trump finished speaking , as Republicans cheered , she theatrically tore her copy of the address in half .
Later , on Twitter , Pelosi called the speech a `` manifesto of mistruths . ''
Trump made no mention of his impeachment , the hearings and trial that have riveted Washington for months , even as House impeachment managers sat together in a row before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gretchen Whitmer , who delivered the Democratic response .
Trump also made no overt mention of the 2020 election , though Republicans did chant `` Four more years ! ''
as Trump entered the chamber .
The address hit many of the same themes that are staples in Trump 's arena rally speeches — celebrating his record on job creation and increased defense spending , and warnings about immigration — but without some of the vitriol that thrills his supporters .
Trump went on the attack on the top election issue of health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care `` socialists . ''
He called on Congress to pass legislation to lower prescription drug prices — a big issue for voters — mentioning a Senate bill proposed by Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley but opposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
In return , House Democrats chanted `` HR 3 ! ''
— the name of a sweeping bill on drug prices passed by the House in December that 's unlikely to move in the Senate .
There were a few moments in Trump 's speech that yielded applause from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Trump hailed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó in the House gallery , a signal of bipartisan support for Guaidó and his efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela .
Again and again in his speech , Trump talked about policies aimed at black Americans : his support for historically black colleges , school vouchers and `` opportunity zone '' tax breaks for investment in designated low-income neighborhoods .
His campaign is making a push to secure more votes from African Americans , to nudge support higher than the 8 % he got in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could make a difference .
It 's an uphill battle .
A recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that 8 in 10 black Americans say they believe Trump is `` a racist , '' and 9 in 10 disapprove of his job performance .
One of Trump 's most reality-show-inspired moments underscored the challenge he faces with African American voters .
In the middle of his address , Trump gave the nation 's highest civilian honor , the Presidential Medal of Freedom , to Rush Limbaugh , a conservative talk radio host whom many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his past comments on race , including disparaging remarks about former President Barack Obama .
An emotional Limbaugh , who this week announced he has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer , stood and rubbed his eyes as first lady Melania Trump fixed the medal around his neck .
Republicans stood and cheered , and Democrats stayed seated .

What We Learned From Trump's State Of The Union Address
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump took full advantage of the large television audience for his State of the Union speech on Tuesday to make his case for reelection in November, touting the strong economy and delighting Republicans in the room with a series of made-for-TV moments.
But his address also laid bare his bitter partisan standoff with Democrats and left little doubt that legislative accomplishments between now and the election will be difficult, if not impossible.
Before declaring that "the state of our union is stronger than ever before," Trump appeared to snub Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, turning away as she reached out to shake his hand after he handed her a copy of his remarks.
After Trump finished speaking, as Republicans cheered, she theatrically tore her copy of the address in half. Later, on Twitter, Pelosi called the speech a "manifesto of mistruths."
Trump made no mention of his impeachment, the hearings and trial that have riveted Washington for months, even as House impeachment managers sat together in a row before him. Neither did Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who delivered the Democratic response. Trump also made no overt mention of the 2020 election, though Republicans did chant "Four more years!" as Trump entered the chamber.
toggle caption Pool/Getty Images
The address hit many of the same themes that are staples in Trump's arena rally speeches — celebrating his record on job creation and increased defense spending, and warnings about immigration — but without some of the vitriol that thrills his supporters.
Trump went on the attack on the top election issue of health care, labeling Democrats who support universal health care "socialists."
One hundred thirty-two lawmakers in this room have endorsed legislation to impose a socialist takeover of our health care system, wiping out the private health insurance plans of 180 million Americans. To those watching at home tonight, I want you to know: We will never let socialism destroy American healthcare!
He called on Congress to pass legislation to lower prescription drug prices — a big issue for voters — mentioning a Senate bill proposed by Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley but opposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In return, House Democrats chanted "HR 3!" — the name of a sweeping bill on drug prices passed by the House in December that's unlikely to move in the Senate.
There were a few moments in Trump's speech that yielded applause from both Democrats and Republicans, such as when Trump hailed Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó in the House gallery, a signal of bipartisan support for Guaidó and his efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Again and again in his speech, Trump talked about policies aimed at black Americans: his support for historically black colleges, school vouchers and "opportunity zone" tax breaks for investment in designated low-income neighborhoods. His campaign is making a push to secure more votes from African Americans, to nudge support higher than the 8% he got in 2016 in key swing states where it could make a difference.
It's an uphill battle. A recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that 8 in 10 black Americans say they believe Trump is "a racist," and 9 in 10 disapprove of his job performance.
One of Trump's most reality-show-inspired moments underscored the challenge he faces with African American voters. In the middle of his address, Trump gave the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Rush Limbaugh, a conservative talk radio host whom many African Americans view with suspicion because of his past comments on race, including disparaging remarks about former President Barack Obama.
An emotional Limbaugh, who this week announced he has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, stood and rubbed his eyes as first lady Melania Trump fixed the medal around his neck. Republicans stood and cheered, and Democrats stayed seated.


npr--2020-02-05--Spanish Response To State Of The Union Calls Trump 'The Greatest Threat'

Spanish Response To State Of The Union Calls Trump 'The Greatest Threat' According to Rep. Veronica Escobar , the greatest danger facing Americans is not foreign , economic or even climate related .
It is the president himself and his Republican supporters in Congress .
`` Honestly , the greatest threat to our security is a president and a Republican-controlled Senate that act only in their own interest , '' Escobar said during the Spanish-language response to President Trump 's State of the Union address Tuesday night .
Escobar , a first-term Democrat who represents Texas ' 16th Congressional District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacated by Beto O'Rourke in January 2019 .
Standing in a community health clinic in her hometown of El Paso , Escobar focused her rebuttal particularly on immigration , gun control and Americans ' ability to access health care , saying Trump and congressional Republicans are `` actively fighting to dismantle lifesaving benefits . ''
`` Mitch McConnell , the leader of the Senate , is blocking legislation that would better the lives of veterans , women and families — all of us , '' Escobar said , adding that hundreds of bipartisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on McConnell 's desk .
Although Escobar specifically invoked the threat of legislation not being passed , she also spoke candidly about Trump 's impeachment trial , saying that it was a `` tragic moment '' and that `` no one is above the law . ''
`` We know that the president violated his oath when he asked for foreign interference , putting the integrity of our elections and our national security at risk and later trying to cover up his wrongdoing , '' Escobar said .
In her first year serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endured the deadliest attack on Latinos in U.S. history when a white gunman , targeting Mexicans , killed 22 people at an El Paso Walmart last August .
In her speech , Escobar framed gun violence as a public health epidemic and connected the murders directly to Trump 's anti-immigrant rhetoric .
`` Just before [ the shooter ] began his killing spree , he published his opinions on the Internet , and he used the same hateful words used by President Trump to describe immigrants and Latinos , '' Escobar said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his State of the Union earlier in the night when he cited examples of immigrants in the country illegally who had committed violent crimes in sanctuary cities , even though research suggests that illegal immigration does not increase violent crime .
Escobar has become a vocal critic of Trump 's immigration policies , such as the Migrant Protection Protocols , also known as the Remain in Mexico program , which require asylum-seeking immigrants to wait in Mexico , rather than in the United States , for their day in U.S. immigration court .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ombudsman for immigration enforcement issues .
`` From the attacks on the young DREAMers , family separation , the deaths of migrant children , to the Remain in Mexico program that sends asylum-seekers into dangerous situations , these are the policies that none of us ever imagined would happen in the United States , '' she said .
Escobar is one of the first two Latinas to represent Texas in Congress , along with Rep. Sylvia Garcia , who was elected at the same time .
Prior to her election , Escobar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for El Paso County .
She now serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Armed Services Committee .
The Spanish-language response to the president 's annual speech has been delivered nearly every year since 2011 by both Democrats and Republicans .
Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , also in her first term , gave the Democratic response to the president 's State of the Union address .

Spanish Response To State Of The Union Calls Trump 'The Greatest Threat'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
According to Rep. Veronica Escobar, the greatest danger facing Americans is not foreign, economic or even climate related. It is the president himself and his Republican supporters in Congress.
"Honestly, the greatest threat to our security is a president and a Republican-controlled Senate that act only in their own interest," Escobar said during the Spanish-language response to President Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night. Escobar, a first-term Democrat who represents Texas' 16th Congressional District in El Paso, took the seat vacated by Beto O'Rourke in January 2019.
Standing in a community health clinic in her hometown of El Paso, Escobar focused her rebuttal particularly on immigration, gun control and Americans' ability to access health care, saying Trump and congressional Republicans are "actively fighting to dismantle lifesaving benefits."
"Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Senate, is blocking legislation that would better the lives of veterans, women and families — all of us," Escobar said, adding that hundreds of bipartisan legislation proposals are "collecting dust" on McConnell's desk.
Although Escobar specifically invoked the threat of legislation not being passed, she also spoke candidly about Trump's impeachment trial, saying that it was a "tragic moment" and that "no one is above the law."
"We know that the president violated his oath when he asked another country to interfere in our elections, putting the integrity of our elections and our national security at risk and later trying to cover up his wrongdoing," Escobar said.
In her first year serving in the House, Escobar's district endured the deadliest attack on Latinos in U.S. history when a white gunman, targeting Mexicans, killed 22 people at an El Paso Walmart last August. In her speech, Escobar framed gun violence as a public health epidemic and connected the murders directly to Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric.
"Just before [the shooter] began his killing spree, he published his opinions on the Internet, and he used the same hateful words used by President Trump to describe immigrants and Latinos," Escobar said.
Trump invoked that type of rhetoric during his State of the Union earlier in the night when he cited examples of immigrants in the country illegally who had committed violent crimes in sanctuary cities, even though research suggests that illegal immigration does not increase violent crime.
Escobar has become a vocal critic of Trump's immigration policies, such as the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the Remain in Mexico program, which require asylum-seeking immigrants to wait in Mexico, rather than in the United States, for their day in U.S. immigration court. She also sponsored a bill to create an ombudsman for immigration enforcement issues.
"From the attacks on the young DREAMers, family separation, the deaths of migrant children, to the Remain in Mexico program that sends asylum-seekers into dangerous situations, these are the policies that none of us ever imagined would happen in the United States," she said.
Escobar is one of the first two Latinas to represent Texas in Congress, along with Rep. Sylvia Garcia, who was elected at the same time. Prior to her election, Escobar was county judge and a county commissioner for El Paso County. She now serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Armed Services Committee.
The Spanish-language response to the president's annual speech has been delivered nearly every year since 2011 by both Democrats and Republicans. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, also in her first term, gave the Democratic response to the president's State of the Union address.


npr--2020-02-05--6 Surprising And Emotional Moments From Trump's State Of The Union Address

6 Surprising And Emotional Moments From Trump 's State Of The Union Address President Trump 's State of the Union address included some surprising moments — both emotional announcements and a blunt reaction from the speaker of the House — all playing out live before a prime-time audience .
Here are six of the highlights : 1 .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rips up a copy of the president 's speech Ca n't see the video ?
Click here .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , presided over the chamber , but when the president approached the dais before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to shake her hand .
Pelosi sat behind the president and paged through a copy of his prepared remarks .
She sat still during the frequent times the president was interrupted by thunderous applause from Republicans as he touted accomplishments she opposed , like his tax cuts .
At the conclusion of the speech , Pelosi picked up her copy of the speech and tore it in half .
Ca n't see the video ?
Click here .
The move was in full view of the cameras broadcasting the speech , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she thought of the more than an hour-and-a-half address .
Asked about the move afterward , she told reporters : `` It was the courteous thing to do , considering the alternative . ''
2 .
Awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh Ca n't see the video ?
Click here .
The president invited Rush Limbaugh , the popular conservative talk-radio host , to attend his address .
Limbaugh had just announced a day earlier that he was diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer .
`` Almost every American family knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diagnosed with a serious illness , '' the president noted .
But then Trump announced , in a dramatic fashion , that he was bestowing the `` highest civilian honor '' to Limbaugh .
As cameras focused in on the commentator 's apparently surprised face , the president then went on to say that instead of waiting for a White House ceremony to mark the honor , he was making it official in the middle of his speech .
First lady Melania Trump then stood up and draped the prestigious medal on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cheers erupted in the chamber , and many Republicans stood and applauded the unexpected and emotional moment .
Ca n't see the video ?
Click here .
Trump 's address included an emotional reunion that was one of the rare moments when both parties applauded .
He invited Amy Williams , an Army spouse from Fort Bragg , N.C. , to pay tribute to the role that military families play .
She was seated in the first lady 's box with her two children — 6-year-old Elliana and 3-year-old Rowan .
The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Afghanistan for the past seven months — his fourth deployment .
Then he stunned her with the revelation that her husband was home .
As he entered the chamber , both Republicans and Democrats leaped to their feet , and chants of `` USA , USA '' erupted as the president thanked Sgt .
1st Class Townsend Williams , who hugged his wife and children .
4 .
Trump recognizes 100-year-old Tuskegee airman , with great-grandson who wants to join Space Force Ca n't see the video ?
Click here .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said aspired to join the newly created Space Force .
He quoted Iain , who said , `` Most people look up at space .
I want to look down on the world . ''
Trump also recognized Charles McGee , who he said was one of the `` last surviving Tuskegee airmen , '' a group of African American fighter pilots from World War II .
McGee is also Iain 's great-grandfather .
The president said he recently signed a bill promoting McGee to the rank of brigadier general and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Oval Office earlier on Tuesday .
A smiling McGee stood and marked another moment when Congress came together to recognize the decorated veteran .
Ca n't see the video ?
Click here .
The president invited Janiyah Davis , a fourth-grader from Philadelphia , and her mother , Stephanie , to be among the guests in Melania Trump 's box in the House chamber .
Introducing them , the president explained that Stephanie Davis was a single mom who was unable to send her daughter to the school she wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill focused on school choice .
He then informed Janiyah that a scholarship `` has become available '' and she would be able to go to `` the school of your choice . ''
A surprised Janiyah embraced her mother .
It was unclear how the president directed the grant specifically to the student .
He urged Congress to pass a bill providing tax credits to those contributing to elementary and secondary school scholarship programs .
Ca n't see the video ?
Click here .
When Trump released an initial guest list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address , Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó was not on it .
During his speech , though , Trump stressed his administration 's efforts in `` standing up for freedom '' and declared that the U.S. joined with more than 50 other countries to oppose `` the socialist dictator of Venezuela , Nicolás Maduro . ''
Then the president pointed to Guaidó , who was sitting in the first lady 's box .
The announcement sparked a standing ovation , including from the House speaker .
Trump called him `` a very brave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans . ''
He then said to Guaidó : `` Please take this message back that all Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in their righteous struggle for freedom . ''
Maduro remains in power in Venezuela , and the appearance of Guaidó comes as he attempts to increase pressure on the authoritarian government in the country to relinquish power .

6 Surprising And Emotional Moments From Trump's State Of The Union Address
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump's State of the Union address included some surprising moments — both emotional announcements and a blunt reaction from the speaker of the House — all playing out live before a prime-time audience.
Here are six of the highlights:
1. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rips up a copy of the president's speech
Can't see the video? Click here.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., presided over the chamber, but when the president approached the dais before he began his speech, he apparently declined to shake her hand.
Pelosi sat behind the president and paged through a copy of his prepared remarks. She sat still during the frequent times the president was interrupted by thunderous applause from Republicans as he touted accomplishments she opposed, like his tax cuts.
At the conclusion of the speech, Pelosi picked up her copy of the speech and tore it in half.
Can't see the video? Click here.
The move was in full view of the cameras broadcasting the speech, and it was a clear indication of what she thought of the more than an hour-and-a-half address. Asked about the move afterward, she told reporters: "It was the courteous thing to do, considering the alternative."
2. Awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh
Can't see the video? Click here.
The president invited Rush Limbaugh, the popular conservative talk-radio host, to attend his address. Limbaugh had just announced a day earlier that he was diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer.
"Almost every American family knows the pain when a loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness," the president noted. But then Trump announced, in a dramatic fashion, that he was bestowing the "highest civilian honor" to Limbaugh.
toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
As cameras focused in on the commentator's apparently surprised face, the president then went on to say that instead of waiting for a White House ceremony to mark the honor, he was making it official in the middle of his speech.
First lady Melania Trump then stood up and draped the prestigious medal on a blue ribbon around Limbaugh's neck. Cheers erupted in the chamber, and many Republicans stood and applauded the unexpected and emotional moment.
3. Trump surprises military wife with return of soldier husband
Can't see the video? Click here.
Trump's address included an emotional reunion that was one of the rare moments when both parties applauded. He invited Amy Williams, an Army spouse from Fort Bragg, N.C., to pay tribute to the role that military families play. She was seated in the first lady's box with her two children — 6-year-old Elliana and 3-year-old Rowan.
The president noted that Williams' husband was deployed to Afghanistan for the past seven months — his fourth deployment. Then he stunned her with the revelation that her husband was home.
As he entered the chamber, both Republicans and Democrats leaped to their feet, and chants of "USA, USA" erupted as the president thanked Sgt. 1st Class Townsend Williams, who hugged his wife and children.
4. Trump recognizes 100-year-old Tuskegee airman, with great-grandson who wants to join Space Force
Can't see the video? Click here.
Trump invited Iain Lanphier, an eighth-grader who he said aspired to join the newly created Space Force. He quoted Iain, who said, "Most people look up at space. I want to look down on the world."
Trump also recognized Charles McGee, who he said was one of the "last surviving Tuskegee airmen," a group of African American fighter pilots from World War II. McGee is also Iain's great-grandfather.
The president said he recently signed a bill promoting McGee to the rank of brigadier general and had pinned his new stars on his shoulders in the Oval Office earlier on Tuesday.
A smiling McGee stood and marked another moment when Congress came together to recognize the decorated veteran.
5. Trump surprises fourth-grader with scholarship
Can't see the video? Click here.
The president invited Janiyah Davis, a fourth-grader from Philadelphia, and her mother, Stephanie, to be among the guests in Melania Trump's box in the House chamber.
Introducing them, the president explained that Stephanie Davis was a single mom who was unable to send her daughter to the school she wanted to attend because Pennsylvania's Democratic governor vetoed a bill focused on school choice.
He then informed Janiyah that a scholarship "has become available" and she would be able to go to "the school of your choice." A surprised Janiyah embraced her mother.
It was unclear how the president directed the grant specifically to the student. He urged Congress to pass a bill providing tax credits to those contributing to elementary and secondary school scholarship programs.
6. Trump introduces Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as surprise guest
Can't see the video? Click here.
When Trump released an initial guest list ahead of the State of the Union address, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó was not on it.
During his speech, though, Trump stressed his administration's efforts in "standing up for freedom" and declared that the U.S. joined with more than 50 other countries to oppose "the socialist dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro."
Then the president pointed to Guaidó, who was sitting in the first lady's box. The announcement sparked a standing ovation, including from the House speaker. Trump called him "a very brave man who carries with him the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans."
He then said to Guaidó: "Please take this message back that all Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in their righteous struggle for freedom."
Maduro remains in power in Venezuela, and the appearance of Guaidó comes as he attempts to increase pressure on the authoritarian government in the country to relinquish power.


npr--2020-02-05--Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó Inspires Rare Bipartisan Moment

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó 's appearance at the State of the Union — as well as the bipartisan ovation he received — was intended to send a strong message of U.S. support for his efforts to unseat Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro .
Guaidó attended the address as a guest of the White House .
`` Maduro is an illegitimate ruler , a tyrant who brutalizes his people , but Maduro 's grip on tyranny will be smashed and broken , '' Trump said in his speech .
`` Here this evening is a very brave man who carries with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all Venezuelans .
Joining us in the gallery is the true and legitimate president of Venezuela , Juan Guaidó . ''
Guaidó 's visit to Washington comes after a rare trip outside Venezuela for an international tour aimed at increasing support for his push for new democratic leadership in Venezuela .
Maduro has overseen the once mighty oil-rich nation as it has become mired in an economic and humanitarian crisis that has led to hyperinflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine .
Millions of Venezuelans have fled their country across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Venezuela director at the National Security Council in the Obama administration , said Guaidó 's presence sends a critical message about U.S. commitment to solving the Venezuelan crisis .
`` The symbolism is extraordinarily important , '' Gedan said .
`` Guaidó 's relevance as a figure in the Venezuelan opposition is entirely connected to his ability to stay on the radar of the White House . ''
Guaidó received an extended bipartisan standing ovation .
It was one of the few times that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats stood to applaud @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guaidó and his efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela is one of the few administration policy priorities that have received sustained bipartisan support .
`` In our partisan times , we do n't see a lot that both sides agree on , '' said Fernando Cutz , former director for South America at the National Security Council under Trump .
`` And Venezuela is one of those topics where Republicans and Democrats agree . ''
Last year , the U.S. was the first country to recognize Guaidó as the legitimate interim president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nations have also recognized Guaidó as president .
But despite U.S. support , Guaidó has yet to inspire the Venezuelan people to force Maduro from power .
And current and former administration officials have raised concerns that support for Guaidó had fallen at the White House .
Those concerns increased after the opposition failed to secure a meeting with Trump during the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , and a rally in South Florida .
`` Trump 's decision to snub Guaidó in Davos and Miami sent a troubling signal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into his shadow presidency , Guaidó controls no territory and has not moved the regime an inch toward ceding power .
His only relevance is his international recognition and his ties to the White House . ''
During his speech , Trump appeared to address those concerns .
He told Guaidó to take a message back to Venezuela from him and the American people .
`` All Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in their righteous struggle for freedom , '' Trump said .

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó Inspires Rare Bipartisan Moment
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó's appearance at the State of the Union — as well as the bipartisan ovation he received — was intended to send a strong message of U.S. support for his efforts to unseat Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Guaidó attended the address as a guest of the White House.
"Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, a tyrant who brutalizes his people, but Maduro's grip on tyranny will be smashed and broken," Trump said in his speech. "Here this evening is a very brave man who carries with him the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans. Joining us in the gallery is the true and legitimate president of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó."
Guaidó's visit to Washington comes after a rare trip outside Venezuela for an international tour aimed at increasing support for his push for new democratic leadership in Venezuela.
Maduro has overseen the once mighty oil-rich nation as it has become mired in an economic and humanitarian crisis that has led to hyperinflation and widespread shortages of food and medicine. Millions of Venezuelans have fled their country across the Western Hemisphere.
Benjamin Gedan, former Venezuela director at the National Security Council in the Obama administration, said Guaidó's presence sends a critical message about U.S. commitment to solving the Venezuelan crisis.
"The symbolism is extraordinarily important," Gedan said. "Guaidó's relevance as a figure in the Venezuelan opposition is entirely connected to his ability to stay on the radar of the White House."
Guaidó received an extended bipartisan standing ovation. It was one of the few times that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats stood to applaud during Trump's speech.
Support for Guaidó and his efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela is one of the few administration policy priorities that have received sustained bipartisan support.
"In our partisan times, we don't see a lot that both sides agree on," said Fernando Cutz, former director for South America at the National Security Council under Trump. "And Venezuela is one of those topics where Republicans and Democrats agree."
Last year, the U.S. was the first country to recognize Guaidó as the legitimate interim president of Venezuela. Since then, nearly 60 nations have also recognized Guaidó as president.
But despite U.S. support, Guaidó has yet to inspire the Venezuelan people to force Maduro from power. And current and former administration officials have raised concerns that support for Guaidó had fallen at the White House.
Those concerns increased after the opposition failed to secure a meeting with Trump during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and a rally in South Florida.
"Trump's decision to snub Guaidó in Davos and Miami sent a troubling signal," Gedan said. "A year into his shadow presidency, Guaidó controls no territory and has not moved the regime an inch toward ceding power. His only relevance is his international recognition and his ties to the White House."
During his speech, Trump appeared to address those concerns. He told Guaidó to take a message back to Venezuela from him and the American people.
"All Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in their righteous struggle for freedom," Trump said.


npr--2020-02-04--FACT CHECK: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Democratic Response

Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer delivered the English language Democratic response to President Trump 's State of the Union address @ @ @ @ @ speaking from her daughters ' school — East Lansing High School .
In brief remarks @ @ @ @ @ ' plans to improve infrastructure , education and health care coverage .
NPR reporters and @ @ @ @ @ are annotating a transcript of the response , adding fact checking and analysis .

FACT CHECK: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Democratic Response
Enlarge this image toggle caption Al Goldis/AP Al Goldis/AP
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivered the English language Democratic response to President Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday night. She spoke speaking from her daughters' school — East Lansing High School.
In brief remarks, she focused on Democrats' plans to improve infrastructure, education and health care coverage.
NPR reporters and editors from across the newsroom are annotating a transcript of the response, adding fact checking and analysis.


npr--2020-02-04--LISTEN: State Of The Union Live Coverage

President Trump is delivering his State of the Union address on Tuesday night , on the eve of his likely @ @ @ @ @ The speech begins at 9 p.m .
ET .
Following his address , Michigan Gov @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic response .
Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar is then giving a Spanish-language response .
@ @ @ @ @ coverage of the speeches .
Listen at the audio link above .
Follow our live @ @ @ @ @ NPR.org .

LISTEN: State Of The Union Live Coverage
President Trump is delivering his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, on the eve of his likely acquittal of impeachment charges. The speech begins at 9 p.m. ET.
Following his address, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will deliver the Democratic response. Texas Rep. Veronica Escobar is then giving a Spanish-language response.
NPR is carrying live special coverage of the speeches. Listen at the audio link above.
Audio is no longer available.
Follow our live fact check and analysis on NPR.org.


npr--2020-02-04--FACT CHECK: Trump Delivers State Of The Union To Tense, Partisan Congress

FACT CHECK : Trump Delivers State Of The Union To Tense , Partisan Congress President Trump delivered his third State @ @ @ @ @ night , the day before his Senate impeachment trial is scheduled to wrap .
It @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump touted his own accomplishments on issues like the economy and paid family leave @ @ @ @ @ health care , immigration and national security .
It was punctuated by made-for-TV moments , @ @ @ @ @ a soldier as his family was recognized for their sacrifice .
Republicans present gave Trump @ @ @ @ @ Democrats , meanwhile , were n't having any of it .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ of Trump 's speech at the end of his remarks .
NPR reporters from across @ @ @ @ @ fact-checking live , below .
We annotated the Democratic response here .

FACT CHECK: Trump Delivers State Of The Union To Tense, Partisan Congress
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump delivered his third State of the Union address Tuesday night, the day before his Senate impeachment trial is scheduled to wrap.
It was a highly partisan event. Trump touted his own accomplishments on issues like the economy and paid family leave, lowering the cost of health care, immigration and national security. It was punctuated by made-for-TV moments, including a surprise appearance by a soldier as his family was recognized for their sacrifice. Republicans present gave Trump repeated, resounding applause. Democrats, meanwhile, weren't having any of it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi even ripped up a copy of Trump's speech at the end of his remarks.
NPR reporters from across the newsroom added analysis and fact-checking live, below.
We annotated the Democratic response here.


npr--2020-02-04--Buttigieg And Sanders Lead After 1st Batches Of Iowa Results Are Released

Buttigieg And Sanders Lead After 1st Batches Of Iowa Results Are Released Updated at 12:04 a.m .
ET Pete Buttigieg , the former mayor of South Bend , Ind.
, is neck and neck with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses , according to a partial release of results from the state Democratic Party .
With 71 % of results in , Buttigieg has about 27 % of the State Delegate Equivalent count , with Sanders close behind with 25 % of delegate support .
Sanders is actually ahead — ever so slightly — in raw votes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state party uses to determine the winner of the caucuses .
The Iowa Democratic Party released the batch of results Tuesday afternoon following reporting issues that resulted in a 20-hour delay in releasing the partial vote totals .
It 's not clear when the full results will be made public .
There remains too many state delegate equivalents undecided to declare a winner .
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is so far carrying third place , according to the partial results , commanding about 18 % of delegate equivalents , followed by former Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now nearly 16 % .
On Tuesday , Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price called the delay in reporting results in the country 's first presidential nominating contest `` simply unacceptable . ''
`` We were faced with multiple reporting challenges and decided , out of an abundance of caution , to protect the integrity of the Iowa caucuses and their results to take the necessary steps to review and confirm the data , '' he said .
`` A thorough , transparent and independent examination of what occurred [ Monday night ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The bottom line is that we hit a stumbling block on the back end of the reporting of the data . ''
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said the DNC has staff `` working around the clock '' to help the IDP count the votes .
`` What happened last night should never happen again , '' he said .
Perez added that the app would not be used anywhere else during the primary election process .
`` The technology vendor must provide absolute transparent accounting of what went wrong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how exactly the state 's Democratic Party bungled the Iowa caucuses .
Precinct captains at some of the state 's nearly 1,700 caucus locations complained that a new app designed to report vote tallies had malfunctioned .
Other precinct officials described hourlong call waits on the party 's backup hotline set up for reporting the night 's results .
Monday night 's issues placed heavy scrutiny on the Iowa Democratic Party and its decision to offer the app to report results , even after NPR and other outlets highlighted long-standing concerns with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , speaking to their supporters , the Democratic campaigns aimed to put a positive spin on the caucuses , despite the lack of timely state results .
Some put out their own results , and all talked about the nominating process moving ahead to New Hampshire .
Indeed , that 's where they were Tuesday , looking ahead to next week 's primary there , which is conducted as a standard election .
After New Hampshire , the next nominating contest is on Feb. 22 in Nevada , and the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucusing process will not be a repeat of Iowa .
`` We will not be employing the same app or vendor used in the Iowa caucus , '' chair William McCurdy II said in a statement .
`` We had already developed a series of backups and redundant reporting systems , and are currently evaluating the best path forward . ''
Asked on Tuesday whether the caucus night meltdown could mean that Iowa will lose its place holding the country 's first presidential nominating contest , Price , the Democratic Party chair , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` This is a conversation that happens every four years .
There 's no doubt that that conversation will take place again .
But right now , my focus is making sure these results come out , '' Price said .
`` We will have the results out as soon as we can . ''

Buttigieg And Sanders Lead After 1st Batches Of Iowa Results Are Released
Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images
Updated at 12:04 a.m. ET
Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., is neck and neck with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Iowa caucuses, according to a partial release of results from the state Democratic Party.
With 71% of results in, Buttigieg has about 27% of the State Delegate Equivalent count, with Sanders close behind with 25% of delegate support.
Loading...
Sanders is actually ahead — ever so slightly — in raw votes, but the delegate count is what the state party uses to determine the winner of the caucuses.
The Iowa Democratic Party released the batch of results Tuesday afternoon following reporting issues that resulted in a 20-hour delay in releasing the partial vote totals.
It's not clear when the full results will be made public. There remains too many state delegate equivalents undecided to declare a winner.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is so far carrying third place, according to the partial results, commanding about 18% of delegate equivalents, followed by former Vice President Joe Biden, whose haul is now nearly 16%.
On Tuesday, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price called the delay in reporting results in the country's first presidential nominating contest "simply unacceptable."
"We were faced with multiple reporting challenges and decided, out of an abundance of caution, to protect the integrity of the Iowa caucuses and their results to take the necessary steps to review and confirm the data," he said. "A thorough, transparent and independent examination of what occurred [Monday night] will follow."
Price added: "The bottom line is that we hit a stumbling block on the back end of the reporting of the data."
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said the DNC has staff "working around the clock" to help the IDP count the votes.
"What happened last night should never happen again," he said. Perez added that the app would not be used anywhere else during the primary election process.
"The technology vendor must provide absolute transparent accounting of what went wrong," he said.
Questions are swirling about how exactly the state's Democratic Party bungled the Iowa caucuses. Precinct captains at some of the state's nearly 1,700 caucus locations complained that a new app designed to report vote tallies had malfunctioned. Other precinct officials described hourlong call waits on the party's backup hotline set up for reporting the night's results.
Monday night's issues placed heavy scrutiny on the Iowa Democratic Party and its decision to offer the app to report results, even after NPR and other outlets highlighted long-standing concerns with the app leading up to caucus night.
Still, speaking to their supporters, the Democratic campaigns aimed to put a positive spin on the caucuses, despite the lack of timely state results.
Some put out their own results, and all talked about the nominating process moving ahead to New Hampshire. Indeed, that's where they were Tuesday, looking ahead to next week's primary there, which is conducted as a standard election.
After New Hampshire, the next nominating contest is on Feb. 22 in Nevada, and the state Democratic Party there is promising that its caucusing process will not be a repeat of Iowa.
"We will not be employing the same app or vendor used in the Iowa caucus," chair William McCurdy II said in a statement. "We had already developed a series of backups and redundant reporting systems, and are currently evaluating the best path forward."
Asked on Tuesday whether the caucus night meltdown could mean that Iowa will lose its place holding the country's first presidential nominating contest, Price, the Democratic Party chair, focused on the immediate task at hand.
"This is a conversation that happens every four years. There's no doubt that that conversation will take place again. But right now, my focus is making sure these results come out," Price said. "We will have the results out as soon as we can."
NPR's Benjamin Swasey contributed to this report.


npr--2020-02-05--Kirk Douglas, Hollywood Tough Guy And 'Spartacus' Superstar, Dies At 103

Kirk Douglas , the self-described `` ragman 's son '' who became a global Hollywood superstar in the 1950s and '60s , died on Wednesday .
He was 103 .
Douglas was often cast as a troubled tough guy in films , most famously as a rebellious Roman slave named Spartacus .
Offscreen , he was devoted to family and to humanitarian causes .
His son Michael Douglas announced the actor 's death : `` To the world he was a legend ... but to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad . ''
`` Kirk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come , and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet , '' Michael Douglas wrote .
Douglas was a classic Hollywood alpha male , with his cleft chin , gritty voice and a set to his jaw that made him seem to be talking through clenched teeth .
He made a conscious choice to go his own way by playing men who went theirs .
In Stanley Kubrick 's World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Douglas played the principled Colonel Dax , stepping into an iconic role of the good man fighting the establishment .
But Douglas seemed almost more comfortable playing what he liked to call `` tough sons of bitches , '' or flawed men who were , one way or another , gaming the system .
Two of his earliest title roles , as the backstabbing boxer in The Champion and the self-destructive cornettist in Young Man With a Horn , portrayed stars who turn into heels just as the public embraces them .
Before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself .
Looking back in his memoirs , Douglas describes his younger self as `` egotistical and ambitious , '' and claims not to like him very much .
But his best performances , such as his portrayal of an abrasive but driven Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life , were memorably electric .
For more than two decades in Hollywood , Douglas `` Cast a Giant Shadow '' as one of his titles proclaimed , playing two or even three starring roles each year .
When he was not cast for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heston , Douglas countered the loss months later with his own Roman epic , Spartacus .
Douglas produced the film and starred as the title character who famously revolted against his Roman captors .
Off-screen , Douglas also led an open revolt , against Hollywood 's blacklist .
The communist witch-hunts of the 1950s had destroyed many careers , including that of Spartacus screenwriter Dalton Trumbo , who had written for years under an alias .
Douglas was disgusted by this hypocrisy , and saying `` to hell with it , '' put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credits .
When Spartacus became a hit , the blacklist was effectively finished .
More than three decades later , speaking with NPR 's Susan Stamberg , Douglas reflected upon this impulsive but life-defining decision : `` Sometimes I often think that if I were much older , would I still have done it ?
Anyhow , I did it .
It was an impulsive thing .
I 'm proud of it .
I think it 's one of the good things that I 've done in life . ''
Douglas the bold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and from very humble beginnings .
Born Issur Danielovitch in New York to illiterate , desperately poor Russian-Jewish parents , he was the only boy among seven siblings .
He would later tell his own children that they did n't have his `` advantage of being born into abject poverty . ''
From an early age , that `` advantage '' forced Douglas to put himself out there with the public , and he worked odd jobs , scrounged for food , and talked his way into college and loans .
Acting school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed college , as well as minor success on Broadway using the new stage name that he would keep for the rest of his career .
Then Hollywood beckoned and within four years , Douglas had made eight films , had established his persona as a tough guy , and had earned the first of his three Oscar nominations as a barrel-chested prizefighter in The Champion .
True to the roles he liked to play , success did not make Douglas a `` nice guy . ''
Though married , he had affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Ava Gardner .
He was mostly an absentee father to his first two sons , frequently he broke studio contracts and feuded with directors .
In 1964 , he said , `` I am probably the most disliked actor in Hollywood , and I feel pretty good about it , because that 's me . ''
The 1960s were his glory days as he starred in hit after hit .
Douglas battled a presidential overthrow in Seven Days In May , and was torn between Faye Dunaway and Deborah Kerr in The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , admirals , doctors , con men and worked steadily through the next two decades .
When the tough guy schtick got old , Douglas turned to comedy and mocked it in a film called Tough Guys , in which he starred with his friend and frequent co-star Burt Lancaster .
Not even a helicopter crash in 1991 , when he was 74 , slowed Douglas down — though the fact that a pilot and another passenger had died , he told NPR , did change his worldview .
`` It makes you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` I think that you have to — as you get old in life and as you mature — you have to be aware more of the outside world and other people . ''
Just a year after that 1994 interview , a stroke left him almost entirely unable to speak .
He had thoughts of suicide .
He wrote : `` What does an actor do who ca n't talk ?
...
Wait for silent pictures to come back ? ''
Douglas ' book My Stroke Of Luck describes how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and by rediscovering the Judaism he 'd been neglecting for 60 years .
Douglas and his wife Anne would spend the next decade and millions of dollars fixing up playgrounds in California — more than 400 altogether .
Every time he re-opened one , he slid down its slide , joking after one such slide at age 92 : `` Every dedication I risk my life . ''
In between the odd acting jobs that came his way , Douglas found time to write memoirs , novels and children 's books .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's oldest bloggers at 92 .
And at 94 , he returned to the stage , delighting audiences at Culver City 's Kirk Douglas Theater , with an autobiographical solo show called Before I Forget .
Douglas was the last great movie star of his generation .
He outlived the likes of John Wayne , Gary Cooper , Henry Fonda , Cary Grant , Charlton Heston , his buddy Burt Lancaster — and younger audiences probably know him better as Michael Douglas ' father than as a star in his own right .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a long time , among the brightest in the Hollywood firmament .

Kirk Douglas, Hollywood Tough Guy And 'Spartacus' Superstar, Dies At 103
Hide caption Actor Kirk Douglas, shown above at 39, was born Issur Danielovitch in New York to Russian Jewish parents. He would later tell his own children that they didn't have his "advantage of being born into abject poverty." Previous Next Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Hide caption Douglas established his tough-guy image in the 1949 film Champion, in which he played the egocentric boxer Midge Kelly. Douglas earned an Academy Award nomination for best actor for the role. Previous Next Bettmann/Corbis
Hide caption Douglas and Lana Turner dance in a scene from Vincente Minnelli's 1952 film, The Bad and the Beautiful. Previous Next AP
Hide caption Douglas received his third Academy Award nomination for best actor for his portrayal of Vincent van Gogh in the 1956 film Lust for Life. Previous Next AP
Hide caption In 1960, Douglas produced and starred in his most well-known film, Spartacus. The film cost more than $12 million and began the dissolution of the Hollywood blacklist when Douglas insisted that screenwriter Dalton Trumbo receive on-screen credit for his work. Previous Next Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Hide caption Douglas was the patriarch of "The Douglas Dynasty," a phrase coined by the media to describe the family's star power. Here, Douglas poses in 1959 with his four sons, Eric (bottom left), future actor Michael (top left), Peter (bottom right) and future producer Joel (top right). Previous Next AP
Hide caption Douglas (from left) shared the screen with Burt Lancaster, John Hudson and DeForest Kelley in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Douglas starred with Lancaster in seven films in nearly four decades. Previous Next Sunset Boulevard/Corbis
Hide caption Douglas with his second wife, producer Anne Buydens, in 1963. Douglas and Buydens married on May 29, 1954. Previous Next AFP/Getty Images
Hide caption In 1996, Douglas received an honorary Academy Award for "50 years as a moral and creative force in the motion picture community." Here, he walks with Steven Spielberg, who presented the award. Previous Next Photopress Ampas/Sygma/Corbis
Hide caption Douglas arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 24, 2013. Douglas long outlived the other great movie stars of his generation — John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, Charlton Heston and Burt Lancaster. Previous Next Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP 1 of 10 i View slideshow
Kirk Douglas, the self-described "ragman's son" who became a global Hollywood superstar in the 1950s and '60s, died on Wednesday. He was 103. Douglas was often cast as a troubled tough guy in films, most famously as a rebellious Roman slave named Spartacus. Off-screen, he was devoted to family and to humanitarian causes.
His son Michael Douglas announced the actor's death: "To the world he was a legend. ... But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad."
"Kirk's life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet," Michael Douglas wrote.
Kirk Douglas was a classic Hollywood alpha male, with his cleft chin, his gritty voice and a set to his jaw that made him seem to be talking through clenched teeth. He made a conscious choice to go his own way by playing men who went theirs. In Stanley Kubrick's World War I epic, Paths of Glory, Douglas played the principled Colonel Dax, stepping into an iconic role of the good man fighting the establishment.
But Douglas seemed almost more comfortable playing what he liked to call "tough sons of bitches," or flawed men who were, one way or another, gaming the system. Two of his earliest title roles, as the backstabbing boxer in Champion and the self-destructive cornetist in Young Man With a Horn, portrayed stars who turn into heels just as the public embraces them.
Before long, Douglas had developed that reputation himself. Looking back in his memoirs, Douglas described his younger self as "egotistical and ambitious" and claimed not to like him very much. But his best performances, such as his portrayal of an abrasive but driven Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life, were memorably electric.
For more than two decades in Hollywood, Douglas "cast a giant shadow," as one of his titles proclaimed, playing two or even three starring roles each year. When he was not cast for Ben-Hur, losing the role to Charlton Heston, Douglas countered the loss months later with his own Roman epic, Spartacus. Douglas produced the film and starred as the title character who famously revolted against his Roman captors.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Sayles/Invision/AP Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
Off-screen, Douglas also led an open revolt, against Hollywood's blacklist. The communist witch hunts of the 1950s had destroyed many careers, including that of Spartacus screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who had written for years under an alias. Douglas was disgusted by this hypocrisy, and saying, "To hell with it," he put Trumbo's real name in the film credits.
When Spartacus became a hit, the blacklist was effectively finished. More than three decades later, speaking with NPR's Susan Stamberg, Douglas reflected upon this impulsive but life-defining decision: "Sometimes I often think that if I were much older, would I still have done it? Anyhow, I did it. It was an impulsive thing. I'm proud of it. I think it's one of the good things that I've done in life."
Douglas the bold blacklist-breaker had come a long way, and from very humble beginnings. Born Issur Danielovitch in New York to illiterate, desperately poor Russian Jewish parents, he was the only boy among seven siblings. He would later tell his own children that they didn't have his "advantage of being born into abject poverty."
From an early age, that "advantage" forced Douglas to put himself out there with the public, and he worked odd jobs, scrounged for food and talked his way into college and loans. Acting school and a stint in the Navy followed college, as well as minor success on Broadway using the new stage name that he would keep for the rest of his career. Then Hollywood beckoned, and within four years, Douglas had made eight films, had established his persona as a tough guy and had earned the first of his three Oscar nominations as a barrel-chested prizefighter in Champion.
True to the roles he liked to play, success did not make Douglas a "nice guy." Though married, he had affairs with actresses Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich and Ava Gardner. He was mostly an absentee father to his first two sons; frequently he broke studio contracts and feuded with directors. In 1964, he said, "I am probably the most disliked actor in Hollywood, and I feel pretty good about it, because that's me."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Arnold M. Johnson/Hulton Archives/Getty Images Arnold M. Johnson/Hulton Archives/Getty Images
The 1960s were his glory days as he starred in hit after hit. Douglas battled a presidential overthrow in Seven Days in May and was torn between Faye Dunaway and Deborah Kerr in The Arrangement. He played gunslingers, lawyers, admirals, doctors and con men, and he worked steadily through the next two decades.
When the tough guy schtick got old, Douglas turned to comedy and mocked it in a film called Tough Guys, in which he starred with his friend and frequent co-star Burt Lancaster. Not even a helicopter crash in 1991, when he was 74, slowed Douglas down — though the fact that a pilot and another passenger had died, he told NPR, did change his worldview. "It makes you think about other people," Douglas said. "I think that you have to — as you get old in life and as you mature — you have to be aware more of the outside world and other people."
Just a year after that 1994 interview, a stroke left him almost entirely unable to speak. He had thoughts of suicide. He wrote: "What does an actor do who can't talk? ... Wait for silent pictures to come back?"
Douglas' book My Stroke of Luck describes how he recovered by reaching out to others and by rediscovering the Judaism he'd been neglecting for 60 years.
Douglas and his wife Anne Buydens would spend the next decade and millions of dollars fixing up playgrounds in California — more than 400 altogether. Every time he reopened one, he slid down its slide, joking after one such slide at age 92: "Every dedication I risk my life."
In between the odd acting jobs that came his way, Douglas found time to write memoirs, novels and children's books. He also became one of the world's oldest bloggers at 92. And at 94, he returned to the stage, delighting audiences at Culver City's Kirk Douglas Theatre with an autobiographical solo show called Before I Forget.
Douglas was the last great movie star of his generation. He outlived the likes of John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, Charlton Heston and his buddy Burt Lancaster — and younger audiences probably know him better as Michael Douglas' father than as a star in his own right. But he was a star and, for a long time, among the brightest in the Hollywood firmament.


npr--2020-02-05--Plane Breaks Apart In A Turkish Field, Killing 3 And Injuring Nearly 179

Plane Breaks Apart In A Turkish Field , Killing 3 And Injuring Nearly 179 An airplane careened off a runway at Istanbul 's Sabiha Gokcen airport on Wednesday evening , dropping more than 100 feet to the ground where it broke into pieces .
Turkish authorities say that at least three people were killed and 179 others were injured .
The plane , from a Turkish low-cost carrier called Pegasus Airlines , was coming from the western city of Izmir and was attempting to land in Istanbul during bad weather .
`` According to the information we obtained , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a result of the hard landing , '' Turkey 's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told the Anadolu news agency .
Istanbul 's governor Ali Yerlikaya said it skidded on the runway for about 160 feet , according to the news agency .
`` Then , it falls from a height of around 30 meters [ 100 feet ] here , '' he said , over a road and eventually an empty field .
CCTV footage obtained by Reuters shows the plane moving down the runway before suddenly disappearing , apparently off a cliff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Photos from the scene show the plan broken into three pieces , with the nose completely severed from the rest of the plane .
According to The Associated Press , passengers `` had to evacuate through cracks in the smashed plane . ''
The aircraft was carrying 177 passengers and six crew members , Koca stated .
According to Flightradar24 , the plane is a Boeing 737-800 that was built in 2009 .
It previously was operated by Air Berlin and joined the fleet of Pegasus Airlines in 2016 .
Flight positioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the plane landing in the center of the runway , before veering to the left of the lane and eventually careening off its edge .
The airline stated that flights to and from the airport in Istanbul were suspended in the wake of the incident because of the runway closure .
According to Anadolu , prosecutors have launched an investigation into the crash .
Reuters reports that a local broadcaster reported that the plane 's two pilots are in serious condition .
Hasan Eraydin told the AP that he was driving home when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were about 30 meters away ... we tried to get to the scene to help , but there was some sort of a canal in between and it was impossible , '' he said .
`` We thought 'God willing , no one has died ' . ''
This is n't a first for a plane belonging to this airline .
Last month , another of its planes slid off the runway at the same airport , though nobody was injured .
In 2018 , in a particularly dramatic incident , a Pegasus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cliff face .
It halted before it fell into the Black Sea below it , and nobody on board was hurt .

Plane Breaks Apart In A Turkish Field, Killing 3 And Injuring Nearly 179
Enlarge this image Can Erok/AP Can Erok/AP
Updated at 6:15 p.m. ET
An airplane careened off a runway at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport on Wednesday evening, dropping more than 100 feet to the ground where it broke into pieces. Turkish authorities say that at least three people were killed and 179 others were injured.
The plane, from a Turkish low-cost carrier called Pegasus Airlines, was coming from the western city of Izmir and was attempting to land in Istanbul during bad weather.
"According to the information we obtained, the plane ... drifted to the land as a result of the hard landing," Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told the Anadolu news agency.
Istanbul's governor Ali Yerlikaya said it skidded on the runway for about 160 feet, according to the news agency. "Then, it falls from a height of around 30 meters [100 feet] here," he said, over a road and eventually an empty field.
CCTV footage obtained by Reuters shows the plane moving down the runway before suddenly disappearing, apparently off a cliff. It reportedly also burst into flames.
Photos from the scene show the plan broken into three pieces, with the nose completely severed from the rest of the plane. According to The Associated Press, passengers "had to evacuate through cracks in the smashed plane." The aircraft was carrying 177 passengers and six crew members, Koca stated.
toggle caption Emrah Gurel/AP
According to Flightradar24, the plane is a Boeing 737-800 that was built in 2009. It previously was operated by Air Berlin and joined the fleet of Pegasus Airlines in 2016.
Flight positioning data obtained by the tracking website shows the plane landing in the center of the runway, before veering to the left of the lane and eventually careening off its edge.
The airline stated that flights to and from the airport in Istanbul were suspended in the wake of the incident because of the runway closure.
According to Anadolu, prosecutors have launched an investigation into the crash. Reuters reports that a local broadcaster reported that the plane's two pilots are in serious condition.
Hasan Eraydin told the AP that he was driving home when he saw the crash.
"We were about 30 meters away ... we tried to get to the scene to help, but there was some sort of a canal in between and it was impossible," he said. "We thought 'God willing, no one has died'."
This isn't a first for a plane belonging to this airline. Last month, another of its planes slid off the runway at the same airport, though nobody was injured.
In 2018, in a particularly dramatic incident, a Pegasus plane skidded off a runway and down a cliff face. It halted before it fell into the Black Sea below it, and nobody on board was hurt.


npr--2020-02-05--Canadian Court Clears The Way For Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion

Canadian Court Clears The Way For Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Canada 's Federal Court of Appeal has cleared the way for a major expansion to the Trans Mountain Pipeline by ruling against four different challenges from First Nations groups concerned about the environmental impacts of the project .
The Trans Mountain expansion , which would add more than 600 miles to the pipeline and increase its capacity from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 , has been mired in controversy and legal battles since Canada 's cabinet first approved the project in 2016 .
The First Nations that sued are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` This project will harm our communities , our people , and the jobs our people rely upon in the Vancouver area , '' Khelsilem , a spokesperson for the Squamish Nation , said in a statement .
The Nation said it plans to look into options for appealing the decision and says it 's concerned about future pipeline leaks .
The oil and gas industry appears relieved by the decision .
Trans Mountain Corporation , the company in charge of the project , said that `` after many years of consultation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue moving forward and building the Project in respect of communities , and for the benefit of Canadians . ''
In 2018 , the same federal appeals court ruled that the government had not adequately consulted with indigenous peoples before it approved the project , saying it `` fell well short of the mark . ''
Tuesday 's unanimous ruling from a three-judge panel has now stated that `` reasonable and meaningful consultation had taken place . ''
`` The evidentiary record shows a genuine effort in ascertaining and taking into account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considering them , engaging in two-way communication , and considering and sometimes agreeing to accommodations , '' the judges added .
`` This was anything but a rubber-stamping process . ''
The court stated that while the government has a duty to consult with indigenous people , that does not mean that indigenous people have the power to veto a project .
`` The failure to accommodate in any particular way , including by way of abandoning the Project , does not necessarily mean that there has been no meaningful consultation , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vast majority of indigenous groups who might be impacted by the project – 120 out of 129 – `` either support it or do not oppose it . ''
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 's government has championed the project to expand the pipeline from the oils sands facilities in Alberta to tanks near Vancouver .
In 2018 , Canada announced that it would spend about $ 3.5 billion to purchase the existing pipeline , in order to push the project forward .
Trudeau has defended the project by saying that profits from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy projects , as NPR reported .
Trudeau has said that transporting the oil to the Pacific Coast would help open up its market to Asia .
At the moment , about 96 % of Canada 's oil exports go to the U.S. National Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan said in a statement that the consultation process with the indigenous communities `` was the most comprehensive consultation ever undertaken for a major product in Canada 's history . ''
He said they would continue speaking to indigenous peoples `` at each step of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Alberta 's government has supported the pipeline expansion , while British Columbia 's has opposed it .
The city of Vancouver said in a statement that it remains opposed to the expansion .
`` The city remains of the view that the Trans Mountain pipeline project would have significant environmental impacts , including the unacceptable risk of oil spills and increased greenhouse gas emissions related to the project at a time when the world needs to reduce emissions , '' it said , according to The Toronto Star .
Parties have 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuesday 's decision in Canada 's Supreme Court .

Canadian Court Clears The Way For Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeremy Hainsworth/AP Jeremy Hainsworth/AP
Canada's Federal Court of Appeal has cleared the way for a major expansion to the Trans Mountain Pipeline by ruling against four different challenges from First Nations groups concerned about the environmental impacts of the project.
The Trans Mountain expansion, which would add more than 600 miles to the pipeline and increase its capacity from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000, has been mired in controversy and legal battles since Canada's cabinet first approved the project in 2016.
The First Nations that sued are disappointed by the court's judgement. "This project will harm our communities, our people, and the jobs our people rely upon in the Vancouver area," Khelsilem, a spokesperson for the Squamish Nation, said in a statement. The Nation said it plans to look into options for appealing the decision and says it's concerned about future pipeline leaks.
The oil and gas industry appears relieved by the decision. Trans Mountain Corporation, the company in charge of the project, said that "after many years of consultation and review we are pleased to be able to continue moving forward and building the Project in respect of communities, and for the benefit of Canadians."
In 2018, the same federal appeals court ruled that the government had not adequately consulted with indigenous peoples before it approved the project, saying it "fell well short of the mark." Tuesday's unanimous ruling from a three-judge panel has now stated that "reasonable and meaningful consultation had taken place."
"The evidentiary record shows a genuine effort in ascertaining and taking into account the key concerns of the applicants, considering them, engaging in two-way communication, and considering and sometimes agreeing to accommodations," the judges added. "This was anything but a rubber-stamping process."
The court stated that while the government has a duty to consult with indigenous people, that does not mean that indigenous people have the power to veto a project. "The failure to accommodate in any particular way, including by way of abandoning the Project, does not necessarily mean that there has been no meaningful consultation," the judges said.
They stated that the vast majority of indigenous groups who might be impacted by the project – 120 out of 129 – "either support it or do not oppose it."
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has championed the project to expand the pipeline from the oils sands facilities in Alberta to tanks near Vancouver. In 2018, Canada announced that it would spend about $3.5 billion to purchase the existing pipeline, in order to push the project forward. Trudeau has defended the project by saying that profits from the pipeline will be funneled to green energy projects, as NPR reported.
Trudeau has said that transporting the oil to the Pacific Coast would help open up its market to Asia. At the moment, about 96% of Canada's oil exports go to the U.S.
National Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan said in a statement that the consultation process with the indigenous communities "was the most comprehensive consultation ever undertaken for a major product in Canada's history." He said they would continue speaking to indigenous peoples "at each step of the project."
As NPR has reported, Alberta's government has supported the pipeline expansion, while British Columbia's has opposed it.
The city of Vancouver said in a statement that it remains opposed to the expansion. "The city remains of the view that the Trans Mountain pipeline project would have significant environmental impacts, including the unacceptable risk of oil spills and increased greenhouse gas emissions related to the project at a time when the world needs to reduce emissions," it said, according to The Toronto Star.
Parties have 60 days to file a legal challenge against Tuesday's decision in Canada's Supreme Court.


npr--2020-02-05--Coronavirus Puts A Crimp On The Chinese Tourism Industry

Airlines , cruise ships and high-end hotels worldwide are bracing for a sharp downturn in business because of the fast-spreading strain of coronavirus .
Fear of the respiratory virus , which has infected more than 24,600 people in over two dozen countries , has brought the lucrative Chinese tourism industry to a screeching halt .
Beijing has halted tour groups from leaving China , and countries such as the U.S. , Australia and Singapore are denying entry to foreign nationals who have recently been in China .
Dozens of airlines have suspended flights to and from China to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) says the cancellation of thousands of flights will impact the industry but that it has proven resilient to similar shocks in the past .
Both business and leisure travel took a hit during the 2003 outbreak of a similar coronavirus — SARS ( severe acute respiratory syndrome ) — but returned to pre-crisis levels within nine months .
Meanwhile , thousands of passengers and crew members , have been stranded on two cruise ships because of the coronavirus .
Some 3,700 people aboard the Diamond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Japan after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong tested positive .
Health officials tested people still on the ship and say results so far show at least 10 of them are infected .
Meanwhile , about 1,800 people aboard the second ship , World Dream , are being quarantined at a dock in Hong Kong .
A number of cruise lines , such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line , have cancelled sailings to and from China or placed restrictions on passengers since the outbreak began .
`` There are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this outbreak to calculate the overall impact on the business , '' Royal Caribbean said in a statement last week .
The company , which says it has cancelled eight cruises so far , added , `` If these travel restrictions continue for an extended period of time , they could have a material impact on the overall financial performance of the company . ''
The new coronavirus emerged just ahead of Lunar New Year , normally one of China 's busiest seasons when hundreds of millions of people are traveling — both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beijing has imposed lockdowns and quarantines on the hardest-hit areas .
The government also extended the holiday , which was to start Jan. 24 and run until Jan. 30 , until early February in an effort to limit infections .
Chinese tourists account for more than 10 percent of the global tourism industry , says Wolfgang Arlt , founder of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute , which helps international tour companies do business with Chinese customers .
`` You can say that approximately one out of every nine international tourists are ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` That 's more than any other country '' .
Arlt says this is a far cry from a couple decades ago when Chinese tourists were usually diplomats or athletes .
Over the years , Beijing has relaxed strict travel restrictions , and a growing economy in China means more people there have disposable income to travel .
Last year , there were roughly 170 million border crossings worldwide by Chinese tourists , Arlt says .
The most popular destinations for Chinese visitors are in Asia , places such as Thailand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Paris , Sydney and New York City are also favorites .
That 's helped make China the largest spender in 2018 in international tourism , pumping $ 277 billion into the travel industry , according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization .
Chris Heywood of NYC & Company , New York City 's marketing organization , says the city welcomed more than a million Chinese visitors in 2018 .
`` China is a tremendously important market for New York City , '' he says .
`` It represents about $ 3 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says that while there 's concern about the potential financial impact from the coronavirus , his organization is in a wait-and-see mode .
`` We are monitoring the situation very carefully and very closely , '' he says .
`` But it 's too soon for us to make an assumption on exactly how this is going to affect business in the long term . ''
Arlt says he 's optimistic that Chinese tourism will resume after the coronavirus is contained , much like it did after the 2003 SARS outbreak .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he says .
`` For about three months , no Chinese came out of China '' but then tourism began to pick up .
`` What I think also we can expect this time is once this is over , then the Chinese will travel even more . ''
Arlt says his institute estimates that by 2030 , 1 out of every 5 international tourists will be Chinese .
But that forecast might change , depending on how long it takes to contain the coronavirus .

Coronavirus Puts A Crimp On The Chinese Tourism Industry
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Yeung/Bloomberg via Getty Images Paul Yeung/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Updated at 7:25 p.m. ET
Airlines, cruise ships and high-end hotels worldwide are bracing for a sharp downturn in business because of the fast-spreading strain of coronavirus.
Fear of the respiratory virus, which has infected more than 28,000 people in over two dozen countries, has brought the lucrative Chinese tourism industry to a screeching halt. Beijing has halted tour groups from leaving China, and countries such as the U.S., Australia and Singapore are denying entry to foreign nationals who have recently been in China.
Dozens of airlines have suspended flights to and from China to try to contain the virus known as 2019-nCoV.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says the cancellation of thousands of flights will impact the industry but that it has proven resilient to similar shocks in the past. Both business and leisure travel took a hit during the 2003 outbreak of a similar coronavirus — SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) — but returned to pre-crisis levels within nine months.
Meanwhile, thousands of passengers and crew members, have been stranded on two cruise ships because of the coronavirus. Some 3,700 people aboard the Diamond Princess are under quarantine off the coast of Japan after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong tested positive. Health officials tested people still on the ship and say results so far show at least 10 of them are infected. Meanwhile, about 1,800 people aboard the second ship, World Dream, are being quarantined at a dock in Hong Kong.
A number of cruise lines, such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, have cancelled sailings to and from China or placed restrictions on passengers since the outbreak began.
"There are still too many variables and uncertainties regarding this outbreak to calculate the overall impact on the business," Royal Caribbean said in a statement last week. The company, which says it has cancelled eight cruises so far, added, "If these travel restrictions continue for an extended period of time, they could have a material impact on the overall financial performance of the company."
The new coronavirus emerged just ahead of Lunar New Year, normally one of China's busiest seasons when hundreds of millions of people are traveling — both in and out of the country. Beijing has imposed lockdowns and quarantines on the hardest-hit areas. The government also extended the holiday, which was to start Jan. 24 and run until Jan. 30, until early February in an effort to limit infections.
Chinese tourists account for more than 10 percent of the global tourism industry, says Wolfgang Arlt, founder of the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, which helps international tour companies do business with Chinese customers.
"You can say that approximately one out of every nine international tourists are ... from mainland China," he says. "That's more than any other country".
Arlt says this is a far cry from a couple decades ago when Chinese tourists were usually diplomats or athletes. Over the years, Beijing has relaxed strict travel restrictions, and a growing economy in China means more people there have disposable income to travel.
Last year, there were roughly 170 million border crossings worldwide by Chinese tourists, Arlt says. The most popular destinations for Chinese visitors are in Asia, places such as Thailand, Hong Kong and Macau. But he says Paris, Sydney and New York City are also favorites.
That's helped make China the largest spender in 2018 in international tourism, pumping $277 billion into the travel industry, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
Chris Heywood of NYC & Company, New York City's marketing organization, says the city welcomed more than a million Chinese visitors in 2018. "China is a tremendously important market for New York City," he says. "It represents about $3 billion in total revenue."
Heywood says that while there's concern about the potential financial impact from the coronavirus, his organization is in a wait-and-see mode.
"We are monitoring the situation very carefully and very closely," he says. "But it's too soon for us to make an assumption on exactly how this is going to affect business in the long term."
Arlt says he's optimistic that Chinese tourism will resume after the coronavirus is contained, much like it did after the 2003 SARS outbreak.
"That was a somewhat similar story," he says. "For about three months, no Chinese came out of China" but then tourism began to pick up. "What I think also we can expect this time is once this is over, then the Chinese will travel even more."
Arlt says his institute estimates that by 2030, 1 out of every 5 international tourists will be Chinese. But that forecast might change, depending on how long it takes to contain the coronavirus.


npr--2020-02-05--Human Rights Watch: More Than 200 Salvadorans Were Abused, Killed After Deportation

Human Rights Watch : More Than 200 Salvadorans Were Abused , Killed After Deportation After living in the U.S. for five years , cousins Walter T. and Gaspar T. were deported to their home country of El Salvador in 2019 , where they were ripped from their beds one night and beaten by police , according to a new report by Human Rights Watch .
`` They began beating us until we arrived at the police barracks , '' Gaspar said in interviews .
The thrashings went on there for three days , according to the men .
Despite threats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with gang membership , they were eventually released .
No charges were filed .
Walter and Gaspar , who say they had initially fled El Salvador to escape forcible gang recruitment , had hoped to gain asylum in the U.S .
But their applications were denied .
The pair 's experience is one of more than 200 cases uncovered by Human Rights Watch in which Salvadorans are put in harm 's way — at risk of violence at the hands of gangs , law enforcement or security forces — as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. '' Salvadorans are facing murder , rape , and other violence after deportation in shockingly high numbers , while the US government narrows Salvadorans ' access to asylum and turns a blind eye to the deadly results of its callous policies , '' said Alison Parker managing director of the US Program at Human Rights Watch and coauthor of the report .
The 117-page report was compiled over a year and a half using court records , press reports and first-hand interviews with surviving family members and nongovernmental agency workers .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repatriated Salvadorans killed since 2013 .
More than 70 others were beaten , sexually assaulted , extorted , tortured or went missing , according to the study .
But , the reports says , the deaths `` represent the tip of the iceberg—as ... people deported to El Salvador encounter a wide range of human rights abuses that fall short of death . ''
Until now , no government , U.N. or nongovernmental organization has monitored what happens to people when they 're returned to El Salvador , according to HRW .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' the study says .

Human Rights Watch: More Than 200 Salvadorans Were Abused, Killed After Deportation
Enlarge this image toggle caption Salvador Melendez/AP Salvador Melendez/AP
After living in the U.S. for five years, cousins Walter T. and Gaspar T. were deported to their home country of El Salvador in 2019, where they were ripped from their beds one night and beaten by police, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.
"They began beating us until we arrived at the police barracks," Gaspar said in interviews.
The thrashings went on there for three days, according to the men. Despite threats from authorities that they'd be charged with gang membership, they were eventually released. No charges were filed.
Walter and Gaspar, who say they had initially fled El Salvador to escape forcible gang recruitment, had hoped to gain asylum in the U.S. But their applications were denied.
The pair's experience is one of more than 200 cases uncovered by Human Rights Watch in which Salvadorans are put in harm's way — at risk of violence at the hands of gangs, law enforcement or security forces — as a result of tightening asylum and immigration policies in the U.S.
"Salvadorans are facing murder, rape, and other violence after deportation in shockingly high numbers, while the US government narrows Salvadorans' access to asylum and turns a blind eye to the deadly results of its callous policies," said Alison Parker managing director of the US Program at Human Rights Watch and coauthor of the report.
The 117-page report was compiled over a year and a half using court records, press reports and first-hand interviews with surviving family members and nongovernmental agency workers.
In all, researchers found 138 cases of repatriated Salvadorans killed since 2013. More than 70 others were beaten, sexually assaulted, extorted, tortured or went missing, according to the study. But, the reports says, the deaths "represent the tip of the iceberg—as ... people deported to El Salvador encounter a wide range of human rights abuses that fall short of death."
Until now, no government, U.N. or nongovernmental organization has monitored what happens to people when they're returned to El Salvador, according to HRW.
"This report begins to fill that gap," the study says.


npr--2020-02-05--Finland's Women-Led Government Has Equalized Family Leave: 7 Months For Each Parent

Finland 's Women-Led Government Has Equalized Family Leave : 7 Months For Each Parent People often ponder how the world might be different if more women were in political power .
In Finland , where women lead the five parties in the coalition government , here 's one change they 're making : equal paid leave for both parents in a family .
Finland 's government , led by 34-year-old Prime Minister Sanna Marin , has announced a new policy that will grant nearly seven months of paid leave to each parent , for a total of 14 months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can receive one month of pregnancy allowance even before the parental leave starts .
The new policy is designed to be gender-neutral and will come into effect as soon as fall 2021 .
It will eliminate gender-based allowances that currently grant about four months of paid leave to mothers and about two months to fathers .
Parents will be permitted to transfer 69 days from their own quota to the other parent .
A single parent will have access to the allowance for both parents .
The government estimates that the increased leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 110 million ) .
Reuters reports that Finland 's previous center-right government explored parental leave reform in 2018 but decided it would be too expensive .
Sweden has Europe 's most generous leave policy , offering 240 days per parent .
Many of those days can be transferred to the other parent , but 90 of them can not .
That means that families wanting to maximize the leave would both take significant time off .
Minister of Health and Social Affairs Aino-Kaisa Pekonen said the goal of the `` radical reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to boost a declining birth rate , according to Reuters .
`` This enables better equality between parents and diversity among families , '' she said .
The number of babies born in Finland has been dropping for the past nine years .
Last year , 45,597 babies were born in the country— the lowest number since a famine struck in 1868 .
As many of the world 's developed nations grapple with declining birth rates , many have begun extending leave for fathers .
A 2019 UNICEF report found , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave , they do n't necessarily take it : `` In Japan , the only country that offers at least six months at full pay for fathers , only 1 in 20 took paid leave in 2017 . ''
That 's seen as one factor in some Japanese women deciding not to have children : Mothers end up shouldering the burden of child-rearing themselves , and companies continue to demand long hours that do n't provide the flexibility required by working parents .
Last year , Japan 's births fell to the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parental leave policy is designed to encourage fathers to take the time off .
The basic parental allowance there grants 12 months paid leave .
But if both parents apply for leave , the allowance can be extended to 14 months .
The UNICEF report noted that among the 31 wealthy nations it studied , the United States was the only country that has no national paid leave policy for mothers or fathers .
Finland 's prime minister told The Washington Post last month that while every country 's situation and political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies could be a model for the U.S. '' I feel that the American Dream can be achieved best in the Nordic countries , where every child no matter their background or the background of their families can become anything , because we have a very good education system , '' Marin said .
`` We have a good health-care and social welfare system that allows anybody to become anything .
This is probably one of the reasons why Finland gets ranked the happiest country in the world . ''
And she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : welcoming immigrants .
`` We have an aging population , and we need people to come to Finland , to work there and to raise their children and take part in making our society better , '' Marin told the newspaper .

Finland's Women-Led Government Has Equalized Family Leave: 7 Months For Each Parent
Enlarge this image toggle caption Christian Hartmann/AP Christian Hartmann/AP
People often ponder how the world might be different if more women were in political power. In Finland, where women lead the five parties in the coalition government, here's one change they're making: equal paid leave for both parents in a family.
Finland's government, led by 34-year-old Prime Minister Sanna Marin, has announced a new policy that will grant nearly seven months of paid leave to each parent, for a total of 14 months of paid leave. The pregnant parent also can receive one month of pregnancy allowance even before the parental leave starts.
The new policy is designed to be gender-neutral and will come into effect as soon as fall 2021. It will eliminate gender-based allowances that currently grant about four months of paid leave to mothers and about two months to fathers.
Parents will be permitted to transfer 69 days from their own quota to the other parent. A single parent will have access to the allowance for both parents.
The government estimates that the increased leave will cost 100 million euros (about $110 million). Reuters reports that Finland's previous center-right government explored parental leave reform in 2018 but decided it would be too expensive.
Sweden has Europe's most generous leave policy, offering 240 days per parent. Many of those days can be transferred to the other parent, but 90 of them cannot. That means that families wanting to maximize the leave would both take significant time off.
Minister of Health and Social Affairs Aino-Kaisa Pekonen said the goal of the "radical reform" is to improve gender equality and to boost a declining birth rate, according to Reuters. "This enables better equality between parents and diversity among families," she said.
The number of babies born in Finland has been dropping for the past nine years. Last year, 45,597 babies were born in the country— the lowest number since a famine struck in 1868.
As many of the world's developed nations grapple with declining birth rates, many have begun extending leave for fathers.
A 2019 UNICEF report found, however, that even when fathers are provided paid leave, they don't necessarily take it: "In Japan, the only country that offers at least six months at full pay for fathers, only 1 in 20 took paid leave in 2017."
That's seen as one factor in some Japanese women deciding not to have children: Mothers end up shouldering the burden of child-rearing themselves, and companies continue to demand long hours that don't provide the flexibility required by working parents. Last year, Japan's births fell to the lowest number on record.
In Germany, the parental leave policy is designed to encourage fathers to take the time off. The basic parental allowance there grants 12 months paid leave. But if both parents apply for leave, the allowance can be extended to 14 months.
The UNICEF report noted that among the 31 wealthy nations it studied, the United States was the only country that has no national paid leave policy for mothers or fathers.
Finland's prime minister told The Washington Post last month that while every country's situation and political atmosphere is different, the Finnish social policies could be a model for the U.S.
"I feel that the American Dream can be achieved best in the Nordic countries, where every child no matter their background or the background of their families can become anything, because we have a very good education system," Marin said. "We have a good health-care and social welfare system that allows anybody to become anything. This is probably one of the reasons why Finland gets ranked the happiest country in the world."
And she has another strategy to grow Finland's population: welcoming immigrants.
"We have an aging population, and we need people to come to Finland, to work there and to raise their children and take part in making our society better," Marin told the newspaper.