NPR

Animal Shelters Urge Humans Confined To Home By Coronavirus Outbreak To Adopt

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 12:02:19 -0400

Animal Shelters Urge Humans Confined To Home By Coronavirus Outbreak To Adopt:

Animal shelters across the country have had to close their doors as part of the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Fearing the arrival of new litters and abandoned animals with no one to adopt them, they are racing to empty kennels before they are forced to resort to euthanasia.

“Every industry in the world right now is going through a massive disruption, and animal sheltering and animal rescues are no exception to that,” says Julie Castle, the chief executive officer of Best Friends Animal Society, an advocacy group that works with more than 3,000 shelters.

Many of these shelters have moved into crisis mode.

U.S. Sees Exponential Growth In Coronavirus Death Toll

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 11:57:45 -0400

U.S. Sees Exponential Growth In Coronavirus Death Toll:

The number of coronavirus deaths in the United States has sharply accelerated in recent days, now exceeding 2,000, marking a doubling of the fatality rate in the span of two days.

As of Sunday afternoon, more than 2,300 people in the U.S. have died from the virus and more than 135,000 people in the U.S. have been infected, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The exponential growth in cases and deaths falls in line with some predictive models that suggest that in the coming weeks, the U.S. could begin to see death tolls in the thousands every day.

Lost Work Because Of Coronavirus? How To Get Unemployment, Skip Loan Payments And More

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 10:30:23 -0400

Lost Work Because Of Coronavirus? How To Get Unemployment, Skip Loan Payments And More:

The federal government is throwing $2 trillion at the coronavirus problem. Banks and other lenders are doing things to assist people on top of that. Here’s your survival kit for how to get the help that’s available and be in the best financial shape possible as you weather this storm.

How 15 Days Became 45: Trump Extends Guidelines To Slow Coronavirus

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 09:13:14 -0400

How 15 Days Became 45: Trump Extends Guidelines To Slow Coronavirus:

Two weeks ago, President Trump entered the White House briefing room and announced an aggressive plan to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

For 15 days, stay home, he told Americans. Avoid groups of more than 10 people. “If everyone makes this change, or these critical changes, and sacrifices now, we will rally together as one nation and we will defeat the virus,” he said.

On Sunday, the night before Day 15, Trump told the country to stick with the plan for another month, until April 30.

President Trump Signs $2 Trillion Coronavirus Rescue Package Into Law

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 19:02:58 -0400

President Trump Signs $2 Trillion Coronavirus Rescue Package Into Law:

President Trump has signed a historic $2 trillion economic recovery package into law Friday afternoon, shortly after the House of Representatives approved the bill.

In an Oval Office ceremony Friday, the president thanked Republicans and Democrats “for coming together, setting aside their differences and putting America first” to pass the legislation. Trump was joined by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. No Democrats were present at the signing.

The package will offer relief to state and local governments, individuals, small and large businesses, and hospitals affected by the coronavirus crisis.

Read the rest: How To Turn Your Home Into A School Without...

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 17:00:20 -0400

Read the rest: How To Turn Your Home Into A School Without Losing Your Sanity

Comic by: LA Johnson / NPR

This comic was adapted from an episode of Life Kit.

Why 'Death Rates' From Coronavirus Can Be Deceiving

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 15:00:15 -0400

Why 'Death Rates' From Coronavirus Can Be Deceiving:

The coronavirus appears to be much more lethal in some countries than in others.

In Italy, about 10% of people known to be infected have died. In Iran and Spain, the case fatality rate is higher than 7%. But in South Korea and the U.S. it’s less than 1.5%. And in Germany, the figure is close to 0.5%.

So what gives?

Mystery In Wuhan: Recovered Coronavirus Patients Test Negative ... Then Positive

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 13:00:11 -0400

Mystery In Wuhan: Recovered Coronavirus Patients Test Negative ... Then Positive:

A spate of mysterious second-time infections is calling into question the accuracy of COVID-19 diagnostic tools even as China prepares to lift quarantine measures to allow residents to leave the epicenter of its outbreak next month. It’s also raising concerns of a possible second wave of cases.

From March 18-22, the Chinese city of Wuhan reported no new cases of the virus through domestic transmission — that is, infection passed on from one person to another. The achievement was seen as a turning point in efforts to contain the virus, which has infected more than 80,000 people in China. Wuhan was particularly hard-hit, with more than half of all confirmed cases in the country.

But some Wuhan residents who had tested positive earlier and then recovered from the disease are testing positive for the virus a second time. Based on data from several quarantine facilities in the city, which house patients for further observation after their discharge from hospitals, about 5%-10% of patients pronounced “recovered” have tested positive again.

Italian Fitness Coach With COVID-19: 'Feels Like Your Head Is Being Held Underwater'

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 11:00:07 -0400

Italian Fitness Coach With COVID-19: 'Feels Like Your Head Is Being Held Underwater':

Fausto Russo is a 38-year-old fitness trainer. He has been hospitalized with COVID-19 in Latina, south of Rome, for over two weeks. On Wednesday, he spoke to NPR and other international news media by video.

“I run a fitness center, I train soccer teams, I’m a physical therapist,” Russo says.“I never smoked, my last fever was 10 years ago. Suddenly I’m catapulted onto a hospital bed, unable to breathe.”

In his first week at the Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, medical staff gave him and an IV drip and a type of helmet to help him breathe. He was bed-ridden, unable to move, eat or drink.

“It is hard to imagine, time never passes,” Russo says. “Your body can’t find the right position to sleep. It’s so intense, I’ll never forget it.”

U.S. Surpasses China In Cases Of Coronavirus

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 09:14:40 -0400

U.S. Surpasses China In Cases Of Coronavirus:

The U.S. now has more coronavirus cases than any other country in the world, surpassing China’s total and highlighting how rapidly the virus can move through a population.

The U.S. logged more than 83,000 cases as of 8 p.m. ET Thursday, while China reported more than 81,00 infections, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

America now leading the world in coronavirus cases is striking since the U.S. population of some 330 million is just a fraction of China’s 1.4 billion people.

Prepare For Outbreaks Like New York's In Other States, Warns Anthony Fauci

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 19:02:12 -0400

Prepare For Outbreaks Like New York's In Other States, Warns Anthony Fauci:

Over a thousand people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19, and over a third of those deaths have taken place in New York. Nearly half the confirmed cases in the United States are in New York. The state has become a coronavirus hotspot — anyone leaving New York City is being asked to self-quarantine for two weeks.

A key adviser to President Trump, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, says other states need to prepare to take on outbreaks of this scale.

NPR’s Noel King spoke with Dr. Fauci about where the U.S. is headed, and what strategies may help stop the spread of the coronavirus. He weighed in on increased testing capacity in the U.S. and on President Trump’s comment that he hopes to see the economy reopen by Easter. That, according to Fauci, remains to be seen.

More Telework Also Means More Porn — And That's Good News For Hackers

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 17:00:06 -0400

More Telework Also Means More Porn — And That's Good News For Hackers:

The coronavirus has infected more than 450,000 people worldwide, and now cybersecurity experts are warning the pandemic could take a toll on computer systems, as well.

Many companies that usually handle sensitive information in their offices are now telling employees to work from home. And that can make them more vulnerable to hackers — especially if workers browse certain websites they wouldn’t visit when the boss is watching.

In other words, porn.

Quarantined In India: No Soap, Dirty Toilets, Not Enough Coronavirus Tests

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 15:00:31 -0400

Quarantined In India: No Soap, Dirty Toilets, Not Enough Coronavirus Tests:

Not enough toilets – and the ones there are often dirty. Beds crammed together. The only way to shower is with water from a bucket that everyone has to share. No soap or hand sanitizer.

People who’ve been quarantined in India for suspected exposure to coronavirus say conditions inside government facilities are unsanitary and unsafe — ripe to foment an outbreak rather than prevent one. Indians are posting photos and videos on social media of dirty sheets, broken toilets and trash littering crowded quarantine centers.

The World Health Organization says the arc of the global pandemic may depend on what huge, densely-populated countries like India do next.

For People Experiencing Homelessness, 'Stay At Home' Is Impossible

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 13:00:14 -0400

For People Experiencing Homelessness, 'Stay At Home' Is Impossible:

For the past 16 months, Angelo Mike has been living in his beige Toyota Camry in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. It’s difficult for obvious reasons: no bed, no kitchen, no bathroom. But, Mike says, structure and organization make it manageable.

Until recently, his daily routine involved waking up by 6:00 a.m. most mornings and heading to a nearby gym. There he’d exercise and shower. If he didn’t need to be on set — Mike works as a crew member on movie sets — he’d head to the library after the gym to work on his laptop and search for new gigs.

Then came the coronavirus. “Basically the only place I go now is the park,” Mike says.

What's In It For You? $1,200 Checks, 13 Weeks Of Unemployment Payments And More

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 11:00:24 -0400

What's In It For You? $1,200 Checks, 13 Weeks Of Unemployment Payments And More:

Weekly jobless claims hit nearly 3.3 million last week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s staggering when you consider that at the height of the Great Recession, initial claims topped out at just shy of 700,000.

The CARES Act (short for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) that the Senate passed Wednesday night is set to provide $2 trillion in economic aid as the nation braces for this massive economic blow.

“Nobody thinks legislation can end this. We cannot outlaw the virus. And no economic policy can fully end the hardship so long as the public health requires that we put so much of our commerce on ice,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday. “This isn’t even a stimulus package. It is emergency relief.”

3.3 Million File For Unemployment Claims, Shattering The Record

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 09:07:11 -0400

3.3 Million File For Unemployment Claims, Shattering The Record:

A record 3.28 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of the country. The Labor Department’s report Thursday was one of the first official indicators of how many people have suddenly been forced out of work nationally.

“This marks the highest level of seasonally adjusted initial claims in the history of the seasonally adjusted series,” the department said. “The previous high was 695,000 in October of 1982.” The Labor Department’s records go back to 1967.

ICU Bed Capacity Varies Widely Nationwide. See How Your Area Stacks Up

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 19:02:17 -0400

ICU Bed Capacity Varies Widely Nationwide. See How Your Area Stacks Up:

As the COVID-19 pandemic intensifies, some communities will be better equipped to treat the sickest patients — specifically those requiring admission to intensive care units — than others. Not only do ICU capabilities vary from hospital to hospital, but also some parts of the country have far more critical care beds by population than others.

An NPR analysis of data from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice looked at how the nation’s 100,000 ICU beds are distributed across the more than 300 markets that make up the country’s hospital system.

Historic Games, Documentaries And ... Marble Races: ESPN Without Live Sports

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 17:00:16 -0400

Historic Games, Documentaries And ... Marble Races: ESPN Without Live Sports:

ESPN has gone from gearing up for March Madness to featuring marble racing.

As the coronavirus shuts down Broadway, bars, bowling alleys and more, consider the predicament of cable giant ESPN: The self-proclaimed “worldwide leader in sports” is now operating in a world where there are nearly no live sports.

Under the brand The Ocho, ESPN has been presenting viewers with past contests in cherry pit spitting, marble racing, Sasquatch calling and lifting heavy stones above your head. (Seriously. I’m not making those last two up.)

The 5 Best-Dressed Tiny Desk Concerts

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 15:00:19 -0400

The 5 Best-Dressed Tiny Desk Concerts:

For almost two weeks now, NPR Music has been meeting via video conference, just like millions of Americans and folks all over the world. Our office attire is pretty laid back, but working from home, we’re all about sweats and T-shirts.

This situation got me thinking about the Tiny Desk’s dress code. If you are a fan of the series, you know that most musicians dress comfortably. Occasionally, you’ll see a funky coat or a dapper suit, but most wear regular street clothes.

But some musicians really class up the space. SsingSsing brought gender-bending bling inspired by Korean traditional art, Kenyan-born J.S. Ondara dressed in a sharply-tailored pink suit and Adele kept it classic with a black overcoat, knee high boots, tights, gloves and a modest pocketbook. Jorja Smith’s whole look was clean and fresh with beautiful braids, small gold hoops and a halter pantsuit in orange plaid.

States Are Taking Many Approaches To The Coronavirus. Here's A Look At Each

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 13:00:09 -0400

States Are Taking Many Approaches To The Coronavirus. Here's A Look At Each:

As the coronavirus has spread to every state in the U.S., governors are taking a range of escalating steps to try to stop the spread.

A number of state leaders have issued sweeping restrictions, including stay-at-home orders.

Others have issued directives focusing on counties in which cases are thought to be spreading through communities.

The measures taken show how the coronavirus has affected the many institutions of daily life, including schools, businesses, hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.

Here’s a look at how leaders in each state have been trying to contain the highly contagious disease in recent days: