Category: International

Wearing a face mask, with hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes close at hand, Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before the House Tuesday, to explain why the U.S. still struggles to get a handle on the coronavirus.

On Saturday, the U.S. reported 32,411 new cases in just that one day.

Fauci also countered President Trump’s claim that more testing is “a double-edged sword” to blame for the rise in coronavirus cases across the country. Instead, Fauci says testing is essential if we want to get control of the virus.

And NPR’s Lauren Frayer takes us to India, where the health care system is collapsing under the heavy demand caused by COVID-19.

Plus — for the past three months, just about everyone who can work from home has. And for the most part, things seem to be working. So, as NPR’s Uri Berliner reports, more and more employers are looking to make the move permanent.

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On Monday, June 29, 2020, we’re changing our name to Consider This. Listen to the show for more info.

Florida passed a grim milestone: 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The latest numbers include a lot of people in their 20s and 30s. Some officials are putting a pause on reopening.

The Trump administration has started shipping out supplies needed to ensure sufficient testing. But those supplies haven’t always been very helpful and in some cases they’ve been hazardous. NPR’s Rob Stein has the details.

Iowa is home to some 10,000 refugees from Myanmar. The coronavirus has been especially hard on them, with estimates saying as many as 70% have contracted the virus. As Iowa Public Radio’s Kate Payne reports, many in the Burmese community work at local meatpacking plants, where social distancing is a constant challenge.

Preparing to visit family in long-term care facilities? NPR’s Allison Aubrey has some tips to keep everyone safe.

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On Monday, June 29, 2020, we’re changing our name to Consider This. Listen to the show for more info.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise in some states — and more testing isn’t the only explanation.

Find out how cases are in your community.

Today is Juneteenth. On this day in 1865, U.S. Army troops landed in Galveston, Texas to tell some of the last enslaved Americans they were free. More American businesses are recognizing the holiday this year.

President Trump was planning on holding a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma today. Instead, thousands will be gathering to see the President tomorrow — indoors. And as NPR’s Tamera Keith reports, public health officials aren’t thrilled.

Plus, Germany has been able to slow the spread of the coronavirus with the help of an army of contact tracers working around the clock. NPR’s Rob Schmitz has more.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court upheld Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA). NPR’s Code Switch spoke with one of the plaintiffs in the case about how she’s processing the news.You can find Code Switch on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and NPR One.

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The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration’s plan to end DACA — Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals — was “arbitrary and capricious.” The ruling is welcome news for recipients of the program, some of whom are essential workers on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.

As areas reopen, officials are working to ensure businesses are adopting safety precautions to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. Officials in Los Angeles found that half of the restaurants they surveyed violated rules and safety standards.

Plus, NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffin with an update on which communities across the country have sufficient staff in place for contact tracing. Check out the state-by-state breakdown here.

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While President Trump wants to celebrate an uptick in retail sales as states reopen, there’s still a long way to go before the economy is back on track. Part of the problem is that the wealthiest Americans are saving their cash rather than spending it.

More and more people are leaving their home without a face covering, but experts tell NPR’s Maria Godoy they really do help — some more than others.

There has been growing support of the Black Lives Matter movement among white Americans. But why now? Police brutality isn’t new. Gene Demby of NPR’s Code Switch podcast explains what the pandemic might have to do with it.

Listen to “Why Now, White People?” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or NPR One.

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There’s a cost to staying home, too. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a neuroscientist and social psychologist at Brigham Young University, explains the toll that social isolation can take.

It’s been exactly three months since President Trump issued the first national guidelines for social distancing, including pausing nursing home visitors.

NPR’s Ashley Westerman recently checked in on her 100-year-old grandfather. Paul Westerman’s wife of 76 years is in hospice care. He’s alone, except for the nurses in his veteran’s home.

Plus NPR’s Chris Arnold checks in on a Boston hair stylist going back to work.

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Nationwide, numbers were never trending downward in any big way. Now in some states that are reopening, they are going up. Oregon and Arizona are two of those places. Each state is taking a different approach.

Testing is more available than ever before. Some cities are urging people who don’t feel sick to get a test, just as a precaution. But WPLN’s Blake Farmer reports some insurance companies won’t pay for the cost of a test unless it’s “medically necessary.”

Due to the pandemic, a lot of states are making it easier to vote by mail. NPR’s Miles Parks says this new process could mean waiting a lot longer for elections results come November.

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All week we’ve been hearing about rising cases in states around the country. The stock market reacted on Thursday, in part after Federal Reserve officials predicted the unemployment rate will still be above 9% at the end of the year.

There’s a lot we don’t know about the White House’s public-private partnership to develop a vaccine, Operation Warp Speed. NPR’s Sydney Lupkin reports on a winnowing field of vaccine candidates.

And during a pandemic, the most vulnerable newborns require even more protection.

Plus, NPR’s Maria Godoy shares tips to minimize the risks of COVID-19 for yourself and others if you’ve been out protesting.

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Many states that reopened a few weeks ago are seeing spikes in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. In Arizona, officials say if cases continue to rise, they may have to be more aggressive about enforcing reopening protocols for businesses.

In major cities across Texas there are disparities in access to COVID-19 testing, resulting in less testing in black neighborhoods than white neighborhoods.

Dr. Atul Gawande spoke with NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly about why face masks remain essential in dealing with the coronavirus and the efficacy of different masks.

To help with shortages of PPE, one volunteer group has used 3D printers at home to make nearly 40,000 NIH-approved face shields for health care workers and first responders.

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The numbers aren’t really changing. 20,000 new cases a day, and more than 800 dead. Experts warn that by fall, in America, the death count could rise to 200,000.

Some members of the National Guard who were sent to Washington D.C. during the protests over the death of George Floyd have tested positive for the coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci is concerned — but not surprised.

Many nursing homes banned all visitors and nonessential workers from their facilities to stop the spread of COVID-19. Some advocates and families say they want that ban to end.

A big unanswered question is whether it will be safe for public K-12 schools to reopen safely in the fall. The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on the topic Wednesday.

Plus, the Mall of America reopened after nearly three months.

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