npr--2020-12-06--On A Tour Of 'America's Amazon,' Flora, Fauna And Glimpses Of Alabama's Past

On A Tour Of 'America 's Amazon , ' Flora , Fauna And Glimpses Of Alabama 's Past On a bright November morning , the writer and photographer Ben Raines launches his fishing boat into Mobile Bay , the city 's skyline visible in the distance .
`` Right on the doorstep of this big American city , we have one of the largest intact wilderness areas in the country , certainly one of the largest wetland wilderness areas , '' he says , pulling away from the dock .
His boat is at the top of Mobile Bay , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the salt marsh and eventually drain into the Gulf of Mexico .
It 's known as the Mobile-Tensaw Delta .
`` Coming out in a boat in the delta , you may as well be in the Amazon , '' Raines says .
`` It 's just so seductive . ''
In his new book , Saving America 's Amazon : The Threat to Our Nation 's Most Biodiverse River System , Raines explores the remarkable array of flora and fauna , as well as the history , found in this vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Think pitcher plant bogs , purple iris fields , colorful dart fish and tiny seahorses .
`` We are in the most diverse river system in North America , '' says Raines , navigating upriver as captain and tour guide .
`` There are more species of fish , turtles , snails , salamanders , crawfish and mussels here than any other river system in America . ''
The Nature Conservancy has ranked Alabama No .
5 in the U.S. for biodiversity — putting a relatively small state in competition with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet Raines says the Mobile Delta gets little recognition — with Alabama much more famous for its football prowess and fraught racial history than its natural wonders .
`` Part of the reason it escaped notice is because it was in Alabama , '' he says .
`` We have this long history .
We have this incredible natural place with all these species , and it 's escaped destruction largely through benign neglect . ''
But Raines ' book , which comes out Dec. 15 , notes how pressure is mounting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the banks , more and more people moving to the coast , and the damming of the rivers upstream .
He says it 's critical to protect the edges , where the land and water interface .
`` That 's always the hot zone in biological terms — where aquatic creatures and land creatures , terrestrial creatures , interact , '' says Raines .
But he says that 's also where people want to be , living by the water and exploiting the abundant resources .
`` That edge is where all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` If we do n't protect it , if we build on top of it , and live on top of it , or destroy it through logging , what have you , we lose that . ''
`` We 're gon na run up and then we 'll tuck up into the swamp , '' Raines says , picking up speed in his boat , the Auriculatus , named for an extinct giant shark whose teeth he finds in the region .
We pass the remains of a military battery first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the French at bay .
He says it was later occupied by the confederate forces during the Civil War .
`` They dug a trench on the other side to pull barges in back in the Civil War , '' Raines says .
`` And they made that hill to put the cannons on top up so they could shoot that little bit further . ''
At another spot , he is able to spot shards of Native American pottery , and an alligator sunning on the river bank as white pelicans fly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shifts from sea grasses lining wide open muddy water , to more narrow swamps and black water bayous with huge cypress trees on the shoreline .
It 's like stepping back in time .
Raines says the area has likely looked much the same since the Ice Age .
`` Really that 's the secret of Alabama 's diversity , '' he says .
`` The reason we have all these creatures is because Alabama never froze and so everything that ever evolved here is essentially still here . ''
Efforts to establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short — even with support from noted Harvard biologist E.O .
Wilson , an Alabama native who wrote the foreword to Saving America 's Amazon .
`` This is such a haunted place '' Raines , a former environmental reporter and photographer for the local newspaper , has spent 20 years documenting the Mobile Delta .
But his most significant discovery came two years ago in the Mobile River .
`` This is where the wreck of the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to America was found and I actually found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Raines , beaching his boat in tall seagrass .
`` The ship is about 20 feet deep , '' Raines says .
`` It 's cock-eyed in the mud .
You can follow its outline around the edge and feel the ship shape of it . ''
It 's the Clotilda — long rumored to exist , a ghost that haunted both descendants of the enslaved , and the family of the man that brought them here around 1860 , on a bet .
`` A wealthy plantation owner and steamboat captain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smuggle a bunch of slaves into the country , which was illegal and had been for 50 years , '' he says .
`` You could still have slaves , but you could n't bring in Africans . ''
Just before the start of the Civil War , the Clotilda returned from West Africa with 110 captives and snuck in through this network of rivers instead of coming through the port of Mobile .
The captives were hidden in the swamp thicket .
`` After they got all the slaves off the boat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sank it to hide evidence of the crime , '' says Raines , who is now working on a book about the Clotilda .
`` We 're in a very desolate place .
There 's nothing around .
The reason the ship is here is because they wanted to hide it .
And they wanted no one to know what they had done and where they had done it . ''
On the shore by the site of the shipwreck , Spanish moss drapes from the cypress trees along the shore creating a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a haunted place , '' Raines says .

On A Tour Of 'America's Amazon,' Flora, Fauna And Glimpses Of Alabama's Past
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Raines Ben Raines
On a bright November morning, the writer and photographer Ben Raines launches his fishing boat into Mobile Bay, the city's skyline visible in the distance.
"Right on the doorstep of this big American city, we have one of the largest intact wilderness areas in the country, certainly one of the largest wetland wilderness areas," he says, pulling away from the dock.
His boat is at the top of Mobile Bay, where a confluence of freshwater rivers flow into the salt marsh and eventually drain into the Gulf of Mexico. It's known as the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.
"Coming out in a boat in the delta, you may as well be in the Amazon," Raines says. "It's just so seductive."
In his new book, Saving America's Amazon: The Threat to Our Nation's Most Biodiverse River System, Raines explores the remarkable array of flora and fauna, as well as the history, found in this vast river delta on the Alabama Gulf Coast. Think pitcher plant bogs, purple iris fields, colorful dart fish and tiny seahorses.
"We are in the most diverse river system in North America," says Raines, navigating upriver as captain and tour guide. "There are more species of fish, turtles, snails, salamanders, crawfish and mussels here than any other river system in America."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Raines Ben Raines
The Nature Conservancy has ranked Alabama No. 5 in the U.S. for biodiversity — putting a relatively small state in competition with the likes of California, Texas and Florida. Yet Raines says the Mobile Delta gets little recognition — with Alabama much more famous for its football prowess and fraught racial history than its natural wonders.
"Part of the reason it escaped notice is because it was in Alabama," he says. "We have this long history. We have this incredible natural place with all these species, and it's escaped destruction largely through benign neglect."
But Raines' book, which comes out Dec. 15, notes how pressure is mounting. There's pollution from industry on the banks, more and more people moving to the coast, and the damming of the rivers upstream.
He says it's critical to protect the edges, where the land and water interface.
"That's always the hot zone in biological terms — where aquatic creatures and land creatures, terrestrial creatures, interact," says Raines.
But he says that's also where people want to be, living by the water and exploiting the abundant resources.
"That edge is where all the biological activity happens," says Raines. "If we don't protect it, if we build on top of it, and live on top of it, or destroy it through logging, what have you, we lose that."
A step back in time
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Raines Ben Raines
"We're gonna run up and then we'll tuck up into the swamp," Raines says, picking up speed in his boat, the Auriculatus, named for an extinct giant shark whose teeth he finds in the region.
We pass the remains of a military battery first built by the Spanish trying to keep the French at bay. He says it was later occupied by the confederate forces during the Civil War.
"They dug a trench on the other side to pull barges in back in the Civil War," Raines says. "And they made that hill to put the cannons on top up so they could shoot that little bit further."
At another spot, he is able to spot shards of Native American pottery, and an alligator sunning on the river bank as white pelicans fly overhead.
"In some measure, Alabama's natural heritage has been obscured by a century's worth of bad press that frame the state in terms of what we've done to it and in it, rather than what has always been present in the landscape beneath our feet. Civil rights protests, steel mills, cotton fields and football, that's the Alabama living in the mind of the public. But there's another Alabama, a wild Alabama that ranks among our country's rarest and most precious assets." — Ben Raines in Saving America's Amazon: The Threat To Our Nation's Most Biodiverse River System
Further upriver, the landscape shifts from sea grasses lining wide open muddy water, to more narrow swamps and black water bayous with huge cypress trees on the shoreline.
It's like stepping back in time. Raines says the area has likely looked much the same since the Ice Age.
"Really that's the secret of Alabama's diversity," he says. "The reason we have all these creatures is because Alabama never froze and so everything that ever evolved here is essentially still here."
Efforts to establish a Mobile Delta national park have fallen short — even with support from noted Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson, an Alabama native who wrote the foreword to Saving America's Amazon.
"This is such a haunted place"
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ben Raines Ben Raines
Raines, a former environmental reporter and photographer for the local newspaper, has spent 20 years documenting the Mobile Delta.
But his most significant discovery came two years ago in the Mobile River.
"This is where the wreck of the last known ship to bring enslaved Africans to America was found and I actually found it right here behind us," says Raines, beaching his boat in tall seagrass.
"The ship is about 20 feet deep," Raines says. "It's cock-eyed in the mud. You can follow its outline around the edge and feel the ship shape of it."
It's the Clotilda — long rumored to exist, a ghost that haunted both descendants of the enslaved, and the family of the man that brought them here around 1860, on a bet.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Debbie Elliott/NPR Debbie Elliott/NPR
"A wealthy plantation owner and steamboat captain named Timothy Meaher bet that he could smuggle a bunch of slaves into the country, which was illegal and had been for 50 years," he says. "You could still have slaves, but you couldn't bring in Africans."
Just before the start of the Civil War, the Clotilda returned from West Africa with 110 captives and snuck in through this network of rivers instead of coming through the port of Mobile. The captives were hidden in the swamp thicket.
"After they got all the slaves off the boat, they lit it on fire and sank it to hide evidence of the crime," says Raines, who is now working on a book about the Clotilda. "We're in a very desolate place. There's nothing around. The reason the ship is here is because they wanted to hide it. And they wanted no one to know what they had done and where they had done it."
On the shore by the site of the shipwreck, Spanish moss drapes from the cypress trees along the shore creating a ghostly image.
"This is such a haunted place," Raines says.


npr--2020-12-06--PHOTOS: Despite War And Violence, Kids Still Find 'Moments Of Playfulness'

PHOTOS : Despite War And Violence , Kids Still Find 'Moments Of Playfulness' The photographs portray normal scenes of childhood : kids jumping rope , climbing trees , playing in the street .
But what makes the images striking is the context .
These children are living in parts of the world struggling with war , extreme violence and poverty .
That 's the theme of Entitlements , a new photo exhibit by the photography group Authority Collective and the nonprofit Atlanta Celebrates Photography .
The 14 images capture the hope and strength of teens and children living through incredibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhibit is currently on display until the end of the year at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta .
`` By depicting children as resilient in the face of insecurity , we are bringing attention to the wrongs they 're experiencing , and how they find joy in the world despite immense adversity , '' says Tara Pixley , curator of Entitlements .
Half of the images in the show come from American photojournalist Danielle Villasana , who documented women and child refugees in Nigeria , Myanmar and Honduras @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in neighborhoods that rob them of opportunity and a childhood , '' says Villasana .
`` But they are still having moments of playfulness and doing things that kids do everywhere , but in a war zone .
There is hope in that . ''
Here is a selection of Villasana 's images .

PHOTOS: Despite War And Violence, Kids Still Find 'Moments Of Playfulness'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Danielle Villasana Danielle Villasana
The photographs portray normal scenes of childhood: kids jumping rope, climbing trees, playing in the street.
But what makes the images striking is the context. These children are living in parts of the world struggling with war, extreme violence and poverty.
That's the theme of Entitlements, a new photo exhibit by the photography group Authority Collective and the nonprofit Atlanta Celebrates Photography. The 14 images capture the hope and strength of teens and children living through incredibly difficult circumstances around the globe. The exhibit is currently on display until the end of the year at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.
"By depicting children as resilient in the face of insecurity, we are bringing attention to the wrongs they're experiencing and how they find joy in the world despite immense adversity," says Tara Pixley, who co-curated the exhibit with Lauren Tate Baeza.
Half of the images in the show come from American photojournalist Danielle Villasana, who documented women and child refugees in Nigeria, Myanmar and Honduras. The other photographers are Diana Cervantes, Jasmine Clarke, Meghan Dhaliwal, Stephanie Eley and Alexis Hunley.
"These children are growing up in neighborhoods that rob them of opportunity and a childhood," says Villasana. "But they are still having moments of playfulness and doing things that kids do everywhere."
Here is a selection of Villasana's images.
toggle caption Danielle Villasana
toggle caption Danielle Villasana
toggle caption Danielle Villasana
toggle caption Danielle Villasana
toggle caption Danielle Villasana


npr--2020-12-05--Trump Continues Attacks On Election Results At Georgia Senate Runoff Rally

At his first campaign rally after losing the election , President Trump sent mixed messages to Republican voters in Georgia on Saturday night , repeating false claims that the election was rigged while encouraging them to vote in a Jan. 5 runoff that will decide control of the U.S. Senate .
Trump , who lost Georgia 's 16 electoral votes by about 12,000 votes after an audit and a recount , told the crowd in Valdosta near the Florida border that supporting Sens .
David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the runoff would help shape the future of America .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which party runs every committee , writes every piece of legislation , controls every single taxpayer dollar , '' he said .
`` Very simply , you will decide whether your children will grow up in a socialist country or whether they will grow up in a free country . ''
He called Perdue and Loeffler `` two of the finest people you 'll ever meet '' and said they were two of his biggest supporters in Congress .
If the pair lose to Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote .
Local and national Republicans have stressed the importance of the Georgia race as the last line of defense against a Biden administration agenda , with surrogates swarming the state on a daily basis .
That included a visit by Vice President Mike Pence to Savannah on Friday , where he dismissed some calls from fringe voices on the right to boycott the election .
`` I actually hear some people saying , 'Just do n't vote , ' `` he said .
`` My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote , they win . ''
But the president spent most of the night repeating baseless claims of election fraud in Georgia and other states , claiming falsely that he won Georgia , Wisconsin and other states certified for President-elect Joe Biden .
`` If I lost , I 'd be a very gracious loser , '' Trump said .
`` If I lost , I would say , ' I lost , ' and I 'd go to Florida and I 'd take it easy and I 'd go around and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good job . '
But you ca n't ever accept when they steal and rig and rob . ''
Trump also mentioned a debunked allegation pushed by his attorney Rudy Giuliani that election workers in Fulton County , Ga. , illegally counted `` suitcases '' full of ballots in secret after Republican monitors left for the night .
Election officials say the security camera footage , seized on by the Trump campaign as alleged evidence of election fraud , did not show any processes out of the ordinary .
Georgia law does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote counting to occur , and law enforcement investigators with the secretary of state 's office found no evidence that improper ballots were added to the totals .
Trump also said that `` phony , fake '' mail-in absentee ballots were used to `` sabotage '' the election — and then gave supporters directions to request those types of ballots for the runoff .
Earlier in the day , Trump phoned Republican Gov .
Brian Kemp to demand that he call the state legislature into a special session to overturn Georgia 's results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on absentee ballot envelopes .
Kemp , who served as secretary of state for eight years , rebuffed the request for a special session .
The governor reiterated in a tweet that he has called numerous times for a signature audit , which he 's said must be legally ordered by the current secretary of state , Republican Brad Raffensperger .
Raffensperger , who voted for the president but has stood up to the mounting pressure and misinformation about the election , said auditing signatures is not necessary since they were checked multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Further , he said an audit would not be logistically possible for local officials who spent the past month counting 5 million ballots three times .
Kemp did not attend the rally Saturday night after a young campaign staffer for Sen. Kelly Loeffler , Harrison Deal , and a close friend of the governor and his family , died in a car crash .
The Trump campaign has filed one of several lawsuits seeking to overturn Georgia 's election results , but so far no court has found evidence to warrant such a @ @

Trump Continues Attacks On Election Results At Georgia Senate Runoff Rally
Enlarge this image toggle caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images Spencer Platt/Getty Images
At his first campaign rally after losing the election, President Trump sent mixed messages to Republican voters in Georgia on Saturday night, repeating false claims that the election was rigged while encouraging them to vote in a Jan. 5 runoff that will decide control of the U.S. Senate.
Trump, who lost Georgia's 16 electoral votes by about 12,000 votes after an audit and a recount, told the crowd in Valdosta near the Florida border that supporting Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the runoff would help shape the future of America.
"The voters of Georgia will determine which party runs every committee, writes every piece of legislation, controls every single taxpayer dollar," he said. "Very simply, you will decide whether your children will grow up in a socialist country or whether they will grow up in a free country."
He called Perdue and Loeffler "two of the finest people you'll ever meet" and said they were two of his biggest supporters in Congress.
If the pair lose to Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, the Senate would be split 50-50, with Democratic Vice President-elect Kamala Harris casting the tiebreaking vote.
Local and national Republicans have stressed the importance of the Georgia race as the last line of defense against a Biden administration agenda, with surrogates swarming the state on a daily basis. That included a visit by Vice President Mike Pence to Savannah on Friday, where he dismissed some calls from fringe voices on the right to boycott the election.
"I actually hear some people saying, 'Just don't vote,' " he said. "My fellow Americans, if you don't vote, they win."
But the president spent most of the night repeating baseless claims of election fraud in Georgia and other states, claiming falsely that he won Georgia, Wisconsin and other states certified for President-elect Joe Biden.
"If I lost, I'd be a very gracious loser," Trump said. "If I lost, I would say, 'I lost,' and I'd go to Florida and I'd take it easy and I'd go around and I'd say, 'I did a good job.' But you can't ever accept when they steal and rig and rob."
Trump also mentioned a debunked allegation pushed by his attorney Rudy Giuliani that election workers in Fulton County, Ga., illegally counted "suitcases" full of ballots in secret after Republican monitors left for the night.
Election officials say the security camera footage, seized on by the Trump campaign as alleged evidence of election fraud, did not show any processes out of the ordinary. Georgia law does not require partisan monitors to be present for vote counting to occur, and law enforcement investigators with the secretary of state's office found no evidence that improper ballots were added to the totals.
Trump also said that "phony, fake" mail-in absentee ballots were used to "sabotage" the election — and then gave supporters directions to request those types of ballots for the runoff.
Earlier in the day, Trump phoned Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to demand that he call the state legislature into a special session to overturn Georgia's results and order an audit of the signatures on absentee ballot envelopes.
Kemp, who served as secretary of state for eight years, rebuffed the request for a special session. The governor reiterated in a tweet that he has called numerous times for a signature audit, which he's said must be legally ordered by the current secretary of state, Republican Brad Raffensperger.
Raffensperger, who voted for the president but has stood up to the mounting pressure and misinformation about the election, said auditing signatures is not necessary since they were checked multiple times before those votes were counted. Further, he said an audit would not be logistically possible for local officials who spent the past month counting 5 million ballots three times.
Kemp did not attend the rally Saturday night after a young campaign staffer for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Harrison Deal, and a close friend of the governor and his family, died in a car crash.
The Trump campaign has filed one of several lawsuits seeking to overturn Georgia's election results, but so far no court has found evidence to warrant such a decision.


npr--2020-12-05--Carbon Monoxide Leak Leaves 23 Dead At Coal Mine In Southwest China

Updated at 8:07 a.m .
ET Sunday Twenty-three people died following a carbon monoxide leak inside a coal mine in southwest China , the nation 's Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday .
Those killed in the leak were among 24 people who got trapped in the mine around 5 p.m. local time on Friday when `` excessive levels of carbon monoxide '' began to seep into the air , according to the state news agency .
One survivor was pulled from the mine .
The accident occurred at the Diaoshuidong coal mine in the city of Chongqing .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two months ago , and at the time of the accident workers were inside to dismantle equipment .
Investigators were working to determine the cause of the accident , according to Xinhua .
On Sunday , China 's Ministry of Emergency Management ordered local authorities to `` resolutely take decisive measures to effectively stop major accidents in coal mines from happening , '' according to a statement published on the agency 's website .
The Diaoshuidong mine was built in 1975 and since 1998 has been operated as a private enterprise with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coal .
In 2013 , three people died at the mine following a hydrogen sulfide poisoning incident , according to Reuters .
Friday 's accident appeared an eerily similar replay to a September accident at the Songzao coal mine , which is also in Chongqing .
At least 16 workers were killed after exposure to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide .
China , which is both the world 's largest producer and consumer of coal , has now reported more than 100 coal mining accidents in 2020 .
In November , the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coal mines and coal-mining projects , focusing on infrastructure , risk prevention management and capabilities for emergency response and rescue .
The review was expected to put a brake on coal mining during a point in the year when production is often at its highest .
Coal production in China typically ramps up between November and February in order to meet production targets .
Through the first 10 months of this year , the country has produced 3.13 billion tons of coal .
The U.S. , by comparison , mined 706 million in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1978 .

Carbon Monoxide Leak Leaves 23 Dead At Coal Mine In Southwest China
Enlarge this image toggle caption AFP via Getty Images AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 8:07 a.m. ET Sunday
Twenty-three people died following a carbon monoxide leak inside a coal mine in southwest China, the nation's Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.
Those killed in the leak were among 24 people who got trapped in the mine around 5 p.m. local time on Friday when "excessive levels of carbon monoxide" began to seep into the air, according to the state news agency. One survivor was pulled from the mine.
The accident occurred at the Diaoshuidong coal mine in the city of Chongqing. The mine had been suspended and shut down two months ago, and at the time of the accident workers were inside to dismantle equipment. Investigators were working to determine the cause of the accident, according to Xinhua.
On Sunday, China's Ministry of Emergency Management ordered local authorities to "resolutely take decisive measures to effectively stop major accidents in coal mines from happening," according to a statement published on the agency's website.
The Diaoshuidong mine was built in 1975 and since 1998 has been operated as a private enterprise with an annual capacity of roughly 120,000 tons of coal. In 2013, three people died at the mine following a hydrogen sulfide poisoning incident, according to Reuters.
Friday's accident appeared an eerily similar replay to a September accident at the Songzao coal mine, which is also in Chongqing. At least 16 workers were killed after exposure to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide.
China, which is both the world's largest producer and consumer of coal, has now reported more than 100 coal mining accidents in 2020. In November, the government launched a year-long review of all working coal mines and coal-mining projects, focusing on infrastructure, risk prevention management and capabilities for emergency response and rescue.
The review was expected to put a brake on coal mining during a point in the year when production is often at its highest. Coal production in China typically ramps up between November and February in order to meet production targets. Through the first 10 months of this year, the country has produced 3.13 billion tons of coal. The U.S., by comparison, mined 706 million in all of 2019 — the lowest since 1978.


npr--2020-12-06--Nor'easter Leaves Thousands Without Power Across New England

Nor'easter Leaves Thousands Without Power Across New England A Nor'easter brought heavy rain and snow to parts of New England , left more than a foot of snow in some places and knocked out power for more than 200,000 customers in the region .
Parts of Maine , Massachusetts and New Hampshire all recorded more than a foot of snow in some places , according to the National Weather Service .
At Cape Cod , a wind gust of more than 73 mph was recorded .
`` Snow showers will linger over Northern New England through Tuesday , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday afternoon .
`` The snow will aid in producing hazardous driving conditions over the area . ''
The center forecasted the storm to be the `` first widespread significant snow event of the season . ''
As many as 43,000 customers in Massachusetts were without power on Saturday evening , according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency .
By Sunday evening , all but a few hundred had power restored .
Tens of thousands of people in New Hampshire also lost power .
Sunday evening , about 16,000 remained without power in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service restoration may take longer than usual because of the pandemic , according to WMUR9 ; some people may have to wait until Tuesday .
But the majority of those without power on Sunday evening were in Maine .
Central Maine Power said on Sunday that more than 225,000 of its customers had been impacted by the storm .
More than 105,000 Maine customers were without power Sunday evening .
`` This storm caused significant tree and limb damage as a result of heavy , wet snow and strong winds , '' CMP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
`` Crews worked hard overnight to ensure conditions were made safe , and those efforts will continue throughout the day today .
Facing more wind today , our crews will work as quickly as possible to restore power to our customers . ''
The company said that while it was working to restore power , customers should be prepared to be without power for an extended period of time .

Nor'easter Leaves Thousands Without Power Across New England
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bill Sikes/AP Bill Sikes/AP
A Nor'easter brought heavy rain and snow to parts of New England, left more than a foot of snow in some places and knocked out power for more than 200,000 customers in the region.
Parts of Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire all recorded more than a foot of snow in some places, according to the National Weather Service. In Cape Cod, a wind gust of more than 73 mph was recorded.
"Snow showers will linger over Northern New England through Tuesday," the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said Sunday afternoon. "The snow will aid in producing hazardous driving conditions over the area."
The center forecasted the storm to be the "first widespread significant snow event of the season."
As many as 43,000 customers in Massachusetts were without power on Saturday evening, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. By Sunday evening, all but a few hundred had power restored.
Tens of thousands of people in New Hampshire also lost power. Sunday evening, about 16,000 remained without power in the state, according to PowerOutage.US. Service restoration may take longer than usual because of the pandemic, according to WMUR9; some people may have to wait until Tuesday.
But the majority of those without power on Sunday evening were in Maine.
Central Maine Power said on Sunday that more than 225,000 of its customers had been impacted by the storm. More than 105,000 Maine customers were without power Sunday evening.
"This storm caused significant tree and limb damage as a result of heavy, wet snow and strong winds," CMP Executive Chairman David Flanagan said in a statement. "Crews worked hard overnight to ensure conditions were made safe, and those efforts will continue throughout the day today. Facing more wind today, our crews will work as quickly as possible to restore power to our customers."
The company said that while it was working to restore power, customers should be prepared to be without power for an extended period of time.


npr--2020-12-06--Biden Picks California Attorney General Xavier Becerra For Top Health Post

President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate former congressman and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services , according to a source familiar with transition discussions who is not authorized to speak on the record .
As the top law enforcement official in California , Becerra has repeatedly gone to court to fight Trump administration policies on healthcare , the environment and immigration .
Earlier this year , he led a coalition of 20 states and D.C. that asked the Supreme Court to review a circuit court decision that could invalidate the Affordable Care Act .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ report Becerra 's selection to the top health post , which requires Senate confirmation .
Becerra , 62 , would take the helm at the massive agency in the midst of the most challenging public health crisis in a century .
The coronavirus has killed more than 280,000 Americans , and nearly fifteen million people in the country have been diagnosed with COVID-19 .
Meanwhile , the Trump administration has done all it can to undermine and whittle away the Affordable Care Act and repairing it through congressional action appears unlikely given narrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very real possibility that Republicans maintain control of the Senate pending the Georgia runoffs .
This means much of Biden 's ability to keep promises around strengthening the ACA will require administrative and executive action , and Becerra 's experience as California attorney general could prove useful .
He holds a law degree from Stanford .
Becerra is the second high-profile Latino who Biden plans to nominate for a cabinet position , joining Alejandro Mayorkas , Biden 's intended nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security .
Biden had been under pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top posts .
In an interview with CNN on Sunday , New Mexico Senator-elect Ben Ray Luján , said he was happy about Mayorkas but wanted to see more .
`` We also want to see more Hispanics , more Latinos and Latinas , people like our governor , Michelle Lujan Grisham , who is well qualified , Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Tom Perez , who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate twice and has done incredible work , '' said Luján .
`` There 's strong leaders across America , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to see many of them have important roles within the responsibilities we have to look after the American people . ''
NPR has reached out to multiple Biden spokespeople and Becerra 's communications director but has not heard back .
Transition officials have said they would publicly announce their health team early in the coming week .
Becerra 's selection also means he wo n't be named to the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , a Democrat , is still mulling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state angle for the coveted post .
Becerra was thought to be in that mix .

Biden Picks California Attorney General Xavier Becerra For Top Health Post
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rich Pedroncelli/AP Rich Pedroncelli/AP
President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate former congressman and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as secretary of Health and Human Services, according to a source familiar with transition discussions who is not authorized to speak on the record.
As the top law enforcement official in California, Becerra has repeatedly gone to court to fight Trump administration policies on healthcare, the environment and immigration. Earlier this year, he led a coalition of 20 states and D.C. that asked the Supreme Court to review a circuit court decision that could invalidate the Affordable Care Act.
The New York Times was first to report Becerra's selection to the top health post, which requires Senate confirmation.
Becerra, 62, would take the helm at the massive agency in the midst of the most challenging public health crisis in a century. The coronavirus has killed more than 280,000 Americans, and nearly fifteen million people in the country have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has done all it can to undermine and whittle away the Affordable Care Act and repairing it through congressional action appears unlikely given narrow Democratic control of the House and the very real possibility that Republicans maintain control of the Senate pending the Georgia runoffs.
This means much of Biden's ability to keep promises around strengthening the ACA will require administrative and executive action, and Becerra's experience as California attorney general could prove useful. He holds a law degree from Stanford.
Becerra is the second high-profile Latino who Biden plans to nominate for a cabinet position, joining Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden's intended nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Biden had been under pressure to name more people of color to top posts. In an interview with CNN on Sunday, New Mexico Senator-elect Ben Ray Luján, said he was happy about Mayorkas but wanted to see more.
"We also want to see more Hispanics, more Latinos and Latinas, people like our governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, who is well qualified, Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Tom Perez, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate twice and has done incredible work," said Luján. "There's strong leaders across America, and I'm certainly hopeful that we're going to see many of them have important roles within the responsibilities we have to look after the American people."
NPR has reached out to multiple Biden spokespeople and Becerra's communications director but has not heard back. Transition officials have said they would publicly announce their health team early in the coming week.
Becerra's selection also means he won't be named to the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is still mulling his options, as politicians in the state angle for the coveted post. Becerra was thought to be in that mix.


npr--2020-12-06--Roald Dahl Family Apologizes For Children's Author's Anti-Semitism

The family of children 's author Roald Dahl has issued a belated apology for his history of anti-Semitism .
`` The Dahl family and the Roald Dahl Story Company deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by some of Roald Dahl 's statements , '' read the comment on the official Dahl website .
The apology comes three decades after the British author 's death in 1990 .
Over his nearly 50-year career , Dahl wrote such classic children 's books as Matilda , James and the Giant Peach , and The BFG .
He also made his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , in 1983 Dahl reportedly told Britain 's New Statesman magazine that `` there is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity , maybe it 's a kind of lack of generosity towards non-Jews . ''
He added : `` Even a stinker like Hitler did n't just pick on them for no reason . ''
In its brief apology , the family distanced itself from Dahl 's anti-Jewish sentiments .
`` Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Roald Dahl 's stories , which have positively impacted young people for generations , '' the statement continued .
`` We hope that , just as he did at his best , at his absolute worst , Roald Dahl can help remind us of the lasting impact of words . ''
It 's unclear when the apology was posted , but it came to light after The Sunday Times reported it Sunday , along with further regrets from his family .
`` Apologising for the words of a much-loved grandparent is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more difficult when the words are so hurtful to an entire community , '' the family said .
`` We loved Roald , but we passionately disagree with his antisemitic comments . ''
The apology was received with appreciation by Jewish groups — which all took notice of the decades that have passed since the author 's death .
`` For his family and estate to have waited thirty years to make an apology , apparently until lucrative deals were signed with Hollywood , is disappointing and sadly rather more comprehensible , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement .
( Netflix reportedly paid The Roald Dahl Story Company at least $ 1 billion in 2018 for the rights to 16 of the author 's works . )
The group added that the apology was `` encouraging , '' but that it 's `` a shame that the estate has seen fit mere to apologise for Dahl 's antisemitism rather than to use its substantial means to do anything about it . ''
`` This apology should have happened long ago — and it is of concern that it has happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ van der Zyl , president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews .
Dahl 's `` abhorrent antisemitic prejudices were no secret and have tarnished his legacy . ''
Van der Zyl suggested that educators should use Dahl 's books as an opportunity for young people to `` learn about his intolerant views . ''
Dahl 's 1983 comments to New Statesman were n't the only anti-Semitic statements he made .
`` I 'm certainly anti-Israeli and I 've become antisemitic in as much as that you get a Jewish person in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Dahl told The Independent in 1990 , just months before he died , as reported by The Guardian .
`` I think they should see both sides .
It 's the same old thing : we all know about Jews and the rest of it . ''
It was those sorts of statements that caused the U.K. 's Royal Mint to nix a proposed Dahl coin in 2014 ahead of the 100th anniversary of Dahl 's birth .
He was `` associated with antisemitism and not regarded as an author of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes of a commemorative coin subcommittee , The Guardian reported .
Yet even some prominent Jewish voices could n't resist the allure of Dahl 's stories .
`` I 've always adored Roald Dahl 's books , '' Karen Pollock , chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust , said on Twitter .
`` I 've known about his antisemitism , but to even point it out often felt like sacrilege towards one of the most popular authors of all time . ''

Roald Dahl Family Apologizes For Children's Author's Anti-Semitism
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ronald Dumont/Getty Images Ronald Dumont/Getty Images
The family of children's book author Roald Dahl has issued a belated apology for his history of anti-Semitism.
"The Dahl family and the Roald Dahl Story Company deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by some of Roald Dahl's statements," read the comment on the official Dahl website.
The apology comes three decades after the British author's death in 1990. Over his nearly 50-year career, Dahl wrote such classic children's books as Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The BFG.
He also made some anti-Semitic comments.
In one example, in 1983 Dahl reportedly told Britain's New Statesman magazine that "there is a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity. ... Even a stinker like Hitler didn't just pick on them for no reason."
In its brief apology, the family distanced itself from Dahl's anti-Jewish sentiments. "Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of Roald Dahl's stories, which have positively impacted young people for generations," the statement continued. "We hope that, just as he did at his best, at his absolute worst, Roald Dahl can help remind us of the lasting impact of words."
It's unclear when the apology was posted, but it came to light after The Sunday Times reported it Sunday, along with further regrets from his family. "Apologising for the words of a much-loved grandparent is a challenging thing to do, but made more difficult when the words are so hurtful to an entire community," the family said. "We loved Roald, but we passionately disagree with his antisemitic comments."
The apology was received with appreciation by Jewish groups — which all took notice of the decades that have passed since the author's death. "For his family and estate to have waited thirty years to make an apology, apparently until lucrative deals were signed with Hollywood, is disappointing and sadly rather more comprehensible," the Campaign Against Antisemitism said in a statement. (Netflix reportedly paid The Roald Dahl Story Company at least $1 billion in 2018 for the rights to 16 of the author's works.)
The group added that the apology was "encouraging," but that it's "a shame that the estate has seen fit mere to apologise for Dahl's antisemitism rather than to use its substantial means to do anything about it."
"This apology should have happened long ago — and it is of concern that it has happened so quietly now," said Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews. Dahl's "abhorrent antisemitic prejudices were no secret and have tarnished his legacy."
Van der Zyl suggested that educators should use Dahl's books as an opportunity for young people to "learn about his intolerant views."
Dahl's 1983 comments to New Statesman weren't the only anti-Semitic statements he made.
"I'm certainly anti-Israeli and I've become antisemitic in as much as that you get a Jewish person in another country like England strongly supporting Zionism," Dahl told The Independent in 1990, just months before he died, as reported by The Guardian.
It was those sorts of statements that caused the U.K.'s Royal Mint to nix a proposed Dahl coin in 2014 ahead of the 100th anniversary of Dahl's birth. He was "associated with antisemitism and not regarded as an author of the highest reputation," read the minutes of a commemorative coin subcommittee, The Guardian reported.
Yet even some prominent Jewish voices couldn't resist the allure of Dahl's stories. "I've always adored Roald Dahl's books," Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said on Twitter. "I've known about his antisemitism, but to even point it out often felt like sacrilege towards one of the most popular authors of all time."


npr--2020-12-06--Rudy Giuliani Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Trump Says

President Trump 's personal attorney , Rudy Giuliani , has tested positive for the coronavirus , according to the president .
Trump made the announcement on Twitter on Sunday afternoon .
`` .
@ RudyGiuliani , by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC , and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election ( by far ! )
in the history of the USA , has tested positive for the China Virus , '' Trump tweeted .
`` Get better soon Rudy , we will carry on !
!
! ''
No further details were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the former New York City mayor became infected .
Giuliani has spent recent weeks traveling to lead failed legal challenges in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election .
On Wednesday , Giuliani was in Lansing , Mich. , where he did not wear a mask while speaking to Michigan lawmakers at a hearing lasting more than four hours .
On Thursday , he was in Atlanta , where he talked to Georgia state senators without a mask .
Giuliani is the latest of more than a dozen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tested positive since October .
Giuliani 's son , Andrew Giuliani , who is a White House staffer , said he tested positive on Nov. 20 .

Rudy Giuliani Tests Positive For Coronavirus, Trump Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 5:07 p.m. ET
President Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the president. Trump made the announcement on Twitter on Sunday afternoon.
".@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus," Trump tweeted. "Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!"
No further details were immediately released, and it's unclear how the former New York City mayor became infected. Giuliani has spent recent weeks traveling to lead failed legal challenges in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
On Wednesday, Giuliani was in Lansing, Mich., where he did not wear a mask while speaking to Michigan lawmakers at a hearing lasting more than four hours. On Thursday, he was in Atlanta, where he talked to Georgia state senators without a mask.
Giuliani is the latest of more than a dozen people in Trump's orbit who have tested positive since October. Giuliani's son, Andrew Giuliani, who is a White House staffer, said he tested positive on Nov. 20.


npr--2020-12-06--Former Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss Says Trump's False Claims Could Hurt GOP

Former Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss Says Trump 's False Claims Could Hurt GOP President Trump made his return to the campaign trail Saturday , at a Georgia rally to support Republican incumbent Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in a runoff election on Jan. 5 .
The election results will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate .
The rally was meant to encourage Republicans to vote in January , but the president spent a good deal of his time talking about the November election and repeating false claims that it was `` rigged '' against him .
Saxby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for more than 20 years in both the House and the Senate until 2015 , says he hoped Trump would have done more to address his supporters who are questioning whether they should vote on Jan. 5 .
`` It was mixed message , '' Chambliss told NPR 's Debbie Elliott on Weekend Edition .
`` He spent more time talking about his election than I think he should have .
And he should have just spent more time just emphasizing that people do need to vote on January the 5th .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balance here and it is a critically important election for the future of our country . ''
Chambliss says Trump 's repeated attempts to undermine faith in the voting process could end up backfiring on the Republican party .
`` I 'm still concerned that there are some people who think that their vote did n't matter and they 're simply not going to come out and vote , '' Chambliss says .
`` I hope that 's not the case .
I hope he will continue to be very vocal about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' As for Trump 's continued false claims about the legitimacy of the November election , Chambliss says he does n't believe any wrongdoing took place in Georgia .
`` We have 159 counties in the state of Georgia .
All of those counties have multiple precincts , so there 's lots of room for mischief to take place , '' Chambliss says .
`` But there 's not any sign that there was any wrongdoing taking place in the Georgia elections .
Isolated incidents ?
Sure , that 's always going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's just no substance to the statement that this election was not valid . ''
The longtime lawmaker says he does n't expect Trump to change his messaging around the November election , but that it 's an entirely separate issue from the runoff election in January .
`` He needs to do more to emphasize to people in Georgia that they need to get out and vote for the two Republicans on January the 5th , '' Chambliss says .

Former Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss Says Trump's False Claims Could Hurt GOP
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump made his return to the campaign trail Saturday, at a Georgia rally to support Republican incumbent Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in a runoff election on Jan. 5.
The election results will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
The rally was meant to encourage Republicans to vote in January, but the president spent a good deal of his time talking about the November election and repeating false claims that it was "rigged" against him.
Saxby Chambliss, a Republican who represented Georgia for more than 20 years in both the House and the Senate until 2015, says he hoped Trump would have done more to address his supporters who are questioning whether they should vote on Jan. 5.
"It was mixed message," Chambliss told NPR's Debbie Elliott on Weekend Edition. "He spent more time talking about his election than I think he should have. And he should have just spent more time just emphasizing that people do need to vote on January the 5th. The weight of the Senate is in the balance here and it is a critically important election for the future of our country."
Chambliss says Trump's repeated attempts to undermine faith in the voting process could end up backfiring on the Republican party.
"I'm still concerned that there are some people who think that their vote didn't matter and they're simply not going to come out and vote," Chambliss says. "I hope that's not the case. I hope he will continue to be very vocal about the fact that people need to vote."
As for Trump's continued false claims about the legitimacy of the November election, Chambliss says he doesn't believe any wrongdoing took place in Georgia.
"We have 159 counties in the state of Georgia. All of those counties have multiple precincts, so there's lots of room for mischief to take place," Chambliss says. "But there's not any sign that there was any wrongdoing taking place in the Georgia elections. Isolated incidents? Sure, that's always going to happen, but on a wholesale basis there's just no substance to the statement that this election was not valid."
The longtime lawmaker says he doesn't expect Trump to change his messaging around the November election, but that it's an entirely separate issue from the runoff election in January.
"He needs to do more to emphasize to people in Georgia that they need to get out and vote for the two Republicans on January the 5th," Chambliss says.


npr--2020-12-06--1st Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine To Be Administered This Week In The U.K.

1st Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine To Be Administered This Week In The U.K. As U.S. health authorities continue examining the proposed COVID-19 vaccines , residents in the United Kingdom — the first Western country to issue approval for emergency use — are set to receive their first shots as early as this week .
But quickly vaccinating as many people as possible in the U.K. will pose enormous logistical challenges — from keeping the doses frozen to figuring out how to methodically and fairly distribute the vaccine across the nation of 68 million .
The first batch of the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BioNTech arrived in the U.K. last week .
Doses are scheduled to be delivered to hospitals beginning Monday .
Nursing home residents , health care workers and people age 80 and over will be first in line .
Across England , 50 hospitals have been chosen as hubs to administer the vaccine , the BBC reported .
The government has initially ordered 40 million doses , which will vaccinate 20 million people .
The National Health Service has said that more hubs will be set up as more doses arrive .
The doses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Celsius ( minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit ) .
Health officials are still working out how to efficiently split apart the boxes of vaccine vials once they arrive .
`` There 's something like five doses to each vial , and each box is 975 doses , '' Sarah Boseley , health editor for The Guardian , told NPR 's Weekend Edition .
`` Because they 're kept in this deep-frozen state , they then have to be very , very carefully split up .
And that is the bit , actually , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Why is the vaccine all set to be distributed in the U.K. , while Americans are still waiting for approval from the Food and Drug Administration ?
`` The FDA in the United States actually demands all the raw details , '' Boseley said .
Whereas U.K. health regulators depend on companies ' summaries of their vaccine 's effectiveness , U.S. officials are more hands-on — and warier .
`` They 're not taking what the companies say as necessarily accurate , '' Boseley said .
`` So they will do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with exactly the same results . ''
All that double-checking could add only an extra week or so to the timeline .
An FDA advisory panel is scheduled to meet virtually on Thursday to discuss whether to approve the vaccine for emergency use .
`` We 'll spend the day on Thursday reviewing the data from Pfizer , and at the end of the day , a vote will be taken , '' Dr. James Hildreth , a member of the FDA 's vaccine advisory committee , told NBC 's Today show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the day next Thursday , there could be a decision made about the vaccine . ''
`` If the FDA commissioner decides to issue approval , the [ emergency use authorization ] , on that day when the vote is taken , as early as Friday of next week , we could see vaccinations happening across the country , '' he added .
Military officials will help facilitate distribution throughout the United States .
In addition to the U.K. , Bahrain has also approved Pfizer 's vaccine .
On Friday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second nation in the world to issue an emergency use authorization , its state news agency reported .

1st Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine To Be Administered This Week In The U.K.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Yui Mok/AP Yui Mok/AP
As U.S. health authorities continue examining the proposed COVID-19 vaccines, residents in the United Kingdom — the first Western country to issue approval for emergency use — are set to receive their first shots as early as this week.
But quickly vaccinating as many people as possible in the U.K. will pose enormous logistical challenges — from keeping the doses frozen to figuring out how to methodically and fairly distribute the vaccine across the nation of 68 million.
The first batch of the vaccine created by Pfizer and the German company BioNTech arrived in the U.K. last week. Doses are scheduled to be delivered to hospitals beginning Monday. Nursing home residents, health care workers and people age 80 and over will be first in line.
Across England, 50 hospitals have been chosen as hubs to administer the vaccine, the BBC reported. The government has initially ordered 40 million doses, which will vaccinate 20 million people. The National Health Service has said that more hubs will be set up as more doses arrive.
The doses will be frozen at minus 70 degrees Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit). Health officials are still working out how to efficiently split apart the boxes of vaccine vials once they arrive.
"There's something like five doses to each vial, and each box is 975 doses," Sarah Boseley, health editor for The Guardian, told NPR's Weekend Edition. "Because they're kept in this deep-frozen state, they then have to be very, very carefully split up. And that is the bit, actually, that hasn't yet been properly figured out."
Why is the vaccine all set to be distributed in the U.K., while Americans are still waiting for approval from the Food and Drug Administration? "The FDA in the United States actually demands all the raw details," Boseley said.
Whereas U.K. health regulators depend on companies' summaries of their vaccine's effectiveness, U.S. officials are more hands-on — and warier. "They're not taking what the companies say as necessarily accurate," Boseley said. "So they will do their own data analysis and hopefully come up with exactly the same results."
All that double-checking could add only an extra week or so to the timeline. An FDA advisory panel is scheduled to meet virtually on Thursday to discuss whether to approve the vaccine for emergency use.
"We'll spend the day on Thursday reviewing the data from Pfizer, and at the end of the day, a vote will be taken," Dr. James Hildreth, a member of the FDA's vaccine advisory committee, told NBC's Today show last week. "So by the end of the day next Thursday, there could be a decision made about the vaccine."
"If the FDA commissioner decides to issue approval, the [emergency use authorization], on that day when the vote is taken, as early as Friday of next week, we could see vaccinations happening across the country," he added. Military officials will help facilitate distribution throughout the United States.
In addition to the U.K., Bahrain has also approved Pfizer's vaccine. On Friday, the Middle Eastern country became just the second nation in the world to issue an emergency use authorization, its state news agency reported.


npr--2020-12-06--He Designed A Smartwatch App To Help Stop His Dad's Nightmares

He Designed A Smartwatch App To Help Stop His Dad 's Nightmares Tyler Skluzacek remembers his dad as a fun , outgoing man before he left to serve in Iraq .
When Patrick Skluzacek came home in 2007 , says his son , he had changed .
Patrick was being consumed by nightmares .
At night his dreams took him back to Fallujah , where he had served in the U.S. Army as a convoy commander .
He sweated profusely and thrashed around in his sleep , sometimes violently .
The nightmares were so vivid and so terrible that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way he could get to sleep was with vodka and pills , he says .
Patrick 's life began to unwind .
His marriage fell apart .
`` [ I ] pretty much lost everything , '' he says , fighting back tears .
`` My house , everything , my job , everything went . ''
It 's not an unfamiliar story for those who have served in war zones .
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs , 52 % of combat soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder have nightmares fairly often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general public .
They take a toll — not just on soldiers , but on their families .
Patrick 's son , however , would give the story a different ending .
A hackathon to help those with PTSD Tyler was a senior at Macalester College in Saint Paul , Minn. , in 2015 when he heard about a computer hackathon being held in Washington , D.C .
Developers come together over an intense few days to build prototypes to tackle a specific problem .
This particular hackathon focused on developing mobile applications @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scraped together his on-campus job earnings and bought a ticket to Washington .
During the hackathon , he put together a team to program a smartwatch to detect the onset of night terrors based on the wearer 's heart rate and movement .
The idea , Tyler says , was to use technology to imitate something service dogs were already doing — recognizing a traumatic nightmare and then nudging or licking the person to disrupt the bad dream .
He thought the smartwatch could do this with a gentle vibration .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough stimulus to pull them out of the deep REM cycle and allow the sleep to continue unaffected , '' Tyler says .
Getting the app to actually work — to recognize a nightmare and respond with just the right touch — would require a lot of trial and error .
But what better test subject than your own dad ?
Patrick was game , but the experiment got off to a rocky start .
In the early trials , the zapping watch spooked Patrick awake .
And , because he initially wore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ startling readings .
The two break up laughing when they remember what happened when Patrick wore the watch while using an air hammer .
`` I still remember you had me wearing it full time , '' says Patrick , who lives in Blaine , Minn. `` You thought I was having a heart attack because I had the watch on , and you thought my heart rate was 6,000 beats per minute . ''
`` I was terrified , '' says Tyler , who is now a graduate student in computer science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watching someone 's data 24/7 , I feel like is a lot like having a baby .
I do n't have a baby .
But you 're suddenly very concerned at all hours . ''
With constant fine-tuning as his dad slept in the next room , Tyler eventually perfected the algorithm .
`` Having someone that close to you and knowing exactly when those nightmares happen was super important to training a model like that , '' Tyler says .
For Patrick , once they got the formula right , the watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night and day when I put that watch on and it started working . ''
The vibrations , he says , were `` little miracles . ''
After years of suffering , Patrick finally found relief .
He was able to get his life back .
He has remarried and he 's working as a mechanic again .
There are the occasional bad dreams , but they no longer rule his life .
More people will soon be able to benefit from Tyler 's invention .
An investor purchased the rights to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last month , the Food and Drug Administration approved the app , which works with an Apple Watch , to treat PTSD-related nightmare disorders .
It will soon be available by prescription through the VA .

He Designed A Smartwatch App To Help Stop His Dad's Nightmares
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carmen Ferderber Carmen Ferderber
Tyler Skluzacek remembers his dad as a fun, outgoing man before he left to serve in Iraq. When Patrick Skluzacek came home in 2007, says his son, he had changed.
Patrick was being consumed by nightmares. At night his dreams took him back to Fallujah, where he had served in the U.S. Army as a convoy commander. He sweated profusely and thrashed around in his sleep, sometimes violently.
The nightmares were so vivid and so terrible that he feared closing his eyes. The only way he could get to sleep was with vodka and pills, he says.
Patrick's life began to unwind. His marriage fell apart. "[I] pretty much lost everything," he says, fighting back tears. "My house, everything, my job, everything went."
It's not an unfamiliar story for those who have served in war zones. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 52% of combat soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder have nightmares fairly often, compared with 3% of the general public. They take a toll — not just on soldiers, but on their families.
Patrick's son, however, would give the story a different ending.
A hackathon to help those with PTSD
Tyler was a senior at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minn., in 2015 when he heard about a computer hackathon being held in Washington, D.C. Developers come together over an intense few days to build prototypes to tackle a specific problem. This particular hackathon focused on developing mobile applications to help people with PTSD.
Tyler scraped together his on-campus job earnings and bought a ticket to Washington. During the hackathon, he put together a team to program a smartwatch to detect the onset of night terrors based on the wearer's heart rate and movement.
It was night and day when I put that watch on and it started working.
The idea, Tyler says, was to use technology to imitate something service dogs were already doing — recognizing a traumatic nightmare and then nudging or licking the person to disrupt the bad dream. He thought the smartwatch could do this with a gentle vibration.
The tricky part was to provide "just enough stimulus to pull them out of the deep REM cycle and allow the sleep to continue unaffected," Tyler says.
Dad as guinea pig
Getting the app to actually work — to recognize a nightmare and respond with just the right touch — would require a lot of trial and error. But what better test subject than your own dad?
Patrick was game, but the experiment got off to a rocky start. In the early trials, the zapping watch spooked Patrick awake. And because he initially wore the watch around-the-clock, there were some startling readings.
toggle caption NightWare
The two break up laughing when they remember what happened when Patrick wore the watch while using an air hammer.
"I still remember you had me wearing it full time," says Patrick, who lives in Blaine, Minn. "You thought I was having a heart attack because I had the watch on, and you thought my heart rate was 6,000 beats per minute."
"I was terrified," says Tyler, who is now a graduate student in computer science at the University of Chicago. "Watching someone's data 24/7, I feel like is a lot like having a baby. I don't have a baby. But you're suddenly very concerned at all hours."
With constant fine-tuning as his dad slept in the next room, Tyler eventually perfected the algorithm. "Having someone that close to you and knowing exactly when those nightmares happen was super important to training a model like that," Tyler says.
"Little miracles"
For Patrick, once they got the formula right, the watch was life-changing. "It was night and day when I put that watch on and it started working." The vibrations, he says, were "little miracles."
After years of suffering, Patrick finally found relief. He was able to get his life back. He has remarried and he's working as a mechanic again. There are the occasional bad dreams, but they no longer rule his life.
More people will soon be able to benefit from Tyler's invention. An investor purchased the rights to the app and started a company called NightWare.
Last month, the Food and Drug Administration approved the app, which works with an Apple Watch, to treat PTSD-related nightmare disorders. It will soon be available by prescription through the VA.


npr--2020-12-06--Nearly 85% Of California Residents To Be Under Stay-At-Home Orders Through Christmas

Nearly 85 % Of California Residents To Be Under Stay-At-Home Orders Through Christmas With coronavirus cases surging and capacity inside intensive care units rapidly nearing dangerously low levels , nearly 85 % of California residents will soon be under sweeping new restrictions as part of the state 's latest salvo to bring the pandemic under control .
Residents in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley will be under a stay-at-home order through the Christmas holiday beginning at 11:59 Sunday evening .
The order will mean strict new closures for many businesses and a ban on gathering with anyone outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state that are collectively home to some 27 million people .
The order will be in effect for at least three weeks .
The order was triggered after ICU capacity in the two regions fell below a 15 % threshold announced this past week by Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
In Southern California , the rate fell to 12.5 % , while in the San Joaquin Valley it had dipped to 8.6 % , state health officials announced Saturday .
`` We are at a tipping point in our fight against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decisive action now to prevent California 's hospital system from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks , '' the governor said ahead of Saturday 's announcement .
By invoking the order , Newsom said , `` we can flatten the curve as we 've done before and reduce stress on our health care system . ''
The order marked a dramatic shift for California , which for months had managed to avoid the worst of the virus relative to the rest of the United States .
Much of that success was owed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ordered all 39.5 million of its residents to stay at home indefinitely in what was then the widest-ranging directive in the nation .
That order came at a time when California had roughly 1,000 confirmed cases and 19 deaths .
As of Friday , the state had recorded more than 1.3 million cases and nearly 20,000 deaths .
The latest directive will be felt in nearly every aspect of daily life .
It asks residents to stay at home `` as much as possible '' and for `` 100 percent masking '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be open only for takeout or pickup , while businesses such as hair and nail salons , movie theaters and bars will be closed .
Playgrounds , museums and zoos will be closed as well .
Retailers , including grocery stores , will remain open , but capacity will be limited to 20 % .
Schools that are currently open will be allowed to continue in-person learning .
Places of worship will also be allowed to stay open , but only for outdoor services .
`` Staying home for three weeks is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that for a month , we could stop this disease in its tracks , '' said Dr. Erica Pan , the state 's acting public health officer , when the restrictions were announced .
`` This public health order strikes the balance between saving lives , providing essential services that we all rely on and still allowing Californians to participate in lower-risk outdoor activities that are crucial for our physical and mental health . ''
In the three other regions being tracked by the state — the Bay Area , Greater Sacramento and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21 % .
Some areas , however , were n't waiting for ICU capacity to fall below the state 's threshold .
Los Angeles County adopted a stay-at-home order late last month , and on Friday , health officials in five of the 11 counties that make up the Bay Area chose to follow suit .
The five counties — Alameda , Contra Costa , Marin , Santa Clara and San Francisco — are home to some 5.8 million residents .
`` We must do whatever is necessary in order to get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday .
`` This is about protecting people 's lives .
We see how quickly it moves and how devastating the effects .
We need to do everything we can to prevent our hospital system from becoming overwhelmed and to save lives . ''
The rise in cases hitting California has mirrored the surge currently tearing through the rest of the country .
On Saturday , the U.S. recorded 213,875 new cases and more than 2,200 deaths , according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital , with roughly a fifth of those patients in the ICU .

California Residents Under Strict Stay-At-Home Orders Through Christmas
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Vogel/AP Richard Vogel/AP
Updated at 6:20 a.m.
Nearly 85% of California residents are now under sweeping new restrictions as the state's struggles to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control. The new restrictions come as coronavirus cases continue to surge and while the state's intensive care capacity has neared dangerously low levels.
Residents in Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley are under a stay-at-home order through the Christmas holiday as of 11:59 Sunday evening. The order means strict new closures for many businesses and a ban on gatherings with people outside your immediate household in two regions of the state that are collectively home to some 27 million people. The order will be in effect for at least three weeks.
The order was triggered after ICU capacity in the two regions fell below a 15% threshold announced this past week by Gov. Gavin Newsom. In Southern California, the rate fell to 12.5%, while in the San Joaquin Valley it had dipped to 8.6%, state health officials announced Saturday.
"Unlike previous surges, every hospital in California is under stress. There is no place to transfer people if we run out of beds," San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón said. "Three-quarters of the state's hospital beds are currently full."
The trend is expected to continue throughout the rest of the state within the next week or two.
"We are at a tipping point in our fight against the virus, and we need to take decisive action now to prevent California's hospital system from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks," the governor said ahead of Saturday's announcement. By invoking the order, Newsom said, "we can flatten the curve as we've done before and reduce stress on our health care system."
The order marks a dramatic shift for California, which for months had managed to avoid the worst of the virus relative to the rest of the United States. Much of that success was owed to early action. In March, the state ordered all 39.5 million of its residents to stay at home indefinitely in what was then the widest-ranging directive in the nation. That order came at a time when California had roughly 1,000 confirmed cases and 19 deaths. As of Friday, the state had recorded more than 1.3 million cases and nearly 20,000 deaths.
Retailers, restaurants curtail operations
The latest directive will be felt in nearly every aspect of daily life. It asks residents to stay at home "as much as possible" and for "100 percent masking" when they are outside. Restaurants will be open only for takeout or pickup, while businesses such as hair and nail salons, movie theaters and bars will be closed. Playgrounds, museums and zoos will be closed as well.
Retailers, including grocery stores, will remain open, but capacity will be limited to 20%. Schools that are currently open will be allowed to continue in-person learning. Places of worship will also be allowed to stay open, but only for outdoor services.
Many small business owners, like hairstylist, Rosey Ibarra, are angry with the new restrictions.
Ibarra, a hair stylist in Temecula in Southern California, said she is not closing her business.
"I feel confident to properly and safely take care of my clients," she told CapRadio. "None of my clients have rescheduled, none of them feel that coming to my salon is going to be unsafe for them at this time."
The state has no easy way to enforce these new measures without the help of local police. But that's only an option if law enforcement is on board.
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva expressed his reluctance to shut down individual businesses. He said his focus will instead be on curbing "super spreader" events.
Newsom and health officials are counting on the power of persuasion to keep people home.
"Staying home for three weeks is a sacrifice, but if every Californian did that for a month, we could stop this disease in its tracks," said Dr. Erica Pan, the state's acting public health officer, when the restrictions were announced. "This public health order strikes the balance between saving lives, providing essential services that we all rely on and still allowing Californians to participate in lower-risk outdoor activities that are crucial for our physical and mental health."
'Whatever is necessary'
In the three other regions being tracked by the state — the Bay Area, Greater Sacramento and Northern California — ICU capacity was above 21%.
Some areas, however, weren't waiting for ICU capacity to fall below the state's threshold. Los Angeles County adopted a stay-at-home order late last month, and on Friday, health officials in five of the 11 counties that make up the Bay Area chose to follow suit. The five counties — Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Santa Clara and San Francisco — are home to some 5.8 million residents.
"We must do whatever is necessary in order to get the virus under control," said San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday. "This is about protecting people's lives. We see how quickly it moves and how devastating the effects. We need to do everything we can to prevent our hospital system from becoming overwhelmed and to save lives."
The rise in cases hitting California has mirrored the surge currently tearing through the rest of the country. On Saturday, the U.S. recorded 213,875 new cases and more than 2,200 deaths, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University. More than 101,000 Americans were in the hospital, with roughly a fifth of those patients in the ICU.
CapRadio's Nicole Nixon contributed to this report.


npr--2020-12-06--Microwave Radiation 'Most Plausible' Cause Of Diplomats' Ailments, Report Says

Microwave Radiation 'Most Plausible ' Cause Of Diplomats ' Ailments , Report Says Microwave radiation is the `` most plausible '' cause of migraines , dizziness , memory loss and other ailments that dozens of U.S. diplomats have complained of while serving in Cuba and China , a new report says .
Since 2016 , the so-called Havana syndrome has afflicted more than 40 U.S. diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in the Cuban capital and at least a dozen more at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou , China .
At the request of the State Department , the National Academies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigated and produced a 64-page report .
`` The committee [ of experts ] felt that many of the distinctive and acute signs , symptoms , and observations reported by the Department of State employees are consistent with the effects of directed , pulsed , radiofrequency energy , '' the report said .
`` What we can say is that something real and significant clinically happened to these people , '' Dr. David Relman , a Stanford University professor who led the study , said in an interview with NPR .
`` At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the signs and symptoms that were reported in these patients can be explained by this particular form of microwave radiation , '' he added .
The report noted that individual cases varied but that many diplomats described a common pattern : Some of the diplomats have complained that the State Department has been slow or reluctant to provide sufficient support .
A number of them have retired , saying their ailments were so debilitating they could no longer work .
The State Department said it welcomed the report but described it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the final word on the matter .
`` The investigation is ongoing , and each possible cause remains speculative , '' the State Department said .
`` The report notes that the 'constellation of signs and symptoms ' is consistent with the effects of pulsed radiofrequency energy .
We would note that 'consistent with ' is a term of art in medicine and science that allows plausibility but does not assign cause . ''
The National Academies ' committee consisted of 19 experts in neurology , radiology , electrical engineering and other relevant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the committee faced some limitations .
It reviewed aggregated medical information of the diplomats who were examined at the University of Pennsylvania , the University of Miami and the National Institutes of Health .
The doctors at those institutions described the diplomats ' ailments as real , but they could not determine what was causing them and did not find evidence of traumatic brain injury .
The National Academies ' committee did not have access to individual records , though eight diplomats shared their stories with the panel , Relman said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was intentional , who might have been responsible or what the motive might have been .
However , there has been no shortage of speculation .
Perhaps the intent was to injure the diplomats .
Or maybe the aim was to electronically steal secrets from their phones and computers , and the officials were just collateral damage .
China and Cuba have denied any such actions .
More than a dozen Canadian diplomats in Havana suffered symptoms similar to those of the Americans at roughly the same time .
In addition , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were struck with crippling illnesses during a trip to Russia in 2017 .
Several other CIA officers working on Russia issues in other countries have also reported ailments .
Those cases were not covered by the report .

Microwave Radiation 'Most Plausible' Cause Of Diplomats' Ailments, Report Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Microwave radiation is the "most plausible" cause of migraines, dizziness, memory loss and other ailments that dozens of U.S. diplomats have complained of while serving in Cuba and China, a new report says.
Since 2016, the so-called Havana syndrome has afflicted more than 40 U.S. diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in the Cuban capital and at least a dozen more at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China. At the request of the State Department, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine investigated and produced a 64-page report.
"The committee [of experts] felt that many of the distinctive and acute signs, symptoms, and observations reported by the Department of State employees are consistent with the effects of directed, pulsed, radiofrequency energy," the report said.
Radiofrequency energy includes radio waves and microwaves.
"What we can say is that something real and significant clinically happened to these people," Dr. David Relman, a Stanford University professor who led the study, said in an interview with NPR.
"At least some, if not many, of the signs and symptoms that were reported in these patients can be explained by this particular form of microwave radiation," he added.
The report noted that individual cases varied but that many diplomats described a common pattern:
"The sudden onset of a perceived loud sound, a sensation of intense pressure or vibration in the head, and pain in the ear or more diffusely in the head. Most individuals reported that the sound or these other sensations seemed to originate from a particular direction and were perceived only when the individual was in a specific physical location. Some also reported sudden onset of tinnitus, hearing loss, dizziness, unsteady gait, and visual disturbances."
Some of the diplomats have complained that the State Department has been slow or reluctant to provide sufficient support. A number of them have retired, saying their ailments were so debilitating they could no longer work.
The State Department said it welcomed the report but described it as part of a continuing inquiry, not the final word on the matter.
"The investigation is ongoing, and each possible cause remains speculative," the State Department said. "The report notes that the 'constellation of signs and symptoms' is consistent with the effects of pulsed radiofrequency energy. We would note that 'consistent with' is a term of art in medicine and science that allows plausibility but does not assign cause."
The National Academies' committee consisted of 19 experts in neurology, radiology, electrical engineering and other relevant fields.
Still, Relman acknowledged that the committee faced some limitations. It reviewed aggregated medical information of the diplomats who were examined at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Miami and the National Institutes of Health.
The doctors at those institutions described the diplomats' ailments as real, but they could not determine what was causing them and did not find evidence of traumatic brain injury.
The National Academies' committee did not have access to individual records, though eight diplomats shared their stories with the panel, Relman said.
The committee did not address whether the cause was intentional, who might have been responsible or what the motive might have been.
However, there has been no shortage of speculation. Perhaps the intent was to injure the diplomats. Or maybe the aim was to electronically steal secrets from their phones and computers, and the officials were just collateral damage.
China and Cuba have denied any such actions.
More than a dozen Canadian diplomats in Havana suffered symptoms similar to those of the Americans at roughly the same time.
In addition, a CIA official said he and a colleague were struck with crippling illnesses during a trip to Russia in 2017. Several other CIA officers working on Russia issues in other countries have also reported ailments. Those cases were not covered by the report.


npr--2020-12-07--Coronavirus Is Surging: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Is Surging : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 14 million people in the U.S. have had confirmed coronavirus infections and more than 280,000 have died of COVID-19 .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily nationwide .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the risk of infection in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capita .
The consortium of researchers and public health experts who developed these risk levels advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
They advise orange states to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and all states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each state 's totals to date .
This type @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
New cases fell from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 900 a day most of the summer , before starting to rise in the fall .
Explore the map above to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid October , California , Florida and Texas surpass New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week for the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of red have growing outbreaks ; those in shades of green , are declining .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies .
This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases and or update their methodologies .
For example , in early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconcile the historical data .
On June 25 , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
On Sept. 2 , Massachusetts changed its methodology for counting probable cases , which lowered its overall case and death numbers .
The JHU team maintains a list of such changes .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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


npr--2020-12-07--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak On Sept. 28 , the world marked a tragic milestone : 1 million deaths from COVID-19 .
That 's according to a tally maintained by Johns Hopkins University .
And public health experts believe the actual toll – the recorded deaths plus the unrecorded deaths – is much higher .
While the number of cases has slowed in many countries that were hit hard early on by coronavirus , the number of new cases continues to increase .
Since early July , new daily cases averaged over 200,000 worldwide .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ country-by-country breakdown of new and total cases since January .
At over 14 million cases , the United States leads the world 's COVID-19 crisis .
In late spring and early summer , new COVID-19 cases were largely driven by cases in the Americas .
While the U.S. has consistently had the most new daily cases of coronavirus in the region , Brazil 's new daily cases increased rapidly between May and August .
However , in September , several countries that had previously flattened their curve saw a resurgence in cases , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , daily case counts have risen swiftly since June .
Explore how the number of coronavirus cases have shifted in different parts of the world over time .
The first chart compares each continent to each other , while the next charts highlight the number of cases in select countries by region .
To compare country outbreaks , the chart below graphs trend lines for average new daily cases and deaths against each country 's totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In countries like Israel , which is seeing a second wave of case growth after an initial wave in April , the line forms a V-shape , as the initially bent curve spikes upwards again .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

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