npr--2020-07-18--In Tributes, John Lewis Remembered As An American Hero

In Tributes , John Lewis Remembered As An American Hero Tributes poured in from across the nation on Saturday for John Lewis , the civil rights icon who died Friday at the age of 80 .
Lewis rose to prominence as a young civil rights activist who helped lead the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma , Ala. Lewis was beaten so badly by law enforcement that he was hospitalized .
`` Bloody Sunday , '' as it came to be known , helped spur lawmakers to pass the Voting Rights Act later that year .
Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic congressman for the state of Georgia for more than 30 years , from the late 1980s until his death Friday .
One of the most liberal members of the House of Representatives , he was known for his tireless commitment to civil rights .
`` He was honored and respected as the conscience of the U.S. Congress and an icon of American history , but we knew him as a loving father and brother , '' his family wrote in a statement .
`` He was a stalwart champion in the on-going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and worth of every human being .
He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America .
He will be deeply missed . ''
Lewis revealed in December that he was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer .
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum praised Lewis on Saturday .
The statements shared a common sentiment : That it is up to us to continue the work of racial justice to which Lewis devoted his life .
`` We are made in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is John Lewis , '' presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wrote .
`` John 's life reminds us that the most powerful symbol of what it means to be an American is what we do with the time we have to make real the promise of our nation — that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally . ''
Biden continued : `` Through the beatings , the marches , the arrests , the debates on war , peace , and freedom , and the legislative fights for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamental right to vote , he taught us that while the journey toward equality is not easy , we must be unafraid and never cower and never , ever give up . ''
Former President Barack Obama also paid his respects to the civil rights legend .
`` He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise , '' wrote Obama , who met Lewis while in law school .
`` And through the decades , he not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of freedom and justice , but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example . ''
Obama 's last joint appearance with Lewis came earlier this year , as they both appeared in at a virtual town hall with young activists helping to lead protests after the killing of George Floyd by police officers .
Afterward , Obama spoke to Lewis privately .
`` I told him that all those young people — of every race , from every background and gender and sexual orientation — they were his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , even if they did n't know it .
They had understood through him what American citizenship requires , even if they had heard of his courage only through history books .
`` Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful , remarkable way , '' Obama continued .
`` John Lewis did . ''
Vice President Pence called Lewis `` a great man whose courage and decades of public service changed America forever . ''
And in a tweet , President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing .
Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family . ''
The president also ordered the American flag to be flown at half-staff throughout the day .
Lewis and Trump had a tumultuous relationship .
In 2017 Lewis said that he did n't consider the then-president-elect to be a `` legitimate '' president , citing Russian interference in the 2016 election .
Trump responded by criticizing the civil rights giant as `` all talk '' and `` no action .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ president 's 2016 opponent , Hillary Clinton , and former President Bill Clinton said the world had lost a giant .
`` John Lewis gave all he had to redeem America 's unmet promise of equality and justice for all , and to create a place for us to build a more perfect union together , '' they wrote .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , called Lewis `` one of the greatest heroes of American history , '' saying he worked tirelessly to achieve the American dream of a more perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lewis 's life was dedicated to bringing freedom and justice to all , '' Pelosi said .
`` As he declared 57 years ago during the March on Washington , standing in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial : 'Our minds , souls , and hearts can not rest until freedom and justice exist for all the people . '
How fitting it is that even in the last weeks of his battle with cancer , John summoned the strength to visit the peaceful protests where the newest generation of Americans had poured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfinished work of racial justice . ''
Lewis `` altered the course of history and left America a much better place , '' said New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries , chairman of the House Democratic Caucus .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , described Lewis as a pioneering civil rights leader who risked his life to fight racism and live up to the ideal of equality for all .
McConnell invoked Martin Luther King Jr. 's famous declaration that the arc of the moral universe is long , but it bends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ automatic , '' McConnell said .
`` Our great nation 's history has only bent towards justice because great men like John Lewis took it upon themselves to help bend it . ''
Sen. Patrick Leahy , D-Vt. , said Lewis was a mentor to him on civil rights .
`` John Lewis was an American hero among us , a lodestar who drew us closer to our ideals , '' Leahy wrote .
`` The world is dimmer this morning without Congressman John Lewis in it , '' said Sen. Kamala Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of justice until the very end .
It 's now on us to pick it up and march on . ''

In Tributes, John Lewis Remembered As An American Hero
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
Tributes poured in from across the nation on Saturday for John Lewis, the civil rights icon who died Friday at the age of 80.
Lewis rose to prominence as a young civil rights activist who helped lead the 1965 march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. Lewis was beaten so badly by law enforcement that he was hospitalized. "Bloody Sunday," as it came to be known, helped spur lawmakers to pass the Voting Rights Act later that year.
Lewis would go on to serve as a Democratic congressman for the state of Georgia for more than 30 years, from the late 1980s until his death Friday. One of the most liberal members of the House of Representatives, he was known for his tireless commitment to civil rights.
"He was honored and respected as the conscience of the U.S. Congress and an icon of American history, but we knew him as a loving father and brother," his family wrote in a statement. "He was a stalwart champion in the on-going struggle to demand respect for the dignity and worth of every human being. He dedicated his entire life to non-violent activism and was an outspoken advocate in the struggle for equal justice in America. He will be deeply missed."
Lewis revealed in December that he was battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Lawmakers from across the political spectrum praised Lewis on Saturday. The statements shared a common sentiment: That it is up to us to continue the work of racial justice to which Lewis devoted his life.
"We are made in the image of God, and then there is John Lewis," presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wrote. "John's life reminds us that the most powerful symbol of what it means to be an American is what we do with the time we have to make real the promise of our nation — that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally."
Biden continued: "Through the beatings, the marches, the arrests, the debates on war, peace, and freedom, and the legislative fights for good jobs and health care and the fundamental right to vote, he taught us that while the journey toward equality is not easy, we must be unafraid and never cower and never, ever give up."
Former President Barack Obama also paid his respects to the civil rights legend. "He loved this country so much that he risked his life and his blood so that it might live up to its promise," wrote Obama, who met Lewis while in law school. "And through the decades, he not only gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice, but inspired generations that followed to try to live up to his example."
Obama's last joint appearance with Lewis came earlier this year, as they both appeared in at a virtual town hall with young activists helping to lead protests after the killing of George Floyd by police officers. Afterward, Obama spoke to Lewis privately.
"I told him that all those young people — of every race, from every background and gender and sexual orientation — they were his children. They had learned from his example, even if they didn't know it. They had understood through him what American citizenship requires, even if they had heard of his courage only through history books.
"Not many of us get to live to see our own legacy play out in such a meaningful, remarkable way," Obama continued. "John Lewis did."
Vice President Pence called Lewis "a great man whose courage and decades of public service changed America forever." And in a tweet, President Trump said he was "saddened to hear the news of civil rights hero John Lewis passing. Melania and I send our prayers to he and his family." The president also ordered the American flag to be flown at half-staff throughout the day.
Lewis and Trump had a tumultuous relationship. In 2017 Lewis said that he didn't consider the then-president-elect to be a "legitimate" president, citing Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump responded by criticizing the civil rights giant as "all talk" and "no action."
In a joint statement, the president's 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, and former President Bill Clinton said the world had lost a giant.
"John Lewis gave all he had to redeem America's unmet promise of equality and justice for all, and to create a place for us to build a more perfect union together," they wrote.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called Lewis "one of the greatest heroes of American history," saying he worked tirelessly to achieve the American dream of a more perfect union.
"Every day of John Lewis's life was dedicated to bringing freedom and justice to all," Pelosi said. "As he declared 57 years ago during the March on Washington, standing in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial: 'Our minds, souls, and hearts cannot rest until freedom and justice exist for all the people.' How fitting it is that even in the last weeks of his battle with cancer, John summoned the strength to visit the peaceful protests where the newest generation of Americans had poured into the streets to take up the unfinished work of racial justice."
Lewis "altered the course of history and left America a much better place," said New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., described Lewis as a pioneering civil rights leader who risked his life to fight racism and live up to the ideal of equality for all.
McConnell invoked Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous declaration that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.
"Progress is not automatic," McConnell said. "Our great nation's history has only bent towards justice because great men like John Lewis took it upon themselves to help bend it."
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said Lewis was a mentor to him on civil rights.
"John Lewis was an American hero among us, a lodestar who drew us closer to our ideals," Leahy wrote.
"The world is dimmer this morning without Congressman John Lewis in it," said Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif. "He carried the baton of justice until the very end. It's now on us to pick it up and march on."


npr--2020-07-18--'We're Embarrassed': Twitter Says High-Profile Hack Hit 130 Users

Twitter says a total of 130 accounts were hacked in some fashion during a cybersecurity breach on Wednesday that affected some of its most prominent users , including Joe Biden and Kanye West .
In a blog post updating the situation as of Friday night , the company explained that the perpetrators downloaded personal data from up to eight of 130 compromised accounts .
Twitter officials did not specify which eight accounts were affected — though they said that `` none of the eight were verified accounts , '' by which the company means none of them was the official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The most important question for people who use Twitter is likely — did the attackers see any of my private information ? ''
the company said in its update Friday .
`` For the vast majority of people , we believe the answer is , no . ''
But the company went on to say that hackers were able to view email addresses , phone numbers and , in some cases , `` additional information . ''
Along with West and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , the accounts of former President Barack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeff Bezos — among others — all tried to coax Bitcoin payments from followers with a fake pledge to double their money in return .
Even major companies such as Uber and Apple were co-opted into the scam .
Within hours , Twitter had removed the posts and even temporarily blocked verified accounts from tweeting or having their passwords reset .
Twitter officials now say they have a better idea of what happened in the first place .
In a lengthy statement , the company laid out what its probe has turned up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company officials added , the as-yet unidentified attackers tried to sell usernames .
The company said it is `` working with law enforcement '' and will continue its investigation into the incident .
`` We 're acutely aware of our responsibilities to the people who use our service and to society more generally , '' the company said .
`` We 're embarrassed , we 're disappointed , and more than anything , we 're sorry . ''

'We're Embarrassed': Twitter Says High-Profile Hack Hit 130 Users
Enlarge this image toggle caption Leon Neal/Getty Images Leon Neal/Getty Images
Twitter says a total of 130 accounts were hacked in some fashion during a cybersecurity breach on Wednesday that affected some of its most prominent users, including Joe Biden and Kanye West. In a blog post updating the situation as of Friday night, the company explained that the perpetrators downloaded personal data from up to eight of 130 compromised accounts.
Twitter officials did not specify which eight accounts were affected — though they said that "none of the eight were verified accounts," by which the company means none of them was the official account of a public figure.
"The most important question for people who use Twitter is likely — did the attackers see any of my private information?" the company said in its update Friday. "For the vast majority of people, we believe the answer is, no."
But the company went on to say that hackers were able to view email addresses, phone numbers and, in some cases, "additional information."
Along with West and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, the accounts of former President Barack Obama and billionaire businessmen Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos — among others — all tried to coax Bitcoin payments from followers with a fake pledge to double their money in return.
Even major companies such as Uber and Apple were co-opted into the scam.
Within hours, Twitter had removed the posts and even temporarily blocked verified accounts from tweeting or having their passwords reset.
Twitter officials now say they have a better idea of what happened in the first place. In a lengthy statement, the company laid out what its probe has turned up so far:
"The attackers successfully manipulated a small number of employees and used their credentials to access Twitter's internal systems, including getting through our two-factor protections. As of now, we know that they accessed tools only available to our internal support teams to target 130 Twitter accounts. For 45 of those accounts, the attackers were able to initiate a password reset, login to the account, and send Tweets."
There is a lot speculation about the identity of these 8 accounts. We will only disclose this to the impacted accounts, however to address some of the speculation: none of the eight were Verified accounts. — Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 18, 2020
In some cases, company officials added, the as-yet unidentified attackers tried to sell usernames. The company said it is "working with law enforcement" and will continue its investigation into the incident.
"We're acutely aware of our responsibilities to the people who use our service and to society more generally," the company said. "We're embarrassed, we're disappointed, and more than anything, we're sorry."


npr--2020-07-18--Oregon Sues Federal Agencies For Grabbing Up Protesters Off The Streets

Oregon Sues Federal Agencies For Grabbing Up Protesters Off The Streets Updated at 11:49 a.m .
ET The Oregon Department of Justice is suing several federal agencies for civil rights abuses , and state prosecutors will potentially pursue criminal charges against a federal officer who seriously injured a protester .
The federal lawsuit names the U.S. Department of Homeland Security , the U.S .
Marshals Service , the United States Customs and Border Protection , and the Federal Protective Service , agencies that have had a role in stepped-up force used against protesters since early July .
The state filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lists defendants as John Does 1-10 because the `` identity of the officers is not known , nor is their agency affiliation , '' the lawsuit states .
According to Oregon DOJ spokeswoman Kristina Edmunson , the suit accuses the agencies of engaging `` in unlawful law enforcement in violation of the civil rights of Oregon citizens by seizing and detaining them without probable cause . ''
State attorneys are asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order that `` would immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit is asking a judge to find that the federal agencies ' tactics are indeed unlawful and violate Oregonians ' First , Fourth and Fifth amendment constitutional rights .
It is also asking that federal agents and officers identify themselves and their agencies before detaining or arresting any person , explain to the person why they 're being arrested or detained , and not arrest any person without probable cause or a warrant .
The agency said that its Criminal Justice Division , joined by Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Donavan LaBella , a demonstrator who was shot in the head with an impact munition last Saturday night , Edmunson said .
Those munitions are intended to be aimed below the waist .
LaBella 's mom said she believes the officer aimed at LaBella 's head .
`` He 's 6-foot-5 , '' said Desiree Labella , referring to her son .
`` He has to be a terribly trained marksman to be off by 3 feet to hit him in the forehead right between the eyes .
If he 's that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short distance , he should n't have a gun . ''
The lawsuit , which is the second announced against federal authorities on Friday , comes after reporting by Oregon Public Broadcasting that revealed federal agents have detained peaceful protesters using unmarked vehicles , with little explanation or indication of which agency they belong to or why people are being taken into custody .
`` I share the concerns of our state and local leaders — and our Oregon U.S .
Senators and certain Congressional representatives — that the current escalation of fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ driven by federal law enforcement tactics that are entirely unnecessary and out of character with the Oregon way .
These tactics must stop , '' Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement .
The state 's lawsuit specifically highlighted the case of Mark Pettibone , a demonstrator who was snatched off the street by federal officers in the early hours of July 16 , put into a van and brought to the federal courthouse .
`` On information and belief , defendants did not have a warrant to seize Pettibone or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and will continue to seize individuals off the street without a warrant , in the absence of an injunction , '' the lawsuit reads .
Because the federal agents were not identified and their vehicles were unmarked , the lawsuit states that Oregonians could be at risk of kidnapping by `` militias and other civilian 'volunteers ' taking it onto themselves to pull peaceful protesters into their cars , in a manner that resembles the federal actions described . ''
Pettibone echoed that concern in his declaration within the lawsuit .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were police or far-right extremists , who , in my experience , frequently don military-like outfits and harass left-leaning protesters in Portland , '' Pettibone said .
Pettibone 's arrest has spurred national attention as President Trump has made Portland a focal point in recent days , saying local elected leaders have been overly lenient on protesters .
On Thursday , acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf flew into Portland to tour the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse , the federal facility where graffiti and other vandalism has been frequent in seven weeks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since arriving just before July 4 , the officers from Customs and Border Protection 's elite U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit and the U.S .
Marshals Special Operations Group have guarded Portland 's federal courthouse .
They 've also assisted the Portland police in clearing protesters from city streets .
City , state and congressional leaders have criticized the federal force 's use of weapons against protesters and have demanded their departure .
`` The federal administration has chosen Portland to use their scare tactics to stop our residents from protesting police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Matter movement , '' Rosenblum said in a statement .
`` Every American should be repulsed when they see this happening .
If this can happen here in Portland , it can happen anywhere . ''

Oregon Sues Federal Agencies For Grabbing Up Protesters Off The Streets
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mason Trinca/Getty Images Mason Trinca/Getty Images
Updated at 4:15 a.m. ET Sunday
Protests in Portland, Ore., continued through early Sunday morning, following the Oregon Department of Justice's announcement it would be suing several federal agencies for civil rights abuses in the state. Demonstrations have taken place in the city for weeks following the police killing of George Floyd in May.
Protesters dismantled fences in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center and Hatfield Federal Courthouse. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon had previously said the fences were in place to "de-escalate tensions between protesters and federal law enforcement officers" and allow repairs on the buildings to begin.
Demonstrators also set fire to the Portland Police Association building, according to Portland police. The fire was put out later in the evening, and police declared a riot in the area.
Tear gas and flash bangs were used on protesters and arrests were made, according to videos and photos from the scene posted on social media.
The Oregon Department of Justice announced Saturday it would be suing several federal agencies for civil rights abuses, and state prosecutors will potentially pursue criminal charges against a federal officer who seriously injured a protester.
The federal lawsuit names the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Marshals Service, the United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Protective Service, agencies that have had a role in stepped-up force used against protesters since early July. The state filed the lawsuit late Friday night.
It lists defendants as John Does 1-10 because the "identity of the officers is not known, nor is their agency affiliation," the lawsuit states.
According to Oregon DOJ spokeswoman Kristina Edmunson, the suit accuses the agencies of engaging "in unlawful law enforcement in violation of the civil rights of Oregon citizens by seizing and detaining them without probable cause."
State attorneys are asking a judge to issue a temporary restraining order that "would immediately stop federal authorities from unlawfully detaining Oregonians," the DOJ said in a release.
The lawsuit is asking a judge to find that the federal agencies' tactics are indeed unlawful and violate Oregonians' First, Fourth and Fifth amendment constitutional rights.
It is also asking that federal agents and officers identify themselves and their agencies before detaining or arresting any person, explain to the person why they're being arrested or detained, and not arrest any person without probable cause or a warrant.
The agency said that its Criminal Justice Division, joined by Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill, has opened a criminal investigation in the case of Donavan LaBella, a demonstrator who was shot in the head with an impact munition last Saturday night, Edmunson said.
Those munitions are intended to be aimed below the waist.
LaBella's mom said she believes the officer aimed at LaBella's head."He's 6-foot-5," said Desiree Labella, referring to her son. "He has to be a terribly trained marksman to be off by 3 feet to hit him in the forehead right between the eyes. If he's that bad of a shot at such a short distance, he shouldn't have a gun."
The lawsuit, which is the second announced against federal authorities on Friday, comes after reporting by Oregon Public Broadcasting that revealed federal agents have detained peaceful protesters using unmarked vehicles, with little explanation or indication of which agency they belong to or why people are being taken into custody.
"I share the concerns of our state and local leaders — and our Oregon U.S. Senators and certain Congressional representatives — that the current escalation of fear and violence in downtown Portland is being driven by federal law enforcement tactics that are entirely unnecessary and out of character with the Oregon way. These tactics must stop," Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a statement.
The state's lawsuit specifically highlighted the case of Mark Pettibone, a demonstrator who was snatched off the street by federal officers in the early hours of July 16, put into a van and brought to the federal courthouse.
"On information and belief, defendants did not have a warrant to seize Pettibone or the other citizens who have been detained, and will continue to seize individuals off the street without a warrant, in the absence of an injunction," the lawsuit reads.
Because the federal agents were not identified and their vehicles were unmarked, the lawsuit states that Oregonians could be at risk of kidnapping by "militias and other civilian 'volunteers' taking it onto themselves to pull peaceful protesters into their cars, in a manner that resembles the federal actions described."
Pettibone echoed that concern in his declaration within the lawsuit.
"I did not know whether the men were police or far-right extremists, who, in my experience, frequently don military-like outfits and harass left-leaning protesters in Portland," Pettibone said.
Pettibone's arrest has spurred national attention as President Trump has made Portland a focal point in recent days, saying local elected leaders have been overly lenient on protesters. On Thursday, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf flew into Portland to tour the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse, the federal facility where graffiti and other vandalism has been frequent in seven weeks of protests over police violence and racial injustice.
Since arriving just before July 4, the officers from Customs and Border Protection's elite U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit and the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group have guarded Portland's federal courthouse. They've also assisted the Portland police in clearing protesters from city streets.
City, state and congressional leaders have criticized the federal force's use of weapons against protesters and have demanded their departure.
"The federal administration has chosen Portland to use their scare tactics to stop our residents from protesting police brutality and from supporting the Black Lives Matter movement," Rosenblum said in a statement. "Every American should be repulsed when they see this happening. If this can happen here in Portland, it can happen anywhere."


npr--2020-07-18--Blaze At Centuries-Old Cathedral In Nantes Under Investigation As Arson

Blaze At Centuries-Old Cathedral In Nantes Under Investigation As Arson French authorities believe that arson may be to blame for a fire that tore through a cathedral in Nantes that dates back to the 15th century .
The city 's mayor , Johanna Rolland , said officials have launched an investigation into the origins of the blaze , which wrought significant damage to parts of the Gothic structure on Saturday .
`` It is a part of our history , a part of our heritage , '' Rolland told reporters , noting that it took more than 100 firefighters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they managed to do so , though , the fire at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul consumed its grand organ and blew out several stained-glass windows .
Videos posted to social media depicted flames licking the side of the building and sending smoke billowing between its pair of stately towers .
The scene offered uncomfortable echoes of the devastating blaze that destroyed much of Notre Dame in Paris last year .
More than a year later , officials are still working to restore what they can of the Paris cathedral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catastrophe and remains in danger of parts of its roof collapsing .
The local fire chief in Nantes , Laurent Ferlay , said that the organ at the cathedral `` appears to be completely destroyed , '' but that firefighters largely managed to avoid a full-on `` Notre-Dame scenario . ''
According to the mayor , they also avoided a grim encore of the 1972 fire at the St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral , which ravaged much of its roof and shut down church services there for some 13 years .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this story in our hearts , '' Rolland said Saturday , `` but at this stage the situation does not seem to be comparable to that of 1972 . ''
Still , prosecutor Pierre Sennes said authorities are looking into the fire as a potential crime .
`` When we arrive at a place where a fire has taken place , when you see three separate fire outbreaks , '' he told reporters Saturday , according to the BBC , `` it 's a question of common sense — you open an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Castex said he plans to arrive in Nantes Saturday afternoon to inspect the damage , together with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot .
Begun in 1434 , construction on the cathedral took nearly half a millennium to be completed .
Not until 1891 was the structure formally inaugurated .
By that time , the French government had already listed it as a historic monument for several decades .
In other words , the structure in its various forms has loomed over the city center for centuries and remains a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gothic architecture in western France .
`` To the people of Nantes , whose emotion I share , '' Castex added , `` I want to express my solidarity . ''

Blaze At Centuries-Old Cathedral In Nantes Under Investigation As Arson
Enlarge this image toggle caption Romain Boulanger/AP Romain Boulanger/AP
French authorities believe that arson may be to blame for a fire that tore through a cathedral in Nantes that dates back to the 15th century. The city's mayor, Johanna Rolland, said officials have launched an investigation into the origins of the blaze, which wrought significant damage to parts of the Gothic structure on Saturday.
"It is a part of our history, a part of our heritage," Rolland told reporters, noting that it took more than 100 firefighters to bring the blaze under control.
Before they managed to do so, though, the fire at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul consumed its grand organ and blew out several stained-glass windows. Videos posted to social media depicted flames licking the side of the building and sending smoke billowing between its pair of stately towers.
The scene offered uncomfortable echoes of the devastating blaze that destroyed much of Notre Dame in Paris last year. More than a year later, officials are still working to restore what they can of the Paris cathedral, which lost a spire in the catastrophe and remains in danger of parts of its roof collapsing.
The local fire chief in Nantes, Laurent Ferlay, said that the organ at the cathedral "appears to be completely destroyed," but that firefighters largely managed to avoid a full-on "Notre-Dame scenario." According to the mayor, they also avoided a grim encore of the 1972 fire at the St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral, which ravaged much of its roof and shut down church services there for some 13 years.
"We all have these images in mind, this story in our hearts," Rolland said Saturday, "but at this stage the situation does not seem to be comparable to that of 1972."
Still, prosecutor Pierre Sennes said authorities are looking into the fire as a potential crime.
"When we arrive at a place where a fire has taken place, when you see three separate fire outbreaks," he told reporters Saturday, according to the BBC, "it's a question of common sense — you open an investigation."
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said he plans to arrive in Nantes Saturday afternoon to inspect the damage, together with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin and Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot.
Begun in 1434, construction on the cathedral took nearly half a millennium to be completed. Not until 1891 was the structure formally inaugurated. By that time, the French government had already listed it as a historic monument for several decades.
In other words, the structure in its various forms has loomed over the city center for centuries and remains a popular tourist attraction as a model of Gothic architecture in western France.
"To the people of Nantes, whose emotion I share," Castex added, "I want to express my solidarity."


npr--2020-07-18--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

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

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


npr--2020-07-18--Tracking The Pandemic: Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State?

Tracking The Pandemic : Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State ?
More than 3.5 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 135,000 have died .
Though growth in new cases slowed in late spring , by mid-June new cases began to trend upward nationally .
In the graphics below , explore the trend in new cases in your state to see whether cases are rising , falling or staying level .
You can view the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , a curve chart and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case trends over the last three weeks .
Or to see states ' total cases and deaths on a map , click here .
The following chart displays states ' trends in new daily case counts , total cases , and per capita totals .
To compare state outbreaks , the trend lines for average new daily cases are graphed against each state 's total case count to date .
This highlights a state 's daily growth relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As cases slow , the curve levels or bends down .
In New York , site of the country 's largest outbreak , the state 's curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 800 per day in mid July .
Conversely , Florida peaked around 1,200 new cases per day on average in April , only to surge again to nearly 12,000 per day in mid-July Coronavirus case totals are much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the spring , a large share of U.S. cases were centered around New York City .
As of mid July , other large , populous states such as California , Florida and Texas have reached high totals as well .
Some other states such as Arizona and Louisiana show a heavy burden of infection relative to their population size .
Explore the map below to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both cases and deaths .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JHU team was able to reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

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


npr--2020-07-18--'Sleepy Joe'? Trump's Insult May Reveal Biden's Advantage

In the span of one day this week , President Trump gave an interview in which he defended the Confederate flag and delivered a speech from the Rose Garden in which he accused Joe Biden of trying to make office buildings too cold .
It generated just a few of the news cycles Trump dominates in any given week .
The same day , Biden held his only in-person event in the last seven days , in his hometown of Wilmington , Del .
`` I have to start by speaking about what millions of Americans know when they wake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said , trying to project a steady image amid soaring COVID-19 cases .
`` We 're still a country in crisis . ''
This is typical for Biden .
He rarely ventures beyond Delaware or Pennsylvania and rarely holds more than one or two in-person events a week .
He tries to offer advice about how to deal with the pandemic , not to be goaded by inflammatory tweets .
Occasionally , he rolls out a new plan about infrastructure or jobs .
Biden is not nearly as visible as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show he 's leading the president in every key battleground state : Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Arizona , North Carolina and Florida .
`` The Biden campaign is playing it as safe as possible , '' said Glen Bolger , a Republican pollster with Public Opinion Strategies .
`` Biden 's team feels like they 're ahead by a pretty sizable margin and they do n't want to be making any mistakes ...
They do n't want him to sort of lose his train of thought , and so they 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' By lying low , Bolger says , Biden can try to make sure this election is a referendum on the incumbent , as most reelection campaigns are .
`` There is nothing playing safe about what Joe Biden is doing , '' said Anita Dunn , a senior adviser with the Biden campaign .
`` What he is doing is showing people what kind of president he will be . ''
The Biden campaign admits that one of its most effective weapons against Trump is Trump himself , what he says and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their team is also trying to articulate the clear difference between these two candidates .
`` Our best counterprogramming with Donald Trump is to contrast Joe Biden 's leadership — his vision for the future , his steadiness , his experience to deal with crises — with what people are getting from their president right now , '' she added .
Democrats and Republicans agree the pandemic and the president 's response make the contrast between candidates feel sharper than it did in 2016 .
`` When he was just a candidate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him when he was just a reality TV show .
'Oh , look , he 's picked a Twitter war with Rosie O'Donnell . '
When you 're president and people are dying , picking a Twitter war with Bubba Wallace , the NASCAR driver , does n't save my mom 's life , '' said Democratic strategist Paul Begala .
He thinks dominating a news cycle is traditionally important , but says the difficulty for Trump right now is that he 's dominating it with `` incompetence . ''
`` Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has failed him in coronavirus .
It used to work all the time , it worked on me , '' added Begala , who in 2016 helped direct strategy for the main super PAC backing Hillary Clinton , Priorities USA .
Begala points out that in the last century , voters have fired only three elected presidents : Herbert Hoover , Jimmy Carter and George H.W .
Bush .
In all of those cases , he said , there came a point where people just stopped listening to the president and essentially gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's strategy is to let Trump fail , '' said Ari Fleischer , former press secretary to President George W. Bush .
`` Make Biden as small as possible , do n't make him an issue , do n't put him in a position to say 'You ai n't black ' to anybody else again , '' referring to a controversial comment that Biden made on the popular morning radio show The Breakfast Club .
Fleischer admits that part of what makes this current campaign challenging for Trump is that he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden .
In the last month , Biden held three public virtual events , seven in-person events , all in Delaware or Pennsylvania , and a total of six TV interviews .
That schedule is depriving Trump of the daily back-and-forth he craves , and Fleischer says Trump does n't know how to handle this low-key Biden .
For starters , Fleischer thinks the nickname `` sleepy Joe '' is off base .
`` With three-and-half years of President Trump being as red hot as he is , and with the COVID scare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which very well may be the antidote for many voters to the Trump era , '' Fleischer said The president has been trying out alternative names , like `` corrupt Joe , '' but Fleischer recommends painting Biden as `` weak . ''
He thinks the president should try to portray his opponent as old , prone to gaffes and someone who , even before the pandemic , did n't campaign as rigorously as some of his primary opponents did .
Republicans also feel that Biden is benefiting by being a generic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view , is relatively undefined with voters , despite being in public life for decades .
`` Once he gets more defined , some Republicans who are taking a look at him will probably return home , and some of the more conservative independents will as well , '' said Bolger .
Recent polls show Biden performing strongly with college-educated white voters , a demographic that for decades has favored the Republican Party .
For now , the candidate may be focused on a `` less is more '' strategy , but Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better positioned than it was was four years ago .
`` If you were to have parachuted in at this point in 2016 , I think you would have found there were probably around 20 people on the ground , '' said Lavora Barnes , chair of the Michigan Democratic Party .
`` The difference here is that we have about 160 people on the ground .
`` On the ground '' is figurative .
Nobody from the Biden campaign is knocking on doors , even though Trump campaign volunteers working with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's foolish , given the rising number of COVID-19 cases .
They think a lot of what Trump is doing is foolish , but they just do n't see a point in picking a fight over it .
`` I think there 's nothing wrong with following Napoleon 's maxim , which is , when your opponent is destroying himself , do n't interrupt , '' said Begala .

'Sleepy Joe'? Trump's Insult May Reveal Biden's Advantage
Enlarge this image toggle caption Matt Slocum/AP Matt Slocum/AP
In the span of one day this week, President Trump gave an interview in which he defended the Confederate flag and delivered a speech from the Rose Garden in which he accused Joe Biden of trying to make office buildings too cold.
It generated just a few of the news cycles Trump dominates in any given week.
The same day, Biden held his only in-person event in the last seven days, in his hometown of Wilmington, Del.
"I have to start by speaking about what millions of Americans know when they wake up with worry, anxiety and fear," he said, trying to project a steady image amid soaring COVID-19 cases. "We're still a country in crisis."
This is typical for Biden. He rarely ventures beyond Delaware or Pennsylvania and rarely holds more than one or two in-person events a week. He tries to offer advice about how to deal with the pandemic, not to be goaded by inflammatory tweets. Occasionally, he rolls out a new plan about infrastructure or jobs.
Biden is not nearly as visible as Trump, but polling averages from RealClearPolitics show he's leading the president in every key battleground state: Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona, North Carolina and Florida.
"The Biden campaign is playing it as safe as possible," said Glen Bolger, a Republican pollster with Public Opinion Strategies. "Biden's team feels like they're ahead by a pretty sizable margin and they don't want to be making any mistakes ... They don't want him to sort of lose his train of thought, and so they're trying to make it less risky."
By lying low, Bolger says, Biden can try to make sure this election is a referendum on the incumbent, as most reelection campaigns are.
"There is nothing playing safe about what Joe Biden is doing," said Anita Dunn, a senior adviser with the Biden campaign. "What he is doing is showing people what kind of president he will be."
The Biden campaign admits that one of its most effective weapons against Trump is Trump himself, what he says and how he acts. But Dunn says their team is also trying to articulate the clear difference between these two candidates.
"Our best counterprogramming with Donald Trump is to contrast Joe Biden's leadership — his vision for the future, his steadiness, his experience to deal with crises — with what people are getting from their president right now," she added.
Democrats and Republicans agree the pandemic and the president's response make the contrast between candidates feel sharper than it did in 2016.
"When he was just a candidate, people judged Trump the way they judged him when he was just a reality TV show. 'Oh, look, he's picked a Twitter war with Rosie O'Donnell.' When you're president and people are dying, picking a Twitter war with Bubba Wallace, the NASCAR driver, doesn't save my mom's life," said Democratic strategist Paul Begala.
He thinks dominating a news cycle is traditionally important, but says the difficulty for Trump right now is that he's dominating it with "incompetence."
"Trump's super power is diversion, and it has failed him in coronavirus. It used to work all the time, it worked on me," added Begala, who in 2016 helped direct strategy for the main super PAC backing Hillary Clinton, Priorities USA.
Begala points out that in the last century, voters have fired only three elected presidents: Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush. In all of those cases, he said, there came a point where people just stopped listening to the president and essentially gave up on him.
"I think Biden's strategy is to let Trump fail," said Ari Fleischer, former press secretary to President George W. Bush. "Make Biden as small as possible, don't make him an issue, don't put him in a position to say 'You ain't black' to anybody else again," referring to a controversial comment that Biden made on the popular morning radio show The Breakfast Club.
Fleischer admits that part of what makes this current campaign challenging for Trump is that he has a "shadow" opponent in Biden.
In the last month, Biden held three public virtual events, seven in-person events, all in Delaware or Pennsylvania, and a total of six TV interviews.
That schedule is depriving Trump of the daily back-and-forth he craves, and Fleischer says Trump doesn't know how to handle this low-key Biden.
For starters, Fleischer thinks the nickname "sleepy Joe" is off base.
"With three-and-half years of President Trump being as red hot as he is, and with the COVID scare underway, 'sleepy' also connotes calm, which very well may be the antidote for many voters to the Trump era," Fleischer said
The president has been trying out alternative names, like "corrupt Joe," but Fleischer recommends painting Biden as "weak." He thinks the president should try to portray his opponent as old, prone to gaffes and someone who, even before the pandemic, didn't campaign as rigorously as some of his primary opponents did.
Republicans also feel that Biden is benefiting by being a generic anti-Trump, someone who, in their view, is relatively undefined with voters, despite being in public life for decades. "Once he gets more defined, some Republicans who are taking a look at him will probably return home, and some of the more conservative independents will as well," said Bolger.
Recent polls show Biden performing strongly with college-educated white voters, a demographic that for decades has favored the Republican Party.
For now, the candidate may be focused on a "less is more" strategy, but Democrats say that their operation is bigger and better positioned than it was was four years ago.
"If you were to have parachuted in at this point in 2016, I think you would have found there were probably around 20 people on the ground," said Lavora Barnes, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. "The difference here is that we have about 160 people on the ground."
"On the ground" is figurative. Nobody from the Biden campaign is knocking on doors, even though Trump campaign volunteers working with the Republican Party have been.
Democrats say that's foolish, given the rising number of COVID-19 cases.
They think a lot of what Trump is doing is foolish, but they just don't see a point in picking a fight over it.
"I think there's nothing wrong with following Napoleon's maxim, which is, when your opponent is destroying himself, don't interrupt," said Begala.


npr--2020-07-19--Protests Grow On 52nd Night As Portland Responds To Federal Officers

Protests Grow On 52nd Night As Portland Responds To Federal Officers A large gathering of protesters turned out in Portland on Saturday for a 52nd straight night of demonstrations against police violence and racism .
Many of the protesters gathered at the Multnomah County Justice Center and the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse downtown .
Earlier in the day , a fence was erected around the federal courthouse .
By 9:45 p.m. , demonstrators began dismantling the fence and chanting slogans .
Federal officers have become an increased focus of protesters and Oregon lawmakers , as reports continue to surface @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to quell protests .
Just before 11 p.m. , federal officers emerged from the courthouse to drive demonstrators away from the building .
They deployed tear gas and other less-than-lethal munitions .
Some officers hit demonstrators with batons .
After the dispersal effort , officers returned to the building .
Some demonstrators then began to stack dismantled fencing against the doors and sides of the courthouse .
Meanwhile in North Portland , a second large group of demonstrators gathered and chanted outside the Portland Police Association building .
Protesters briefly broke into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Portland 's police union around 11 p.m. , according to reports from police .
Portland police said on Twitter the fire was extinguished shortly after it started .
City officers there rushed the crowd at one point , driving them from the area .
`` Officers were able to put out the fire inside the PPA office and have restored order in the neighborhood there , '' police said .
By midnight , demonstrators had regrouped near the Justice Center and listened to speeches about racial justice .
Some carried signs that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Others chanted , `` Out of your houses and into the streets . ''
`` Do not let our people get taken out here .
This is dangerous .
I do n't know why they have n't come out yet , '' said demonstrator Teal Lindseth , referring to federal officers .
`` Normally they would have .
And it 's because there 's a big a** group out here . ''

Protests Grow On 52nd Night As Portland Responds To Federal Officers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mason Trinca/Getty Images Mason Trinca/Getty Images
A large gathering of protesters turned out in Portland, Ore., on Saturday for a 52nd straight night of demonstrations against police violence and racism.
Many of the protesters gathered at the Multnomah County Justice Center and the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse downtown. Earlier in the day, a fence was erected around the federal courthouse. By 9:45 p.m., demonstrators began dismantling the fence and chanting slogans.
Federal officers have become an increased focus of protesters and Oregon lawmakers, as reports continue to surface of tactics they've used in attempts to quell protests.
Just before 11 p.m., federal officers emerged from the courthouse to drive demonstrators away from the building. They deployed tear gas and other less-than-lethal munitions. Some officers hit demonstrators with batons. After the dispersal effort, officers returned to the building.
Some demonstrators then began to stack dismantled fencing against the doors and sides of the courthouse.
Meanwhile in North Portland, a second large group of demonstrators gathered and chanted outside the Portland Police Association building. Protesters briefly broke into the building and set fire to the headquarters of Portland's police union around 11 p.m., according to reports from police. Portland police said on Twitter that the fire was extinguished shortly after it started.
City officers there rushed the crowd at one point, driving them from the area.
"Officers were able to put out the fire inside the PPA office and have restored order in the neighborhood there," police said.
By midnight, demonstrators had regrouped near the Justice Center and listened to speeches about racial justice.
Some carried signs that read, "Black Lives Matter." Others chanted, "Out of your houses and into the streets."
"Do not let our people get taken out here. This is dangerous. I don't know why they haven't come out yet," said demonstrator Teal Lindseth, referring to federal officers. "Normally they would have. And it's because there's a big a** group out here."


npr--2020-07-19--Kim Yo Jong, Sister Of North Korea's Ruler, Rises Through Ranks With Tough Rhetoric

Kim Yo Jong , Sister Of North Korea 's Ruler , Rises Through Ranks With Tough Rhetoric '' Rip apart the defectors , the traitors and the human trash , '' demonstrators wearing masks and standing in neat rows shouted at a rally in Nampo City , North Korea , last month , state media reported .
Similar demonstrations took place around the country last month , aiming to signal dismay at South Korea for allowing defectors to send propaganda leaflets over the border , often floated on balloons , to criticize North Korean leader Kim Jong Un .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North , one notable feature of these rallies is that they echo the harsh rhetoric of Kim Jong Un 's sister , Kim Yo Jong .
She is believed to be 32 and apparently in charge of the campaign against the defectors and their leaflets .
Kim Yo Jong is the first vice director of the Central Committee of the Workers ' Party of Korea .
Her political star has risen steadily since her brother took power in 2011 , leading to speculation that she could one day become the country 's first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plausible reasons for her recent elevation , analysts say , the traditional patriarchal nature of North Korean society will likely prevent her from advancing higher up the ranks .
`` She 's gone from being her brother 's proxy to his protocol assistant , to his eyes and ears , to a punisher , '' comments Kim Seung-chul , a defector who runs the Seoul-based North Korea Reform Radio , which broadcasts news into the North .
Kim Yo Jong was still in her 20s in 2011 when her father , Kim Jong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power .
Her debut on the international stage came in 2018 , when she acted as a special envoy at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang , South Korea , and met with the country 's president , Moon Jae-in .
In her most recent statement this month , she showed she remains involved in relations with the United States .
She voiced doubt about another summit between Kim Jong Un and President Trump this year .
But she left the door open to talks and insisted `` we do not have the slightest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. '' On some occasions , such as Kim-Trump summits in Singapore and Vietnam , she has appeared to act as her brother 's personal assistant , holding his pens and ashtrays .
On others , she has been seen watching her brother 's public events from the sidelines .
She has also reportedly managed her brother 's public image as an official in charge of propaganda .
Following the abortive Vietnam summit last year , Kim Yo Jong dropped from view for nearly two months .
Her rhetoric has recently grown harsher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she threatened to destroy an inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong , North Korea — a symbol of ties with the South .
Days later , the building was blown up .
In another statement , she assailed North Korean defectors as `` human scum little short of wild animals who betrayed their own homeland . ''
She described President Moon as an `` insane '' man who put his neck in `` the noose of the pro-U.S .
flunkyism . ''
Such language suggests that while her political status may have been upgraded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not , says Kim Seung-chul .
He also argues that Kim Yo Jong 's efforts to dismantle warmer ties with Seoul can not have been very popular at home .
Some North Korean elites , he says , had hopes that the détente would bring in badly needed South Korean investment and lead to better ties with Washington and an easing of sanctions .
`` To those in North Korea who still had a positive attitude toward cooperating with South Korea , [ Kim Yo Jong 's actions ] are a huge disappointment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the younger sister 's rise to what many now see as the de facto No .
2 position in the Kim regime has historical precedent and political logic behind it .
`` There is nothing unusual about , say , a sibling of the current leader to be his second in command .
It 's actually a very well-established tradition of the Kim family , '' says professor Andrei Lankov , a North Korea expert at Kookmin University in Seoul .
He notes that the current leader 's father Kim Jong Il was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 1990s .
Kim Yo Jong 's new role was necessitated by her brother 's disappearance this spring , Lankov says , apparently due to an unknown illness .
By one estimate , Kim has made only seven public appearances from April through June , compared to 46 in the same period last year .
`` This makes it more necessary for him to have a trusted deputy , '' Lankov says .
`` And this person has to come from , if you like , the royal family , and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shortage of adults . ''
The ruling Kim clan is known in North Korea as the `` Mount Paektu bloodline , '' a reference to the mountain on the country 's border with China where North Korea claims Kim Jong Il was born and his father fought the Japanese .
`` In many regards , North Korea is similar to the European societies of late medieval and early modern days .
It is essentially a monarchy , '' Lankov says , in which family members are more trusted than other elites .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yo Jong to rise so high in North Korean politics , despite a bias against women in power , where traditional attitudes are summed up in the Korean maxim , `` if the hen cries , the household will be ruined . ''
The saying , used in both Koreas , suggests that when women speak up or take charge , no good will come of it .
`` The North Korean system is fundamentally patriarchal , '' says Lim Soon-hee , an expert on women in North Korea , now retired from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a government think tank in Seoul .
`` The government tells the people that they form one big socialist family , '' she adds .
The father of this metaphorical family , she explains , is Kim Jong Un .
The mother is the ruling Workers ' Party .
The children are the North Korean people .
And the father 's authority is unchallenged .
North Korea , she points out , went from being part of the 1392-1910 Choson Dynasty , to a colony of the Japanese empire from 1910-1945 , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upholds equality of the sexes , the North , unlike the South , never had a strong civil society or government agencies designed to improve women 's place in society .
As a result , `` the social atmosphere is that women are inferior to men .
Women themselves would never dare to compare themselves to men , '' she says .
This is why she believes Kim Yo Jong 's most likely future role is not that of successor , but instead , a regent or caretaker , until the leader 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Lim says Kim Jong Un reportedly has three small children , who are too young to rule .
Even if Kim Yo Jong were to take power , Lim argues , North Korea 's conservative military would never accept it .
`` Kim Yo Jong herself would not hope to be a successor , although she may have a strong will to acquire greater practical power , '' Lim concludes .
`` She is smart enough to know that it would n't be easy for a woman . ''
Se Eun Gong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Seoul .

Kim Yo Jong, Sister Of North Korea's Ruler, Rises Through Ranks With Tough Rhetoric
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jorge Silva/AFP via Getty Images Jorge Silva/AFP via Getty Images
"Rip apart the defectors, the traitors and the human trash," demonstrators wearing masks and standing in neat rows shouted at a rally in Nampo, North Korea, last month, state media reported.
Similar demonstrations took place around the country last month, aiming to signal dismay at South Korea for allowing defectors to send propaganda leaflets, often floated on balloons, over the border to criticize North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
While government-organized demonstrations are not unusual in the North, one notable feature of these rallies is that they echo the harsh rhetoric of Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong. She is believed to be 32 and apparently in charge of the campaign against the defectors and their leaflets.
Kim Yo Jong is the first vice director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
Her political star has risen steadily since her brother took power in 2011, leading to speculation that she could one day become the country's first female ruler. But while there are plausible reasons for her recent elevation, analysts say, the traditional patriarchal nature of North Korean society will likely prevent her from advancing higher up the ranks.
"She's gone from being her brother's proxy to his protocol assistant, to his eyes and ears, to a punisher," comments Kim Seung-chul, a defector who runs the Seoul, South Korea-based North Korea Reform Radio, which broadcasts news into the North.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP Pyongyang Press Corps Pool via AP
Olympic debut
Kim Yo Jong was still in her 20s in 2011 when her father, Kim Jong Il, died and her brother took power.
Her debut on the international stage came in 2018, when she acted as a special envoy at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and met with the country's president, Moon Jae-in.
In her most recent statement this month, she showed that she remains involved in relations with the United States. She voiced doubt about a summit between Kim Jong Un and President Trump this year. But she left the door open to talks and insisted, "We do not have the slightest intention to pose a threat to the U.S."
On some occasions, such as Kim-Trump summits in Singapore and Vietnam, she has appeared to act as her brother's personal assistant, holding his pens and ashtrays. On others, she has been seen watching her brother's public events from the sidelines. She has also reportedly managed her brother's public image as an official in charge of propaganda.
Following the abortive Vietnam summit last year, Kim Yo Jong dropped from view for nearly two months.
Tough threats and insults
Her rhetoric has recently grown harsher. In a statement last month, she threatened to destroy an inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, North Korea — a symbol of ties with the South. Days later, the building was blown up.
In another statement, she assailed North Korean defectors as "human scum little short of wild animals who betrayed their own homeland." She described Moon, the South Korean president, as an "insane" man who put his neck in "the noose of the pro-U.S. flunkyism."
Such language suggests that while her political status may have been upgraded, her political acumen and maturity have not, says Kim Seung-chul.
He also argues that Kim Yo Jong's efforts to dismantle warmer ties with Seoul cannot have been very popular at home. Some North Korean elites, he says, had hopes that the détente would bring in badly needed South Korean investment and lead to better ties with Washington and an easing of sanctions.
"To those in North Korea who still had a positive attitude toward cooperating with South Korea, [Kim Yo Jong's actions] are a huge disappointment," Kim Seung-chul says.
But the younger sister's rise to what many now see as the de facto No. 2 position in the Kim regime has historical precedent and political logic behind it.
"There is nothing unusual about, say, a sibling of the current leader to be his second in command. It's actually a very well-established tradition of the Kim family," says professor Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert at Kookmin University in Seoul. He notes that the current leader's father, Kim Jong Il, was assisted by his sister during his rule in the 1990s.
Kim Yo Jong's new role was necessitated by her brother's disappearance this spring, Lankov says, apparently because of an unknown illness. By one estimate, Kim Jon Un has made only seven public appearances from April through June, compared with 46 in the same period last year.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Handout/Getty Images Handout/Getty Images
"This makes it more necessary for him to have a trusted deputy," Lankov says. "And this person has to come from, if you like, the royal family, and in the ruling clan, they have now a shortage of adults."
"Big socialist family"
The ruling Kim clan is known in North Korea as the "Mount Paektu bloodline," a reference to the mountain on the country's border with China where North Korea claims Kim Jong Il was born and his father fought the Japanese.
"In many regards, North Korea is similar to the European societies of late medieval and early modern days. It is essentially a monarchy," Lankov says, in which family members are more trusted than other elites.
That bloodline is what allows Kim Yo Jong to rise so high in North Korean politics, despite a bias against women in power in a country where traditional attitudes are summed up in the Korean maxim "If the hen cries, the household will be ruined." The saying, used in both Koreas, suggests that when women speak up or take charge, no good will come of it.
"The North Korean system is fundamentally patriarchal," says Lim Soon-hee, an expert on women in North Korea who is now retired from the Korea Institute for National Unification, a government think tank in Seoul.
"The government tells the people that they form one big socialist family," she adds. The father of this metaphorical family, she explains, is Kim Jong Un. The mother is the ruling Workers' Party. The children are the North Korean people. And the father's authority is unchallenged.
North Korea, she points out, went from being part of the 1392-1910 Choson dynasty to being a colony of the Japanese Empire from 1910 to 1945, to becoming a dictatorship. Although its socialist rhetoric upholds equality of the sexes, the North, unlike the South, never had a strong civil society or government agencies designed to improve women's place in society.
As a result, "the social atmosphere is that women are inferior to men. Women themselves would never dare to compare themselves to men," she says.
This is why she believes Kim Yo Jong's most likely future role is not that of successor but, instead, a regent or caretaker until the leader's son is old enough to take over. Lim says Kim Jong Un reportedly has three small children who are too young to rule.
Even if Kim Yo Jong were to take power, Lim argues, North Korea's conservative military would never accept it.
"Kim Yo Jong herself would not hope to be a successor, although she may have a strong will to acquire greater practical power," Lim concludes. "She is smart enough to know that it wouldn't be easy for a woman."
Se Eun Gong and Ha-Kyung Kim contributed to this story in Seoul, South Korea.


npr--2020-07-19--Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Never Gave Up Or Gave In

Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Never Gave Up Or Gave In Audio will be available later today .
Longtime Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis has died after a battle with stage four pancreatic cancer .
He was 80 years old .
The son of Alabama sharecroppers , Lewis was a central figure in the key civil rights battles of the 1960s , including the Freedom Rides and the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march .
Lewis considered his native Alabama hallowed ground because of the blood shed there in pursuit of a transformation of America .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delegations on annual pilgrimages to major civil rights sites in the state .
On a 1996 trip , Lewis introduced his colleagues to the Rev .
Fred Shuttlesworth , a now-deceased leader of the Birmingham movement .
Together , the two sang the old freedom song `` I ai n't afraid of your jails . ''
`` And they were n't either , '' Shuttlesworth said .
`` Dr. King was speaking to me '' Lewis was arrested more than 40 times protesting segregation .
He was involved in lunch counter sit-ins ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington .
`` We 're tired of being beaten by policeman .
We 're tired of seeing our people locked up in jail over and over again , '' the 23-year-old Lewis said in a speech at the Lincoln Memorial .
`` We want our freedom and we want it now ! ''
In a 1998 interview with NPR , Lewis described being attracted to the movement as a teenager when he first heard about the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking to me and for me and for so many other people who wanted to find a way to get involved in an effort to end racial segregation and discrimination across the South , '' he said .
Lewis grew up on a farm in rural southeast Alabama , where his job was to tend to the chicken coops .
He 'd faced discrimination as a matter of course , often telling the story of how the public library in Troy , Ala. , denied him a library card because of his race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Lewis was in college at Fisk University , where he received a bachelor 's degree in Religion and Philosophy .
He became a leader in SNCC – the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee — and was part of a group of young activists studying the philosophy of nonviolence .
`` Some of us came to the conclusion that means and ends are inseparable , '' he said .
`` If we are going to create the Beloved Community , an open society , if that is our goal , then the means and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent with the goal , with the end we seek . ''
Lewis said it became both a tactic , and a way of living .
`` You never become bitter , '' Lewis said .
`` You never become hostile .
You never try to demean your opposition . ''
He stuck by that creed even in the most brutal of circumstances .
Most notably , as a co-leader of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march .
Sheriffs ' deputies and state troopers attacked the peaceful protesters as they tried to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alabama River on March 7 , 1965 .
Standing on the bridge 50 years later , Lewis described facing a `` sea of blue '' in an interview with NPR .
`` They came forward , beating us with nightsticks , tramping us with horses , releasing the tear gas , '' Lewis recounted .
`` I was hit in the head by a state trooper with a night stick .
My legs went from under me .
I thought I was going to die . ''
Known as Bloody Sunday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outrage that ultimately led to passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act .
At commemorative events in 2015 , his sister , Rosa Tyner described being a little girl and watching her brother on the television news .
`` My parents would be back at home praying for him , '' Tyner said .
`` Now to see the results of all that .
My parents have gone on , but if there is any way they are looking down — all the ancestors — they are very proud of him today .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to cross '' Lewis served on the Atlanta city council before being elected to Congress in 1986 .
He rose in Democratic Party ranks to senior chief deputy whip , and became known as `` the conscience of the Congress . ''
Lewis was also a critically acclaimed author .
His graphic novel trilogy March won a national book award .
During the 2008 presidential primary , Lewis sparked controversy when he abandoned his long-standing endorsement of Sen. Hilary Clinton .
`` As a superdelegate to the Democratic Convention next summer , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama , '' he said at the time .
Later , he helped usher passage of President Obama 's Affordable Health Care Act in the House , and Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom .
In 2016 , Lewis actively campaigned for Democrat Hillary Clinton , and after she lost , he refused to attend President Trump 's inauguration , citing Russian interference in the election .
`` I do n't see the president-elect as a legitimate president , '' he said on NBC 's Meet the Press .
Lewis was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general , saying at a congressional hearing , `` We need someone as attorney general who is going to look out for all of us , not just some of us . ''
His fighting spirit never waned , even in the face of advanced pancreatic cancer .
`` I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community , '' he said in a statement revealing his diagnosis in December 2019 .
`` We still have many bridges to cross . ''
Three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was confronting the coronavirus pandemic , Lewis made a surprise appearance at a reenactment of the bridge crossing in Selma in March 2020 .
`` I 'm not going to give up , '' he said .
`` I 'm not going to give in . ''
Surrounded by a crowd of marchers , Lewis urged younger generations to take up the mantle to `` help redeem the soul of America . ''
`` Keep the faith , '' he said .
`` Keep our eyes on the prize .
We must go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever voted before . ''

Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Never Gave Up Or Gave In
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rick Diamond/Getty Images Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Civil rights icon and longtime Georgia Congressman John Lewis has died after a battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old.
The son of Alabama sharecroppers, Lewis was a central figure in the key civil rights battles of the 1960s, including the Freedom Rides and the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march.
Lewis considered his native Alabama hallowed ground because of the blood shed there in pursuit of a transformation of America. For decades, the Democrat led bipartisan congressional delegations on annual pilgrimages to major civil rights sites in the state.
On a 1996 trip, Lewis introduced his colleagues to the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, a now-deceased leader of the Birmingham movement.
Together, the two sang the old freedom song "I ain't afraid of your jails."
"And they weren't either," Shuttlesworth said.
"Dr. King was speaking to me"
Lewis was arrested more than 40 times protesting segregation. He was involved in lunch counter sit-ins; freedom rides on interstate buses; and he was the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington.
"We're tired of being beaten by policeman. We're tired of seeing our people locked up in jail over and over again," the 23-year-old Lewis said in a speech at the Lincoln Memorial. "We want our freedom and we want it now!"
YouTube
In a 1998 interview with NPR, Lewis described being attracted to the movement as a teenager when he first heard about the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.
"I knew then that Dr. King was speaking to me and for me and for so many other people who wanted to find a way to get involved in an effort to end racial segregation and discrimination across the South," he said.
"Means and ends are inseparable"
Lewis grew up on a farm in rural southeast Alabama, where his job was to tend to the chicken coops. He'd faced discrimination as a matter of course, often telling the story of how the public library in Troy, Ala., denied him a library card because of his race.
His activism started in Nashville, when Lewis was in college at Fisk University, where he received a bachelor's degree in Religion and Philosophy. He became a leader in SNCC — the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee — and was part of a group of young activists studying the philosophy of nonviolence.
"Some of us came to the conclusion that means and ends are inseparable," he said. "If we are going to create the Beloved Community, an open society, if that is our goal, then the means and methods by which we struggle must be consistent with the goal, with the end we seek."
Lewis said it became both a tactic, and a way of living.
"You never become bitter," Lewis said. "You never become hostile. You never try to demean your opposition."
He stuck by that creed even in the most brutal of circumstances. Most notably, as a co-leader of the Selma to Montgomery voting rights march.
Sheriffs' deputies and state troopers attacked the peaceful protesters as they tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River on March 7, 1965.
Standing on the bridge 50 years later, Lewis described facing a "sea of blue" in an interview with NPR.
"They came forward, beating us with nightsticks, tramping us with horses, releasing the tear gas," Lewis recounted. "I was hit in the head by a state trooper with a night stick. My legs went from under me. I thought I was going to die."
Known as Bloody Sunday, the incident received international news coverage, sparking outrage that ultimately led to passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Enlarge this image toggle caption William Lovelace/Getty Images William Lovelace/Getty Images
At commemorative events in 2015, his sister, Rosa Tyner described being a little girl and watching her brother on the television news.
"My parents would be back at home praying for him," Tyner said. "Now to see the results of all that. My parents have gone on, but if there is any way they are looking down — all the ancestors — they are very proud of him today."
"We still have many bridges to cross"
Lewis served on the Atlanta city council before being elected to Congress in 1986. He rose in Democratic Party ranks to senior chief deputy whip, and became known as "the conscience of the Congress." Lewis was also a critically acclaimed author. His graphic novel trilogy March won a national book award.
During the 2008 presidential primary, Lewis sparked controversy when he abandoned his long-standing endorsement of Sen. Hillary Clinton.
"As a superdelegate to the Democratic Convention next summer, I will be casting my vote for Barack Obama," he said at the time.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
Later, he helped usher passage of President Obama's Affordable Health Care Act in the House, and Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2016, Lewis actively campaigned for Democrat Hillary Clinton, and after she lost, he refused to attend President Trump's inauguration, citing Russian interference in the election.
"I don't see the president-elect as a legitimate president," he said on NBC's Meet the Press.
Lewis was critical of Trump's nomination of former Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general, saying at a congressional hearing, "We need someone as attorney general who is going to look out for all of us, not just some of us."
Movie Interviews 'John Lewis: Good Trouble' Documents Civil Rights Leader's Human Side 'John Lewis: Good Trouble' Documents Civil Rights Leader's Human Side Listen · 8:34 8:34
His fighting spirit never waned, even in the face of advanced pancreatic cancer.
"I am going to fight it and keep fighting for the Beloved Community," he said in a statement revealing his diagnosis in December 2019. "We still have many bridges to cross."
Three months later, even as the nation was confronting the coronavirus pandemic, Lewis made a surprise appearance at a reenactment of the bridge crossing in Selma in March 2020.
"I'm not going to give up," he said. "I'm not going to give in."
Surrounded by a crowd of marchers, Lewis urged younger generations to take up the mantle to "help redeem the soul of America."
"Keep the faith," he said. "Keep our eyes on the prize. We must go out and vote like we've never ever voted before."


npr--2020-07-19--International Students Can Study In The US This Fall — If They Can Get Here

International Students Can Study In The US This Fall — If They Can Get Here There 's a lot Andy Tu was looking forward to as a freshman at Claremont McKenna College , a small private college in California .
He imagined having intellectual debates on the quad and meeting `` highly motivated , open-minded friends . ''
Coming from an environment that 's `` intolerant of unconventional ideas , '' he says he was looking forward to being able to express himself freely on campus .
He 'd even been daydreaming about learning how to surf .
But every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shanghai , he feels like that iconic American freshman year is slipping further and further away .
`` This uncertainty is making me anxious , '' he says , `` I 'm really concerned . ''
Due to the pandemic , many international students who are starting a graduate program or their freshman year , like Tu , face a series of hurdles — travel restrictions , limited flights and closed U.S. consulate offices — that make it incredibly difficult to start the fall semester at U.S. colleges .
That 's despite a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Customs Enforcement agreed to allow international students to stay in the country even if their schools opted for online-only learning in the fall .
The biggest hurdle for students like Tu is acquiring a student visa .
U.S. consulate offices , where students go for an in-person interview , are closed — it 's unclear when they 'll reopen .
Tu has heard that he may not be able to get a visa until October in Shanghai .
Even if he can get a visa , travel restrictions will make it difficult for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S .
The State Department has currently barred travelers coming directly from China .
`` The travel restrictions mean I would need at least a month , '' he explains , `` I would quarantine in Japan for two weeks and then the U.S. for two weeks . ''
Still , he 's holding out hope , keeping an eye on flights , even though he knows he 's probably searching in vain .
`` There is not much of a chance I can get on campus by late August or September , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. from all over the world , but China and India send the most .
In 2019 , there were more than 350,000 Chinese international students in U.S. colleges and universities .
And because they often pay full-tuition , that translates to big money for schools : international students studying in the U.S. contributed $ 41 billion during the 2018-2019 academic year , according to an economic analysis by NAFSA : Association of International Educators .
Colleges are bracing for the possibility that their students wo n't make it to campus .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ international students is projected to decline 63 % to 98 % from last year .
In the worst case scenario , that means the U.S. would admit the lowest level of new international students since just after World War II , when the U.S. first started tracking these numbers .
The Trump administration said last week that students coming from Europe are exempt from the current travel ban to the U.S. , but it 's unclear the impact that will have on enrollment , given that no European country is represented on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international students .
Florida International University , a public school in Miami which enrolls thousands of students from more than 140 countries , is getting creative with their virtual offerings for international students.. `` We 're working with many of those students to keep them engaged , '' says Dr. Pablo G. Ortiz , FIU 's vice president for regional and world locations .
The school is hoping to keep those students interested and connected enough to the institution through the fall , that they 'll still pursue an `` in-person experience in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he expects a significant drop in enrollment come fall , especially for FIU 's graduate programs .
`` Optimistically , I 'd love to say that with our menu of offerings and our online programing , that we can sustain our numbers , but we do expect it to take a hit , '' he says .
With weeks left before the first day of school , there are few options for international students trying to enter the U.S .
They could stay enrolled in their U.S. colleges and take classes remotely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenges will make that impossible ; he ca n't imagine being awake for a seminar at 2 a.m , potentially keeping his family up too .
He says that all the activities planned outside of class , like orientation or networking events would also be a challenges — it 's hard to make friends over video chat .
A second option is to take the year off and try again next year ( what some call a gap year ) but in many cases that means students must start the visa application process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considered enrolling in a local program at a university in China .
He says he wants the support of his U.S. institution , before he pays for any classes .
He 's proposed a partnership to Claremont — with hopes of staying enrolled there , while taking classes and using resources like the library , locally .
Ultimately it may be the case that an in-person fall is a fallacy for all students , not just an impossible feat for those living abroad .
More and more colleges have scaled back or reversed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Claremont McKenna College , where Andy Tu was set to enroll , is weighing that transition now , according to the college .
So in the end , there may be no new surfing skills or robust debates on the campus green for anyone .

International Students Can Study In The U.S. This Fall — If They Can Get Here
Enlarge this image LA Johnson/NPR LA Johnson/NPR
There's a lot Andy Tu was looking forward to as a freshman at Claremont McKenna College, a small private college in California. He imagined having intellectual debates on the quad and meeting "highly motivated, open-minded friends." Coming from an environment that's "intolerant of unconventional ideas," he says he was looking forward to being able to express himself freely on campus. He'd even been daydreaming about learning how to surf.
But every morning he wakes up at home in Shanghai, he feels like that iconic American freshman year is slipping further and further away.
"This uncertainty is making me anxious," he says, "I'm really concerned."
Due to the pandemic, many international students who are starting a graduate program or their freshman year, like Tu, face a series of hurdles — travel restrictions, limited flights and closed U.S. consulate offices — that make it incredibly difficult to start the fall semester at U.S. colleges. That's despite a reprieve last week, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agreed to allow international students to stay in the country even if their schools opted for online-only learning in the fall.
The biggest hurdle for students like Tu is acquiring a student visa. U.S. consulate offices, where students go for an in-person interview, are closed — it's unclear when they'll reopen. Tu has heard that he may not be able to get a visa until October in Shanghai. Even if he can get a visa, travel restrictions will make it difficult for him to make his way to the U.S. The State Department has currently barred travelers coming directly from China. "The travel restrictions mean I would need at least a month," he explains, "I would quarantine in Japan for two weeks and then the U.S. for two weeks."
Still, he's holding out hope, keeping an eye on flights, even though he knows he's probably searching in vain. "There is not much of a chance I can get on campus by late August or September," Tu says.
Students come to the U.S. from all over the world, but China and India send the most. In 2019, there were more than 350,000 Chinese international students in U.S. colleges and universities. And because they often pay full-tuition, that translates to big money for schools: international students studying in the U.S. contributed $41 billion during the 2018-2019 academic year, according to an economic analysis by NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
Colleges are bracing for the possibility that their students won't make it to campus. One recent analysis estimates enrollment for new international students is projected to decline 63% to 98% from last year. In the worst case scenario, that means the U.S. would admit the lowest level of new international students since just after World War II, when the U.S. first started tracking these numbers. The Trump administration said last week that students coming from Europe are exempt from the current travel ban to the U.S., but it's unclear the impact that will have on enrollment, given that no European country is represented on the top 10 list of origin countries for international students.
Florida International University, a public school in Miami which enrolls thousands of students from more than 140 countries, is getting creative with their virtual offerings for international students.. "We're working with many of those students to keep them engaged," says Dr. Pablo G. Ortiz, FIU's vice president for regional and world locations. The school is hoping to keep those students interested and connected enough to the institution through the fall, that they'll still pursue an "in-person experience in the spring semester."
Still, he expects a significant drop in enrollment come fall, especially for FIU's graduate programs. "Optimistically, I'd love to say that with our menu of offerings and our online programing, that we can sustain our numbers, but we do expect it to take a hit," he says.
With weeks left before the first day of school, there are few options for international students trying to enter the U.S. They could stay enrolled in their U.S. colleges and take classes remotely. Andy Tu is worried that time zone challenges will make that impossible; he can't imagine being awake for a seminar at 2 a.m, potentially keeping his family up too. He says that all the activities planned outside of class, like orientation or networking events would also be a challenges — it's hard to make friends over video chat. A second option is to take the year off and try again next year (what some call a gap year) but in many cases that means students must start the visa application process all over again. Tu has also considered enrolling in a local program at a university in China. He says he wants the support of his U.S. institution, before he pays for any classes. He's proposed a partnership to Claremont — with hopes of staying enrolled there, while taking classes and using resources like the library, locally.
Ultimately it may be the case that an in-person fall is a fallacy for all students, not just an impossible feat for those living abroad. More and more colleges have scaled back or reversed their decision to hold in-person classes. Claremont McKenna College, where Andy Tu was set to enroll, is weighing that transition now, according to the college. So in the end, there may be no new surfing skills or robust debates on the campus green for anyone.