The Wall Street Journal - 24 12 2020

2020·11.47 MB·English

****** THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 ~ VOL. CCLXXVI NO. 149 WSJ.com HHHH $4.00
DJIA30129.83 À114.32 0.4% NASDAQ12771.11 g0.3% STOXX600 395.49À1.1% 10-YR.TREAS. g 11/32, yield0.953% OIL $48.12À$1.10 GOLD$1,874.70À$8.10 EURO$1.2188 YEN103.55
Traditions Endure Bethlehem’s Subdued Christmas Season Trump
What’s
Pardons
News
Manafort,
Business&Finance
Stone,
C
hineseregulatorssaid
theyweretakingaction 24 Others

againstJackMa’stwocrown
jewels,e-commercegiantAli-
babaandfinancebehemoth
Ant,movesthatfollowedthe Clemency goes to
abruptshutdownlastmonth Republicans targeted
ofAnt’splannedIPO.A1
(cid:2)Antcutborrowinglimits in Mueller probe along
forsomeusersofitspopular with Kushner’s father
digitalcredit-cardservice,a
signthecompanyisdialing
backriskamidpressure BY REBECCA BALL
fromChineseregulators.B1 AND BYRON TAU
(cid:2)Appleisbootingthou-
sandsofvideogameapps PresidentTrumpissued26
fromitsplatforminChinaas morepardonsonWednesday,
thegovernmentclampsdown RESS grantingclemencytoindividu-
harderonsuchcontent.A6 P alsincludingformercampaign
A
(cid:2)Householdspendingfell ZUM chairmanPaulManafort,long-
A/ timeadviserRogerStoneand
inNovemberforthefirst P
tlaimyoeffisnrseemveaninmedonetlehvsaatnedd OVICH/D Clahwa’rslefasthKeurs.hner, his son-in-
M Mr. Trump, who used the
lrUau.sSst.cweacesoeenskowamseiiacgshreuecrdogoevneirntyhv.eiA-1 ILIAYEFI celaermlyenincyhpisowteerrmon,laypsppeaarrinsgtloy
NATIVITYSCENE:AheadofChristmasEve,womenlightcandlesatBethlehem’sChurchoftheNativity,whichholdsa befreelyexercisingitinhisfi-
(cid:2)TheDowandS&P500 grottobelievedtobeChrist’sbirthplace.TheWestBanktownexpectsaquieterholidaybecauseofpandemicrestrictions. nalweeksinofficetograntre-
gained0.4%and0.1%,re- prievestoalliesandassociates
spectively,whiletheNas- in his political orbit. In addi-
daqretreated0.3%.B10 tion to the acts of clemency
U.K., EU Nearing Agreement
announced this week, last
(cid:2)NikolasaidRepublicSer-
monthhepardonedhisformer
vices,itspartnerinaneffort
nationalsecurityadviserMike
todevelopzero-emissions
Flynn,whohadpleadedguilty
garbagetrucks,hasagreedto
To Set Post-Brexit Trade Ties tolyingtotheFederalBureau
endthecollaboration,anew
ofInvestigation.
setbackforthestartup.B1
Messrs.StoneandManafort
(cid:2)TheFCC’scontinuing played instrumental roles in
saleofwirelesslicenseshas the president’s political rise,
fetchedmorethan$69.8bil- with Mr. Manafort serving as
lionafterthreeweeksof BYLAURENCENORMAN “We are in the end phase nomic disruption in coming over how tightly Britain will hiscampaignchairmanin2016
bidding,arecordsum.B1 now,”anEUofficialsaid.An- weeks as Britain unmoors remainentwinedwiththeEU andMr.Stoneactingasalong-
BRUSSELS—The U.K. and otherdiplomatsaidanagree- from its largest trading part- afteritvotedtoleavethebloc time political confidant. Both
(cid:2)OwlRockandDyal
European Union were on the mentwasveryclose. ner.Itwouldmeantariff-free inJune2016. men were charged as part of
agreedtomergeinacom-
brinkofreachingapost-Brexit People familiar with the trade between the two sides A deal would give Britain formerspecialcounselRobert
plicateddealthatwouldtake
tradeaccord,EUofficialssaid, talkssaidnegotiatorsarego- and reduce—but not elimi- significantfreedomtodepart Mueller’sinvestigationofRus-
thempublicthrougha
a deal that would end four ing through the fine print of nate—the need for a slew of from EU regulations and to sian interference in the 2016
blank-checkcompany.B9
yearsofuncertaintyaboutfu- theaccord.Shortlyaftermid- new customs and regulatory sign free-trade deals with election. The elder Mr. Kush-
ture relations between major nightlocaltime,theEuropean formalitiesattheborder. countries like the U.S. But as ner served more than two
World-Wide
U.Sallies. Commission’schiefspokesman It would follow months of the price for securing a deal yearsinprison.
At stake are the terms for said discussions would con- tensenegotiationsandsetout withouttariffs,theU.K.isex- AnanalysisbyHarvardLaw
around $900 billion in trade tinue through the night with thetermsofamuchmoredis- pectedtocommitnottoseri- professor and former Justice
(cid:2)Trumpissued26more between Britain and the EU newspossibleearlyThursday tantrelationshipbetweenBrit- ously undercut EU norms on DepartmentofficialJackGold-
pardonsonWednesday,grant- andthedepthoftheircooper- morning. ain and the EU than at pres- issuessuchaslaborandenvi- PleaseturntopageA4
ingclemencytoindividuals ationonlawenforcementand A deal, just days before ent. It would mark the ronmental standards and to
includingformercampaign counterterrorism, among Dec. 31 deadline, would calm capstoneoftheBrexitproject, roughly equivalent rules on (cid:2)Presidentvetoesdefensebill;
chairmanPaulManafort, otherissues. theworstfearsofamajoreco- ending years of uncertainty PleaseturntopageA7 virusaidisinlimbo...............A3
longtimeadviserRoger
StoneandCharlesKushner, Data Cloud
hisson-in-law’sfather.A1 Nikola Shares Fall on Failed Deal Beijing Takes Action
(cid:2)Thepresidentvetoeda
$740.5billiondefense-pol- Outlook Nikola’ssharepriceperformance
icybillanddemandedlast- 120% sincethecompany’sJuneIPO Against Tech Giants
minutechangestocoronavi-
rusrelieflegislation,adding For Growth
freshuncertaintytotheclos- Alibaba, Ant Group
ingdaysof2020asagovern- 80
mentshutdownloomed.A3
BYJOSHMITCHELL
(cid:2)TheU.K.andEUwere
onthebrinkofreachinga
post-Brexittradeaccord, Household spending 40 Chinaiscomingdownhard StateAdministrationforMarket
dropped for the first time in S&P500 ononeofitsbiggestandmost Regulation,saidithadlaunched
EUofficialssaid,adealthat +18.7%
seven months and layoffs re- powerfulbusinessempires. an antitrust investigation into
wouldendfouryearsof
mainedelevatedasasurgein Alibaba. Separately, a joint
uncertaintyaboutthetwo
sides’futurerelations.A1 virus cases weighed on eco- 0 By Liza Lin, statement issued by China’s
nomicrecovery. Lingling Wei central bank and regulatory
(cid:2)Statesandcitiesacrossthe After going on a shopping and Chong Ping agenciesoverseeingsecurities,
U.S.haveimposedthemost spreethissummer,consumers bankingandinsurancesaidthey
extensivecurbsonbusiness closedtheirwalletslastmonth, OnThursday,Chineseregu- would meet with Ant to urge
–40
andsocialgatheringssince cuttingspendingby0.4%,the lators said they were taking thefirmtoimplementfinancial
springinhopesofpreventing Commerce Department said actionagainstbillionaireJack regulationsandotherrules.
afurthersurgeinCovid-19 Wednesday.Theycutspending NikolaCorp. Ma’stwocrownjewels,e-com- Takentogether,theactions
casesovertheholidays.A3 onservicessuchasrestaurant –55.5% merce giant Alibaba Group mark Beijing’s strongest en-
–80
meals,aswellaspurchasesof HoldingLtd.andfinancebehe- forcement action against a
(cid:2)TheTrumpadministra- June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
goods, including big-ticket moth Ant Group, moves that technology empire that has
tionretainedanational
PleaseturntopageA2 Source:FactSet followedtheabruptshutdown cometoembodyChina’sstrik-
limitof70partsperbillion
Nikolasaiditspartnerinanefforttodevelopzero-emissions last month of Ant’s planned PleaseturntopageA6
forthepollutantozone.
(cid:2)GregIp:2021couldbebetter garbagetruckshasagreedtoterminatethecollaboration, blockbusterpubliclisting.
Businessgroupshadop-
thanyouthink..........................A2 sendingtheelectric-truckstartup’sstockdownalmost11%.B1 In a terse statement, Bei- (cid:2)Antcurbsloanriskforsome
posedtougherstandards.A3
(cid:2)HeardontheStreet:Caution jing’stopmarketregulator,the borrowers......................................B1
(cid:2)Arocketattacklaunched overweakconsumption.....B11
attheU.S.Embassyin Xi’s Autocratic Turn
BaghdadonSundaywasthe O Hum, All Ye Faithful
largestonthecity’sGreen
Zonesince2010,atopmil- Rooted in His Past
itarycommandersaid.A7 i i i
(cid:2)HongKong’shighcourt Christmascarolersmakeajoyfulnoise—withCovidprecautions
grantedbailtopro-de-
mocracynewspaperpub-
lisherJimmyLai.A16 BYTE-PINGCHEN he has told con- “The thing U.S.misreadtheChinesepresident,thinking
ANDCHIPCUTTER gregants.“We’rere- about music for
hewouldbecommittedtostableties
specting one an- Christmas is it’s
NOTICETOREADERS
Harktheheraldangelssing, other by not hard to keep peo-
WSJ.comandWSJmobile but at the Memorial United singing.” ple from singing” BYJEREMYPAGE aLosAngelesLakersbasket-
appswillpublish
Methodist Church this week, Across the U.S., when they know ballgame.
throughouttheChristmas
thecongregationwillbehum- churcheshavebeen the words by BEIJING—Inthetwoyears TheU.S.officials’conclu-
holiday.TheWallStreet
ming. wrestlingwithhow heart,saysJeremy beforeXiJinpingbecame sion:AlthoughMr.Xiwasfar
Journalprinteditionwon’t
In previous years, the Fer- to safely mark the Helmes, chair of China’sleaderin2012,U.S. moreconfidentandforth-
appearonFriday.
nandina Beach, Fla., church’s mostfestiveofsea- theboardofdirec- officialstriedtosizehimup rightthanHuJintao,thestiff
Christmascelebrationshavefea- sons, particularly AlmostSilentNight tors of the Na- throughaseriesofface-to- andscriptedleaderhewould
CONTENTS Opinion.................A13-15 turedhundredsofpeoplebelt- when it comes to tional Association facemeetings. succeed,helikelysharedhis
BusinessNews....B3,5 PersonalJournalA9-10
ingoutfavoritecarolsfromthe carol-singing—aholidaystaple. ofPastoralMusicians,agroup DuringtalksinChinain commitmenttostableties
CapitalAccount.......A2 Sports...........................A12
CapitalJournal........A4 Technology..................B4 pews.Thisyear,though,atten- TheCentersforDiseaseControl thatsupportsmusicalliturgy. 2011,Mr.Xi,thenvicepresi- withWashingtonandcloser
Crossword.................A12 U.S.News................A2-6 danceiscappedat50peoplein andPreventionhasencouraged To avoid the temptation to dent,askedaboutcivilian integrationwiththeU.S.-led
HeardonStreet....B11 Weather......................A12 its main sanctuary space, and peopletoavoidsingingatholi- sing,somehavediscussedthe controloftheU.S.military, globalorder.Someeven
Markets.......................B10 WorldNews.........A7,16
ChristmasEveserviceswilltake daycelebrations,especiallyin- possibility of picking lesser- sharedhisthoughtsonupris- hopedMr.Xiwouldkick-start
on a decidedly different tone, doors,givenhow singingcan known carols in lieu of more ingsintheMiddleEastand stalledeconomicreforms.
> with prerecorded music from poseacoronavirussafetyrisk. compulsively singable tunes spoke,unprompted,abouthis Itwasoneofthebiggest
thechurch’schoirandaviolinist Some are holding virtual- like“JoytotheWorld,”hesays. father,arenownedrevolu- strategicmiscalculationsof
and cellist playing Christmas onlyservices.Othersareorga- Other measures include skip- tionary.Whenhevisitedthe thepost-ColdWarera.
hymnsatsomeservices. nizingChristmassingalongsin ping wind instruments and U.S.in2012,hewasrelaxed PleaseturntopageA8
“Hum along behind your parking lots, or services with addingmoreservicestospread andaffable,chattingwith
s2020DowJones&Company,Inc.
AllRightsReserved masks,”Rev.Dr.MarkCharles, steeplyreducedmusicaloffer- worshipers out at a safe dis- studentsandposingforpic- (cid:2)Applepullsgameappsas
thechurch’sseniorpastor,says ings. PleaseturntopageA4 tureswithMagicJohnsonat Chinatightenscontrols.......A6
A2|Thursday,December24,2020 ***** THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL.
U.S. NEWS
CAPITAL ACCOUNT | ByGregIp
2021 Could Be (a Lot) Better Than You Think
OurCovid endedandindeedhavere- the$600-per-personstimu- Consumerspending,repressedbysocialdistancing,couldsoar butthistimetheyaredown,
winterhas centlytightened. luscheck“ridiculouslylow” whenrestrictionsend,helpedbyconcentratedfederalstimulus. accordingtoEpiqAacer,
begunona Thoserestrictionsarere- andsomeliberalsfeelsimi- whichtracksfilings.Chapter
Personalconsumption* Federalfiscalstimulus
grimnote: pressingconsumerspending. larlyaboutthe$300-a-week 11filingsbybusinessareup,
asashareofGDP‡
Jobgrowthis IHSMarkitestimatesper- bonusunemploymentbene- butwellbelowlevels
stalling,con- sonalconsumptionisrun- fit.Infact,togetherwith $14trillion 2019-2022† 14% reachedinthepreviousre-
sumerspendingiswilting, ning7%belowitsfundamen- March’shigherpayouts,they Basedon Covid-19(projected) cession.ChrisKruseofEpiq
andafast-spreadingvirus tallevelasdictatedby representanunprecedented 13 fundamentals 12 Aacerexpectsfilingstorise,
strainhasraisedthepros- wagesandsalaries,govern- funneloffederalcashthat Actualand especiallyonceeviction
10
pectofcripplingnewlock- mentpayments,wealth,in- inaggregate—thoughnot projected moratoriumsprotectingde-
downs. terestrates,taxesandde- foreveryindividual—more 12 8 linquenttenantsandhome-
Yetafterthismostun- mographics.Inthe2007-09 thanreplacedallthewage ownersexpire.Butthose
usualofyears,thereare recession,itranclosetoor incomelostduringthepan- 6 moratoriumsandforgivable
11
threegoodreasonstothink aboveitsfundamentallevel. demic. 2007-09 federalloanswillintheend
nextyearwillbebetter— Ifvaccinesareeffective— Meanwhile,FederalRe- 2007-2011 4 recession sparealotofpeopleand
perhapsmuchbetterthan ofparticularconcernasa serveChairmanJerome 10 (actual) businessesbankruptcy
youthink.Itallcomesdown fast-spreadingvariantpara- Powellsaidlastweek,“the 2 court.
totheuniquecharacterof lyzesBritain—mostofthe concernsthatwehadatthe Evenaftersevenmonths
boththerecessionandthe populationshouldbevacci- verybeginningofreallyse- 9 0 ofsolidgrowth,totalem-
policyresponse. natedbymidyear,allowing rious,deepshortfallsand 2007 ’09 ’11 2019 ’21 Year0 Year2 Year4 ploymentstood9.8million
M social-distancingrestrictions massivebudgetcutsonthe lowerinNovemberthanin
*2009dollarsdisplayedatanannualizedrate. †2021to2022dataareprojections.
ostrecessionsbegin toend.Itisn’toutlandishto partofstateandlocalgov- ‡Year0=2007for2007-2009recession,2019forCovid-19. February,ajobsdeficit
whenrisinginterest thinkconsumerspending ernmentshavenotyetoc- Source:IHSMarkit(consumption);CommitteeforaResponsibleFederalBudget(fiscalstimulus) largerthaninFebruary
ratesorstressedfi- couldsnapbacktoitsfun- curred.” 2010,thelowpointofthe
nancialmarketsundercut damentallevelbyyear-end T assistancetheyhopedfor commitmentisoflimited lastcycle.But38%ofthat
demandforgoodsandser- (thoughthatisn’tIHS’sfore- obesure,statesex- fromthisweek’sfiscaldeal, helpwhilearampantpan- numberarepeoplewhoper-
vices,drivingupunemploy- cast).Thatcouldboost pect11%lessrevenue but$122billionisear- demicisholdingdownactiv- manentlylosttheirjobs,
ment,whichfurthercrimps growthin2021to5%,the inthecurrentfiscal markedforschools,higher ity.Butoncerestrictionsare comparedwith77%then.
demand.Thisonebegan bestsince1984. year,whichendsnextJune, education,vaccinedistribu- lifted,itcouldturbocharge GoldmanSachsestimates
withanaturaldisaster,like PresidentTrumphasput thanoriginallybudgeted,ac- tion,transitsystems,and assetpricesandconsumer 60%ofthemissingjobsare
ahurricaneorearthquake, thisweek’s$900billionfis- cordingtoareportreleased testingandtracing. andcapitalspending. invirus-sensitiveindustries,
whichinterruptsthesupply calpackageindoubtbysug- WednesdaybytheNational Federallargessisallthe Recessionsoftendolong- mostofwhichwillreturn
ofgoodsandservices. gestinghewon’tsignit.If AssociationofStateBudget morepowerfulbecausethe termdamagebywipingout withavaccine.
Whenadisasterofthat hedoes,itwouldultimately Officers.Butthehithas FederalReserveisamplify- entirebusinessesalongwith True,jobsorbusinesses
sortends,aV-shapedrecov- bringtotalstimulussince beenlessthanfeared,in ingit.Whenrecoverykicks hard-to-re-createrelation- destroyedduringthepan-
eryensues.Butthisdisaster, Februaryto$3.5trillion,ac- partbecausethepandemic in,investorsoftenpricein shipsamongcustomers,sup- demic’sdarkestdaysare
themostwidespreadand cordingtotheCenterfora hasdisproportionatelyhurt higherinterestrates.But pliers,andemployees,and goneforever—andthereare
longestlastinginacentury, ResponsibleFederalBudget. lower-paidworkerswhopay theFedshort-circuitedthat bykeepingsomepeoplejob- moredarkdaystocome.But
isn’tover.Therewasapar- Thatismoreasashareof lessincometaxandservices processbypromisingthat lesssolongtheyleavethe arapidrecoverynextyear
tialV-shapedrecoveryinthe grossdomesticproductthan thatcarrylesssalestaxthan interestrates,whichare workforcealtogether. offershopethatmanyun-
thirdquarteraslockdowns theresponsetothe2007-09 goods,saidKathrynVesey nearzero,willstaythere Itisearlydays,butthere employedwillavoidthetrap
werelifted.Butsincethe recessionanditisbeing White,directorofbudget- untilandunlessinflation aresignsthatscarringmay oflong-termjoblessnessand
pandemicwasneverbrought spentinlessthantwoyears processstudiesforNASBO. reaches2%andunemploy- beminimizedthistime. newbusinesseswillsoon
undercontrol,restrictions insteadoffive. Stateandlocalgovern- mentdropstopre-pandemic Bankruptciesusuallyrise risefromtheashesofthe
andsocialdistancingnever PresidentTrumpcalled mentsdidn’tgetthegeneral levels.Thisunprecedented whenunemploymentsoars, old.
States Square Off Over Taxing Remote Workers’ Income
BYJIMMYVIELKIND commuted to their jobs in interstatetaxationdisputes,but borderskirmishbetweenthose tax is apportioned fairly and NewHampshire,whichhas
Massachusetts but now work hasn’t passed any legislation. states.Itraisesafundamental doesn’tdiscriminateagainstin- noincometax,saidinitspe-
Theriseofremoteworkers fromhome. New Hampshire took its com- national issue that has been terstatecommerce. tition that Massachusetts’
during theCovid-19pandemic The case hasn’t yet been plaint directly to the U.S. Su- festeringfordecades,”saidEd- Massachusetts normally rule infringed on its sover-
has led to a showdown in the scheduledforaprivateconfer- premeCourt,whichhasorigi- wardZelinsky,whoteachestax apportionstheamountofin- eignty,aswellasundermined
U.S.SupremeCourtoverwhich ence among Supreme Court nal jurisdiction over disputes lawatYeshivaUniversity’sCar- come it taxes based on the “an incentive for businesses
stategetstotaxtheirincome. justices, who will decide betweentwoormorestates. dozoLawSchoolinNewYork number of days commuters to locate capital and jobs in
More than a dozen states whether they will grant it a New Jersey, Connecticut, City. areworkinginthestate,pre- NewHampshire,amotivation
submitted legal briefs this hearing. A ruling would have IowaandHawaiisubmitteda Mr. Zelinsky has filed a dominantly at firms in and for families to relocate to
weektoweighinonapetition significantbudgetimplications briefTuesdayurgingthecourt friend-of-the-court brief sup- around Boston, it said in a New Hampshire’s communi-
thatNewHampshirefiledwith for states that have lost bil- to take up New Hampshire’s portingNewHampshire. courtfiling.Butthecommon- ties,andtheState’sabilityto
the court in October to stop lionsofdollarsintaxrevenue petition. On Monday, Ohio, Federalcourtshaveheldthat wealth issued a rule earlier payforpublicservicesbyre-
Massachusetts from taxing during the pandemic and Texas and eight other states states may tax the income of this year stating it would ducingeconomicgrowth.”
residents working remotely. couldsetaprecedentontax- with Republican attorneys nonresidents so long as em- treatincomepaidtononresi- Initsowncourtbrief,Mas-
The petition says Massachu- ing remote workers that en- generalalsoweighedinonbe- ployeeshaveasubstantiallink dentswhohavestoppedtrav- sachusetts argued that its
settsdoesn’thavetherightto durespastthepandemic. halfofNewHampshire. to the taxing state, the taxes eling to the state because of rules maintained the status
taxtheincomeofNewHamp- Congresshasforyearsdis- “TheMassachusettsv.New are fairly related to services thepandemicasthoughthey quotopreventdisruptionfor
shireresidentswhopreviously cussedsettingclearerrulesfor Hampshireissueisnoisolated provided by that state, and a werestillcommuting. taxpayers.
Economic
ConsumerspendingstumbledinNovember,fallingforthefirst for most individuals and en- watch their children with output in March and April,
timeinmonths,whilelastweek’sunemploymentnumbers hanced unemployment bene- schoolsholdingclassesonline whenthepandemicshutdown
Data Cloud improvedbutremainedelevated. fits, though President Trump ordaycareclosed. muchoftheU.S.economy.
hasn’tsigneditandcriticized The drop in sales has The forecasting firm IHS
Consumerspendingandpersonalincome thepackagelateTuesday.Au- pinchedherownincome,lead- Markit believes output will
Outlook thorities this month began ingherandherhusbandtocut have grown at a 6.1% annual
$20.0trillion givingsomeessentialworkers backonspending.Thecouple rate in October through De-
Personal
and other vulnerable Ameri- areskippingbuyingeachother cember. The Atlanta Federal
income
17.5 cans the vaccine against the Christmasgiftsthisyear,and Reserve’sGDPNowmodelproj-
virus, the start of a months- cutting what they spend on ects 11.1% annualized growth
ContinuedfromPageOne 15.0 Consumer longprocessthatcouldeven- giftsforfriendsandfamily. forthefourthquarter.
itemslikecarsandappliances. spending tually lead the economy to “Normallywebudgetacer- U.S.retailsales—ameasure
Household incomes also 12.5 morefullyreopen.Someecon- tainamountthatwe’regoingto ofhowmuchAmericansspend
tookahitastheeffectsoffed- omists think gross domestic on cars, groceries, gasoline
eralaidprogramsputinplace 10.0 product could grow by a ro- and other goods—fell 1.1% in
earlier this year fade. House- 2015 '20 bust5%ormorenextyear. Householdsare November,theCommerceDe-
holdincome—measuringwhat For now, many businesses partmentsaidlastweek.Sales
Americans received in wages, Spending,bycategory Initialunemploymentclaims andhouseholdsarestruggling strugglinginwhatis also fell in October, ending
investment returns and gov- $21trillion 7million inwhatisshapinguptobea shapinguptobea severalmonthsofgrowth.
ernment aid—fell 1.1%, the roughwinter. Consumerspendingisbeing
roughwinter.
thirddropinfourmonths. 18 6 KatieAnderson-Tedder,35, hit by two main factors. The
In the aggregate, house- Saving hastheperspectiveofbothre- first is that households have
15 5
holds are decently positioned Taxes tailer and shopper. The mar- lessmoneytospendcompared
to spend. Household income 12 Other 4 riedmotheroftwoyoungchil- with this summer, when fed-
remainsup2%fromFebruary, spending dren manages Anderson’s spend on brothers and sisters eralreliefprogramsprovided
9 3
the month before the pan- Services CandyShop,inRichmond,Ill., andcousinsandnephewsand stimuluschecks,enhancedun-
demic crashed the economy, 6 Nondurable 2 ontheWisconsinborder.The nieces,” she says. “There are employmentbenefitsandhelp
andAmericans’savingsareat goods store,ownedbyherfatherand people who are just going to forsmallbusinesses.Someof
historicallyhighlevels. 3 1 in her family for 101 years, getacardthisyearandaletter, those programs have expired
Durable
Yet millions remain unem- makesandsellschocolates. orpeoplewhomaybeget$20 or are winding down. House-
0 goods 0
ployed,andanewwaveofvi- The store has shifted most worthofgiftsinsteadof$40.” holdincomefellinOctober.
Feb Nov M A M J J A S O N D
rus infections this fall sales online during the pan- Mosteconomistsstillthink The second factor is that
prompted states and cities to demic. Sales are down by the economy will continue to consumershavelessopportu-
Note:Seasonallyadjusted;incomeandspendingareatannualrates
order businesses to close or Sources:CommerceDepartment(incomeandspending)andLaborDepartment(claims) 20%-30%thisyear,Mrs.Ander- expand this winter. But the nities to spend after states
scalebackoperations. son-Tedderestimates,butshe growth is expected to be far and cities put in place a new
“The spread of the virus priorweek,theLaborDepart- Next year’s economic out- stillcan’tfindenoughworkers weakerthanthethirdquarter, roundofbusinessrestrictions
andrelatedrestrictionsisre- ment reported Wednesday. look is brighter. Congress on to make candy and meet the when gross domestic product designed to combat another
allyholdingbacktheeconomic Theweeklyfigurescanbevol- Monday passed a roughly demand.Manyemployeesare surged at an annual rate of waveofvirusinfections.
recovery,”saidMichaelPearce, atilearoundtheholidaysdue $900 billion pandemic-relief too scared of infection to re- 33.4%,arecordforonequarter. —AmaraOmeokwe
seniorU.S.economistatCapi- toseasonal-adjustmentissues. package that includes a new turn to work; others are par- Thatreboundwasn’tenoughto andHarrietTorry
tal Economics. “You can give Ordersfordurablegoods—a roundof$600stimuluschecks entswhomuststayathometo makeupforthesharpdropin contributedtothisarticle.
consumerscashbutifthey’re measure of how many big-
notcomfortableorabletogo ticketgoodsfactoriesplanned CORRECTIONS (cid:2) AMPLIFICATIONS
outandspenditintheecon- to make—rose 0.9% last THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL
omyit’snotgoingtodoalot month,theCommerceDepart- (USPS664-880)(EasternEditionISSN0099-9660)
(CentralEditionISSN1092-0935)(WesternEditionISSN0193-2241)
ofgoodtoboosttheeconomy mentsaid.Theriseinpartre-
inthenearterm.” flectedincreasingbusinessin- WeChat and its domestic guezandCGIMerchantGroup Editorialandpublicationheadquarters:1211AvenueoftheAmericas,NewYork,N.Y.10036
The short-term outlook is vestment—companies, taking sister app Weixin have more inanewhotelinvestmentfund. PublisheddailyexceptSundaysandgenerallegalholidays.
PeriodicalspostagepaidatNewYork,N.Y.,andothermailingoffices.
mixed. advantage of low interest than1.2billionmonthlyactive ADec.16PropertyReportarti-
Postmaster:SendaddresschangestoTheWallStreetJournal,
The number of workers rates, are buying equipment usersworld-wide,accordingto cleaboutthehotelinvestment
200BurnettRd.,Chicopee,MA01020.
seeking unemployment bene- and software. Also, factories Tencent Holdings Ltd. In fund misidentified the com-
AllAdvertisingpublishedinTheWallStreetJournalissubjecttotheapplicableratecard,
fits fell last week, retreating maybepreparingforanother some editions Wednesday, a panyasMaverickCapitalPart- copiesofwhichareavailablefromtheAdvertisingServicesDepartment,DowJones&Co.Inc.,
from a three-month high. But increaseinconsumerspending WorldNewsarticleaboutBei- ners,aNewYorkbrokerage. 1211AvenueoftheAmericas,NewYork,N.Y.10036.TheJournalreservestherightnotto
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THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL. ** Thursday,December24,2020|A3
U.S. NEWS
U.S. Keeps
Trump Vetoes Defense-Policy Bill
Its Ozone
Pollution
WASHINGTON—President
Trumpvetoeda$740.5billion
Standard defense-policy bill and de-
manded last-minute changes
to coronavirus relief legisla-
tion,addingfreshuncertainty
BYRYANTRACY totheclosingdaysof2020as
a government shutdown
WASHINGTON—TheTrump loomed.
administrationretainedana-
tionallimitof70partsperbil- ByKristinaPeterson,
lion for the pollutant ozone, AndrewRestuccia
thesamestandardsetbythe andLindsayWise
Obama administration, after
business groups fought In a Wednesday afternoon
tougherstandards. statementonthedefensemea-
Under the Clean Air Act, sure released by the White
theEnvironmentalProtection House,Mr.Trumpobjectedto
Agency must review safety someoftheprovisionsrelated
standards for certain pollut- totheremovalofConfederate
ants every five years, with a base names and troop levels
mandatetoconsideronlythe abroad,aswellasthelegisla-
latestscienceonpublichealth tion’slackoflanguagerevok-
andnotthecostofimplemen- ing internet platforms’ broad
tation. immunityforthecontentthey
Some environmental and publish from users on their
S
W
health-advocacyorganizations sites. NE
hadpushedforatighteningof Thepresidenthadcalledon G
R
allowedozonelevelsorade- lawmakers to terminate Sec- BE
M
layofthedecisiononsetting tion 230 of the Communica- OO
newlimits. tionsDecencyAct.Mr.Trump S/BL
EPAAdministratorAndrew has targeted that section of PA
RI
Wheeler told reporters that the law, arguing that social- G
RI
Wednesday’sdecisiontoleave mediagiantslikeFacebookand U
Y
theozonestandardunchanged Twitteruseittosuppresscon- PresidentTrumphasobjectedtosomeofthebill’sprovisionsrelatedtotheremovalofConfederatebasenamesandtrooplevelsabroad.
would protect public health servativevoicesontheirsites.
whilereflectingtheconsensus Theannualdefensebillsets eventually signed modified includes routine funding for COVID19omnibusbills.” to comment on the coming
of scientists at the EPA and payratesfortroopsandautho- versionsofthebills. foreignalliesandinternational Other GOP lawmakers and vote.AgroupofHouseRepub-
outsideadvisers. rizes funds for military con- Mr.Trumphasissuedeight programs. aidessaidtheydidn’tdiscern licanswilllikelyobjecttothe
He also said the decision struction projects, aircraft, previousvetoes,noneofwhich House Minority Leader a specific strategy in Mr. legislation on Thursday, ac-
wasreachedwithintheclean- ships, nuclear weapons and wasoverridden. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) Trump’s decisions this week, cordingtoaGOPlawmaker.
airlaw’sfive-yeardeadlineto other national security pro- Meanwhile, Washington is told House Republicans on a and that it wasn’t clear to Senate Majority Leader
review national air-quality grams. It also includes items grapplingwithasecondcrisis callWednesdayhehadspoken them how this would get re- MitchMcConnell(R.,Ky.),who
standards, for what he said relatedtoanti-money-launder- relatedtoamassivecoronavi- to Mr. Trump and that the solved. hadpushedtokeepthecoro-
was just the second time in ingefforts,cybersecurity,and rus relief package that also president was still deciding The final bill approved by navirusaidpackage’scostbe-
theagency’shistory. theU.S.borderwall. funds the government. Mr. whether to veto the package, Congress carrying the $600 low $900 billion, hasn’t yet
Manufacturers and energy This year, the House ap- Trump,inavideopostedTues- according to people familiar checks was the product of commented on Mr. Trump’s
companiesarethemostlikely proved final passage 335-78 daynightonTwitter,criticized withthecall. weeksoftensenegotiations,in newstance.GOPleaderswere
tobenefitfromadecisionnot andtheSenatepassedit84-13. the legislation and called on Some GOP lawmakers said which Mr. Trump had played tryingtopersuadeMr.Trump
to tighten ozone standards. To make the bill law over lawmakers to increase direct Mr.Trumpmaybetakingthe little public role. The presi- to sign the bill, according to
Ground-level ozone, which the president’s objections re- payments to Americans to coronavirusreliefbillhostage dent waited nearly a full day someonefamiliarwiththedis-
comes from manufacturing quires a two-thirds vote in $2,000 for individuals and togetCongresstoagreetore- afterithadpassedbothcham- cussions.
plants, utilities and cars, can each chamber. The House is $4,000forcouples,from$600 bersofCongresstolodgehis In addition to the $600
exacerbatearangeofrespira- scheduledtoholditsoverride per adult and per child, the complaints. checks, the bill adds $300 to
tory problems, including voteonMonday,Dec.28,with currentlevelinthebill. Hiscallforchangesto Democrats,whohadpressed weekly unemployment pay-
asthma. theSenatetofollowTuesday. His unexpected broadside for higher direct payments ments for 11 weeks and ex-
theCovidaiddealhas
A2015updateofthestan- “TheNDAAhasbecomelaw againstthebillunleashedan- during the negotiations, wel- tends two other unemploy-
dard reduced the ozone limit every year for 59 years other standoff between the promptedastandoff comedtheopportunitytoseek ment programs. It also
from 75 parts per billion, straightbecauseit’sabsolutely WhiteHouseandCapitolHill, moreaidforhouseholdsstrug- supplies more than $300 bil-
withCapitolHill.
which had been set by the vital to our national security whereSenateRepublicanshave gling from the economic im- lion in relief for small busi-
GeorgeW.Bushadministration andourtroops.Thisyearmust angered Mr. Trump by ac- pact of the pandemic. They nesses—including a second
in2008. notbeanexception,”saidSen- knowledgingDemocratJoeBi- also called on Mr. Trump to roundofthePaycheckProtec-
TheEnvironmentalProtec- ateArmedServicesCommittee denasthepresident-elect. sign the sweeping year-end tionProgram—andpoursmore
tionNetwork,agroupoffor- Chairman James Inhofe (R., Hissuddenturnonthecor- pealSection230,addingthat package,whichincludesexten- than$50billionintodistribut-
mer EPA staff that has been Okla.),wholobbiedMr.Trump onavirus relief package sur- thecombustiblemixofissues sionsofunemploymentbene- ing coronavirus vaccines, in
criticaloftheTrumpadminis- against vetoing the measure. prised lawmakers, many of could get resolved early next fits,amongothercoronavirus additiontotestingandtracing
tration,saidtheagencyshould House Speaker Nancy Pelosi whom had alreadyleft Wash- week. reliefmeasures. efforts.
have delayed the decision to (D., Calif.) called the veto an ington after Congress over- “IhopeSpeakerPelosiwill Mrs. Pelosi said in a letter CongresslateMondaynight
consider the public-health “actofstaggeringrecklessness whelminglyapprovedtherelief agree with President Trump to House Democrats on passed a one-week spending
risks caused by Covid-19, thatharmsourtroops,endan- billina92-6voteintheSenate that Big Tech needs to be Wednesdaythatshewouldtry patch to provide some time
whichcanaffectthelungs. gers our security and under- and359-53intheHouse. reined in by winding down to pass legislation Thursday for the larger package to get
Mr. Wheeler said the mines the will of the biparti- The 5,593-page year-end Section 230 liability protec- approving$2,000checksunder signed into law. That means
agency needed to meet its sanCongress.” packagecombinesthecorona- tions,”SenateJudiciaryCom- a process called unanimous Mr.Trumphasuntilnext12:01
statutory deadline but could Presidents Barack Obama, virusreliefanda$1.4trillion mitteeChairmanLindseyGra- consent,whichcanbeblocked a.m. Tuesday, when govern-
immediatelybeginreconsider- George W. Bush, Bill Clinton spending bill needed to fund ham(R.,S.C.)saidonTwitter byanylawmakerobjecting. mentfundingrunsout,tode-
ingthestandardbasedonnew andRonaldReaganallvetoed thegovernmentthroughSep- lateTuesday.“Ihavereasonto Mr. McCarthy hasn’t com- cidewhethertovetothelegis-
scientificstudies. an NDAA, according to the tember.MuchofMr.Trump’s believe this combination will mented on Mr. Trump’s new lation.
—TimothyPuko Senate Historical Office. In criticism appeared aimed at leadtoPresidentTrumpsup- position and his office didn’t —NatalieAndrews
contributedtothisarticle. eachofthosecases,presidents the spending portion, which porting the NDAA and immediately return a request contributedtothisarticle.
Ohio Police Officer Is
States Impose Stricter Lockdowns
Off Duty After Fatal
BYJOEBARRETT varybyregionorcounty.
Shooting of Black Man ANDBENKESLING InWisconsin,effortsbythe
administrationofDemocratic
States and major cities Gov. Tony Evers to restrict
across the country have im- businessestohelpslowthevi-
posed the most extensive re- russufferedmultiplesetbacks
BYBENKESLING who was killed by a Franklin strictionsonbusinessandso- incourt.“Ourinabilitytomiti-
County Sheriff’s deputy, ac- cial gatherings since gateissuesaroundthisdisease
ApoliceofficerinColumbus, cordingtothesheriff’sdepart- widespread lockdowns during hasbeenveryfrustrating,”Mr.
Ohio,wasrelievedofhisduties ment. Columbus is in the thespring,inhopesofprevent- Everssaidlastweek.
hours after he fatally shot a county. The county coroner ingafurthersurgeinCovid-19 Somestates,suchasNorth
Bdildacnk’tmtuarnnThuisesbdoadyy.Tchameoefrfaicoenr rhuolmediciMder.aGnodotdhseonJ’usstdiecaethDea- casEevseonvaesrPthfiezewrinIntec.rahnodliMdaoyds-. RESSDreasktoritcat,iohnasvedeismppitoesebdeinfegwheirt
untilaftertheshooting. partment launched a civil- ernaInc.deliverthefirstdoses DPhardbythepandemic.OnDec.
“Our community is ex- rights investigation into the ofthecoronavirusvaccine,offi- ATE9,thestateextendedlimitson
hausted,”saidColumbusMayor shooting,accordingtoColum- cials are pleading with a SSOCIbarsandrestaurantsto50%of
Andrew Ginther. “It is unac- buspolice. weary—and sometimes defi- G/Acapacityandforcedearlyclos-
ceptable to me, and to the Days after Mr. Goodson’s ant—publictoavoidthekinds ONing times, but allowed high-
H
community, that the officers shooting,thecityacceptedrec- of gatherings and travel that C.school sports to resume on
didnotturnontheircameras.” ommendationsfromanofficial helped drive new cases to re- AEDec.14.
J
Twoofficersrespondedtoa workinggrouponformingaci- cord levels nationally after AnearlyemptyshoppingmallinSantaMonica,Calif.,thismonth. “We’regratefulbecausewe
non-emergency-disturbance vilian review board for the Thanksgiving. know people love their high-
callearlyTuesdaymorning,ac- city’s police, a measure that “We can’t let up now. We choice but to defy the state’s Carolina’ssecretaryofhealth schoolsports,”saidGov.Doug
cordingtoastatementreleased hadbeenapprovedbyvotersin needtocontinueallourefforts shutdown of indoor dining, and human services. “More Burgum, a Republican. On
byColumbuspolice.Thepolice November. tostopthespreadofCovid-19 saying she and her eight em- importantly, we didn’t have Monday,heallowedbarstore-
vehicledidn’tuselightsandsi- The officer who shot the inaveryvulnerabletime,”said ployees rely on the income. our response capabilities up sumenormalbusinesshours.
rens,sothecar’sdashcamera manTuesdayhasbeenrelieved Dr.RachelLevine,secretaryof Ms. Reid added that she andmature.” While many places experi-
neverturnedon,policesaid. ofhisdutiespendingacriminal health in Pennsylvania, where drainedmostofhersavingsin Afterthespringshutdowns, encedanincreaseincoronavi-
Minuteslater,oneoftheof- andinternalinvestigation,ac- DemocraticGov.TomWolfon thefive-weekspringshutdown. somestatesdroppedmanyre- rus cases after Thanksgiving,
ficersshota47-year-oldBlack cordingtopolice. Dec.10orderedplacessuchas Ifsheclosednow,Ms.Reid strictions,whileotherseased Minnesotacreditedashutdown
man whom police said they Mr.Ginthersaidthecityhas movietheatersandbowlingal- said,sheprobablywouldneed back. ofindoorandoutdoorservices
wouldn’tidentifyuntiltheyin- spentmorethan$5millionon leys to close through Jan. 4, toshuttherestaurantperma- “Wereallyusethedimmer- atrestaurantsandbarsahead
formhisnextofkin.Theoffi- bodycamerasandthatofficers andlimitedrestaurantstotake- nentlyandfindanewjob.“At switchapproachtotrytokeep oftheholiday—aswellasother
cersdidn’trecoveraweaponat who don’t use the cameras outservice,promptingsometo 68 years old, that’s a little thelevelofviralspreadunder measures—with reversing a
the scene and were slow to can’tdotheirdutiesproperly. stayopeninresistance. hard,”shesaid. control.AndIthinkthatreally surgeincasenumbers.
render first aid to the man, “Theyprovidetransparency Nearly85millionAmericans Inthespring,allbutahand- helped us as a state,” Dr. Co- “Iamincrediblygratefulfor
who later died, according to andaccountability,andprotect areexpectedtotravelfromDec. ful of states issued stay-at- hensaid. thesacrificesyoumadetopull
thepolicestatement. the public as well as officers, 23throughJan.3,offatleast homeordersthatgroundnon- As case counts and hospi- thatbackdown.We’vestillgot
Police didn’t release the when the facts are in ques- 29%fromlastyear,accordingto essentialeconomicactivitytoa talizationshaverisenthisfall, awaystogo,”DemocraticGov.
nameofeitherofficer. tion,”saidPoliceChiefThomas anestimatebyAAA.Instates halt. Now, as case numbers the state has had to turn the TimWalzsaidonDec.16ashe
Neither officer turned on Quinlan. acrossthecountry,smallbusi- surge, moststatesareclamp- dialbackup.OnDec.8,Dr.Co- rolledbacksomeofthosere-
theirbodycamerasuntilafter Thestate’sBureauofCrimi- nessesandrestaurantsarebe- ing down on activities that henandDemocraticGov.Roy strictions.
theshooting,accordingtopo- nalInvestigationwillconduct inghitwithdefactolockdowns help the virus spread while Cooper announced an order The state now allows out-
lice. The cameras have a 60- anindependentinvestigation, becauseofoccupancylimitsor trying to avoid a complete requiringpeopletostayinside doordiningagain,butkeptthe
second “look-back” function Mr.Ginthersaid.Thecitywill restrictions on dining. At the shutdownoftheeconomy. between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. banonindoordining,prompt-
thatletsthecamerarecallthe releasethebody-camerafoot- same time, big-box retailers NorthCarolina,whichcur- throughatleastJan.8. ingmorethan150restaurant,
minuteofvideojustbeforethe age to the family of the man have been permitted to stay rentlyhasacurfewonnones- New Jersey and Virginia barandsmall-businessowners
deviceisactivated,soauthori- who was killed before it re- open, in part because their sential activities, issued its havealsoputinplacestay-at- topledgeresistanceinaFace-
tieshavevideofootageofthe leasesthefootagepublicly,the largestoresallowforsocialdis- initial stay-at-home order on homeordersfrom10p.m.to5 bookgroupcalledtheReOpen
shooting,policesaid.Thefunc- mayor said. The mayor has tancing,promptingresentment March27. a.m., while other states have MinnesotaCoalition.
tiondoesn’trecordaudio. askedJusticeDepartmentoffi- fromsmall-businessowners. “We didn’t know how fast closedrestaurantsandbarsat The state attorney general
Tuesday’s shooting comes cials to investigate whether Brenda Reid, owner of theviruswasspreading,what 10p.m. hasfiledlawsuitsagainsttwo
weeksaftertheDec.4shooting theman’scivilrightswerevio- Brenda’sFamilyRestaurantin wewerereallydealingwith,” New Mexico and California bars that opened to large in-
ofCaseyGoodson,aBlackman, lated. MillRun,Pa.,saidshehadno said Dr. Mandy Cohen, North havestay-at-homeordersthat doorcrowdslastweek.
A4|Thursday,December24,2020 P W L C 10 11 12 H T G K R F A M 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 O I X X **** THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL.
U.S. NEWS
Biden Says Political Center Is Alive and Well
thathastoberesponded seniorRepublicanknows
to,”hesaid.“AndtheDemo- I’veneveronce,ever,misled
cratsarebeginningonce them,”hesaid.“WhateverI
againtopayattentionto say,I’lldo,I’lldo.Inever
ourbase,whichhasbeen publiclyembarrassedthem.”
mybasemywholecareer: Inaddition,hesaysthat
working-classfolks,Black thecountryhasmovedleft
CAPITAL JOURNAL andwhite,peoplewhoare onsomepolicies,including
bustingtheirneck,andall healthcareand,aboveall,
By Gerald F. Seib they’relookingforisjusta climatechange,opening
shot.AndIthinkthereisa spaceforhimtopursue
centerthere.” moreprogressivepolicies.
President-electJoeBiden T “Today,I’mgoingtobeable
wantsyoutoknowthatre- hoseBidensentiments togetstuffdoneintheen-
portsofthedeathofAmer- seemsimpleenough, vironmentnoneofyouare
ica’spoliticalcenterare buttheyare,infact, goingtobelieve,”hesaid,
greatlyexaggerated. freightedwithmeaningfor Scitinginparticularchanging
Infact,inaconversation bothparties. AGEviewswithinthebusiness
M
withafewcolumnistson ForRepublicansandcon- YIcommunity.“Icouldnot
Wednesday,Mr.Bidendeliv- servatives,Mr.Bidenissay- GETThavegottenitdonesix
eredaresoundingdeclara- ing,ineffect,thattheyare S/yearsago.”
tionthatthepoliticalcenter wrongwhentheyclaimhe BERT ConservativeRepublicans
isaliveand hasbeen,orsoonwillbe, ROwillremainunenthusedat
A
well,thathe capturedbythemostliberal Uthatprospect,andatMr.Bi-
H
residesthere, elementsofhisDemocratic OSden’splan,reiteratedin
J
thathe’sal- Party.Moreover,Mr.Biden President-electJoeBidenbelieveshecangetthingsdoneinanevenlydividedCongress. Wednesday’sconversation,
waysbeen issayingthat,although tostartouthisadministra-
there,and PresidentTrumpmadedeep crats’progressivewing. worrythatMr.Bidenisn’t senseofsolace,”hesaid, tionwithanexecutiveorder
thathe’sgo- inroadsoverthecourseof There,manythinkthattheir adequatelypreparedto fromthenumberof“senior rejoiningtheParisclimate
ingtogovernfromthere.“I twopresidentialelections activism,asmuchasMr.Bi- wagethatfight. Republicansenators”who accords.
believethat[in]thecoun- withtraditionalDemocratic den’scentrism,wonthe Hebristlesatthatsug- havecalledhimsincethe Theremightbemore
try,inbothparties,thecen- strongholdsofwhite,work- election.Theyaremaking gestion.“Ihaven’tchanged electiontodiscussareasin roomforbipartisanagree-
terofgravityhasmovedto ing-classvoters,hehasno littlesecretoftheirbelief howIapproachpolitics whichtherecanbecoopera- mentonthegravityofa
thecenterandcenter-left,” intentionofcedingthatturf thattheynowshouldbere- sinceIgotinvolved,”he tion. newlydiscoveredproblem:a
hesaid. totheGOP. wardedwithpersonneland said.“Andpartofitisjust H broadhackofgovernment
Moreover,Mr.Bidenin- Andtotheprogressive policies. establishingwithyouroppo- isadvantageinpull- computers,apparentlyat
sistedthatthereareenough wingofhisownparty,Mr. Mr.Bidenrecognizesthat nentisthatiftheywantto ingRepublicanshis Russianhands.It’sstillun-
Republicanlawmakerspre- Bidenissaying,essentially: therearemanyDemocrats— fight,I’mreadytofight.I’m waycertainlywon’t certain,Mr.Bidensaid,
paredtomeethiminthe Don’tforgetthatIwonour indeed,heacknowledges, readytofight.Butoneof lieinlargeDemocraticma- whetherthatattackwas
middlethathecanget party’snomination,and evensomeofhisownap- thethingsthathappensis, jorities—indeed,thechances aimedatsimpleespionage
thingsdoneinanevenlydi- thenwonthepopularvote pointees—whothinkthe whenyougetintooneof remaingoodthatRepubli- oratdisruptingtechnology
videdCongresswherehe bysevenmillionvotes,by kindofmeetinginthemid- thosekindofbloodmatches canswillcontroltheSenate networks.
won’thavethekindsof runningasacandidateof dlewithRepublicansheis thatoccur,nothinggets aftertworunoffelectionsin Morebroadly,Mr.Biden
Democraticmajoritiessome thecenter,notasoneofthe proposingsimplyisn’tpos- done.” GeorgiainJanuary—but isplantingaflaginthecen-
ofhispredecessorsenjoyed. left. siblethesedays.Theyseea Indeed,Mr.Bidenargues ratherinpersonalrelation- ter.It’sbeenprettylonely
“PartofitisthatRepubli- Itisfarfromclearthat partisanbattlestartingnext that,unlikesomeofhiscrit- shipshehasbuiltovertime, therelately;we’llsoonsee
cansarebeginningtoreal- thestoryof2020isseen yearasinevitableand,in ics,heactuallyknowshow asasenatorandvicepresi- howmanyrallyaroundhim
izethatthereisacenter thatwaywithintheDemo- someways,desirable—and todoadeal.Hetakes“some dent.“Myleverageis,every there.
U.S.WATCH Trump
cooperated against him in a
separateinvestigation.
Pardons The Republican president
BALTIMORE spokeswomanStephanieAnne U.S.CircuitCourtofAppealsva- COLORADO pardonedMr.Stone,alongtime
Building Explosion Weaversaidworkonthebuild- catedthatorderinAugust,say- ‘Balloon Boy’ Hoax friendandpoliticaladviser,af-
ing’s“airhandlingandboilersys- ingthecaseneededtoberecon- Allies tercommutinghissentencein
Injures 23 People Parents Pardoned
tem”likelycausedtheaccident. sideredinlightofarecentU.S. July,daysbeforeMr.Stonewas
—AssociatedPress SupremeCourtdecisioninvolv- settoreporttoprison.
Anexplosioninahigh-rise ingaLouisianacase. Acoupleconvictedofcriminal Hewasconvictedinfederal
buildinginBaltimoreinjured23 ARKANSAS Thelaws,passedbyArkansas’ chargesintheso-calledballoon courtlastyearofmakingfalse
peopleWednesdayandtempo- Federal Judge Blocks Legislaturein2017,includeaban boyhoaxthatfascinatedthe ContinuedfrompageA1 statements,witnesstampering
rarilytrappedawindowwashing onthesecond-trimesterproce- countrymorethanadecadeago smithfoundthat60ofthe65 and trying to impede a con-
Abortion Restrictions
crewondanglingscaffolding. dureknownasdilationandex- werepardonedWednesdayby pardons Mr. Trump granted gressional investigation into
Twenty-oneofthevictims traction.Severalstateshave ColoradoGov.JaredPolis. beforeWednesdaywenttoin- Russian election interference,
werebroughttoareahospitals AfederaljudgeinLittleRock passedsimilarbans,andafederal RichardandMayumiHeene dividualswithpersonalorpo- and was sentenced to 40
followingtheexplosion,which temporarilyblockedfournew appealscourtinNewOrleanshas reportedtheir6-year-oldsonhad liticalconnectionstothepresi- months in prison. Ms.
causedapartialroofcollapse. abortionrestrictionshoursafter agreedtoreconsideritsruling floatedawayinanhomemade dent.Mr.Trumphasbypassed McEnany said pardoning Mr.
Thecity’sfiredepartment theytookeffectinArkansas,in- thatstruckdownTexas’ban. UFO-shapedsilverheliumbal- thenormalJusticeDepartment Stone“willhelptorightthein-
tweetedthatatleastnineofthe cludingonethatbansaproce- JudgeBaker’sdecisionalso loonin2009.Butthechildwas processforreviewingpardons, justiceshefacedatthehands
victimswereincriticalcondition, durecommonlyusedinthesec- blockednewrestrictionsonthe neverontheballoon,andhe frequentlyhearingappealsfor of the Mueller investigation.”
whileanotherwasinserious ondtrimester. disposaloffetaltissuecollected waslaterfoundunharmedathis clemencydirectlyfromcelebri- Mr. Kushner, the father of
condition. U.S.DistrictJudgeKristine duringabortions.Theotherre- home.Authoritiessaidthe tiesorotherfriends,business senior White House adviser
Thefirefighters’union BakerlateTuesdaygranteda strictionsincludedonethatbans Heenesstagedtheordealtoget associatesorpoliticalallies. JaredKushner,pleadedguilty
tweetedthatevidencepointsto temporaryrestrainingorder abortionsbasedsolelyonthefe- publicityforrealityTVshows Mr.Trumphasalsogranted in 2004 to 18 counts of tax
anexplosiononthe16thfloorof blockingthefourlaws,which tus’sexandanotherthatrequires theyweretryingtopitch. pardons to former law-en- evasion, witness tampering
thedowntownbuilding,where tookeffectearlierintheday. physiciansperformingabortions Elevenyearslater,thecouple forcementofficialsaccusedof and making illegal campaign
theofficesofBaltimoreGas& Theorderissettoexpireon forpatientsunder14totakecer- hasnow“paidthepriceinthe wrongdoing,aswellasnumer- donationsinacaseprosecuted
ElectricCo.arelocated. Jan.5,unlessitisextended. tainstepstopreserveembryonic eyesofthepublic”andshouldn’t ouspoliticalfiguresaccusedof by former New Jersey Gov.
Thefiredepartmentsaidthe JudgeBakerhadissueda orfetaltissueandnotifypolice havetobedraggeddownbya crime, including campaign-fi- Chris Christie when he was
causeoftheexplosionremains similarrulingin2017blocking wheretheminorresides. criminalrecord,thegovernorsaid. nanceviolations.OnTuesday, U.S. attorney. He was sen-
underinvestigation.Bututility thefourlaws,buttheEighth —AssociatedPress —AssociatedPress hepardoned15others,among tencedtotwoyearsinprison
themthreeformerRepublican andserved14months.
Christmas congressmenandseveralfor-
mermilitarycontractorscon-
victed of wartime killing of
Services Iraqicivilians.
Mr.Manafortwasconvicted
by a Virginia jury in 2018 of
Hum Along notpayingtaxesonmorethan
$16 million in income he
earnedadvisingRussia-aligned
politicians in Ukraine in the
early 2010s, and of lying to
ContinuedfromPageOne two banks from which he
tance. Mr. Helmes’s parish in soughtloansin2015.
S
CinigncfionunratCih,froisrtmexaasmEpvlee,Misahsosleds-. guiMltyr. iMnaWnaafsohritnagltsoonptloeatdwedo REUTER
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sayRse.v“.It’lMlbicehaaejloyFfurlosstlo,g.w”ho MYERS stetrnuccetd jiunstMicaer.chHe20w19astose7n½- UARDO
scehruvrecshesasinaeasptaesrtnorPenfonrsytlvwao- VIKKI yeaMrsr.inMpanriasfoonr.tisalsofacing EDEx-campaignbossPaulManafort
nia,saysheseessingingasan AttendeesatNewProvidencePresbyterianChurch’s‘RoundtheParkingLotCarolSing’eventin New York state charges on hadbeenimprisonedforfraud.
integralpartofworship,butis Maryville,Tenn.,thismonth. mortgage fraud and other
askingchurchmemberstoex- charges,soapresidentialpar- TheelderMr.Kushnerwas
press their enthusiasm more truncated approach to try to impersonal,youfeelreallycut likely inform people that the donwon’tendhislegalwoes. accusedofhiringaprostitute
quietly.“I’mencouragingpeo- minimize potential exposure. offfromthecongregation,”she indoor bathrooms—which are A state appeals court ruled to seduce his brother-in-law,
pleto‘whispersing’orhum,” InsteadofatraditionalChrist- says. locatedinacrampedhallway— this year that prosecutors videotaping their encounter
hesays.Heexpectsanysounds mas Eve vigil service in its Thechurchhashiredapair are available only for emer- couldn’t bring those charges, and sending it to his sister,
will be further muffled by mainsanctuaryspace,theNew of masked musicians to per- gencyuse. butanappealisunderway. whowasbeingpushedtotes-
masks,whicharemandatory. Providence Presbyterian formfromthechurchbalcony “You tell a 5-year-old they “This action underscores tifyinacriminalinvestigation
Itmayprovechallengingto ChurchinMaryville,Tenn.,will on Christmas Eve, she says, have to hold it,” Rev. Owen the urgent need to hold Mr. of the family business. Mr.
avoid singing full steam, he holdanabbreviatedservicein meaningshecanenjoylistening says. Manafort accountable for his Christie called it “one of the
says,especiallyforsongssuch itsparkinglotat11p.m.,broad- tothemusiclikeeveryoneelse Othersareputtingtogether crimes against the people of most loathsome, disgusting
as“OComeAllYeFaithful.” cast via FM radio. It will in- in the congregation. A video at-homeworshipkits.St.Fran- NewYorkasallegedinourin- crimes” he had prosecuted.
“That’s my favorite,” he clude three hymns, and con- performance of “Silent Night” cis Xavier Catholic Church in dictment,”ManhattanDistrict Ms. McEnany said the elder
says. gregantswillbeinvitedtostep byachoirofsingerswhosepa- Medina,Ohio,recentlygaveout AttorneyCyrusVanceJr.said. Mr.Kushner,sincefinishinghis
Some musicians say they outoftheircars,whilewearing ratelyrecordedtheirvoicesto about 400 such boxes, which White House press secre- sentence,had“beendevotedto
havegrownaccustomedtonew masks and remaining dis- beoverlaidontoasingletrack includedabottleofholywater, tary Kayleigh McEnany said importantphilanthropicorgan-
safetyprotocols,thoughPhila- tanced, to sing “Silent Night” will also be played. The areligiousbook,awoodenor- Mr. Manafort “endured years izationsandcauses.”
delphia-basedjazzandclassical by candlelight if the weather church’susualchoirfeatures35 namentengravedatthelocalli- of unfair treatment.” Mr. InresponsetoMr.Trump’s
singerAdrianaSamargia,who allows, says Rev. Dr. Emily J. singers. Ms. Lutz was able to brary,andacandle,alongwith Manaforttweeted:“Mr.Presi- pardonsofhisassociates,Sen.
isperforminginvirtualandin- Anderson,thechurch’spastor. persuadeonly21peopletovol- favorite recipes from parish dent, my family & I humbly BenSasse(R.,Neb.)said:“This
personChristmasservicesthis While it may not feel the unteer for the virtual version. priests. thankyou.” isrottentothecore.”
weekforseveralchurches,says sameaspastChristmasgather- “It’saveryscarythingtodo,to The church is also holding Mr. Manafort was released Other pardon recipients
singing in her tightly fitting ings, “this gives them some singbyyourselfwithnoaccom- indoor Masses, but will ask fromfederalprisoninMaydue WednesdayincludedJohnTate
KN95 mask can prove a chal- sortofexperienceofbeingto- panimentholdingyouup,”she peoplenottosingaloud,said to coronavirus concerns. He andJesseBenton,Republican
lenge. gether,”shesays. says. FatherTonySejba,thechurch had served about two years consultants to former presi-
“It’ssortoflikesomeonehas At the Good Shepherd Lu- Outdoorservicesposetheir pastor, whose recipe for andwassettospendtherest dential candidate Ron Paul
a hand over your mouth,” she theranChurchinSouthampton, own challenges, including the chickenpaprikashwasincluded ofhissentenceinhisVirginia who were convicted of 2012
says. “Sometimes you do feel Pa., music director Nanette questionsofhowtoensureso- inthekits.Thosewhowantto home. campaign-financeviolations.
likeyou’rehyperventilating.” Lutz has been singing solo cialdistancingwhiletendingto sing can stream Mass from WhiletheMuellerinvestiga- Mr. Trump also pardoned
Hermusicalpartner,pianist hymnsthisyearfrombehinda practicalneeds.InWaynesboro, home or attend an outdoor tion was still under way, the formerRep.MarkSiljander,a
RobertPrester,saysmaskstend three-sided plexiglass screen Va., the First Baptist Church Mass. “If they’re in their own presidentpraisedMr.Manafort Republicanwhowassentenced
tofoguphisglasses,makingit on the church stage. “It looks will ask families to huddle homes, or in their own cars, forhaving“refusedto‘break’— in 2012 to one year in prison
difficultforhimtoreadsheet like a shower stall,” she says, aroundindividualluminariesin they can belt out Christmas makeupstoriesinordertoget forobstructingjusticeandact-
music.“Ihavetoconstantlytry addingtheglassistranslucent, aparkinglottoensureproper carols,” he says. “What’s a ‘deal,’” contrasting him fa- ingasanunregisteredforeign
andwipethemoff,”hesays. making it difficult to see out spacing.Rev.BarrettOwen,the Christmas without being able vorablytoMichaelCohen,Mr. agent for an Islamic charity
Somechurchesaretakinga into the crowd. “It feels very church pastor, says he will tosing?” Trump’s former lawyer who suspectedoftiestoterrorism.
THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL. ***** Thursday,December24,2020|A5
U.S. NEWS
Caregivers Seek Vaccine Priority for Disabled
Peoplewithautism, theviruswas5.05%asofmid-
December, compared with a
Downsyndromeareat
mean death rate of 2.12% for
greaterriskofdyingif thegeneralpopulationinthe
12states.
infectedbyCovid-19
Ofthe50states,plusWash-
ington,D.C.,andPuertoRico,
BYALISTAIRMACDONALD that the Journal approached,
ANDCAITLINOSTROFF 29 don’t collect such data or
declined to comment. The
AhigherCovid-19deathrate Journal left out states with
among people with autism, too small a sample to be sta-
Downsyndromeandotherin- tistically relevant, as well as
tellectual development disor- thosethatincludeddementia
dershassparkedalobbyingef- orseverebraintraumaintheir
fort by family members and numbers or just had data on
caregivers to persuade states peoplewiththesedisabilities
togiveprioritytothegroupin inresidential-carehomes.
vaccinerollouts. In Virginia, a person with
Peoplewithsuchdisorders, oneofthesedisabilitiesisfour
who account for one in 50 times as likely to die from
Americans, are on average (3) Covid-19assomebodyfromthe
more than 2½ times as likely AL state’s wider population. The
N
to die from Covid-19 as the R deathrateforthesepeoplewas
U
O
widerU.S.population,accord- J 6.97%, compared with 1.75%
ing to a Wall Street Journal REET amongthegeneralpopulation.
analysisofdatafrom12states. ST In New York, 8.8% of people
The analysis mirrors similar, ALL with an intellectual develop-
W
recentstudies.Onestudy,con- HE ment disorder infected with
ductedbynonprofitorganiza- T Covid-19died,thehighestrate
R
tion FAIR Health, found the FO among the 12 states whose
R
group’s death rate is higher KA datawasanalyzedbytheJour-
S
than many others already HA nal, compared with 3.35% in
B
widely recognized as particu- A thestates’widerpopulationof
larlyvulnerabletothedisease. RIEL infectedpeople.
B
The higher rate is because GA Across states, people with
manypeoplewiththesedisor- Clockwisefromtop:AhomethatservesdevelopmentallydisabledadultsinMedford,N.Y.,picturedinSeptember,hasbeenhithardbythe suchdisabilitiesarelikelydy-
ders suffer from conditions pandemic;AngellaBlairandGrahameMorganhelpedJeanRobertMartinezgetseatedforlunch;Ms.BlairservedMarieRodriguezasmoothie. ing at a greater rate than the
such as respiratory and heart widerpopulationbecausethey
disease, which are known to intellectualdevelopmentdisor- profit that has been lobbying intellectualdevelopmentdisor- In July, a group of doctors suffer higher incidences of
contribute to lower rates of ders to be among the first to theCentersforDiseaseControl ders run by nonprofit YAI in and researchers put together obesity,immunedisorders,re-
survivalfromCovid-19,medical receiveavaccine. andPreventionandothersfor Medford,N.Y.,saidfiveoutof guidelinestohelpmedicalstaff spiratory illnesses and other
expertssay. “Myfearisthatthepeople priorityforvaccines. eight residents at the facility betterassistpeoplewiththese conditions that have led to
Family members and care- whogetittendtogetverysick Sofar,statesaremainlyfol- diedintheearlymonthsofthe disabilitiesinthepandemic,af- higherdeathratesduringthe
givers are concerned that the and pass away at alarming lowing guidelines from the pandemic. ter becoming alarmed by the pandemic, health experts say.
vulnerablewon’tbeprioritized rates,” said Ms. Puddington, CDC, which has prioritized “Itjustwasshockingthatit high death rates and the lack Even without the virus, this
for vaccines despite the high whois72. medicalprofessionalsandpeo- justgotinsoquickly,andgot ofguidelines. community’sdeathrateistypi-
death rates. They say people NewYorkstateiscurrently pleinlong-term-carefacilities through the house so quickly “There are a lot of suspi- cally higher than the general
with these conditions have providingvaccinesjusttohigh- for vaccinations. If vaccine and with such devastation,” cions about what is creating populationinanyyear,dueto
been consistently ignored by riskhospitalworkers,nursing- supplies run short, the CDC Mr.Morgansaid. thehigherdeathtoll,butnota theseandotherhealthissues,
officials throughout the pan- home residents and staff, fol- recommendsmakingsomefa- A YAI spokesman said the lot of numbers,” said Emily aswellashighsuicideratesfor
demicandthedisordersarelit- lowed by those in congregate cilitiesforpeoplewithintellec- companyquicklyimplemented Johnson,adoctorwhohelped peoplewithautism.
tleunderstoodevenbymedical care, or 24-hour care. Other tual development disorders a aggressive safety protocols, leadthatgroupattheAmeri- ButCovid-19hasaddedan-
professionals,makingdiagno- stateshaveprioritizednursing secondary priority. The CDC stockpiled protective equip- canAcademyofDevelopmental otherlayeroffatalities.
sesandtreatmentsmorediffi- homesaheadofothercarefa- declinedtocomment. mentandpulseoximeters,and Medicine & Dentistry, an or- Accordingtoananalysisof
cult. cilities. Tennesseehasbeenanout- doubleddownoneducationfor ganization for professionals claims data for privately in-
“They have been an after- Somecongregatecarefacili- lier,specificallymakingitsen- staff once it recognized the whospecializeinworkingwith sured patients conducted by
thought,” said Margaret Pud- tiesaccommodatepeoplewith tire intellectual development outsizevulnerabilityofitscli- peoplewithintellectualdevel- FAIRHealth,peoplewithintel-
dington,whose40-year-oldson intellectualdevelopmentdisor- disorderpopulationapriority, ents. opmentdisorders.“Thisabso- lectualdevelopmentdisorders
has Cornelia de Lange syn- ders,butthelargemajorityof citingitsownstudiesthatthe Familymembers,caregivers lutelyneedstobestudied.” died at a higher rate than
drome, a rare disorder, and peoplewithsuchdisorderslive deathrateforthisgroupis3½ anddoctorssaythedevastat- Across the 12 states for those with conditions well
who this month appeared be- in more informal facilities or times higher, according to a ingeffectsofthevirusonpeo- which the Journal analyzed knowntocontributetohigher
fore a panel of the New York family homes, said Kristyn stateofficial. ple with intellectual develop- comparable data, the mean Covid-19 death rates, such as
City Council Committee on Roth, an executive at the Au- Grahame Morgan, a care- ment disorders aren’t well death rate of people with leukemia,Alzheimer’sdisease
Healthtoargueforpeoplewith tismSocietyofAmerica,anon- giverinahomeforpeoplewith understood. thesedisabilitiesinfectedwith andheartdisease.
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A6|Thursday,December24,2020 ****** THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL.
U.S. NEWS
Chinese
How Scientists Tracked New Variant
Company
BYJOANNASUGDEN vaccine produces antibodies Delays
ANDSTEPHENFIDLER thatattackanumberofdiffer-
ent sites on the virus so it is
LONDON—British public- unlikelythatthechangesina Vaccine
healthofficialsweremystified. smallareawillneuterthevac-
Nationwide restrictions were cine’spotency.
driving down the spread of K On the severity of the dis- Report
coronavirus across much of STOC ease caused by the new vari-
tBhuetcionunotnreypbayrltatoefNsoovuetmhebaesrt. UTTER apnitta,litzhaetyioanreawndaitdinegatfhordhaotsa-,
Englandinfectionswereinex- Y/SH which lag case counts, to tell BYSAMANTHAPEARSON
plicablysurging. NC themmore. ANDLUCIANAMAGALHAES
Epidemiologists set out to AGE Astheyhavedelvedintothe
O
investigate, at first assuming OT newvariant,Britishresearchers SÃO PAULO—Chinese firm
there had been some kind of PH havespentrecentweeksquietly SinovacBiotechLtd.delayed
SS
superspreader event or that RE huntingforpatientzero.They the announcement of results
P
peoplewereignoringsocial-dis- N have sifted through the con- from late-stage trials of its
A
tancingrulesatwork,inillegal PE tacts of the two people who Covid-19vaccineuntilJanuary
O
house parties, or elsewhere. UR were the first identified with as it consolidates data from
Theyfoundnothing.Stumped, A/E the variant, neither of whom Brazil with test results from
G
theyturnedtoateamofscien- ALA wasill,andotherswhowerein- IndonesiaandTurkey.
tists monitoring mutations in AB fectedearly. Brazil, which is the first
Z
thevirus’sgenome. RI One hypothesis is that the country to complete Phase 3
R
OnDec.8,thegroup,known OA variantaroseinapersonwitha trialsofCoronaVac,hadbeen
D
as the Covid-19 Genomics UK N compromisedimmunesystem. expectedtoannouncethevac-
U
Consortium,foundanewvari- AC People with deficient immune cine’sefficacyrateonWednes-
F
antofthevirus,with23muta- TrucksatthePortofDover,afterFrancecloseditsborderwithBritainfor48hoursoverthevariant. systems are often the host day. However, Brazil’s Butan-
tions,inasampletakenfroma when viruses undergo a large tan Institute, the research
patientinKent,nearthecen- moreslowlythansomeother U.K.’sdailyconfirmed higherviralloadswhichmeans number of mutations because center backed by São Paulo’s
teroftheoutbreakinlateSep- common viruses like influ- Covid-19cases youaremoreinfectious,”Peter the virus is able to survive in state government that has
tember. Theyfound the same enza. What stood out in the Horby, chairman of the New theirsystemforsolong. been testing CoronaVac, said
40thousand
variant in someone tested in newvariantwasthatalarger- Emerging Respiratory Virus “In an ideal situation you Sinovac asked for 15 more
London a day later. Some of than-usual number of muta- ThreatsAdvisoryGroupadvis- would know who the index days to analyze the data to-
thenewmutationshadthepo- tionsaffectedthecodeforthe ing the British government, case was,” said Dr. Pea- getherwithresultsfromother
tential to increase the trans- aminoacidsthatproducethe toldlawmakersonWednesday. cock.“Wedon’tknowatall,if trialsofthevaccine,whichis
30
missibilityofthevirus. proteinsthatmakethevirus. Another hypothesis is it thishasariseninapatientin alsobeingtestedinIndonesia
“Thecomingtogetherofthe One mutation alters the vi- couldbethatittakesashorter theU.K.orifithasbeenintro- andTurkey.
genomedataanddetailsofan rus’sspikeproteininawaythat time between being exposed duced, we categorically can’t “There can’t be three effi-
outbreakinKentledtothekey hasbeenknowntomakeiteas- and being infectious, which tellatthemoment.” cacyresultsforthesamevac-
connection,” said Sharon Pea- ier for the virus to stick onto 20 would lead to quicker trans- In the week after the new cine,”saidButantan’sdirector,
cock, the University of Cam- cell walls and enter the body. mission.“Oritcouldmeanthe variantwasmadepublic,new DimasCovas.Hesaidthedelay
bridgemicrobiologistwholeads Alongwithtwoothermutations, duration of infectiousness is dataandepidemiologicalmod- hadnothingtodowiththeef-
thegenomicsteam.Shesaidin thechangehasthepotentialto longer,”Dr.Horbysaid. eling made British scientists ficacyofthevaccine,whichis
anemailthatitwasthescien- givethevariantapossiblead- 10 Researchersarenowwork- increasingly convinced that expectedtobeoneofthefirst
tists’“lightbulbmoment.” vantageoverpreviousversions ing to answer two crucial the new variant reproduced approvedforuseinBrazil.
Newinformationcontinued ininfectingpeople. questions: Will the new vari- faster than its predecessors. Scientiststrackingthevac-
toflowinandtheBritishgov- Itwasavariantthathadn’t antcausemore-seriousdisease Somemodelssuggesteditwas cine had hoped CoronaVac
ernment first raised its con- been seen before—and the 0 and will it be able to evade 50% to 70% more transmissi- would be comparable with
cerns about the variant pub- numberandnatureofitsmu- vaccines? blethanotherversions. other Covid-19 vaccines that
M A M J J A S O N D
licly on Dec. 14, when Health tationswas,scientistssay,un- British scientists say they By Dec. 18, as new infec- haveshowntobeasmuchas
Secretary Matt Hancock told precedented. Source:JohnsHopkinsCSSE don’thaveenoughevidenceat tions in the region continued 95% effective. “It was very
Britishlawmakersithadbeen “It’s kind of out on a themomenttoanswereither to accelerate, a meeting be- frustrating…this is the only
responsiblefor1,000casesin branch, it’s really quite strik- theweektoWednesdayacross definitively but are working tween government officials vaccine we have at the mo-
LondonandsoutheastEngland ingactuallythatit’ssodiffer- the U.K. was up 61% over the hardtofindout. and scientists alarmed the ment on Brazilian soil,” said
andwasspreading. ent from everything else previous week, even as case On the vaccine, they are government,promptingasig- Luiz Carlos Dias, part of a
“Initial analysis suggests arounditintheU.K.,”Dr.Pea- countsfallinmostoftherest testing blood samples from nificantshiftinpolicy. Covid-19 task force of re-
this variant is growing faster cocksaid. of Europe. Hospitalizations peoplewhohavehadthevac- Onthefollowingday,Prime searchersattheUniversityof
thantheexistingvariants,”Mr. Atthetimeofthediscovery anddeaths—laggingindicators cineagainstthenewvariantto Minister Boris Johnson an- Campinas.
Hancocksaid. ofthenewvariant,itwasac- ofthevirus’sspread—wereup seeiftheyshowadifferentre- nounced new lockdowns for While Mr. Covas said he
Meanwhile,scientistswere counting for 62% of all cases 16%and20%,respectively. sponsecomparedwiththatelic- regions where the virus was couldn’t announce the trial’s
digging more deeply into the recordedinLondon.Andinfec- “The underlying mecha- itedbythepreviousversion. spreading rapidly and cut a results,hesaidCoronaVachad
nature of the new variants’ tions have continued to rise nism”drivingtherapidspread The widespread view plannedfive-dayChristmasre- passedthe50%thresholdfor
mutations. rapidly. “isnotfullyclear—itcouldbe among scientists and the de- laxationofrestrictionstojust efficacy, meaning regulators
Viruses mutate all the The latest data show the because the virus replicates velopersofthePfizerInc.-Bi- one day in the rest of the could give it the green light
time—though coronaviruses seven-dayaverageofcasesin faster, which means you get oNTechSEvaccineisthatthe country. foruse.
Apple Pulls Game Apps FROM PAGE ONE
From Chinese Platform Beijing
Moves on
BYTIMHIGGINS toreachconsumerswhilenavi-
gatingofficialdemands.
Apple Inc. is booting thou- Applereiteratedthatitsapp Alibaba
sandsofvideogameappsfrom stores are subject to local
its platform in China as the rules.“Applestudiesthesere-
government clamps down quests carefully whenever we
harderonsuchcontent. receive them, and we contest
The iPhone maker this anddisagreewiththemoften,” ContinuedfrompageA1
month warned Chinese devel- a company spokesman said. ing rise and its founder Mr.
opersthatanewwaveofpaid “Though the final decisions Ma, a flamboyant celebrity
gamingappsareatriskofre- sometimesruncontrarytoour businessman who has earned
moval from its app store, ac- wishes,webelievethatourcus- comparisonstoAmazon.com
cordingtoamemoviewedby tomers are best served when Inc.’sJeffBezos.
TheWallStreetJournal,after weremaininthecountrypro- TheeffortunderscoresBei-
the company removed thou- vidingthemaccesstoproducts jing’s resolve to rein in tech-
sandsofsuchappsthisyear. that promote self-expression nologygiantsseentobegrow-
The Chinese government with world-class privacy pro- ing too quickly—and, critics
fouryearsagobeganrequiring tections.” say, using their influence in
videogamestobelicensedbe- Initsmostrecentdisclosure waysthatarerecklessanddis-
forebeingreleased,butdevel- reports, Apple said it received ruptivetosociety.
S
oqpuierresmweenrteinabAlepptole’sskairptpthsteorree-. 1th0o3rriteiqeuselsatsstfryoemarCfohrinethseearue-- regTuhlaetocorusnatirdyi’snaitnstismtaotneompeonlyt REUTER
Applehasn’tsaidwhytheloop- moval of 399 apps because of Thursdaythatitwasactingon G/
N
hole existed or why the com- legalviolations,themajorityof reportsthatAlibabawaspres- SO
whichwererelatedtopornogra- suring merchants who sell ALY
phy and illegal content. Apple goodsonitsplatformstocom- RegulatorssaidtheyweretakingactionagainstJackMa’sAlibabaGroupHoldingandAntGroup.
Beijinghasboosted said it honored most of those mittonotsellingonitscom-
requests,pullingdown381apps. petitors’platforms. HongKong,whileJD.comde- lioninthebiggeststock-mar- fettered growth at home, as
effortstopoliceits
Earlier this month, Apple Thepracticehaslongbeena clined 3.2%. Alibaba’s rival ket debut in history. Authori- Beijing sought to develop its
internet,tightening tolddevelopersinamemothat bone of contention in China’s TencentHoldingsLtd.,which tiesreleaseddraftregulations own national technology
premiumgamesandthosewith online retail industry, where some investors believe could thatwouldforcethecompany champions. Founded in 1999,
contentcontrols.
in-apppurchaseshaduntilDec. Alibaba’s e-commerce plat- alsogetdrawnintoabroader to cough up more of its own Alibaba is perhaps the most
31tosubmitproofofagovern- forms,TaobaoandTmall,com- regulatory crackdown, edged capital to support its lending powerfulconglomerateofall,
mentlicense. petewithJD.comInc.andPin- down2.5%amidaslightgain operations,orscalethemback. with business lines spanning
“Only a small fraction of duoduoInc.Alibaba’sdomestic inthebroaderstockmarket. Since then, senior Chinese e-commercesites,cloudcom-
panybeganclosingitthisyear. thesegamesareactuallygoing rivalshavecriticizedtheHang- Regulators are zeroing in leaders have spoken publicly putingservices,entertainment
Foreignsoftwaredevelopersla- to be able to get a license, as zhou-based company for the onwhetherAlipay,Ant’spay- about limiting the market andlogistics.AlibabaandTen-
ment the change, citing diffi- far as we can tell,” said Rich practice,whichaformersenior mentsplatform,orothercor- power of Chinese firms. Au- cent have long traded places
culty securing approval in Bishop,chiefexecutiveofChi- Alibabaexecutivecalled“stan- nersofMr.Ma’sbusinessem- thoritiesalsointroducednew as Asia’s most valuable com-
Chinafortheirgames. naInApp, which works with dardmarketpractice”inaso- pirehavecrossedthelineinto draftantitrustlawstorestrict panybymarketcapitalization.
Theapp-storepurgecomes Westerncompaniestogettheir cialmediapostlastyear. monopolisticbehavior,accord- internetcompanies’datacol- The recent moves by Bei-
asChinahassteppedupefforts appsintoChina. AlibabaandAntconfirmed ing to a Chinese official with lectionanduseandmeasures jing to tighten the reins on
topoliceitsinternet,tightening Trade tensions between in separate statements that knowledgeoftheprobes. toprotectconsumers. Alibaba and its peers put it
content controls and censor- China and the U.S. and other theyhadreceivednotifications Alipay, in particular, has TheactionstakenThursday into closer alignment with
ship,includingademandthat countrieshavemadeitharder of the regulatory actions and caughtregulators’attentionbe- show that Beijing’s campaign global regulators. In the U.S.,
Tripadvisorandmorethan100 togetthoselicenses,hesaid. vowed to cooperate. Alibaba causeitpossessesawealthof totightenoversightofdomes- where Facebook Inc. and
other apps be removed from Applehad272,000gamesin saidthatitsbusinessesareop- dataonthespendinghabitsof tic technology companies is Google parent Alphabet Inc.
theApplestoreinthecountry. its China App Store last year, erating as usual, while Ant hundredsofmillionsofChinese stillgatheringsteam. arefacingantitrustcases,Sili-
TheCyberspaceAdministra- according to Sensor Tower, a saiditwould“seriouslystudy consumersandbusinesses.The The Chinese Communist con Valley executives argue
tionofChinacalledtheappsil- companythattracksappbusi- and strictly comply with all paymentsplatform,housedun- Party’s flagship newspaper, that breaking up its giants
legal without spelling out the nessglobally.For2020,ithas regulatoryrequirements.” derAnt,processedmorethan the People’s Daily, wrote in a would leave it vulnerable to
offenses Tripadvisor or the foundatleast94,000removals Mr.Macouldn’tbereached 118trillionyuan,equivalentto commentary Thursday that competition by China’s tech
otherapps,mostofwhichare from the China store, far ex- for comment. He hasn’t ap- $18.1trillion,worthoftransac- the new actions didn’t mean giants. The current wave of
from Chinese developers, had ceedingthe25,000gameapps peared publicly since he criti- tionsinmainlandChinainthe the state had changed its actionscouldnarrowthatgap.
committed. Tripadvisor de- takendownlastyear. cized financial regulators for yearendedJune30. viewstowardencouragingthe “China wants to get out in
clinedtocomment. Revenuegrowthfromgames stiflinginnovationinanOct.24 Regulatorsarealsoworried development of the internet front, rather than deal later,
TheCyberspaceAdministra- inApple’sChinastoreappearsto speechthatinfuriatedPresident that Ant’s online-lending platforms. with more hardened conse-
tionofChina,whichregulates haveslowed.SensorToweresti- XiJinpingandothersenioroffi- model—whichmakesunsecured But the commentary said quences, as the U.S. is strug-
cybersecurity,andtheNational mates game revenue in China cials. Mr. Xi personally in- credit available to consumers that the actions were made gling to do,” said Peter
RadioandTelevisionAdminis- this year through November structed regulators to investi- and small businesses online— “precisely to better regulate Fuhrman, Shenzhen-based
tration,whichapprovesvideo- rose 14% to $13 billion. That gate risks posed by Mr. Ma’s could potentially trigger “sys- and develop the platform chiefexecutiveofficerofChina
games, didn’t respond to re- compares with a 21% rise in businessandtoshutdownAnt’s temicrisks”forChina’sfinan- economy and to guide and First Capital, an investment
questsforcomment. Chinaoverthesamestretchin plannedinitialpublicoffering. cialsystem,theofficialsaid. promote its healthy develop- bank.“Aconcernwouldbethat
InChina,thescrutinyofAp- 2019 and a 26% gain globally JD.comandPinduoduodidn’t Last month, Beijing pulled ment.”Itsaid:“Withoutrules, marketpowermaypotentially
ple’s app store highlights the thisyear. replytorequestsforcomment. theplugonAnt’splannedIPO nothingcanbedone.” morphintopoliticalpower.”
balance the Cupertino, Calif., —YokoKubota Alibaba shares fell nearly in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Chineseinternetfirmshave —XiaoXiao
companymuststrikeasitworks contributedtothisarticle. 9%inlatemorningtradingin whichwassettoraise$34bil- traditionallybeenallowedun- contributedtothisarticle.
THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL. ** Thursday,December24,2020|A7
WORLD NEWS
France Looks to
U.S. Says Baghdad Attack
Boost Military Ties
Was the Biggest in 10 Years
With Washington
Americanembassywas
targetedby21rockets,
BYJAMESMARSON have but on a smaller scale.
morethaninitialreport Theyareaveryvaluablepart-
U.S.alliesinEuropewantto nerforustohave.”
byIraqigovernment
show the incoming Biden ad- President-elect Joe Biden
ministration that they have sayshewantsto“deepenand
BYMICHAELR.GORDON themeansandthegutsforse- revitalize”relationswithEuro-
ANDGORDONLUBOLD riousmilitaryaction.Thelat- peanallies,whichsufferedfrom
estexample:FrenchPresident trademeasuresandhectoring
WASHINGTON—The bar- EmmanuelMacron’sunveiling byPresidentTrumpoverissues
rageofrocketslaunchedatthe SS of plans for a new nuclear- includingweakmilitaryspend-
U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on PRE poweredaircraftcarrier. ing.InacallwithNATO’ssecre-
Sundaywasthelargestattack MA The announcement this tary-generallastmonth,Mr.Bi-
U
on the capital’s Green Zone A/Z month of a replacement for densaidhewantstoworkwith
since2010,numbering21mis- DP theflagshipCharlesdeGaulle allies“toensureNATOhasthe
siles, the top U.S. military AW/ cements France’s position as strategicorientationandcapa-
D
commander for the Middle ME theforemostU.S.strategically bilities it needs to strengthen
Eastsaid. AM intheEuropeanUnionfollow- deterrenceandtocounternew
H
Iraq’s president has de- O ingBritain’sexit.Mr.Macron and emerging threats,” his
M
nouncedtherocketfiringsasa AL isalsorampingupFrenchmil- transitionteamsaid.
“tatergrreotirnisgtoafctd”ipalnomdastaicidmtihse- AMEER iintagrynesipgehnbdoirnsgtoanbdolissteerxhthoertir- ecoInnoGmerymaanndy,aEcuoruopnetr’sylarregluecst-
sions had tarnished the na- IraqipoliceweredeployedneartheU.S.EmbassyinBaghdadonMonday,adayafterarocketattack. armiesratherthanrelyingtoo tanttouseforcebecauseofits
tion’sreputation. heavilyontheU.S. history,planstoboostmilitary
An after-action review by One Iraqi soldier was in- O’Brienmettodiscussoptions PersianGulf.Thatdeployment “It’s a combat vessel, a spendingthismonthsuffereda
the U.S. Central Command, juredandvehiclesandagen- todissuadeIranandtheShiite was part of a broader Penta- symbolofpower,testimonyto setback.TheSocialDemocratic
however,indicatedtheattack erator at an Iraqi apartment militias it supports from at- gonefforttosignaltoTehran our capacity for action,” Party,thejuniorpartnerinthe
was much larger than the complexneartheU.S.Embassy tackingU.S.personnelinIraq, itispreparedtoprojectpower FrenchArmedForcesMinister governingcoalition,isblocking
eight rockets the Iraqis ini- complex were also damaged, aU.S.officialsaid.InSeptem- in the region despite a presi- FlorenceParlysaidonTwitter. the country’s army from ac-
tiallyreported. Iraqisecurityofficialssaid. ber,Mr.PompeowarnedIraqi dential transition at home, Mr.MacronsaystheU.S.will quiringweaponsfordrones.
The rocket attack appears Gen. Frank McKenzie, who officialsthattheU.S.waspre- U.S.troopsreductionsinIraq respectEuropeanalliesonlyif Defense Minister Annegret
tohavebeencounteredbythe leadstheU.S.CentralCommand, paredtocloseitsembassyin andAfghanistan,andtheU.S. theyreinforcetheirmilitaries. Kramp-Karrenbauer, who sup-
AmericanC-RAMradar-guided whichoverseesU.S.militaryop- Baghdadiftherocketattacks government’s efforts to cope The new carrier, due in 2038, portsarmingdrones,toldparlia-
defensive systems that the erationsintheMiddleEast,said didn’tcease. withaglobalpandemic. affirms “France’s will to pre- ment that German soldiers in
U.S. has deployed to protect itwasn’tcleariftheattackwas Theattackcomesduringa Thedeploymentofthesub, serve its strategic autonomy,” KunduzprovinceinAfghanistan
the embassy, American offi- orchestratedbyaroguemilitia criticalperiodintheU.S.rela- the USS Georgia, has drawn Mr. Macron said in a Dec. 8 hadrecountedtoherhow,dur-
cials say, and other rockets orspecificallydirectedbyTeh- tions with Iran as the Trump particularattentionsincethe speechannouncingthevessel. ingarocketattack,anunarmed
missedtheirmark. ran.U.S.officialssaidtheweap- administration has sought to Pentagonhaslongbeenreluc- SomeEuropeanofficials,in- dronepinpointedthefiringposi-
NoAmericanswerehurtin ons are believed to have been step up the pressure on Teh- tanttodiscusstheoperations cluding Germany’s defense tion,butthattheyhadtohunker
the attack, which damaged suppliedbytheIranians,butno ran and the incoming Biden ofitsnuclear-poweredsubma- minister, have voiced misgiv- downandwaitforU.S.support.
two buildings and a gym grouphasclaimedresponsibility administrationhassignaledit rines. ings about Mr. Macron’s pro- TheU.S.hasinrecentyears
troopsandembassypersonnel fortheattack. planstore-engagediplomati- In this case, however, the motion of European power, pressed allies to do more for
useforexercise.Itwasn’tyet “I do not know the degree cally with Iran—trying to re- Navy released a photo of the noting that Europe can’t de- EuropeansecurityasWashing-
clearifanypersonnelwerein- to which Iran is complicit,” store the 2015 Iran nuclear submarineasitnavigatedthe fenditselfwithouttheU.S. ton’sfocushasshiftedtoward
sidethegymatthetimeofthe Gen. McKenzie told The Wall agreementandthenseekmore StraitofHormuz,noteditwas Still, officials and analysts China.
attack, about 8:30 p.m. local Street Journal on Tuesday. stringentconstraintsonIran’s accompanied by two U.S. saytheFrenchfocusoncapa- This year, France is set to
time. Several cars parked “We do not seek a war, and I nuclearprogram. guided-missilecruisersandis- bilities and action is appreci- beoneofonly10NATOmem-
nearby in the embassy com- don’t actually believe they Tensions have also been sued a statement noting how atedinWashington,evenifMr. bers,includingtheU.S.,toex-
poundwerealsodamaged. seekoneeither.” raisedbyanattackthismonth many weapons it is able to Macron’s comment last year ceed the alliance’s spending
All21rocketshitinsidethe Secretary of State Mike onanoiltankerdockedatthe carry: 154 Tomahawk nonnu- thattheNorthAtlanticTreaty targetof2%ofgrossdomestic
heavilyfortifiedGreenZone— Pompeoblamed“Iran-backed Saudi port city of Jeddah, clear land-attack cruise mis- Organization is experiencing product.
wheretheembassyandabase militias” for the attack and which U.S. officials believe siles. “braindeath”provokeddismay. The French government is
hostingtroopsfromtheU.S.- urgedtheIraqigovernmentto wascarriedoutbyaremotely InIraq,anarrayofnewmi- “Thereareveryfewnations planningtoincreasespending
ledcoalitionarelocated—with bringthemtojustice. pilotedboatprovidedbyIran litias have claimed responsi- in the world that have that nextyearby4.5%.Francehas
about half of those rockets OnWednesday,Mr.Pompeo, totheHouthiYemenirebelmi- bilityfordozensofattackson ability to project power,” re- ledeffortsintheSahelregion
landing inside the American acting Defense Secretary litia. Iraqi convoys transporting tired U.S. Adm. James Foggo of Africa to combat Islamist
embassycompound,anofficial Christopher Miller and na- This week, a U.S. cruise- equipmentfortheU.S.-ledco- said of the planned carrier. militants, supported by U.S.
said. tional-securityadviserRobert missilesubmarineenteredthe alition. “Francehasgoteverythingwe intelligenceandlogistics.
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timetoscourthroughthetext sides have suggested and re-
overthenextfewdaysbefore jectedcompromises,withU.K.
On Trade signingoff. Prime Minister Boris Johnson
The U.K. Parliament could having spoken with European
meetattheendofthemonth, Commission President Ursula
but the European Parliament von der Leyen several times
hassaiditcannolongermeet overrecentdaystotrytocraft
ContinuedfromPageOne thisyeartovoteonanyaccord. adeal.
limiting government support Thatmeansanagreementmay The British pound rallied,
forprivatecompanies. havetobeadoptedprovision- gaining1.1%againstthedollar
BritainformallylefttheEU ally until EU lawmakers can and0.8%againsttheeuro.In-
on Jan. 31 but will remain in voteonitinthenewyear. vestorshaveexpectedthatan
the bloc’s single market and The rights of EU fishing agreementwouldremovesome
customsunionuntilyear’send. boats to access U.K. waters uncertaintiessurroundingtrade
Failure to reach a deal would next year and beyond have afterthenewyear.
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iffs would be applied for the talks.Whilefishinghasminor offthefactthereisadealand
firsttimeinalmostahalf-cen- economicsignificance—affect- thedownsideriskisremoved,”
tury on some trade between ingoverallsome€600million, said Simon Harvey, currency
the U.K. and the EU. The U.K. equivalentto$730million,an- analyst at broker Monex Eu-
sends43%ofitsexportstothe nually of fish caught by EU rope.
bloc. boats in British waters—it is Peopleclosetothetalkssay
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A8|Thursday,December24,2020 **** THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL.
FROM PAGE ONE
Xi’s Rule
Liberation Army and built a
Hisfather, XiJinping,when networkofmilitarycontacts.
Rooted in XiJinping XiZhongxun, workingforGengBiao “I have an insoluble bond
in1958 asasecretaryin1979 withthearmy,”XiJinpingsaid
atage5
inaspeechlastyear.“Froma
His Past youngage,Ilearnedalotabout
our military history and wit-
nessedthedemeanorofmany
oldergenerationarmyleaders.”
Mr.Gengwasanarmyvet-
ContinuedfromPageOne eranwhohadservedwithMr.
In the eight subsequent Xi’sfather,beenambassadorto
years, Mr. Xi has pursued an sixcountriesandledtheInter-
expansive, hypernationalistic national Liaison Department,
vision of China’s future, dis- whichmanagedtieswithCom-
playingadesireforcontroland munists abroad. When Mr. Xi
atalentforpoliticalmaneuver- joined him, he was vice pre-
GengBiao,
ing. Drawing comparisons to mier and secretary-general of
China’svicepremier
Mao Zedong, he has crushed the Central Military Commis-
criticsandpotentialrivals,re- fornationaldefense, sion,whichcontrolsthearmed
vitalizedtheCommunistParty onboardanaircraft SSforces.In1981,hebecamede-
andevenscrappedpresidential carrierduringaU.S. REfenseminister.
P
term limits so he can, if he visitin1980 MA ItwasabigchangeforMr.
chooses,ruleforlife. ZUXi.Heworeamilitaryuniform,
A/
Promisinga“ChinaDream” UaccompaniedMr.Gengtomost
H
ofnationalrenewal,hehasmo- XINmeetings and handled confi-
bilized China’s military to en- XiJinpingwasdeeplyaffectedbyhisaustereupbringingandthe XiJinping’sthree-yearstintasasecretarytoGengBiao,atop WS;dential documents, according
forceterritorialclaims,forced purgeofhisrevolutionaryfather,XiZhongxun,fromthetop militaryofficial,helpstoexplainhisskillatpoliticalmaneuvering NEto accounts from Mr. Geng’s
up to a million Chinese Mus- leadershipin1962. andhisclosetiestothearmedforces. RGrelativesandbiographer.
BE
lims into internment camps M China had just normalized
O
ainndHocnugrbKeodnpgo.liticalfreedoms XiJinping,in2015, N/BLOrfoeulagthiotnasshwoirthtwtahrewUit.Sh.Vaientd-
Now, with Covid-19 under revisitingoneofthecave SHEnamthatendedinstalemate,a
controlinChinabutstillwide- homeswherehelivedin QILAIhumiliation that still haunts
spread across the U.S., he is thevillageofLiangjiahe XiJinpingwhen K;the PLA. Mr. Geng’s priority
promotinghisself-styled,tech- helivedhere STOCwastobuildmilitarytieswith
eanshuapnecreidorupadltaetrenoaftiMveartxoisfmreaes- UTTERWSoavsiheitnpgtoownetro, acnodunitner1b9a8l0anhcee
H
market democracy—a “China SwenttotheU.S.totrytone-
S;
solution”toglobalproblems. VEgotiatethepurchaseofAmeri-
“Itwasclearhewasnotgo- RCHIcanweapons.
ingtobeasecondHuJintao,” ALA TheU.S.offeredtosellonly
saidDannyRussel,whoasase- ONnonlethal equipment, and it
niorObamaadministrationof- ATIpledgedtocontinuearmingthe
N
ficial attended several meet- HEislandofTaiwan,whichBeijing
ings with Mr. Xi, including in Y;Tseesasarebelprovince.
M
2011and2012.“WhatIunder- A “IndevelopingChina-U.S.re-
estimatedaboutXiJinpingwas ALlations,wecan’tbetooexces-
histoleranceforrisk.” Whereheslept LEFT:siveorhasty,”Mr.Gengwarned
Mr. Xi’s swift reversal of inthecave OPin his report on the trip, ac-
T
morethanthreedecadesofap- Mcording to his biography. “On
O
parentmovementtowardcol- FRsomequestions,theU.S.isgo-
lectiveleadershipandalessin- WISEing to maintain unreasonable
trusive party has surprised OCKpositions, and we should con-
bothU.S.officialsandmuchof CLductnecessaryandappropriate
theChineseelite.Inhindsight, Despitehisfamily’ssufferinginthe1960sand70s—includinghis Onceinpower,XiJinpingreliedprimarilyonWangHuning,a struggleagainstit.”
though, the roots of his ap- ownsevenyearsofhardlaborinaChinesevillage—XiJinping formeracademicandadvocateofenlightenedautocracy,to The lesson for Mr. Xi was
proach are visible in key epi- hasresurrectedMaoZedongasasourceoflegitimacy. revampPartyideology. that while cooperation with
sodesofhislife. theU.S.couldpotentiallyben-
They include his father’s efitbothcountries,theirlong-
purgefromthetoppartylead- achievegreatthings.” AmongthosewhodiedwasXi conflictedviewsofMao,having After China’s market-open- term strategic interests
ership,histeenageyearsina OnemistakemanyinChina Jinping’shalfsister. learnedtoreverehimbutalso ing reforms began in 1979, weren’t aligned, people who
Chinesevillage,hisinduction and abroad made about the Mr.Xirarelyspeaksofthose havingsufferedbecauseofhim. most of Mr. Xi’s contempo- studythaterasay.
intothemilitaryandhisexpo- newChineseleaderwashoping years,butininterviewsbefore Thesurprisehasbeentheex- raries, including his siblings,
sure to nationalist and “new hewouldemulatehisfather,Xi taking power, he said they tenttowhichhehassoughtto focused on improving their Guiding ideology
left” undercurrents in the Zhongxun,asapioneerofeco- hardened his view of politics. resurrect Mao as a source of lives,oftengoingintobusiness.
partyelite. nomicreformandopponentof Herecalleddenouncinghisfa- legitimacy for the party and Mr. Xi was one of the few AfterleavingMr.Geng’sof-
TodayChinafollowsanew one-manruleafterMao’sdeath. ther, being jailed three times himself. princelingswhochoseapoliti- fice,Mr.Xiwentintolocalgov-
politicaldoctrineknownas“Xi and having Red Guards In1968,Maotriedtorestore calcareer. ernmentforthenext25years.
JinpingThought,”whichcom- Fall from grace threatenhimwithexecution. order by sending millions of Mr. Xi, as leader, has ad- Following his promotion in
bines many attributes of dif- Like his father, he main- youngpeopleintothecountry- opted many of Mao’s titles, 2007tothePolitburoStanding
ferent 20th-century authori- Whatinsteadhonedhispo- tainedfaithintheparty,blam- side to be “educated.” That is rhetorical terms and political Committee, the top decision-
tarians.Itreassertstheparty’s liticalinstincts,theysay,were ing his family’s ordeals on howMr.Xi,atage15,woundup techniques,anddeclaredMao’s making body, he was increas-
Leninistroleasthedominant hisaustereupbringingandhis Mao’ssecuritychief,according inLiangjiahe,aclusterofabout achievementstobeonparwith ingly exposed to a debate be-
force in all areas, including family’ssufferingafterhisfa- topeoplewhoknowthefamily. threedozenhomes,mostlytra- thereformerathatfollowed. tween advocates and
private business. It revives therwaspurgedfromthelead- Atthesametime,theysay,he ditionalcavedwellings. Hehadpragmaticreasonsas opponentsofliberalization.
Maoistmethodsofmassmobi- ershipin1962andbanishedto learned from the misfortunes Conditions were brutal. well. In the years before he That’swhenhegottoknow
lization, uses digital surveil- central China for 13 years, ofhisfather,whowasrehabili- Flea-riddenandoftenhungry, tookpower,hecametobelieve Wang Huning, a former aca-
lance to replicate Stalin’s to- mostlytoworkatatractorfac- tatedin1978andhelpedestab- he spent much of the next thatcriticismofMaowasun- demicwhobecamehistoppo-
talitarian social controls and tory,forsupportingpublication lish China’s first Special Eco- sevenyearsbuildingwells,dig- derminingtheparty’sfounda- liticaladviser.Mr.Wang,now
embracesamoremuscularna- ofacontroversialbook. nomicZonetoattractforeign gingfieldsandherdingsheep. tions,justascondemnationof 65, emerged in the mid-1980s
tionalism based on ethnicity That set him apart from investment,thenwassidelined Therewasnoschool. StalinerodedfaithinitsSoviet asaleaderamong“neo-author-
that makes fewer allowances otherleaders’offspring,known againinthelate1980s. Since taking power, Mr. Xi equivalent. itarian” scholars who argued
forminoritiesorresidentsof as princelings, who in most One conclusion Xi Jinping Liberal-mindedChinese,ap- thatChinaneededenlightened
TaiwanandHongKong. casesenduredlesshardship.It reached,thesepeoplesay,was palledattherehabilitationof autocracy,ratherthanliberal-
Above all, Xi Jinping also left him fearful of disor- thatpoliticsisawinner-take- ‘Hisgoalistomake a man who many historians ization,tomodernize.
Thought aims to grant Mr. Xi der, determined to clear his all contest. Another was that believe caused the death of WhenMr.Xitookpower,he
thewholeworldsee
the legitimacy to remain in family’s name and distrustful he should conceal his own more than 40 million people, relied primarily on Mr. Wang
powerandcontinuehisquest ofChina’selite. viewsuntilhehadrealpower. Chinaasagreat now warn of a new Cultural torevamppartyideologyina
to make China a rich, truly Likemanyotherprincelings, Once he was in office, his Revolution. way that married Mr. Xi’s in-
power.’
globalpowerby2049,thecen- Xi Jinping, who is now 67 controlling instincts and dis- Mr.Xiappearstobelievehe stincts with countercurrents
tenaryofMao’svictory. years old, spent his earliest trustofpeersbecameclearas canusedigitalcensorshipand thatwereburstingintoviewon
Mr. Xi has been a popular yearsinexclusiveschoolsand hemovedawayfromconsensus surveillancetoachievethepo- newsocialmediaplatforms.
leader,bolsteredinpartbypos- housingcompounds,wherehe decision-making and targeted liticalcontrolMaoaspiredto, Ultranationalistswerecalling
itive coverage in state media. was raised to believe he was potential rivals in an anticor- has deliberately cultivated withoutupendingsociety. foramoreaggressivestanceto-
Underhisleadership,Chinahas oneofChina’sfutureleaders. ruption campaign. His desire comparisons with Mao, and ward the U.S. Other scholars
postedrobusteconomicgrowth His mother lived and for control trumped an early used his Liangjiahe years as Military influence were calling for a revival of
and eradicated extreme pov- workedatthePartySchool,so pledge to allow the market a thecenterpieceofhispolitical Confucianism,aphilosophythat
erty, as well as curbing he and three siblings were “decisiverole”intheeconomy. originstory. Inthespringof1979,shortly advocates strict obedience to
Covid-19withinitsborders.The mostly cared for by their fa- “He reached a conclusion People who speak with Mr. afterMr.Xigraduatedfromthe socialhierarchy.China’sstate-
nation’sgrowinginternational ther.XiZhongxunwasunusu- thatunrestrainedmarketswere Xi or study his record say his university, he got a job, with sectorreformsand2001World
stature also has become a ally strict and frugal, forcing infactgoingtopresentamas- timeinthevillagewastransfor- hisfather’shelp,asasecretary TradeOrganizationentrygave
sourceofnationalpride. histwosonstoweartheirel- sive problem for long-term mative.Theysayhedeveloped toGengBiao,thenavicepre- riseto“newleft”thinkerswho
“His goal is to make the dersisters’castoffclothesand partycontrol,”saidKevinRudd, anaffinityandsenseofdutyto mier responsible for national railed against corruption and
whole world see China as a shoes,andoftenlecturingthem aformerAustralianprimemin- China’sruralpoor,andaprag- defense. It gave him a three- inequality.
greatpower,andhimasakey abouthisroleintherevolution. isterwhohasmetMr.Xisev- matism through dealing with yearcrashcourseinelitepoli- In2011,Mr.Ximetwiththen
figureinmakingitgreat,”said The Xi family was de- eraltimes,mostrecentlyinNo- villagelife.Villagersturnedto tics,internationalrelationsand U.S.VicePresidentJoeBidenin
XiaoGongqin,aleadingfigure nouncedandshunnedbymany vember 2019. “The party’s in himforadvice,feedinghisself- militaryaffairs. China. Mr. Xi talked at length
amongscholarswhoadvocate peers after Xi Zhongxun’s hisveins.Hedoesnotbuyany imageasabornleader. Hegainedaninsideviewof about the Soviet collapse and
so-called enlightened autoc- purge from the leadership in argument, direct or indirect, Mr.Xiwonaplacetostudy U.S.-China relations, learning how authoritarian leaders in
racyinChina.“Atheart,he’sa 1962.Theabuseintensifiedaf- about any form of peaceful chemicalengineeringatauni- toseetheU.S.asbothapart- theMiddleEastwererecently
nationalist.” terMaolaunchedhisCultural transitiontosomethingelse.” versity in Beijing in 1975, but nerandapotentialthreat.He overthrown because they lost
Mr.Xiao,basedinShanghai, Revolutionin1966,unleashing asa“worker-peasant-soldier,” traveled abroad for the first touch with their people and
countshimselfasupporter.But Red Guard youths who as- Resurrecting Mao selectedbeforecompetitiveen- time,visitingEuropewithMr. failedtocontrolcorruption,ac-
like many in China’s elite, he saultedandoftenkilledteach- tryexamsandregularteaching Geng.Healsolearnedthepolit- cordingtopeoplefamiliarwith
saidheworriesMr.Xi“lacksa ersandother“classenemies.” Mr.Xiwasexpectedtohave resumed. icalimportanceofthePeople’s thoseconversations.
spiritofcompromise.That’shis “He really clearly signaled
shortcoming….Andthereisno thatthepartyfacedsomeex-
mechanismtocorrecthim.” istential challenges, in his
China’s government press view, and that things had to
officedeclinedtocomment,but change,” said Mr. Russel, the
arranged interviews with two former U.S. official. “What I
professorsattheCentralParty took away was: There were
School, the party’s top think too many power centers, and
tankandtrainingacademy. not only does the country
Both said Mr. Xi hadn’t needastronghand,theparty
abandoned collective leader- needsastronghand.”
ship, but declined to predict Mr.Wang,whoaccompanied
whether he would retire in Mr.Xitomostmeetingsandon
2022,whenhiscurrenttermis foreignvisitsinhisfirstterm,
scheduled to end. They de- iswidelyconsideredthearchi-
scribedXiJinpingThoughtas tectofthe“ChinaDream”con-
“21st-CenturyMarxism,”saying cept and Xi Jinping Thought,
his political thinking was which was written into the
shaped,inpart,byhisexperi- party constitution in 2017,
encesinhisyouth. when Mr. Wang joined the
“When he was young, his SStandingCommittee.
GE
life was a little tortuous, but A Mr.Xiandhisadvisersde-
M
these twists and turns made YIscribe his doctrine primarily
comradeXiJinpingwhatheis GETTin Marxist terms, and, while
today,”saidHanQingxiang,one R/pledging not to impose it on
oftheprofessors,whohascon- AYEothercountries,portrayitasa
R
ducted a study session on NFmodel for them that proves
Marxismfortopleaders.“Only KEVIthe superiority of socialism
those who have suffered can PresidentXiinspectedtroopsduringa2019parademarkingthe70thanniversaryofthefoundingofthePeople’sRepublicofChina. overcapitalism.
THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL. ** NY Thursday,December24,2020|A8A
GREATER NEW YORK
Yang Explores New York City Mayoral Bid
Formerpresidential 2021race,butfilingwiththe 24,000 city residents were batesthroughlargefundraising.
boardisrequired.Heisn’tcur- confirmedorbelievedtohave Asapresidentialcandidate,
candidatewouldjoin
rentlyfundraisingoraccepting diedfromCovid-19. Mr.Yangconsideredhimselfa
acrowdedfieldof moneytowardanyfuturecam- While many New Yorkers political outsider. But he
S
contendersfortopjob paign,thepersonsaid. AGEareexpectedtohavereceived courtedastronggroupofsup-
Mr.Yang,aManhattanres- Mavaccineforthevirusbythe porterswhocalledthemselves
I
BYKATIEHONAN iftdiheeelndntoe,xfwtcoamnuadlydiodrjaotoienfstvahyeicnnrgoatwtioodneb’des SSE/GETTYtositnmillJealtnihk.ee1ln,ye2xf0at2cm2e,aaythoe$r4icsitbsywillwoiorilnnl tumhroegree“dYcatonhvgeerGmaagenedgi.t”aoTtMoher.dgeYrvoaountpge
Former Democratic presi- largestcity.Theyincludecity PRErevenue gap, a struggling duringhiscampaign.
dential candidate Andrew Comptroller Scott Stringer, NCE-economy and a central busi- Mr. Yang has just recently
A
Yanghasfiledpaperworkwith Brooklyn Borough President Rness district that has been expressedaninterestinlocal
F
New York City’s campaign fi- EricAdams,formerSanitation NCEtransformedbyremotework- politics, and hadn’t been in-
nance board to explore a run Department Commissioner GEingduringthepandemic. spiredbycandidatesinprevi-
A
formayor. KathrynGarcia,andMayaWi- O/ Mr. Yang built a national ousmayoralraces,theperson
Mr. Yang filed with the ley,MayorBilldeBlasio’sfor- ZIOSprofileduringhisbidtobethe close to him said. He hasn’t
boardonWednesday.Thepa- merchiefcounsel.Earlierthis PREDemocraticpresidentialcandi- votedinrecentmayoralelec-
perwork is the first official month,U.S.Rep.MaxRose,a PHdate in the 2020 election. He tions, according to the city
stepinbeginningacampaign. Staten Island Democrat who OSEpitched a universal basic in- BoardofElectionsrecords.
J
Itallowshimtoenrollinacity losthisre-electionbidtoRe- AndrewYangbuiltanationalprofileduringhisWhiteHousebid. comeof$1,000amonthforev- Mr. Yang lives in Manhat-
program that matches cam- publican Nicole Malliotakis, eryAmerican,whichhecalled tan’sHell’sKitchenneighbor-
paign donations, a board filed paperwork to explore a allowsvoterstoranktheirfa- likelytowinthegeneralelec- the Freedom Dividend. Al- hood with his wife and two
spokesmansaid. mayoralbid. vorite candidates instead of tioninthelargelybluecity. though he was never a front- children,oneofwhomattends
A person close to the tech The city’s 2021 mayoral votingforjustone.TheDemo- New York City has strug- runnerintheprimary,hewas a local public school. A son
entrepreneur said he is still race will be the first to use cratic primary will be held gled to emerge from the consistently popular in polls whohasautismattendsapri-
deciding if he will run in the ranked-choice voting, which June 22, and the victor is Covid-19pandemic.Morethan and qualified for several de- vateschool.
Health Worker Had Severe Adverse Reaction to Vaccine
BYKATIEHONAN tion,officialssaid. addedthatthesevereadverse Sofar,89,000peopleinall vaccinations for health-care three locations and start to
ANDJIMMYVIELKIND A spokesman for the city’s reaction was uncommon and ofNewYorkhavereceivedthe workers, as well as residents bringthisprotection,thismir-
healthdepartmentdidn’tpro- thatthevaccinesareverysafe firstdoseoftheCovid-19vac- andstaffatnursinghomes. aclethatcametous,andstart
Onlyoneofthe30,000peo- videfurtherinformationabout overall. cine,Gov.AndrewCuomosaid On Wednesday, staffers of to put Covid behind us,” Mr.
ple who have so far received theemployee.Thedepartment As of Dec. 18, there have onWednesday. the Fire Department of New Nigrosaid.
the Covid-19 vaccine in New isworkingwiththeCentersfor beensixreportsofallergicre- As he develops his agenda York’semergencymedicalser- Meanwhile, the number of
YorkCityhadasevereadverse Disease Control and Preven- actionstothePfizer-BioNTech forthecomingyear,theDem- vicesbeganreceivingthevac- Covid-19patientsinhospitals
reactiontotheshot,cityoffi- tiontotrackothersideeffects shot in the U.S., according to ocratic governor said he is cine, as well. FDNY Commis- across New York rose yet
cialssaidWednesday. ofthevaccine,officialssaid. the CDC. More than 272,000 trying to combine economic sioner Daniel Nigro said at a again on Tuesday to 6,864,
Ahealth-careworkerinthe “We’llcontinuetofollowup dosesofthevaccinehadbeen activitywithsocialdistancing. news conference that nearly state officials said. The offi-
citysufferedanaphylaxisafter onthoseeventsandmakesure administeredbythattime. “The balance is going to be, 6,000 FDNY employees have cials said 164 people in the
getting the Pfizer Inc.-BioN- thatwe’retakingitseriously,” TheU.K.reportedtwocases how do you use vaccinations contractedCovid-19sincethe state died from the virus on
TechSEinjection. DaveChokshi,thecity’shealth of anaphylaxis from the vac- and testing to determine pandemicbegan. Tuesday, and of the 204,361
The worker, who wasn’t commissioner,saidatanews cine earlier this month, ac- safety?”Mr.Cuomosaid. “Wehopethatwecanvac- coronavirustestsreportedto
identified, is in stable condi- conference Wednesday. He cordingtotheCDC. The state has prioritized cinate 450 people a day at thestate,5.84%werepositive.
N.Y. Law
Will Make
It Easier
To Register
To Vote
BYJIMMYVIELKIND
New Yorkers will be auto-
matically registered to vote
whentheyinteractwithanar-
ray government agencies un-
deranewlawsignedbyGov.
AndrewCuomothatsupport-
ers say will increase voter (2)
participation. AL
N
Theautomatic-voterregis- R
U
trationlaw,whichwilltakeef- JO
fect in 2023, would require REET
the state’s departments of ST
motorvehicles,healthandla- ALL
W
bor, as well as county and HE
city-run social-service agen- T
R
cies,toautomaticallyregister FO
R
people to vote when they do DLE
things such as apply for a A
driver’slicense. BESS
Ifacitizenisalreadyregis- Chinatownrestaurantownersexpectthinnerholidaycrowdsthisyear.Below,HopLeeownerJohnnyMuisaystherestauranthaspreparedaspecialChristmasto-gomenu.
teredtovote,theagencywill Christmas in Chinatown Likely Will Be Quieter
work with the state Board of
Elections to update the per-
son’s voting address when
performing any number of
other governmental transac- number of travelers to the
tions. Citizens must attest BYCHARLESPASSY city, the neighborhood has
thattheyareeligibletovote, seenthatbusinessnearlyvan-
andmayoptnottohavetheir Formostofherlife,Laurie ish.
informationsharedwithelec- Gwen Shapiro has visited a AnotherfactoristhatChi-
tionsofficials. restaurantinManhattan’sChi- natown restaurants rely on
Mr. Cuomo signed the law natown on Christmas Day, lunchtime customers who
on Tuesday. Assemblywoman joiningthousandsoffellowlo- work in lower Manhattan of-
Latrice Walker, a Brooklyn calJewsinwhathasbecomea fices, particularly the nearby
Democratandthelaw’sspon- diningritualontheholiday. courthouses,notedlocallead-
sor, said it “puts New York Andwhilethereareplenty ers. But with many staffers
State on the right side of de- of Chinese establishments now working remotely, that
mocracy and history by ac- throughout the city that also businesshasdeclined,too.
knowledging years of voter serve as gathering places for Becauseofalltheproblems
suppression and making the New York City’s Jewish com- ofthepastyear,about10%of
processtoregistertovoteeasy, munityonDec.25,theonesin the neighborhood’s 300-plus
andaccessibletoNewYorkers.” Chinatownholdaspecialplace restaurants have closed, ac-
Eighteen other states and for Ms. Shapiro and others, cordingtotheChinatownPart-
theDistrictofColumbiahave she said. That is because of nership.Andthatdoesn’tfac-
enactedsimilarlaws,accord- the neighborhood’s rich his- tor the challenges the
ingtoDeputySenateMajority toryanddistinctivecharacter, neighborhoodfacedbeforethe
LeaderMikeGianaris,aDem- symbolizedbyitsrowsofcen- pandemic,includingcompeti-
ocratfromQueenswhoisthe tury-old tenement buildings, tion from other local China-
measure’sothersponsor. and the simple fact it always towns such as the one in
An earlier version of the has been the place to go on Flushing, Queens, which has
legislationwasconsideredin thewinterholiday. dollars in business on what those in Manhattan’s China- right around the Lunar New arguablyeclipseditsManhat-
2019 but not enacted amid “It’samazinghowcrowded had indeed been one of their town, said business owners Year—another peak period tan counterpart in size and
concernsthatitwoulddirect it is,” said Ms. Shapiro, a 54- peakdaysinthepre-pandemic and leaders in the neighbor- when banquet halls are con- stature.
government agencies to pro- year-oldresidentoftheLower era. And the celebration has hood. stantlyfilled. Nevertheless, restaurant
cessapplicationsforineligible East Side, recalling Christ- usually extended beyond For starters, the area saw The celebration tradition- operatorssaytheyaretrying
voters. masespast. Christmas. salesdeclineseverelylongbe- ally “goes on for weeks,” Mr. tofindwaystosurvive.
RepublicansinthestateAs- Butthisyear,thosecrowds “UptotheNewYear,we’re fore the pandemic fully hit Chensaid. Erik Cheah, owner of Wok
sembly and Senate voted willlargelybeabsentbecause always packed,” said Johnny NewYorkCityinmid-March— Theneighborhoodhascon- Wok, a Malaysian restaurant
against the measure earlier NewYorkstatecurbedindoor Mui,ownerofHopLee,aCan- and before restaurants were tinuedtobeaffectedinother in Manhattan’s Chinatown,
this year. Republican State dining in the city earlier this tonese restaurant that has requiredtocloseforin-person ways,evenasoutdoordining said he worked out a small,
Committee Chairman Nick month. Restaurant operators been a Chinatown fixture for dining—becauseofthestigma restarted in the city and in- temporaryrentreductionwith
Langworthysaidithasledto can still offer delivery and decades.Therestauranthasa surroundingthevirus’sorigi- doorseatingbecameanoption his landlord. He also has
faulty registrations in other takeout, and many said they special to-go menu for this natinginChina. foraperiodaswell. trimmedhisstaffandtweaked
states.“Thisbadlawentrusts plan to do so. They also can Christmas. Theresultwasdevastating, UnlikeotherChinatownsin his menu to save money. His
Cuomo-controlled entities welcomepatronstodineout- Almost all New York City said Wellington Chen, execu- New York that draw heavily next step: Installing heating
withmanagingvoterdataand doors,iftheyhavetheproper businesses,andrestaurantsin tivedirectoroftheChinatown fromalocalAsianpopulation, units for his outdoor dining
it’s just another attempt by setup,thoughtheyworrythe particular,havefacedfinancial Partnership, a local develop- Manhattan’sChinatownrelies setuptokeepthatpartofthe
Democrats to undermine the weatherwon’tcooperate. challenges during the pan- mentcorporation.Thedamage onamixoflocalsandtourists, business going through the
security and integrity of our Still, restaurants are ex- demic.Butanarrayoffactors was especially acute because neighborhood officials said. winter. “I think we can hang
elections,”hesaid. pecting to lose thousands of hasmultipliedthestressesfor the falloff in patrons came But with virus reducing the on,”hesaid.
A8B|Thursday,December24,2020 NY ** THEWALLSTREETJOURNAL.
GREATER NEW YORK GREATER
NEW YORK
South Bronx Project Moves Forward WATCH
BYKATEKING WESTCHESTERCOUNTY
Yonkers Car Crash
Amajormixed-usedevelop-
Leaves 5 Men Dead
mentontheHarlemRiverwa-
terfrontintheBronxissched-
uledtostartconstructionnext Acarspeedingawayfrom
month, with developers ex- policeinYonkers,N.Y.,barreled
pectedtocloseonabout$349 intoanothercar,splittingthat
millioninfinancingnextweek vehicleinhalfandkillingfive
followingmonthsofdelaybe- people,officialssaid.
causeofthepandemic. The36-year-olddriverofthe
The project, Bronx Point, speedingcarandfour18-year-
will include 542 units of af- oldmen,whowereejectedfrom
fordablehousingonaformer theothervehicle,diedinthe
industrialsiteintheborough’s crash.Thecollisionoccurred
Lower Concourse neighbor- Tuesdayaround9:30p.m.,said
hood. The development will MayorMikeSpanoandPolice
houseseveralcommunityand CommissionerJohnMueller.
cultural centers, including a Mr.Spanosaidthecrash,on
permanent location for the RiverdaleAvenuenearCulver
UniversalHipHopMuseum. StreetintheLudlowParkneigh-
David Dishy, president at borhood,was“nothingshortof
L+M Development Partners, tragic.”Messrs.SpanoandMuel-
saideconomicuncertaintyand lersaidminutesbeforethe
anxietycloudedmostprojects crash,officersattemptedtostop
at the beginning of the pan- thespeedingcar,a2009Infiniti,
demic in the spring, particu- becauseitwasbeingdrivener-
larly those like Bronx Point ratically.Thecarappearedto
thatreliedonpublicfinancing. pullover,butthensuddenlyac-
“The city was going celeratedandtookoffdownRiv-
throughamassiveamountof erdaleAvenueat“beyondreck-
consternationaboutresources lessspeeds,”theofficialssaid.
and the availability of re- Asofficersfollowed,theIn-
sources,” he said. “Until that finitislammedintothecarwith
pictureclearedupforthem,it thefour18-year-olds.
was understandably touch- ArenderingofBronxPoint,a —AssociatedPress
and-go.” mixed-usecomplexthatwill
Thefinancing,originallyex- include542affordable-housing NEWYORK
pected to come through in units,anesplanadeand Railroads Meet
June, is slated to close next communityandculturalcenters
week, according to city offi- onaformerindustrialsite. Safety Deadline
cials. Bronx Point’s total cost
includes $238 million in city square-footmuseumfromthe NewYork’stwocommuter
bondsandfunding.Additional ground up rather than rede- railroadshavemetafederally
financing comes from state velopinganexistingbuilding, mandateddeadlinetoinstallan
grants,equityfromthedevel- hesaid. emergency-brakingsystem,offi-
opers and both federal tax VEL “We plan to use our plat- cialsannouncedWednesday.
R
credits and Brownfield tax- A form as a cultural institution TheLongIslandRailRoad
M
credit equity from Wells RE; to uplift the people and the andMetro-North,bothoperated
Far“gCoom&mCuon.ity-basedprojects HITECTU comMmr.unBiutcyaintsoelaf,n”dhethseaidm.u- btiyonthAeuMtheotrritoyp,ohliatvaenaTcrahniesvpeodrtfau-ll
likeBronxPointarecriticalto RC seum’s board of trustees still implementationofpositivetrain
A
this administration’s goal of S9 need to raise $34 million of control,acomputerizedsystem
bringingaffordablehousing& P: theproject’s$51milliontotal thatcansafeguardagainsthu-
O
investment to communities MT cost. He said he expects fi- manormechanicalerror.
thathavebeenhistoricallyleft RO nancingtobeeasiernowthat Thetworailroadshadtoin-
F
behind,” said Vicki Been, the the museum has secured a stallandtestthesystemon
city’sdeputymayorforhous- childhood center and on-site and residential hub for the fornineyearstofindaplace permanenthome. thousandsofrailcarsandloco-
ing and economic develop- socialservicesrunbythenon- Bronx and the city at large,” toshowcasethehistoryofthe ConstructionatBronxPoint motivesandabout500milesof
ment,inastatement. profitBronxWorks,aswellas saidAnnieTirschwellofType music genre, which he says isexpectedtowrapupbylate track.
The development will in- anoysterreefandeducational A Projects, which is leading was born in the South Bronx 2023. A second phase of the U.S.freightandcommuterrail-
clude2.8acresofpublicspace programming by the Billion thedevelopmentwithL+M. in the 1970s. Bronx Point is projectisplannedandwillin- roadswererequiredtohavethe
with a playground, barbecue OysterProject. RockyBucano,executivedi- the ideal location and offers clude more than 500 addi- systeminfulloperationbyDec.
areaandshorelineesplanade. “Welookatthisprojectas rector of the Universal Hip museum founders the oppor- tionalhousingunits,aswellas 31orfacesanctionsandfines.
There also will be an early- a catalyst toward a cultural HopMuseum,hasbeentrying tunity to build the 52,000- retailandcommunityspace. —AssociatedPress
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