npr--2020-11-21--G-20 Summit Opens With Calls For United Response To Pandemic

G-20 Summit Opens With Calls For United Response To Pandemic This year 's G-20 summit began Saturday with a call for world leaders to mount a united response to the coronavirus pandemic .
In opening remarks , King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia , which hosted the virtual two-day meeting , applauded initiatives by G-20 nations to invest $ 21 billion in global efforts to combat the pandemic and $ 11 trillion to bolster the global economy .
King Salman urged leaders to expand efforts to provide access to vaccines and treatments , as well as buoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic impacts of COVID-19 .
`` We have a duty to rise to the challenge together during this summit and give a strong message of hope and reassurance to our peoples through adopting policies to mitigate this crisis , '' King Salman said in his remarks .
Alongside the main summit , world leaders met for a side event called `` Pandemic Preparedness and Response . ''
Other leaders reiterated King Salman 's sentiments for a concerted response to the effects of the pandemic .
`` The only effective response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one , based on solidarity , '' said French President Emmanuel Macron .
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the pandemic `` a global challenge '' that could `` only be overcome with a global effort . ''
This is the second time this year that the G-20 has met virtually to discuss the pandemic .
Back in March , The Associated Press reports , leaders held an emergency meeting as the pandemic began to take hold .
This time around , as G-20 leaders meet , countries around the globe are seeing surges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approaching 58 million , according to Johns Hopkins University .
Governments have reimposed lockdowns and curfews .
The World Health Organization said Friday that more cases have been reported in the past four weeks than the first six months of the pandemic .
At least three of the participants in this year 's summit had been diagnosed with the virus : British Prime Minister Boris Johnson , Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and President Trump .
A day ahead of the summit , U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said another $ 28 billion would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distribute coronavirus vaccines around the globe .
Guterres called on G-20 nations to join the international initiative to distribute vaccines worldwide , called COVAX .
President Trump declined to join COVAX .
President-elect Joe Biden has not said whether he will join it .
In a statement , the White House said Trump highlighted to his fellow world leaders at the G-20 summit that the U.S. had `` marshaled every resource at its disposal to respond to the crisis . ''

G-20 Summit Opens With Calls For United Response To Pandemic
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yves Herman/Pool via AP Yves Herman/Pool via AP
This year's G-20 summit began Saturday with a call for world leaders to mount a united response to the coronavirus pandemic.
In opening remarks, King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, which hosted the virtual two-day meeting, applauded initiatives by G-20 nations to invest $21 billion in global efforts to combat the pandemic and $11 trillion to bolster the global economy.
King Salman urged leaders to expand efforts to provide access to vaccines and treatments, as well as buoy the economies of developing nations wracked by the economic impacts of COVID-19.
"We have a duty to rise to the challenge together during this summit and give a strong message of hope and reassurance to our peoples through adopting policies to mitigate this crisis," King Salman said in his remarks.
Alongside the main summit, world leaders met for a side event called "Pandemic Preparedness and Response." Other leaders reiterated King Salman's sentiments for a concerted response to the effects of the pandemic.
"The only effective response to the pandemic will be a coordinated, global one, based on solidarity," said French President Emmanuel Macron. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called the pandemic "a global challenge" that could "only be overcome with a global effort."
This is the second time this year that the G-20 has met virtually to discuss the pandemic. Back in March, The Associated Press reports, leaders held an emergency meeting as the pandemic began to take hold.
This time around, as G-20 leaders meet, countries around the globe are seeing surges in new infections, with confirmed cases approaching 58 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. Governments have reimposed lockdowns and curfews.
The World Health Organization said Friday that more cases have been reported in the past four weeks than the first six months of the pandemic.
At least three of the participants in this year's summit had been diagnosed with the virus: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and President Trump.
A day ahead of the summit, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said another $28 billion would be required to mass manufacture, procure and distribute coronavirus vaccines around the globe.
Guterres called on G-20 nations to join the international initiative to distribute vaccines worldwide, called COVAX. President Trump declined to join COVAX. President-elect Joe Biden has not said whether he will join it.
In a statement, the White House said Trump highlighted to his fellow world leaders at the G-20 summit that the U.S. had "marshaled every resource at its disposal to respond to the crisis."


npr--2020-11-21--Jonathan Pollard, Who Sold Cold War Secrets To Israel, Completes Parole

One of the most prolific spies in modern American history , who delivered hundreds of classified American documents to Israeli intelligence during the waning years of the Cold War , is now a free man .
The Justice Department announced Friday that former Navy intelligence analyst and convicted spy Jonathan Pollard has completed his parole .
Pollard 's attorneys say the 66-year-old plans move to Israel .
As a young analyst in the mid-'80s , Pollard said he had evidence that the U.S. was withholding information from its close ally , Israel .
Recruited by an Israeli intelligence officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Israelis , in exchange for gifts and thousands of dollars a month .
About a year-and-a-half into his espionage , Pollard was arrested while trying to gain asylum at the Israeli Embassy in Washington , and he later pleaded guilty in order to avoid a trial .
But the damage was done ; the top-secret leaks included satellite photos and information about Soviet weaponry .
Pollard is the the only American who has ever been sentenced to life in prison for spying on behalf of an ally .
The case strained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 years since Pollard 's arrest — and five years to the day since he was released from prison — the U.S. Justice Department has announced that Pollard has completed his parole , and is free to leave the country .
After reviewing his case , the department 's Parole Commission said Friday there was `` no evidence to conclude that he is likely to violate the law , '' The Associated Press reported .
As conditions of Pollard 's parole , he faced a curfew , had to wear a monitor that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on which jobs he could take .
All restrictions have now been lifted , his lawyers Eliot Lauer and Jacques Semmelman said in a statement .
`` We are grateful and delighted that our client is finally free of any restrictions , and is now a free man in all respects , '' the statement said .
`` We look forward to seeing our client in Israel . ''
Israel granted Pollard citizenship in 1995 , about eight years into his prison sentence .
Israel had sought clemency for Pollard , but then-President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he `` welcomes '' the end of Pollard 's restrictions .
`` For many years the Prime Minister has been committed to , and consistently worked towards , securing Pollard 's release , '' the prime minister tweeted .
`` The Prime Minister hopes to see Jonathan Pollard in Israel soon , and together with all Israelis , extends his best wishes to him and his wife Esther , '' he added .

Jonathan Pollard, Who Sold Cold War Secrets To Israel, Completes Parole
Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images
One of the most prolific spies in modern American history, who delivered hundreds of classified American documents to Israeli intelligence during the waning years of the Cold War, is now a free man.
The Justice Department announced Friday that former Navy intelligence analyst and convicted spy Jonathan Pollard has completed his parole. Pollard's attorneys say the 66-year-old plans move to Israel.
As a young analyst in the mid-'80s, Pollard said he had evidence that the U.S. was withholding information from its close ally, Israel. Recruited by an Israeli intelligence officer, Pollard spent the next year delivering intel to the Israelis, in exchange for gifts and thousands of dollars a month.
About a year-and-a-half into his espionage, Pollard was arrested while trying to gain asylum at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, and he later pleaded guilty in order to avoid a trial. But the damage was done; the top-secret leaks included satellite photos and information about Soviet weaponry.
Pollard is the the only American who has ever been sentenced to life in prison for spying on behalf of an ally. The case strained U.S.-Israeli relations for years.
Now, 35 years since Pollard's arrest — and five years to the day since he was released from prison — the U.S. Justice Department has announced that Pollard has completed his parole, and is free to leave the country. After reviewing his case, the department's Parole Commission said Friday there was "no evidence to conclude that he is likely to violate the law," The Associated Press reported.
As conditions of Pollard's parole, he faced a curfew, had to wear a monitor that tracked his location, and had restrictions on which jobs he could take. All restrictions have now been lifted, his lawyers Eliot Lauer and Jacques Semmelman said in a statement. "We are grateful and delighted that our client is finally free of any restrictions, and is now a free man in all respects," the statement said. "We look forward to seeing our client in Israel."
Israel granted Pollard citizenship in 1995, about eight years into his prison sentence. Israel had sought clemency for Pollard, but then-President Bill Clinton denied that request.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he "welcomes" the end of Pollard's restrictions. "For many years the Prime Minister has been committed to, and consistently worked towards, securing Pollard's release," the prime minister tweeted.
"The Prime Minister hopes to see Jonathan Pollard in Israel soon, and together with all Israelis, extends his best wishes to him and his wife Esther," he added.


npr--2020-11-21--U.S. Passes 12 Million Confirmed Coronavirus Cases

Cases of COVID-19 are rising at an alarming rate in nearly every state as the nation approaches Thanksgiving .
The cumulative case count passed 12 million on Saturday , six days after the previous million mark was crossed , which was six days after the previous million .
On Friday alone , there were more than 195,000 new confirmed cases and 1,878 deaths reported , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
More than 255,000 people have died in total , as of Saturday afternoon .
And more than 1,000 hospitals , across all 50 states , Washington , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are `` critically '' short on staff , according to the Department of Health and Human Services .
And that number is expected to increase after the holidays .
To avoid an even starker increase in the spread of the virus , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging people to not travel for Thanksgiving at all .
The CDC says Thanksgiving should be spent only with people actively living in your own household for at least 14 days before the holiday , advice many medical professionals are echoing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting and spreading COVID-19 , '' the CDC said on Thursday .
`` Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year . ''
Meanwhile , two COVID-19 vaccines appear to be highly effective .
The first , created by pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its partner BioNTech , is reported as being 95 % effective .
The second , created by the biotech company Moderna Inc. , has been reported as being 94.5 % effective .
On Friday , Pfizer formally asked the Food and Drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use .
Moderna is expected to do the same soon .
Vaccines could be available for medical workers as soon as December .
But even once they are approved , wider distribution of the vaccines could take months and face logistical issues with shipping the vaccine , storing it and avoiding shortages .
And some medical professionals argue that while potential vaccines can sound promising , treating so many virus patients can take a toll on hospital staff .
`` At this point , it 's going to depend on more than just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ availability of staff , '' said Dr. Abraar Karan , an internal medicine physician at Brigham and Women 's Hospital in Boston .
`` A lot of us are exhausted , '' Karan told Morning Edition .
This comes as two federal pandemic jobless relief programs , which are currently providing a lifeline for millions of Americans , are at risk of expiring as Congress hangs in a stalemate over a new relief bill .
About 12 million Americans could lose their assistance the day after Christmas .
More than 25 members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , President Trump and multiple people in Trump 's orbit have tested positive for the virus .
This week , Donald Trump Jr. announced on Instagram that he , too , `` got the 'rona . ''
`` You would n't know it based on anything that I felt or have seen , '' he said on Instagram on Friday .
`` I 've been totally asymptomatic . ''

U.S. Passes 12 Million Confirmed Coronavirus Cases
Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Fallon/AFP via Getty Images Patrick Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Cases of COVID-19 are rising at an alarming rate in nearly every state as the nation approaches Thanksgiving.
The cumulative case count passed 12 million on Saturday, six days after the previous million mark was crossed, which was six days after the previous million.
On Friday alone, there were more than 195,000 new confirmed cases and 1,878 deaths reported, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
More than 255,000 people have died in total, as of Saturday afternoon.
And more than 1,000 hospitals, across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, say they are "critically" short on staff, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. And that number is expected to increase after the holidays.
To avoid an even starker increase in the spread of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging people to not travel for Thanksgiving at all. The CDC says Thanksgiving should be spent only with people actively living in your own household for at least 14 days before the holiday, advice many medical professionals are echoing.
"Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19," the CDC said on Thursday. "Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others this year."
Meanwhile, two COVID-19 vaccines appear to be highly effective. The first, created by pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, is reported as being 95% effective. The second, created by the biotech company Moderna Inc., has been reported as being 94.5% effective.
On Friday, Pfizer formally asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve its vaccine for emergency use. Moderna is expected to do the same soon. Vaccines could be available for medical workers as soon as December.
But even once they are approved, wider distribution of the vaccines could take months and face logistical issues with shipping the vaccine, storing it and avoiding shortages. And some medical professionals argue that while potential vaccines can sound promising, treating so many virus patients can take a toll on hospital staff.
"At this point, it's going to depend on more than just the availability of drugs, but the availability of staff," said Dr. Abraar Karan, an internal medicine physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
"A lot of us are exhausted," Karan told Morning Edition.
This comes as two federal pandemic jobless relief programs, which are currently providing a lifeline for millions of Americans, are at risk of expiring as Congress hangs in a stalemate over a new relief bill. About 12 million Americans could lose their assistance the day after Christmas.
More than 25 members of Congress, at least 150 Capitol Hill workers, President Trump and multiple people in Trump's orbit have tested positive for the virus. This week, Donald Trump Jr. announced on Instagram that he, too, "got the 'rona."
"You wouldn't know it based on anything that I felt or have seen," he said on Instagram on Friday. "I've been totally asymptomatic."


npr--2020-11-21--'Travel Bubble' Between Hong Kong And Singapore Is Delayed Amid COVID-19 Spike

'Travel Bubble ' Between Hong Kong And Singapore Is Delayed Amid COVID-19 Spike An arrangement to allow air travelers between Hong Kong and Singapore to forgo quarantine has been delayed after Hong Kong reported a spike in coronavirus cases .
Hong Kong announced Saturday a delay of at least two weeks to the air travel bubble as the city confirmed 43 new cases — including 13 cases that officials have not been able to trace .
The bubble , which was originally slated to start Sunday , would allow a limited number of air travelers to avoid quarantine .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two coronavirus tests — both before departure and upon arrival — and fly on one of a select number of flights .
Both cities currently require most travelers to undergo a 14-day quarantine period .
Hong Kong 's Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development , Edward Yau , said the postponement was the `` responsible way '' forward , the Associated Press reported .
`` For any scheme to be successful , they must fulfill the condition of securing public health , and also make sure that both sides would be comfortable and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yau said .
Yau said enacting the air travel bubble would be revisited early next month , Reuters reported .
Singapore 's transport minister , Ong Ye Kung , said in a Facebook post that the postponement is a `` sober reminder that the COVID-19 virus is still with us . ''
`` I can fully understand the disappointment and frustration of travellers who have planned their trips .
But we think it is better to defer from a public health standpoint , '' he wrote .
The South China Morning Post reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 200 people to fly each day without a quarantine period .
As part of the arrangement , both Hong Kong and Singapore had agreed to suspend the program for two weeks if the number of local untraceable cases exceeded five on a rolling seven-day average .
As of Saturday , Hong Kong was at nearly four , according to the AP .
Hong Kong , alongside Singapore , was lauded by public health officials for its response early into the pandemic .
In recent days , however , the city has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least one health official has warned of an upcoming `` fourth wave '' of coronavirus cases , Bloomberg News reports , adding that more social restrictions were planned to help contain outbreaks .
In total , Hong Kong has confirmed more than 5,500 cases of the coronavirus according to Johns Hopkins University .
Singapore has confirmed more than 58,100 cases .

'Travel Bubble' Between Hong Kong And Singapore Is Delayed Amid COVID-19 Spike
Enlarge this image toggle caption Kin Cheung/AP Kin Cheung/AP
An arrangement to allow air travelers between Hong Kong and Singapore to forgo quarantine has been delayed after Hong Kong reported a spike in coronavirus cases.
Hong Kong announced Saturday a delay of at least two weeks to the air travel bubble as the city confirmed 43 new cases — including 13 cases that officials have not been able to trace.
The bubble, which was originally slated to start Sunday, would allow a limited number of air travelers to avoid quarantine. To qualify, passengers would have to pass two coronavirus tests — both before departure and upon arrival — and fly on one of a select number of flights.
Both cities currently require most travelers to undergo a 14-day quarantine period.
Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Edward Yau, said the postponement was the "responsible way" forward, the Associated Press reported.
"For any scheme to be successful, they must fulfill the condition of securing public health, and also make sure that both sides would be comfortable and feel safe about the scheme," Yau said.
Yau said enacting the air travel bubble would be revisited early next month, Reuters reported.
Singapore 's transport minister, Ong Ye Kung, said in a Facebook post that the postponement is a "sober reminder that the COVID-19 virus is still with us."
"I can fully understand the disappointment and frustration of travellers who have planned their trips. But we think it is better to defer from a public health standpoint," he wrote.
The South China Morning Post reported that the plan would have allowed up to 200 people to fly each day without a quarantine period.
As part of the arrangement, both Hong Kong and Singapore had agreed to suspend the program for two weeks if the number of local untraceable cases exceeded five on a rolling seven-day average. As of Saturday, Hong Kong was at nearly four, according to the AP.
Hong Kong, alongside Singapore, was lauded by public health officials for its response early into the pandemic. In recent days, however, the city has seen a spike in new infections.
At least one health official has warned of an upcoming "fourth wave" of coronavirus cases, Bloomberg News reports, adding that more social restrictions were planned to help contain outbreaks.
In total, Hong Kong has confirmed more than 5,500 cases of the coronavirus according to Johns Hopkins University. Singapore has confirmed more than 58,100 cases.


npr--2020-11-21--Kabul Battered By Rockets Ahead Of Pompeo's Planned Talks With Taliban

Kabul Battered By Rockets Ahead Of Pompeo 's Planned Talks With Taliban Nearly two dozen rockets rained down on the Afghan capital Saturday , killing at least eight people and marking an inauspicious start to a day that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earmarked for discussing peace efforts in Afghanistan .
A spokesperson for the Afghan Interior Ministry said that the attacks launched from two vehicles hit at least six different neighborhoods of Kabul .
In addition to the dead , at least 31 people were injured in the attack .
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the barrage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which tracks jihadi organizations online .
It 's just the latest act of violence claimed by the Sunni Islamist militant group , whose branch in Afghanistan says it perpetrated several deadly attacks in recent weeks — including an assault on Kabul University and a suicide bombing in the capital .
Afghan officials , including Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian , initially blamed the Taliban for the attacks , though the group explicitly denied involvement .
The attacks came at a particularly sensitive time for Pompeo , who was scheduled to meet Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Afghan government and the Taliban .
On the agenda were the ongoing peace talks between the long-warring sides , which have largely stalled despite a separate agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban earlier this year .
As recently as a month ago , the Taliban launched one of its fiercest offensives against Afghan forces in the country 's southern region , catching a number of Afghan civilians in the crossfire and displacing tens of thousands of residents .
The bloodshed has not dissuaded President Trump from his goal of withdrawing nearly half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of his term in January .
The administration announced Tuesday that it plans to reduce troop totals in the country to about 2,500 by mid-January — down from its current level of 4,500 and a peak of roughly 100,000 about a decade ago .
The move would represent a big step toward fulfilling a Trump campaign promise , but it has also raised concerns among U.S. military leaders and NATO allies .
`` We have been in Afghanistan for almost 20 years , and no NATO ally wants to stay any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jens Stoltenberg warned in a statement released to news outlets Tuesday .
`` But at the same time , the price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high . ''
Pompeo has hailed the unfolding peace negotiations as `` a moment to dare to hope . ''
`` It took hard work and sacrifice to reach this moment , '' he said during talks in September , `` and it will require hard work and sacrifice to keep it alive , and to take advantage of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ durable peace . ''
It is unclear exactly what will happen to U.S. troop levels under President-elect Joe Biden , who is set to take office just days after the troop drawdown is set to begin .
Biden , for his part , has expressed skepticism of an extensive U.S. presence in Afghanistan , but has also looked favorably upon the idea of keeping a small contingent of troops in the country .
For now , the office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has pledged that his officials have been instructed to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most recent attacks in Kabul .

Kabul Battered By Rockets Ahead Of Pompeo's Planned Talks With Taliban
Enlarge this image toggle caption Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images
Nearly two dozen rockets rained down on the Afghan capital Saturday, killing at least eight people and marking an inauspicious start to a day that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had earmarked for discussing peace efforts in Afghanistan.
A spokesperson for the Afghan Interior Ministry said that the attacks launched from two vehicles hit at least six different neighborhoods of Kabul. In addition to the dead, at least 31 people were injured in the attack.
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the barrage, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks jihadi organizations online. It's just the latest act of violence claimed by the Sunni Islamist militant group, whose branch in Afghanistan says it perpetrated several deadly attacks in recent weeks — including an assault on Kabul University and a suicide bombing in the capital.
Afghan officials, including Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian, initially blamed the Taliban for the attacks, though the group explicitly denied involvement.
The attacks came at a particularly sensitive time for Pompeo, who was scheduled to meet Saturday in Qatar with officials from both the Afghan government and the Taliban. On the agenda were the ongoing peace talks between the long-warring sides, which have largely stalled despite a separate agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban earlier this year.
As recently as a month ago, the Taliban launched one of its fiercest offensives against Afghan forces in the country's southern region, catching a number of Afghan civilians in the crossfire and displacing tens of thousands of residents.
The bloodshed has not dissuaded President Trump from his goal of withdrawing nearly half of U.S. troops in the country before the end of his term in January. The administration announced Tuesday that it plans to reduce troop totals in the country to about 2,500 by mid-January — down from its current level of 4,500 and a peak of roughly 100,000 about a decade ago.
The move would represent a big step toward fulfilling a Trump campaign promise, but it has also raised concerns among U.S. military leaders and NATO allies.
"We have been in Afghanistan for almost 20 years, and no NATO ally wants to stay any longer than necessary," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned in a statement released to news outlets Tuesday. "But at the same time, the price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high."
Pompeo has hailed the unfolding peace negotiations as "a moment to dare to hope."
"It took hard work and sacrifice to reach this moment," he said during talks in September, "and it will require hard work and sacrifice to keep it alive, and to take advantage of it so that the talks result in a durable peace."
It is unclear exactly what will happen to U.S. troop levels under President-elect Joe Biden, who is set to take office just days after the troop drawdown is set to begin. Biden, for his part, has expressed skepticism of an extensive U.S. presence in Afghanistan, but has also looked favorably upon the idea of keeping a small contingent of troops in the country.
For now, the office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has pledged that his officials have been instructed to "find and punish the perpetrators" of the most recent attacks in Kabul.


npr--2020-11-21--Donald Trump Jr. Tests Positive For The Coronavirus

Donald Trump Jr. has become the latest member of the president 's orbit to test positive for the coronavirus .
`` Apparently I got the 'rona , '' the president 's son told his Instagram followers late Friday .
`` You would n't know it based on anything that I felt or have seen , '' he said .
`` I 've been totally asymptomatic . ''
Trump Jr. suggested that because of his lack of symptoms , his test result might have been a false-positive .
`` But out of an abundance of precaution , I 'll quarantine , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the 42-year-old said .
`` You know , take it seriously .
No reason to do anything otherwise . ''
The president commented on the diagnosis Saturday .
`` My son Donald is doing very well , '' Trump tweeted .
The emerging research around the coronavirus suggests that about 1 in 5 people infected with COVID-19 wo n't develop symptoms — a change in scientists ' understanding of the virus and its toll .
Early in the pandemic , some researchers thought that as many as four out of five people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a few days to a couple of weeks for symptoms to develop .
Trump Jr. said he got tested because he was supposed to go on a father-son trip with his son .
`` Got ta cancel that trip , '' he said , adding that he hopes to test negative a couple of times in a row before resuming holiday activities .
`` Hopefully I can make it up with him a little bit later . ''
It 's unclear how Trump Jr. contracted the virus , but he is just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's circle to have come down with COVID-19 in recent weeks .
Trump himself was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October .
First lady Melania Trump and the president 's youngest son , Barron , also had the virus .
Trump Jr. 's girlfriend , Kimberly Guilfoyle , contracted the virus this summer .
Trump 's chief of staff , Mark Meadows , tested positive earlier this month , as did several others who attended an election night party held inside the White House .
Trump and his supporters have been resistant to social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A September gathering at the White House to celebrate the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is thought to have led to several cases .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , called that gathering a `` superspreader event . ''
Trump Jr. was in good spirits Friday .
He asked his Instagram followers for `` any good Netflix recommendations '' because `` I may have a couple days of solo time and there 's only so many guns I can clean @ @

Donald Trump Jr. Tests Positive For The Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Bazemore/AP John Bazemore/AP
Donald Trump Jr. has become the latest member of the president's orbit to test positive for the coronavirus.
"Apparently I got the 'rona," the president's son told his Instagram followers late Friday.
"You wouldn't know it based on anything that I felt or have seen," he said. "I've been totally asymptomatic."
Trump Jr. suggested that because of his lack of symptoms, his test result might have been a false-positive. "But out of an abundance of precaution, I'll quarantine, I'll follow the regular protocols," the 42-year-old said. "You know, take it seriously. No reason to do anything otherwise."
The president commented on the diagnosis Saturday. "My son Donald is doing very well," Trump tweeted.
The emerging research around the coronavirus suggests that about 1 in 5 people infected with COVID-19 won't develop symptoms — a change in scientists' understanding of the virus and its toll. Early in the pandemic, some researchers thought that as many as four out of five people were asymptomatic. It can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks for symptoms to develop.
Trump Jr. said he got tested because he was supposed to go on a father-son trip with his son. "Gotta cancel that trip," he said, adding that he hopes to test negative a couple of times in a row before resuming holiday activities. "Hopefully I can make it up with him a little bit later."
It's unclear how Trump Jr. contracted the virus, but he is just one of many members of the president's circle to have come down with COVID-19 in recent weeks. Trump himself was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October. First lady Melania Trump and the president's youngest son, Barron, also had the virus. Trump Jr.'s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, contracted the virus this summer.
Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, tested positive earlier this month, as did several others who attended an election night party held inside the White House. Trump and his supporters have been resistant to social distancing or wearing masks at public events.
A September gathering at the White House to celebrate the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is thought to have led to several cases. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called that gathering a "superspreader event."
Trump Jr. was in good spirits Friday. He asked his Instagram followers for "any good Netflix recommendations" because "I may have a couple days of solo time and there's only so many guns I can clean."


npr--2020-11-21--Trump Appointee Unconstitutionally Interfered With VOA, Judge Rules

The chief executive over the Voice of America and its sister networks has acted unconstitutionally in investigating what he claimed was a deep-seated bias against President Trump by his own journalists , a federal judge has ruled .
Citing the journalists ' First Amendment protections , U.S. Judge Beryl Howell on Friday evening ordered U.S. Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack to stop interfering in the news service 's news coverage and editorial personnel matters .
She struck a deep blow at Pack 's authority to continue to force the news agency to cover the president more sympathetically .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely `` violated and continue to violate [ journalists ' ] First Amendment rights because , among other unconstitutional effects , they result in self-censorship and the chilling of First Amendment expression , '' Howell wrote in her opinion .
`` These current and unanticipated harms are sufficient to demonstrate irreparable harm . ''
Trump nominated Pack to be chief executive of the U.S. Agency for Global Media more than two years ago , and the U.S. Senate finally confirmed him in June .
Pack has since turned the agency upside down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Voice of America 's top standards executive and initiating investigations of journalists for individual stories about the political campaign between Trump and Joe Biden , now the president-elect .
Several contractors were dismissed ; an editor was suspended .
Attention swung to various arms of VOA , including the French-to-Africa and Urdu language services , and its New York bureau chief .
Senior aides to Pack — both political appointees with no experience in journalism — also urged the sidelining of Voice of America 's White House bureau chief , Steve Herman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed , among other things , that Herman 's tweets of people relaying criticism of the president betrays bias .
Herman remains on the job .
Pack had announced in late October that he was scrapping a so-called `` firewall '' — protections for the newsroom from political interference .
The regulation was written just before he took over by concerned agency officials to codify longstanding traditions that were also invoked by earlier federal laws .
On Friday , Howell pointed to those laws in ruling Pack 's actions were unconstitutional .
USAGM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment about the decision , but the director of VOA did .
`` Editorial independence and journalistic integrity free of political interference are the core elements that sustain VOA and make us America 's voice , '' Acting VOA Director Elez Biberaj said in a statement Saturday in response to the judge 's ruling .
`` A steady 83 % of VOA 's audience finds our journalism trustworthy .
There are few , if any , media organizations that can claim such trust .
I am proud of our journalists who continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience with accurate , objective and comprehensive reporting . ''
VOA and its sister networks — which include Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty , Radio Free Asia , the Middle East Broadcasting Networks and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting — reach more than 350 million people overseas each week .
Their aim is to present rigorous news coverage in countries that do not have robust news organizations or that crack down on a free press .
They are also supposed to embody American values by modeling what a free press looks like , through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debate .
Former diplomats , USAGM officials and VOA journalists have told NPR that by calling its journalists biased and launching investigations , Pack had undermined its reporters abroad , giving despots license to dismiss or repress its reporting .
`` The Court confirmed that the First Amendment forbids Mr .
Pack and his team from attempting to take control of these journalistic outlets , from investigating their journalists for purported 'bias , ' and from attempting to influence or control their reporting content , '' Lee Crain , a lead attorney for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a written statement .
`` We are deeply grateful for Chief Judge Howell 's opinion , which ensures that the journalists at Voice of America , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty , Radio Free Asia , and their sister networks can rest assured that the First Amendment protects them from government efforts to control editorial and journalistic content . ''
In several instances , those investigations were conducted by two political appointees at USAGM : Frank Wuco , who circulated conspiracy theories as a conservative radio talk show host before becoming a Homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dewey , an investigative attorney who previously worked for Republicans on Capitol Hill and has a strong pro-Trump Twitter feed .
Dewey also made specific demands over coverage of fraught political issues , including the Black Lives Matter movement , according to materials in the legal challenge .
Kelu Chao , who functions as Voice of America 's managing editor and is the news service 's top nonpolitical executive , joined the lawsuit against Pack and the agency filed by several suspended USAGM executives .
And she said in a sworn court document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been excessively cautious , slow to produce stories , and afraid to run down important stories and leads — particularly about politically sensitive topics , no matter how important . ''
Attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department last week argued that the free speech protections of the First Amendment do n't apply to employees of Voice of America , despite its mission , as they work for the government .
`` Voice of America is a government agency ; its speech , even in a journalistic capacity , is government speech , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark wrote .
`` In sum , it is consistent with the Constitution for the CEO to control the content of the networks ' broadcasts .
The networks are not protected by the First Amendment , and Congress has not extended those protections to the networks by statute . ''
Howell , the chief U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia , rejected that reasoning and issued a preliminary injunction against Pack and USAGM from taking or influencing any editorial decisions or personnel .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at Voice of America have told NPR they are concerned about what actions he might take before the Trump administration ends .
They spoke on condition they not be named , pointing to the firings and suspensions under Pack .
In June , the Biden campaign told Vox that it intended to fire Pack ; its ability to do so was cemented in part by a Supreme Court ruling won by the Trump administration to dismiss the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , even though it is an independent agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by NPR business desk editor Avie Schneider .
Because of NPR CEO John Lansing 's prior role as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media , no senior news executive or corporate executive at NPR reviewed this story before it was published .

Trump Appointee Unconstitutionally Interfered With VOA, Judge Rules
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty Images
Updated at 3:09 p.m. ET
The chief executive over the Voice of America and its sister networks has acted unconstitutionally in investigating what he claimed was a deep-seated bias against President Trump by his own journalists, a federal judge has ruled.
Citing the journalists' First Amendment protections, U.S. Judge Beryl Howell on Friday evening ordered U.S. Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack to stop interfering in the news service's news coverage and editorial personnel matters. She struck a deep blow at Pack's authority to continue to force the news agency to cover the president more sympathetically.
Actions by Pack and his aides have likely "violated and continue to violate [journalists'] First Amendment rights because, among other unconstitutional effects, they result in self-censorship and the chilling of First Amendment expression," Howell wrote in her opinion. "These current and unanticipated harms are sufficient to demonstrate irreparable harm."
Trump nominated Pack to be chief executive of the U.S. Agency for Global Media more than two years ago, and the U.S. Senate finally confirmed him in June. Pack has since turned the agency upside down, firing and suspending top executives, reassigning Voice of America's top standards executive and initiating investigations of journalists for individual stories about the political campaign between Trump and Joe Biden, now the president-elect. Several contractors were dismissed; an editor was suspended.
Attention swung to various arms of VOA, including the French-to-Africa and Urdu language services, and its New York bureau chief. Senior aides to Pack — both political appointees with no experience in journalism — also urged the sidelining of Voice of America's White House bureau chief, Steve Herman, perhaps its most prominent journalist. They claimed, among other things, that Herman's tweets of people relaying criticism of the president betrays bias. Herman remains on the job.
Pack had announced in late October that he was scrapping a so-called "firewall" — protections for the newsroom from political interference. The regulation was written just before he took over by concerned agency officials to codify longstanding traditions that were also invoked by earlier federal laws.
On Friday, Howell pointed to those laws in ruling Pack's actions were unconstitutional.
USAGM has not responded to repeated requests for comment about the decision, but the director of VOA did.
"Editorial independence and journalistic integrity free of political interference are the core elements that sustain VOA and make us America's voice," Acting VOA Director Elez Biberaj said in a statement Saturday in response to the judge's ruling.
"A steady 83% of VOA's audience finds our journalism trustworthy. There are few, if any, media organizations that can claim such trust. I am proud of our journalists who continue to uphold VOA's traditions of providing our audience with accurate, objective and comprehensive reporting."
VOA and its sister networks — which include Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting — reach more than 350 million people overseas each week. Their aim is to present rigorous news coverage in countries that do not have robust news organizations or that crack down on a free press. They are also supposed to embody American values by modeling what a free press looks like, through fair coverage of U.S. society and political debate.
Former diplomats, USAGM officials and VOA journalists have told NPR that by calling its journalists biased and launching investigations, Pack had undermined its reporters abroad, giving despots license to dismiss or repress its reporting.
"The Court confirmed that the First Amendment forbids Mr. Pack and his team from attempting to take control of these journalistic outlets, from investigating their journalists for purported 'bias,' and from attempting to influence or control their reporting content," Lee Crain, a lead attorney for the executives who sued Pack, said in a written statement. "We are deeply grateful for Chief Judge Howell's opinion, which ensures that the journalists at Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and their sister networks can rest assured that the First Amendment protects them from government efforts to control editorial and journalistic content."
In several instances, those investigations were conducted by two political appointees at USAGM: Frank Wuco, who circulated conspiracy theories as a conservative radio talk show host before becoming a Homeland Security official under Trump, and Samuel Dewey, an investigative attorney who previously worked for Republicans on Capitol Hill and has a strong pro-Trump Twitter feed. Dewey also made specific demands over coverage of fraught political issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement, according to materials in the legal challenge.
Kelu Chao, who functions as Voice of America's managing editor and is the news service's top nonpolitical executive, joined the lawsuit against Pack and the agency filed by several suspended USAGM executives. And she said in a sworn court document that journalists at VOA "have been have been excessively cautious, slow to produce stories, and afraid to run down important stories and leads — particularly about politically sensitive topics, no matter how important."
Attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department last week argued that the free speech protections of the First Amendment don't apply to employees of Voice of America, despite its mission, as they work for the government.
"Voice of America is a government agency; its speech, even in a journalistic capacity, is government speech," a team of federal attorneys led by acting U.S. Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark wrote. "In sum, it is consistent with the Constitution for the CEO to control the content of the networks' broadcasts. The networks are not protected by the First Amendment, and Congress has not extended those protections to the networks by statute."
Howell, the chief U.S. District Court judge for the District of Columbia, rejected that reasoning and issued a preliminary injunction against Pack and USAGM from taking or influencing any editorial decisions or personnel. A half-dozen current employees at the agency and at Voice of America have told NPR they are concerned about what actions he might take before the Trump administration ends. They spoke on condition they not be named, pointing to the firings and suspensions under Pack.
In June, the Biden campaign told Vox that it intended to fire Pack; its ability to do so was cemented in part by a Supreme Court ruling won by the Trump administration to dismiss the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, even though it is an independent agency.
Disclosure: This story was reported by NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by NPR business desk editor Avie Schneider. Because of NPR CEO John Lansing's prior role as CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, no senior news executive or corporate executive at NPR reviewed this story before it was published.


npr--2020-11-21--Andrew Cuomo To Receive International Emmy For 'Masterful' COVID-19 Briefings

The Emmys have always had a soft spot for politicians .
In the past two decades , the annual television awards have dealt out nods or outright wins for a slew of famous names : There 's Selina Meyer , for one , not to mention Josiah Bartlet and Claire and Frank Underwood , among others .
The thing is , most of those politicians are , you know , fake .
The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced Friday that it is breaking with tradition and awarding its International Emmy Founders Award to a real politician who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Andrew Cuomo is being honored his daily coronavirus briefings earlier this year .
`` The Governor 's 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows , with characters , plot lines , and stories of success and failure , '' the academy 's president and CEO , Bruce Paisner , explained in a statement announcing the decision .
`` People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on , and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will receive Monday , annually recognizes an individual or group that `` crosses cultural boundaries to touch our common humanity . ''
Since its inception in 1980 , the award has gone to a slew of superproducers , industry executives and , yes , even a politician .
Former Vice President Al Gore won the prize in 2007 , but by then , he was out of office .
Cuomo has not responded publicly to the announcement .
The governor earned plaudits for his early , aggressive approach to the coronavirus pandemic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York 's briefer-in-chief .
For several months earlier this year , Cuomo stepped in front of the news media each day with new statistics , a new PowerPoint slideshow and the same acerbic delivery .
The regular briefings helped buoy his approval ratings in New York and make him perhaps the country 's most recognizable Democratic leader in the struggle against COVID-19 .
As the pandemic has stretched on , however , there has been mounting criticism of some of his policies , particularly an early mandate that nursing homes readmit hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Before the order was amended in May , state authorities say more than 6,300 COVID-19-positive residents were admitted to these facilities — though they add that analysis `` shows that [ the initial order ] could not be the driver of nursing home infections or fatalities . ''
Some epidemiologists in the state have found that conclusion unconvincing , however , and critics have raised questions about the governor 's handling of other aspects of the pandemic , including the response of the state 's school system .
Earlier this week , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his briefings also drew criticism from members of his own party .
In a conversation with NPR 's All Things Considered last month , Cuomo pointed to some things he would have done differently with the benefit of hindsight — but also defended his work in the state .
`` There are facts , '' he said .
`` New York State had the highest infection rate in the United States of America .
Today we have one of the lowest infection rates in the United States of America . ''

Andrew Cuomo To Receive International Emmy For 'Masterful' COVID-19 Briefings
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeenah Moon/Getty Images Jeenah Moon/Getty Images
The Emmys have always had a soft spot for politicians. In the past two decades, the annual television awards have dealt out nods or outright wins for a slew of famous names: There's Selina Meyer, for one, not to mention Josiah Bartlet and Claire and Frank Underwood, among others.
The thing is, most of those politicians are, you know, fake.
The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences announced Friday that it is breaking with tradition and awarding its International Emmy Founders Award to a real politician who is currently in office. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is being honored his daily coronavirus briefings earlier this year.
"The Governor's 111 daily briefings worked so well because he effectively created television shows, with characters, plot lines, and stories of success and failure," the academy's president and CEO, Bruce Paisner, explained in a statement announcing the decision. "People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on, and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back."
The Founders Award, which Cuomo will receive Monday, annually recognizes an individual or group that "crosses cultural boundaries to touch our common humanity." Since its inception in 1980, the award has gone to a slew of superproducers, industry executives and, yes, even a politician. Former Vice President Al Gore won the prize in 2007, but by then, he was out of office.
Cuomo has not responded publicly to the announcement.
The governor earned plaudits for his early, aggressive approach to the coronavirus pandemic, which included a highly visible role as New York's briefer-in-chief. For several months earlier this year, Cuomo stepped in front of the news media each day with new statistics, a new PowerPoint slideshow and the same acerbic delivery. The regular briefings helped buoy his approval ratings in New York and make him perhaps the country's most recognizable Democratic leader in the struggle against COVID-19.
As the pandemic has stretched on, however, there has been mounting criticism of some of his policies, particularly an early mandate that nursing homes readmit hospital patients that tested positive for COVID-19. Before the order was amended in May, state authorities say more than 6,300 COVID-19-positive residents were admitted to these facilities — though they add that analysis "shows that [the initial order] could not be the driver of nursing home infections or fatalities."
Some epidemiologists in the state have found that conclusion unconvincing, however, and critics have raised questions about the governor's handling of other aspects of the pandemic, including the response of the state's school system. Earlier this week, a testy exchange with reporters during one of his briefings also drew criticism from members of his own party.
In a conversation with NPR's All Things Considered last month, Cuomo pointed to some things he would have done differently with the benefit of hindsight — but also defended his work in the state.
"There are facts," he said. "New York State had the highest infection rate in the United States of America. Today we have one of the lowest infection rates in the United States of America."


npr--2020-11-22--FDA Approves First Drug For Rare, Rapid-Aging Genetic Disorder

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for progeria , a genetic disorder that causes children to age @ @ @ @ @ first drug approved by the agency for the disorder .

FDA Approves First Drug For Rare, Rapid-Aging Genetic Disorder
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for progeria, a genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly. Zokinvy is the first drug approved by the agency for the disorder.
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first drug for a rare genetic disorder that causes children to grow old before they grow up. NPR's Jon Hamilton reports that the drug is largely the result of one family's effort to help a child with the fatal condition.
JON HAMILTON, BYLINE: The disorder is called progeria. Children born with it appear old and frail before they reach school age. Most die of heart disease in their early teens. But Dr. Leslie Gordon of the Progeria Research Foundation says a drug called Zokinvy can help.
LESLIE GORDON: Zokinvy is a treatment. It's not a cure. But what we can say is that, so far, we know that it increases the average lifespan by about two and a half years.
HAMILTON: Gordon and her family played a crucial role in making Zokinvy possible. Their goal was to find a treatment for Gordon's son, Sam Berns. He was diagnosed with progeria in 1998. In 2013, he gave a TEDx Talk on how to live a happy life.
(SOUNDBITE OF TEDX TALK)
SAM BERNS: The first aspect to my philosophy is that I'm OK with what I ultimately can't do because there's so much that I can do.
HAMILTON: At the time, Sam was 17, bald, frail and weighed about 50 pounds. He was already taking Zokinvy.
(SOUNDBITE OF TEDX TALK)
BERNS: Last year, my mom and her team of scientists published the first successful progeria treatment study.
HAMILTON: And Gordon says the drug seemed to be extending her son's life.
L GORDON: I think Sam felt that way. And looking at the data and as parents, we felt that way, too.
HAMILTON: Sam Berns died in 2014. Since then, his TEDx Talk has been watched on YouTube more than 42 million times. And the family members who came together for Sam are still looking for a cure. His aunt, Audrey Gordon, is president of the Progeria Research Foundation.
AUDREY GORDON: We make a really great team with Leslie being the medical director in charge of the science aspect. I'm in charge of the fundraising, organizational. And her husband, Scott, is the chairman of the board.
L GORDON: Audrey Gordon says the approach reflects a philosophy embraced by her nephew, a big sports fan.
A GORDON: Whenever someone asked, who's your favorite player on your beloved Patriots or your Boston Bruins? - he always refused because he just felt like it wasn't any one person that made the team. It was the team as a whole.
HAMILTON: Team Sam published the first evidence that Zokinvy worked in 2012. But getting FDA approval required a whole new effort. The problem was that pretty much every kid in the U.S. with progeria - there are only about 20 - was already being treated with the drug as part of a clinical trial. There was no comparison group. So Leslie Gordon says the foundation began a worldwide search.
L GORDON: We gathered up information on as many children who had not been treated with Zokinvy as we could. And that was our sort of external control group.
HAMILTON: The foundation also added a new member to their team, Eiger BioPharmaceuticals. Eiger had been providing Zokinvy to progeria patients in clinical trials. It's also developing the drug for treating a form of hepatitis. Leslie Gordon says that with Eiger's help, her team was able to convince the FDA that children who got the drug really did live longer.
L GORDON: We just kept going back and back and saying, what does it take? What does it take? What does it take? And those survival studies is what it took. So we did them.
HAMILTON: Now Gordon and her family are looking for something even better.
L GORDON: Sam never gave up. The other children - they never give up. The courage is astounding.
HAMILTON: And it turns out that progerin, the substance responsible for the condition, is present in all people, just in much smaller quantities. So understanding progeria could lead to treatments for a wide range of diseases related to aging. Jon Hamilton, NPR News.
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-11-22--Pompeo Attempts To Cement Trump's Legacy In Isreal Ahead Of A Biden Presidency

Pompeo Attempts To Cement Trump 's Legacy In Isreal Ahead Of A Biden Presidency As the Biden administration approaches , @ @ @ @ @ tries to cement the Trump administration 's controversial pro-Israel policies .

Pompeo Attempts To Cement Trump's Legacy In Israel Ahead Of A Biden Presidency
LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:
While workers at the Capitol are dressing up the West Front for Joe Biden's inauguration, members of the current administration are rushing to cement Donald Trump's policies in place. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in the Middle East this past week. He unveiled controversial new policies favoring Israel's right wing, policies that could be hard for an incoming Biden administration to undo. NPR's Daniel Estrin reports from Jerusalem.
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: Pompeo became the first secretary of state to visit an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. He had lunch at a winery that named one of its wines Pompeo. The U.S. used to take a dim view of settlements, seeing their growth as an obstacle to peace because they take up land Palestinians claim for an independent state. But Pompeo says Israel has a right to settle the land, featured in the Bible.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MIKE POMPEO: For a long time, the State Department took the wrong view of settlements and took a view that didn't recognize the history of this special place.
ESTRIN: Pompeo announced a new policy favoring the winery he visited - products made in West Bank settlements must be labeled made in Israel when shipped to the U.S. Hagit Ofran with Peace Now, an Israeli group against settlements, says this could make it hard for consumers who don't want to support settlements.
HAGIT OFRAN: If people want to boycott or not to participate in the occupation, they can do it by not buying products from settlement. But if it's going to be labeled as Israel and they cannot know if it's from occupied territories, then the boycotting will be of all of Israel.
ESTRIN: Pompeo announced another new policy last week.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
POMPEO: Today, I want to make one announcement with respect to a decision by the State Department that we will regard the global anti-Israel BDS campaign as anti-Semitic.
ESTRIN: BDS is Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions, a movement that calls to boycott Israel because of its policies toward Palestinians. Some Israel supporters see it as a threat because some boycotters oppose Israel itself as a Jewish state. But boycott activists say it's a nonviolent form of protest. So why unveil these new policies right before Biden takes over? Oded Revivi, an Israeli settler leader close to the Trump administration, says Pompeo is playing chess with Biden - one step before checkmate.
ODED REVIVI: It's putting Biden in some sort of check. If he really reverses decisions that were done by the current administration, he might have to confront criticism as to why he's doing it.
ESTRIN: Other administrations have taken steps on Israeli-Palestinian policy right before leaving office, like when President Obama allowed a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel's settlements. Scott Lasensky was an adviser for the Obama administration.
SCOTT LASENSKY: President Clinton himself using his presidential transition - trying to move Middle East peace forward. George Shultz at the end of the Reagan presidency - negotiating a very careful, formal diplomatic dialogue - the first ever between American and Palestinian leaders. These are examples of diplomatic opportunism.
ESTRIN: Palestinian leaders see this as their opportunity to make nice with Biden. They've agreed to resume security and economic ties with Israel after a six-month standstill. And they say they might change a practice Democrats criticize - paying stipends to Palestinians convicted of attacking Israelis. Many Palestinians criticize the gestures, like former minister Nabil Amr in this video he posted.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
NABIL AMR: (Speaking Arabic).
ESTRIN: He says, why give more ground before Biden enters office while Israel is taking advantage of this time to announce more settlement construction? Israel got another boost yesterday with news that the U.S. Justice Department decided not to renew restrictions on the parole of former U.S. intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard. He was convicted of espionage for giving classified U.S. documents to Israel and is now expected to move to Israel, where he has popular support. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Jerusalem.
Copyright © 2020 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


npr--2020-11-22--Climate Change Closes In On Lebanon's Iconic Cedar Trees

Khaled Taleb steps out of his vehicle high on a mountainside in northern Lebanon , and surveys the charred remains of the cedar forest he fought to save .
A black carpet of the trees ' burned needles crunches underfoot .
Armed with only gardening tools and cloth masks , Taleb and four friends spent the night of Aug. 23 on this mountainside battling a wildfire that swept up from the valley and engulfed this high-altitude woodland of cedars and juniper trees .
`` The fear we felt for ourselves was nothing compared to the fear we had for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ played under these boughs as a child , and who has worked for their protection since he was 16 .
Now 29 , he runs an ecotourism and conservation group he founded called Akkar Trail .
The cedar tree is a source of national pride in Lebanon .
Its distinctive silhouette of splayed fronds graces the national flag .
The forests here have furthered empires , providing Phoenicians with timber for their merchant shops , and early Egyptians with wood for elaborately carved sarcophogi .
But now the very survival of these ancient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising temperatures and worsening drought conditions brought about by climate change are driving wildfires in this Middle Eastern country to ever higher altitudes , encroaching upon the mountains where the cedars grow .
Changing weather patterns in Lebanon , defined by its long Mediterranean coastline and mountain ranges , are also upsetting the ecology of the cedar forests .
Warming temperatures have spawned infestations of the web-spinning sawfly , which has decimated entire tracts of forest .
Climate scientists predict average annual temperatures in the Middle East to increase by as much as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the century , compared to the mid-1800s .
The changes could mean heatwaves lasting some 200 days per year , with temperatures reaching an unbearable 122 degrees Fahrenheit ( 50 degrees C ) by the end of the century .
The projections show prolonged droughts , air pollution from dust storms , and rising sea levels .
In order to avoid the worst effects of climate change , the world must keep average temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius , climate scientists say .
The fire that Taleb and his friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on record that wildfires have reached Lebanon 's cedar trees .
Starting in the low plains of Wadi Jhannam or the `` Valley of Hell , '' Taleb says the fire burned through almost 100 acres of woodland , damaging some 100 prized cedar and juniper trees .
This might seem slight , but it 's a significant area in tiny Lebanon , a country many times smaller than every American state , except Delaware and Rhode Island .
Across Lebanon , wildfires have been more frequent and intense .
George Mitri , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and natural resources program at the Lebanese University of Balamand , says the fires this year burned through an area seven times larger than the annual average .
At one point in October , his team counted 150 wildfires in just 48 hours .
Mitri says the fires reached record altitudes too , burning as high as 6,500 feet above sea level .
The fires came within just 7.5 miles of Lebanon 's densest cedar forest in the Tannourine Nature Reserve .
`` This was the worst fire season on record , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national disaster . ''
Mitri has warned of these dangers for years .
In 2012 , he and his team used climatic data and modeling to show how climate change would affect wildfires in Lebanon over the next 30 years .
`` Our main finding for this study was that high mountains will be more prone to increasing drought , which in turn affect fire spread , '' he says .
`` We noticed back then a significant worsening in drought conditions in 2020 . ''
Specifically , the study predicted a much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Akkar region of northern Lebanon , where the cedars burned this year .
In the Tannourine Nature Reserve , climate change is killing cedars in a different way .
Beneath the thick forest canopy , dangling from the branches of trees , some of which are more than 1,000 years old , are sticky yellow sheets covered with captured insects .
This is just one of the ways conservationists are trying to fight the sawfly infestation they say is a `` direct consequence '' of warming temperatures .
The sawfly is native @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the cedars .
`` This insect used to sleep under the soil , hibernating , for six to seven years , '' says Nabil Nemer , an entomologist who identified the sawfly as the cause of a new destruction of the trees in Tannourine forest .
`` Now , with warmer temperatures it has changed its life cycle to emerge every year . ''
The insects now lay eggs on the cedar buds , which the larvae then eat , killing the tree .
The changing weather has also affected the forest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a balance in which other microorganisms would cause disease in the sawfly , controlling its population , '' says Nemer .
But these microorganisms survive only in a humid environment .
As these forests dry out , the sawfly population soars .
Now , Nemer says , the insect has been identified as a cause of blight in most of Lebanon 's cedar reserves .
The Lebanese government has long recognized the dangers facing the cedar trees , but has so far failed to address them .
In 2009 , it endorsed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitri helped draft .
But the plan was never put into action .
`` No budget was ever allocated , '' says Mitri .
In 2019 , wildfires broke out around the country with unprecedented ferocity .
Dozens of blazes took hold in scrublands and protected areas up and down Lebanon driving families from their homes .
But Lebanon 's three firefighting helicopters remained grounded .
The government ministries in charge of them , it emerged , had let them fall into disrepair years before .
For Lebanese already wrestling with a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide basic services , including continuous electricity , trash collection and potable water , the news of the grounded helicopters symbolized the ineptitude and corruption driving the population into squalor .
This brought even more people to the streets , joining the massive anti-government protests in October 2019 that decried everything from the government 's failures to provide basic services to the collapse of the national economy .
In a rare show of unity in deeply divided Lebanon , the young and old , from all religious sects , marched together to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political class .
They shouted a traditional chant of the Arab Spring , `` the people demand the fall of the regime , '' and then one just for Lebanon , `` the country is burning . ''
Because the cedar tree grows on high rocky outcrops and has outlasted thousands of years of plunder , it has come to symbolize resilience for many Lebanese , who have themselves survived decades of occupation and civil war .
On Aug. 4 , a massive explosion at Beirut 's port wreaked destruction across the capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate , it destroyed the homes of hundreds of thousands of residents and , in an instant , turned the city 's wealthiest neighborhoods into seas of twisted metal and shattered glass .
In the weeks that followed , Alice Mogabgab , who owns an art gallery in Beirut , decided to make the first exhibition after the explosion about cedar trees and Lebanese forests .
Today , the cedar tree is `` the only shelter in which Lebanese can find peace , '' she says .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
`` The only hope to heal our souls is that we still have the tree in this land , and nothing else .
Nothing at all . ''
Nemer says the last two years of wildfires are a `` wake-up call '' for Lebanese citizens to take action to protect their forests .
Many are answering the call .
Nemer describes projects around the Tannourine cedars , funded by charities and run by local volunteers , to plant cedars at higher altitudes where , in the new climate , they might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form firebreaks around the forests .
Mishmish , the home of ecotourism expert Khaled Taleb , is one of several municipalities to get funding from a Swedish charity , SKL International , to train local residents in firefighting .
`` A huge number of people applied , '' says Firas Khodr , 35 , an organizer .
`` We held interviews and eventually chose 85 people . ''
Khodr spoke beside the town 's gray municipal building on a bright and clear Saturday earlier this month .
Inside , dozens of men sat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect from the coronavirus and watching a presentation by a firefighter on how to use extinguishers and tackle fires in vegetation .
`` This area is mostly forest , and the forests here are part of people 's lives .
They have meaning , '' says Khodr , explaining why so many residents volunteered for work that is both dangerous and unpaid .
Taleb has also received help in his mission to protect the cedars .
Realizing that the roads in the mountain range 's upper reaches are impassable for regular fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to raise money to adapt a four-wheel-drive pickup truck to fight fires .
Even amid a dire economic crisis , Lebanese inside and outside the country were moved by the pictures of burning cedars Taleb had posted on social media .
`` We raised $ 17,000 , '' he says .
Today , Taleb 's pickup is customized with a winch on the front and a fiberglass water tank that can hold about 300 gallons of water .
`` It feels amazing , '' he says .
`` We 've gone from being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burn to being able to save an entire woodland . ''
Taleb knows it wo n't be enough to stop all the damage caused by climate change .
But little by little , he hopes , Lebanese citizens will work to protect their beloved cedar forests , as best they can .

Climate Change Closes In On Lebanon's Iconic Cedar Trees
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Tarling for NPR Sam Tarling for NPR
Khaled Taleb steps out of his vehicle high on a mountainside in northern Lebanon, and surveys the charred remains of the cedar forest he fought to save. A black carpet of the trees' burned needles crunches underfoot.
Armed with only gardening tools and cloth masks, Taleb and four friends spent the night of Aug. 23 on this mountainside battling a wildfire that swept up from the valley and engulfed this high-altitude woodland of cedars and juniper trees.
"The fear we felt for ourselves was nothing compared to the fear we had for the trees," recalls Taleb, who played under these boughs as a child, and who has worked for their protection since he was 16. Now 29, he runs an ecotourism and conservation group he founded called Akkar Trail.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Tarling for NPR Sam Tarling for NPR
The cedar tree is a source of national pride in Lebanon. Its distinctive silhouette of splayed branches graces the national flag. The forests here have furthered empires, providing Phoenicians with timber for their merchant ships, and early Egyptians with wood for elaborately carved sarcophagi.
But now the very survival of these ancient giants is in question. Scientists say rising temperatures and worsening drought conditions brought about by climate change are driving wildfires in this Middle Eastern country to ever higher altitudes, encroaching upon the mountains where the cedars grow.
Changing weather patterns in Lebanon, defined by its long Mediterranean coastline and mountain ranges, are also upsetting the ecology of the cedar forests. Warming temperatures have spawned infestations of the web-spinning sawfly, which has decimated entire tracts of forest.
Climate scientists predict average annual temperatures in the Middle East to increase by as much as 4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, compared to the mid-1800s. The changes could mean heatwaves lasting some 200 days per year, with temperatures reaching an unbearable 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees C) by the end of the century. The projections show prolonged droughts, air pollution from dust storms, and rising sea levels. In order to avoid the worst effects of climate change, the world must keep average temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, climate scientists say.
"Worst fire season"
The fire that Taleb and his friends fought this summer marked the first time on record that wildfires have reached Lebanon's cedar trees.
Starting in the low plains of Wadi Jhannam or the "Valley of Hell," Taleb says the fire burned through almost 100 acres of woodland, damaging some 100 prized cedar and juniper trees. This might seem slight, but it's a significant area in tiny Lebanon, a country many times smaller than every American state, except Delaware and Rhode Island.
Across Lebanon, wildfires have been more frequent and intense. George Mitri, a scientist and director of the land and natural resources program at the Lebanese University of Balamand, says the fires this year burned through an area seven times larger than the annual average. At one point in October, his team counted 150 wildfires in just 48 hours.
Mitri says the fires reached record altitudes too, burning as high as 6,500 feet above sea level. The fires came within just 7.5 miles of Lebanon's densest cedar forest in the Tannourine Nature Reserve. "This was the worst fire season on record," Mitri says. "It's a national disaster."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Tarling for NPR Sam Tarling for NPR
Mitri has warned of these dangers for years. In 2012, he and his team used climatic data and modeling to show how climate change would affect wildfires in Lebanon over the next 30 years.
"Our main finding for this study was that high mountains will be more prone to increasing drought, which in turn affect fire spread," he says. "We noticed back then a significant worsening in drought conditions in 2020."
Specifically, the study predicted a much greater fire risk in the mountains of the Akkar region of northern Lebanon, where the cedars burned this year.
The sawfly threat
In the Tannourine Nature Reserve, climate change is killing cedars in a different way.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Tarling for NPR Sam Tarling for NPR
Beneath the thick forest canopy, dangling from the branches of trees, some of which are more than 1,000 years old, are sticky yellow sheets covered with captured insects. This is just one of the ways conservationists are trying to fight the sawfly infestation they say is a "direct consequence" of warming temperatures.
The sawfly is native to this forest and used to coexist with the cedars. "This insect used to sleep under the soil, hibernating, for six to seven years," says Nabil Nemer, an entomologist who identified the sawfly as the cause of a new destruction of the trees in Tannourine forest. "Now, with warmer temperatures it has changed its life cycle to emerge every year." The insects now lay eggs on the cedar buds, which the larvae then eat, killing the tree.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Tarling for NPR Sam Tarling for NPR
The changing weather has also affected the forest's microbiome. "There used to be a balance in which other microorganisms would cause disease in the sawfly, controlling its population," says Nemer. But these microorganisms survive only in a humid environment. As these forests dry out, the sawfly population soars. Now, Nemer says, the insect has been identified as a cause of blight in most of Lebanon's cedar reserves.
Budget crunch
The Lebanese government has long recognized the dangers facing the cedar trees, but has so far failed to address them. In 2009, it endorsed a national strategy for preventing wildfires that Mitri helped draft. But the plan was never put into action. "No budget was ever allocated," says Mitri.
In 2019, wildfires broke out around the country with unprecedented ferocity. Dozens of blazes took hold in scrublands and protected areas up and down Lebanon driving families from their homes. But Lebanon's three firefighting helicopters remained grounded. The government ministries in charge of them, it emerged, had let them fall into disrepair years before.
For Lebanese already wrestling with a national economic collapse and the state's failure to provide basic services, including continuous electricity, trash collection and potable water, the news of the grounded helicopters symbolized the ineptitude and corruption driving the population into squalor.
This brought even more people to the streets, joining the massive anti-government protests in October 2019 that decried everything from the government's failures to provide basic services to the collapse of the national economy. In a rare show of unity in deeply divided Lebanon, the young and old, from all religious sects, marched together to call for the removal of the entire political class. They shouted a traditional chant of the Arab Spring, "the people demand the fall of the regime," and then one just for Lebanon, "the country is burning."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Tarling for NPR Sam Tarling for NPR
Trees of hope
Because the cedar tree grows on high rocky outcrops and has outlasted thousands of years of plunder, it has come to symbolize resilience for many Lebanese, who have themselves survived decades of occupation and civil war.
On Aug. 4, a massive explosion at Beirut's port wreaked destruction across the capital city. Caused by some 2,750 metric tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate, it destroyed the homes of hundreds of thousands of residents and, in an instant, turned the city's wealthiest neighborhoods into seas of twisted metal and shattered glass.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Tarling for NPR Sam Tarling for NPR
In the weeks that followed, Alice Mogabgab, who owns an art gallery in Beirut, decided to make the first exhibition after the explosion about cedar trees and Lebanese forests. Today, the cedar tree is "the only shelter in which Lebanese can find peace," she says.
"We have nothing left," Mogabgab says. "The only hope to heal our souls is that we still have the tree in this land, and nothing else. Nothing at all."
Nemer says the last two years of wildfires are a "wake-up call" for Lebanese citizens to take action to protect their forests. Many are answering the call. Nemer describes projects around the Tannourine cedars, funded by charities and run by local volunteers, to plant cedars at higher altitudes where, in the new climate, they might survive, and to clear vegetation to form firebreaks around the forests.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Tarling for NPR Sam Tarling for NPR
Mishmish, the home of ecotourism expert Khaled Taleb, is one of several municipalities to get funding from a Swedish charity, SKL International, to train local residents in firefighting.
"A huge number of people applied," says Firas Khodr, 35, an organizer. "We held interviews and eventually chose 85 people."
Khodr spoke beside the town's gray municipal building on a bright and clear Saturday earlier this month. Inside, dozens of men sat in a large room, wearing masks to protect from the coronavirus and watching a presentation by a firefighter on how to use extinguishers and tackle fires in vegetation.
"This area is mostly forest, and the forests here are part of people's lives. They have meaning," says Khodr, explaining why so many residents volunteered for work that is both dangerous and unpaid.
Taleb has also received help in his mission to protect the cedars. Realizing that the roads in the mountain range's upper reaches are impassable for regular fire engines, he started a GoFundMe page to raise money to adapt a four-wheel-drive pickup truck to fight fires.
Even amid a dire economic crisis, Lebanese inside and outside the country were moved by the pictures of burning cedars Taleb had posted on social media. "We raised $17,000," he says.
Today, Taleb's pickup is customized with a winch on the front and a fiberglass water tank that can hold about 300 gallons of water.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sam Tarling for NPR Sam Tarling for NPR
"It feels amazing," he says. "We've gone from being forced to stand by and watch trees burn to being able to save an entire woodland."
Taleb knows it won't be enough to stop all the damage caused by climate change. But little by little, he hopes, Lebanese citizens will work to protect their beloved cedar forests, as best they can.


npr--2020-11-22--Hold The Champagne: What Happens When Neither Party Gets to Celebrate The Election?

Hold The Champagne : What Happens When Neither Party Gets to Celebrate The Election ?
This year 's election was among the most anticipated and perhaps most consequential in U.S. history .
But it was not an easy election to celebrate .
The results rolled in over several days and sometimes seemed confusing .
Even now , President Trump has refused to concede .
While the outcome is not really in doubt , it is still disputed by the ousted president and his most fervent followers .
Like two teams that meet in the seventh game of a World Series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Night .
But in this instance , it was hard for either to pop the corks .
Days went by .
The bubbly got warm and went flat .
It was not just the delay that spoiled the party .
And this is not a case of post-election hangover .
This was simply a sobering election .
The entire campaign was off-kilter because of the pandemic , which disrupted the later primaries and forced convention planners to largely abandon their host cities and substitute online productions .
Rallies and bus tours were restrained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events in the closing weeks with apparent effect .
In the end , though , the most sobering element for both parties may have been the mixed message handed down by the voters .
It was hard for either party to claim a mandate or find a sense of validation .
We now know that Joe Biden got a bigger percentage of the popular vote than any challenger to a sitting president since FDR beat Herbert Hoover in 1932 .
Yes , even larger than Ronald Reagan 's share of the popular vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill Clinton 's in beating George H.W .
Bush in 1992 .
( Both Reagan and Clinton won three-way contests that included a strong independent candidate . )
But as badly as Democrats wanted to defeat Trump , they have been sobered by their down-ballot frustrations and internal divisions over what caused them .
Biden 's win , though substantial in both the popular vote and the Electoral College , did not translate to commensurate success for the Democrats in Congress or elsewhere .
In fact , while the party may yet achieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win two runoff elections in Georgia come January , it lost significant ground in the House and in the state legislatures that will draw the new voting district maps for the next decade .
What stung the most for Democrats was the failure to meet expectations created by polling that suggested a blue tsunami and a new progressive era in American politics driven in part by changing demographics .
That they fell so far short of this must temper their sense of joy at recapturing the White House .
For generations , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dominant power in our national life .
Sometimes they think they are just about to live the dream .
Then the voters wake them up .
Democrats sometimes long for the mid-1960s , when President Lyndon Johnson had huge majorities in Congress and passed the Voting Rights Act , Medicare and other parts of what was to be the `` Great Society . ''
But that brief era ended with the elections of 1966 and 1968 and an era of conservative pushback .
Republicans have been talking since the 1980s about realignment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the South and much of the Midwest .
The party has also greatly improved its appeal to working-class white voters across the map .
The years of Barack Obama 's presidency helped the GOP consolidate power in much of the country .
In fact , when Donald Trump took the oath of office in 2017 , Republicans held more levers of power in Washington and in more states than they had in a century .
Yet just four years later their Washington role has been reduced again to playing defense .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and old in both parties who rose up , or broke through or beat the odds in 2020 .
There were upstart winners and enduring veterans such as Susan Collins ( R-Maine ) , who outran the top of her party 's ticket by more than 55,000 votes in her home state .
There was the impressive recruitment story that led to Republicans capturing Democratic seats with candidates who were women , minorities or military veterans .
But it is difficult for the Republican Party to celebrate when President Trump has been defeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made all the more challenging by his inability to recognize that reality .
By refusing to concede — and indeed insisting he has in fact won — the president not only prolongs the process , but puts on hold the sense of closure that his party — and the country as a whole — expects and deserves .
That , too , has a depressive effect on the national mood .
Concessions have often been done with great grace and humility , but that is not their essential function .
Congratulations need not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What matters is the acknowledgment of the outcome itself .
That is what is basic to democracy and essential to good governing at all levels .
Withholding it creates anxiety in the national mood and uncertainty in the administration of public authority .
In the weeks ahead , much of this will be resolved .
The president will have to make his peace , even in his own way , with his electoral fate .
But the outlook for our politics in the near and visible future has been clouded , and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with the pandemic , and do it despite the restraints of divided government .
We surely must deal with a divided electorate , where more than 70 million people voted for the president , most with great enthusiasm .
Despite Joe Biden 's victory in both the electoral college and in popular vote , they have been told their guy might have won , and they are bound to wonder .
We also know that , even in the midst of the highest turnout rate in more than century , tens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eligible voters — did not participate .
And millions of those who did participate used their votes to say , in effect , that the promises of democracy were not being fulfilled for them .
And that may be the most sobering message of all .

Hold The Champagne: What Happens When Neither Party Gets To Celebrate The Election?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
This year's election was among the most anticipated and perhaps most consequential in U.S. history.
But it was not an easy election to celebrate. The results rolled in over several days and sometimes seemed confusing. Even now, President Trump has refused to concede. While the outcome is not really in doubt, it is still disputed by the ousted president and his most fervent followers.
Like two teams that meet in the seventh game of a World Series, both the Democratic and Republican parties bought Champagne for election night. But in this instance, it was hard for either to pop the corks. Days went by. The bubbly got warm and went flat.
It was not just the delay that spoiled the party. And this is not a case of post-election hangover. This was simply a sobering election.
The entire campaign was off-kilter because of the coronavirus pandemic, which disrupted the later primaries and forced convention planners to largely abandon their host cities and substitute online productions. Rallies and bus tours were restrained, although Trump revived his in-person events in the closing weeks with apparent effect.
In the end, though, the most sobering element for both parties may have been the mixed message handed down by the voters. It was hard for either party to claim a mandate or find a sense of validation.
We now know that Joe Biden got a bigger percentage of the popular vote than any challenger to a sitting president since Franklin D. Roosevelt beat Herbert Hoover in 1932. Yes, even larger than Ronald Reagan's share of the popular vote in beating Jimmy Carter in 1980 or Bill Clinton's in beating George H.W. Bush in 1992. (Both Reagan and Clinton won three-way contests that included a strong independent candidate.)
But as badly as Democrats wanted to defeat Trump, they have been sobered by their down-ballot frustrations and internal divisions over what caused them. Biden's win, though substantial in both the popular vote and the Electoral College, did not translate to commensurate success for the Democrats in Congress or elsewhere.
In fact, while the Democratic Party may yet achieve control of the Senate if it can win two runoff elections in Georgia come January, it lost significant ground in the House and in the state legislatures that will draw the new voting-district maps for the next decade.
What stung the most for Democrats was the failure to meet expectations created by polling that suggested a blue tsunami and a new progressive era in American politics driven in part by changing demographics. That they fell so far short of this must temper their sense of joy at recapturing the White House.
Enduring dreams of dominance
For generations, both parties have dreamed of emerging as the dominant power in our national life. Sometimes they think they are just about to live the dream. Then the voters wake them up.
Democrats sometimes long for the mid-1960s, when President Lyndon B. Johnson had huge majorities in Congress and passed the Voting Rights Act, Medicare and other parts of what was to be the "Great Society." But that brief era ended with the elections of 1966 and 1968 and an era of conservative pushback.
Republicans have been talking since the 1980s about realignment, and they have taken over in most of the South and much of the Midwest. The Republican Party has also greatly improved its appeal to working-class white voters across the map. The years of Barack Obama's presidency helped the GOP consolidate power in much of the country. In fact, when Donald Trump took the oath of office in 2017, Republicans held more levers of power in Washington and in more states than they had in a century.
Yet just four years later, their Washington role has been reduced again to playing defense.
To be sure, there were new candidates and old in both parties who rose up, broke through or beat the odds in 2020. There were upstart winners and enduring veterans such as Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who outran the top of her party's ticket by more than 55,000 votes in her home state. There was the impressive recruitment story that led to Republicans capturing Democratic seats with candidates who were women, minorities or military veterans.
But it is difficult for the Republican Party to celebrate when Trump has been defeated. And the task of recovery is made all the more challenging by his inability to recognize that reality.
By refusing to concede — and indeed insisting he has in fact won — the president not only prolongs the process but puts on hold the sense of closure that his party — and the country as a whole — expects and deserves.
That, too, has a depressive effect on the national mood.
No concession, no closure
Concessions have often been made with great grace and humility, but that is not their essential function. Congratulations need not be sincere, or even conveyed.
What matters is the acknowledgment of the outcome itself. That is what is basic to democracy and essential to good governing at all levels. Withholding it creates anxiety in the national mood and uncertainty in the administration of public authority.
In the weeks ahead, much of this will be resolved. The president will have to make his peace, even in his own way, with his electoral fate. But the outlook for our politics in the near and visible future has been clouded and is likely to remain so.
We must deal with the pandemic and do it despite the restraints of divided government. We surely must deal with a divided electorate, where more than 70 million people voted for the president, most with great enthusiasm. Despite Biden's victory in both the Electoral College and in the popular vote, they have been told their guy might have won, and they are bound to wonder.
We also know that, even in the midst of the highest turnout rate in more than a century, tens of millions — roughly a third of all eligible voters — did not participate. And millions of those who did participate used their votes to say, in effect, that the promises of democracy were not being fulfilled for them. And that may be the most sobering message of all.