npr--2020-09-09--Wild Boars Are Causing Havoc In Germany, But Humans Are Making It Worse

Wild Boars Are Causing Havoc In Germany , But Humans Are Making It Worse At first glance , swimmers along Germany 's Baltic coast thought the creature swimming toward them was a dog .
A sailor had seen the animal , too , miles away from shore in the open sea , and thought it was a porpoise .
But they were all mistaken .
It was a wild boar .
The animal had been swimming for hours .
From where ?
Nobody knew , but judging from a video taken of its arrival in mid-August , it did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paddling ashore at Schönhagen beach in northern Germany , the boar tried to bite a man , who defended himself with a shovel , before it scurried away through hordes of panicked sunbathers .
The episode was just the latest in a summer when wild boars popped up repeatedly , leading to viral photos and videos , their antics shared millions of times .
The Central European boar has coarse hair , tiny eyes and sharp teeth connected to powerful jaws .
The wild boar subspecies is native to Germany , and when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to injure and occasionally kill .
This reputation seemed to be forgotten in early August when a female boar was photographed alongside her two piglets as she snatched a man 's laptop in a bag at Teufelssee , or Devil 's Lake , in Berlin , prompting the man to run after them .
The scene was made more comical by the man 's clothes : He was n't wearing any .
The lake is popular with nude sunbathers .
The photos went viral , and German animal rights activist Sonja Wende was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( The man managed to get his laptop back . )
`` It was such a funny situation , where you have this cheeky little boar that is grabbing this laptop and running around the beach , and this naked man is chasing after her and trying his best to get his laptop back , '' Wende says .
`` There was no damage for anyone , except everybody was just having a blast and there was so much fun . ''
The fun did n't last long .
The following week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the lake to catch a glimpse of the boar , nicknamed Elsa , and her cute piglets .
The crowds led animal experts to worry that the boars would soon come to depend on humans for food , which could ultimately endanger their lives — and people 's safety .
Experts are worried about these boars contracting African swine fever from eating diseased pork among the rubbish humans leave behind .
If that should happen , it would likely lead to an outbreak in Germany .
There have been outbreaks in Poland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation got to be worse because there were more people coming to see them , and they were getting close and closer to the animals , '' recalls Marc Franusch of the Berlin Forestry Commission .
`` And then many of them take some food and they think it 's a sign of having a heart for wild boars if we bring them some food .
But it 's quite the opposite . ''
So many came to see the boars , Franusch says , that at one point they surrounded Elsa and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a situation that could have easily spurred the mother boar to attack someone .
`` So we were forced to take a position , because we are responsible for the surroundings , '' he says .
A colleague of his at the forestry commission warned that authorities might have to kill Elsa and her piglets if the animals continue to rely on humans for food .
When the food becomes scarce , the boars may attack people to get it .
The commission does n't have specific plans to kill Elsa and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worries about what 's going to happen in the autumn , when fewer people visit the lake and when she — and especially her piglets — have to find their own food .
`` They are used to finding food in the surrounding [ s ] of people .
They are n't able to find the necessary food in the forest area by themselves , '' he says .
`` They never learned this . ''
Franusch says it 's likely that when winter comes , Elsa and her piglets will roam out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berlin .
They 'll find food in garbage bins , a situation he says would not end well for them .
But many Berliners are fighting the forestry commission 's stance on Elsa .
`` I think the answer to this problem is to exist peacefully together , '' says Wende , who led a mid-August protest of about 30 people in front of the forestry commission to save the boar .
Wende has urged tourists to stop feeding the boars and maintain their distance .
But it might be too late .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of August captures moments from what appears to be Elsa and her two piglets ransacking a children 's birthday party near Teufelssee .
Freelance journalist Charlie Hawley shot the video , which shows children scampering away or jumping into trees .
Elsa and her piglets ate everything in sight .
`` I think she first grabbed a piece of birthday cake , and then she started going after the party favor bags full of candy belonging to the children , '' Hawley says .
`` Some of the kids were yelling and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though , started crying when their party favor bags full of sweets were eaten , one after the other . ''
Hawley says the boars scurried off before returning to eat as much cake and candy as they could .
At the end of the day , their bellies full of sugary human food , Elsa the boar and her piglets slept somewhere in the forest , maybe near Teufelssee .
And they waited for the humans — with their food , their garbage , their clothing-optional beaches and their birthday parties @ @ @ @

Wild Boars Are Causing Havoc In Germany, But Humans Are Making It Worse
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ingolf König-Jablonski/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images Ingolf König-Jablonski/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
At first glance, swimmers along Germany's Baltic coast thought the creature swimming toward them was a dog. A sailor had seen the animal, too, miles away from shore in the open sea, and thought it was a porpoise. But they were all mistaken. It was a wild boar.
The animal had been swimming for hours. From where? Nobody knew, but judging from a video taken of its arrival in mid-August, it didn't seem tired from the journey.
After paddling ashore at Schönhagen beach in northern Germany, the boar tried to bite a man, who defended himself with a shovel, before it scurried away through hordes of panicked sunbathers.
The episode was just the latest in a summer when wild boars popped up repeatedly, leading to viral photos and videos, their antics shared millions of times.
The Central European boar has coarse hair, tiny eyes and sharp teeth connected to powerful jaws. The wild boar subspecies is native to Germany, and when confronted by humans, it is known to injure and occasionally kill.
This reputation seemed to be forgotten in early August when a female boar was photographed alongside her two piglets as she snatched a man's laptop in a bag at Teufelssee, or Devil's Lake, in Berlin, prompting the man to run after them. The scene was made more comical by the man's clothes: He wasn't wearing any. The lake is popular with nude sunbathers.
The photos went viral, and German animal rights activist Sonja Wende was one of millions who clicked on them. (The man managed to get his laptop back.)
"It was such a funny situation, where you have this cheeky little boar that is grabbing this laptop and running around the beach, and this naked man is chasing after her and trying his best to get his laptop back," Wende says. "There was no damage for anyone, except everybody was just having a blast and there was so much fun."
The fun didn't last long. The following week, tourists from across the region flocked to the lake to catch a glimpse of the boar, nicknamed Elsa, and her cute piglets. The crowds led animal experts to worry that the boars would soon come to depend on humans for food, which could ultimately endanger their lives — and people's safety.
Experts are worried about these boars contracting African swine fever from eating diseased pork among the rubbish humans leave behind. If that should happen, it would likely lead to an outbreak in Germany. There have been outbreaks in Poland in the past year.
"The situation got to be worse because there were more people coming to see them, and they were getting close and closer to the animals," recalls Marc Franusch of the Berlin Forestry Commission. "And then many of them take some food and they think it's a sign of having a heart for wild boars if we bring them some food. But it's quite the opposite."
So many came to see the boars, Franusch says, that at one point they surrounded Elsa and her piglets in a tight circle, a situation that could have easily spurred the mother boar to attack someone.
"So we were forced to take a position, because we are responsible for the surroundings," he says.
A colleague of his at the forestry commission warned that authorities might have to kill Elsa and her piglets if the animals continue to rely on humans for food. When the food becomes scarce, the boars may attack people to get it.
The commission doesn't have specific plans to kill Elsa and her young, Franusch says. But he worries about what's going to happen in the autumn, when fewer people visit the lake and when she — and especially her piglets — have to find their own food.
"They are used to finding food in the surrounding[s] of people. They aren't able to find the necessary food in the forest area by themselves," he says. "They never learned this."
Franusch says it's likely that when winter comes, Elsa and her piglets will roam out of the forest into the suburbs of Berlin. They'll find food in garbage bins, a situation he says would not end well for them.
But many Berliners are fighting the forestry commission's stance on Elsa. "I think the answer to this problem is to exist peacefully together," says Wende, who led a mid-August protest of about 30 people in front of the forestry commission to save the boar.
Wende has urged tourists to stop feeding the boars and maintain their distance. But it might be too late.
A video posted to Twitter at the end of August captures moments from what appears to be Elsa and her two piglets ransacking a children's birthday party near Teufelssee. Freelance journalist Charlie Hawley shot the video, which shows children scampering away or jumping into trees. Elsa and her piglets ate everything in sight.
"I think she first grabbed a piece of birthday cake, and then she started going after the party favor bags full of candy belonging to the children," Hawley says. "Some of the kids were yelling and enjoying it. Most of the kids, though, started crying when their party favor bags full of sweets were eaten, one after the other."
Hawley says the boars scurried off before returning to eat as much cake and candy as they could.
At the end of the day, their bellies full of sugary human food, Elsa the boar and her piglets slept somewhere in the forest, maybe near Teufelssee. And they waited for the humans — with their food, their garbage, their clothing-optional beaches and their birthday parties — to return.
Esme Nicholson contributed to this report.


npr--2020-09-09--Trump Admits Playing Down Coronavirus's Severity, According To New Woodward Book

Trump Admits Playing Down Coronavirus 's Severity , According To New Woodward Book President Trump is defending himself after interviews from a new book by legendary reporter Bob Woodward reveal that Trump acknowledged the deadliness of the coronavirus in early February and admitted in March to playing down its severity .
`` This is deadly stuff , '' the president told Woodward in a Feb. 7 conversation , according to the book , which is called Rage .
`` You just breathe the air and that 's how it 's passed .
And so that 's a very tricky one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu . ''
But at the time , Trump was publicly saying that the virus was less of a concern .
On Feb. 10 , he told supporters in New Hampshire : `` Looks like by April , you know , in theory , when it gets a little warmer , it miraculously goes away . ''
Later that month , Trump tweeted that the virus was `` very much under control in the USA . ''
And in March , he compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying in a Fox News interview , `` We 've never closed down the country for the flu . ''
Trump 's claims came despite scientists ' relatively early findings that the coronavirus presented significantly more challenges than the seasonal flu because of its novelty , high hospitalization rate and other difficulties .
The coronavirus has now been blamed for nearly 190,000 deaths in America .
About a month after the February conversation , Trump admitted to Woodward that he had been playing down the virus 's severity .
`` I wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump told Woodward on March 19 .
`` I still like playing it down , because I do n't want to create a panic . ''
One study has estimated that if the United States had implemented social distancing measures just a week earlier in March , some 36,000 lives could have been saved .
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that being publicly positive about the virus was a sign of good leadership .
`` We had to show calm , '' he said .
Asked whether he misled the public by downplaying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , `` Well I think if you said 'in order to reduce panic , ' perhaps that 's so . ''
He added : `` The fact is I 'm a cheerleader for this country .
I love our country .
And I do n't want people to be frightened , I do n't want to create panic , as you say , and certainly I 'm not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy .
We want to show confidence , we want to show strength , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation , and that 's what I 've done .
And we 've done very well . ''
The president went on to call the book `` just another political hit job , '' defending the administration 's response to the virus .
Joe Biden , the Democratic nominee for president , addressed the revelations on Wednesday , calling them a `` life-and-death betrayal of the American people . ''
Speaking in Michigan while on a campaign stop , Biden said Trump `` knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the information .
He knew how dangerous it was .
And while the deadly disease ripped through our nation , he failed to do his job on purpose . ''
Woodward also documents Trump 's relationships with some former leaders in his administration , including James Mattis , who was defense secretary ; Dan Coats , former director of national intelligence ; and Rex Tillerson , former secretary of state .
Mattis , according to the book , privately visited Washington National Cathedral , where he prayed for the nation .
Mattis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous '' and `` unfit , '' and told Coats , `` There may come a time when we have to take collective action . ''
Coats , a friend of Vice President Pence 's , considered resigning because of Trump 's handling of Russia , but Pence said , according to Woodward : `` Look on the positive side of things that he 's done .
... You ca n't go . ''
Tillerson 's relationship with Trump was poor , but it was especially bad with Jared Kushner , the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notes .
Tillerson found Kushner 's dealings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu `` nauseating to watch . ''
All three men quickly found themselves out of favor with the president and ultimately either resigned or were fired .
NPR obtained a copy of Woodward 's book ahead of its Sept. 15 release .
According to it , Trump was warned in early January by national security adviser Robert O'Brien that the virus would be the `` biggest national security threat you face in your presidency . ''
Trump 's handling of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many parts of the U.S. moved more quickly to abandon mitigation measures than other developed nations , even as cases of the virus surged nationwide .
The president has made calling for states to resume normal operations a key component of his reelection campaign , and he aided in the politicization of mask usage .
Researchers have found wearing masks to be effective in slowing the virus 's spread .
The president has continued to hold large ( mostly outdoor ) rallies , at which many attendees do not wear masks , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ packed gatherings of people .
The president has said he expects to see a fast-tracked vaccine available to the public by no later than the end of the year and possibly earlier .
Democrats have expressed concern and cast doubt on Trump 's promises to deliver a safe and effective vaccine under such a short deadline .
Washington Desk editors Dana Farrington and Krishnadev Calamur contributed to this report .

Trump Admits Playing Down Coronavirus's Severity, According To New Woodward Book
Enlarge this image toggle caption Sean Rayford/Getty Images Sean Rayford/Getty Images
Updated at 4:40 p.m. ET
President Trump is defending himself after interviews from a new book by legendary reporter Bob Woodward reveal that Trump acknowledged the deadliness of the coronavirus in early February and admitted in March to playing down its severity.
"This is deadly stuff," the president told Woodward in a Feb. 7 conversation, according to the book, which is called Rage. "You just breathe the air and that's how it's passed. And so that's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu."
But at the time, Trump was publicly saying that the virus was less of a concern.
On Feb. 10, he told supporters in New Hampshire: "Looks like by April, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away." Later that month, Trump tweeted that the virus was "very much under control in the USA."
And in March, he compared the novel coronavirus to the seasonal flu, saying in a Fox News interview, "We've never closed down the country for the flu."
Trump's claims came despite scientists' relatively early findings that the coronavirus presented significantly more challenges than the seasonal flu because of its novelty, high hospitalization rate and other difficulties.
The coronavirus has now been blamed for nearly 190,000 deaths in America.
Trump responds: "I don't want to create panic"
About a month after the February conversation, Trump admitted to Woodward that he had been playing down the virus's severity.
"I wanted to always play it down," Trump told Woodward on March 19. "I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic."
One study has estimated that if the United States had implemented social distancing measures just a week earlier in March, some 36,000 lives could have been saved.
Trump told reporters on Wednesday that being publicly positive about the virus was a sign of good leadership.
"We had to show calm," he said.
Asked whether he misled the public by downplaying the coronavirus to reduce panic, Trump said, "Well I think if you said 'in order to reduce panic,' perhaps that's so."
He added: "The fact is I'm a cheerleader for this country. I love our country. And I don't want people to be frightened, I don't want to create panic, as you say, and certainly I'm not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. We want to show confidence, we want to show strength, we want to show strength as a nation, and that's what I've done. And we've done very well."
The president went on to call the book "just another political hit job," defending the administration's response to the virus.
Biden: "Life-and-death betrayal"
Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, addressed the revelations on Wednesday, calling them a "life-and-death betrayal of the American people."
Speaking in Michigan while on a campaign stop, Biden said Trump "knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months. He had the information. He knew how dangerous it was. And while the deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job on purpose."
"Dangerous" and "unfit"
Woodward also documents Trump's relationships with some former leaders in his administration, including James Mattis, who was defense secretary; Dan Coats, former director of national intelligence; and Rex Tillerson, former secretary of state.
Mattis, according to the book, privately visited Washington National Cathedral, where he prayed for the nation. Mattis, according to Woodward, called Trump "dangerous" and "unfit," and told Coats, "There may come a time when we have to take collective action."
Coats, a friend of Vice President Pence's, considered resigning because of Trump's handling of Russia, but Pence said, according to Woodward: "Look on the positive side of things that he's done. ... You can't go."
Tillerson's relationship with Trump was poor, but it was especially bad with Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior adviser, Woodward notes. Tillerson found Kushner's dealings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "nauseating to watch."
All three men quickly found themselves out of favor with the president and ultimately either resigned or were fired.
"Biggest threat of your presidency"
NPR obtained a copy of Woodward's book ahead of its Sept. 15 release.
According to it, Trump was warned in early January by national security adviser Robert O'Brien that the virus would be the "biggest national security threat you face in your presidency."
Trump's handling of the virus has come under severe scrutiny as many parts of the U.S. moved more quickly to abandon mitigation measures than other developed nations, even as cases of the virus surged nationwide.
The president has made calling for states to resume normal operations a key component of his reelection campaign, and he aided in the politicization of mask usage. Researchers have found wearing masks to be effective in slowing the virus's spread.
The president has continued to hold large (mostly outdoor) rallies, at which many attendees do not wear masks, despite public health guidance against large, densely packed gatherings of people.
The president has said he expects to see a fast-tracked vaccine available to the public by no later than the end of the year and possibly earlier.
Democrats have expressed concern and cast doubt on Trump's promises to deliver a safe and effective vaccine under such a short deadline.
Washington Desk editors Dana Farrington and Krishnadev Calamur contributed to this report.


npr--2020-09-09--'I Heard Popping And Houses Blowing Up': Unprecedented Wildfires Rage On West Coast

' I Heard Popping And Houses Blowing Up ' : Unprecedented Wildfires Rage On West Coast Intense wildfires are ravaging large swaths of the West Coast , prompting thousands of people to flee parts of Oregon and forcing power outages in California , where fires have already burned a record of more than 2.3 million acres this year .
Fires are burning from Washington state to Southern California .
In southern Oregon , people in parts of Medford , Talent and nearby communities were ordered to evacuate the area immediately Tuesday , with officials citing the imminent threat of fast-moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which has several thousand people — was told to leave .
`` I heard popping and houses blowing up and on fire , '' Bear Creek Mobile Home Park resident Edward Hancock said as he described the scene just outside Ashland to reporter April Ehrlich of Jefferson Public Radio .
Hancock and several neighbors eventually made it to a temporary evacuation center at the county fairgrounds .
Ehrlich , who lives in Talent , said she fled her house and went to a friend 's place in Medford – only to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Early Wednesday , she said via Twitter that `` there 's a good chance my house is gone . ''
Deputies in Clackamas County , southeast of Portland , spent the night going door to door to make sure residents knew they had to get out , the county sheriff 's office said .
One fire in the area was sparked `` when an RV pulling a Jeep south was emitting sparks and caught fire .
The RV pulled over and it started the brush fire , '' the sheriff 's office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented fire event , '' Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown said , urging people to follow evacuation orders to `` try to reduce your smoke exposure – and take care of each other . ''
Across the region , 15 new large wildfires were reported on Monday alone , the National Interagency Fire Center said .
That makes at least 87 large fires , which have burned more than 2.7 million acres .
Even in places where flames have n't reached , massive amounts of smoke have filled the sky , making it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meteorologists say they 're seeing unprecedented fire behavior , with blazes traveling dozens of miles in just hours , '' Raquel Maria Dillon of NPR member station KQED reported .
`` Near Big Sur , flames jumped a containment line and overtook more than a dozen firefighters Tuesday , '' Dillon said .
`` One is in critical condition .
On the other side of the state in the Sierra Nevada , military helicopters rescued hundreds of backpackers and campers . ''
The 2020 fire season is off to a staggering start , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of the first week of September 2019 , California had seen fewer than 5,000 fires , which burned nearly 118,000 acres .
By the same point this year , the state recorded more than 7,600 fires and roughly 2.3 million acres burned , according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , or Cal Fire .
The fires have been stoked by a recent heat wave and propelled by strong winds .
In many places , even a small blaze can find plentiful fuel — dry timber , grass and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to avoid any activities that could create a spark or flame .
A blast of cold air may reduce the risks in some inland areas , but along the coast , it 's adding to the problems .
`` Strong winds on the western side of the winter storm have brought dangerous and life-threatening fire weather conditions to large portions of [ the ] western U.S. , '' the National Weather Service said , `` from the desert Southwest , through the Great Basin , much of California into the Pacific Northwest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to diminish across the coastal area by Thursday , the weather service said .
A critical or elevated fire weather threat persists in many of those places , with red flag warnings along most of the Western coastline and nearby areas on Wednesday .
Smoke from the fires caused eerie orange and hazy skies in San Francisco , the Bay Area and nearby regions Wednesday morning , repeating scenes that have been recorded as far north as Bellingham , Wash. , earlier this week .
Many of the largest fires are burning along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ south , along the Sierra Nevada mountains .
But smoke from those fires is now shrouding communities along the coast in haze , as wind patterns funnel the smoke to the west and south .
`` There 's an elongated low pressure system along the West Coast driving this , '' the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says .
For weeks , parts of the Inland Northwest have been seeing consistently smoky skies .
But thanks to the shift in the winds , many of those regions are now seeing blue skies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month of near steady dense smoke and haze , '' NPR 's Kirk Siegler said , posting an image of the sky in Boise , Idaho , Tuesday .
Pacific Gas & Electric has shut off power in parts of Northern and central California in hopes of reducing the chance that its power lines could trigger a wildfire .
`` PG & E 's shutoffs have affected 170,000 homes and businesses from California wine country to the Sierra Nevada mountains , '' KQED 's Lily Jamali reported .
Such extreme measures are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` PG & E set up 50 community resource centers for customers , especially those needing power for medical equipment , '' Jamali said .
`` But the utility has shut down three of them so far because of the fires ravaging the state . ''
The U.S. Forest Service has closed campgrounds in all national forests in California , citing the deadly risks of `` extreme fire behavior '' and firefighting resources that are already stretched thin .

'I Heard Popping And Houses Blowing Up': Deadly Wildfires Rage On West Coast
Enlarge this image toggle caption Josh Edelson /AFP via Getty Images Josh Edelson /AFP via Getty Images
Updated at 10:27 p.m. ET
Intense wildfires are ravaging large swaths of the West Coast, prompting thousands of people to flee parts of Oregon and forcing power outages in California, where fires have already burned a record of more than 2.3 million acres this year. Fires are burning from Washington state to Southern California.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said on Wednesday afternoon that 35 fires are burning more than 300,000 acres across the state, and even places that are not currently burning face the worst fire conditions in three decades.
"Our number-one priority right now is saving lives," Brown said. "This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfires in our state's history."
The Marion County Sheriff's Office has confirmed two deaths linked to the wildfires.
The Salem Statesman Journal reports that the victims were a 13-year-old boy and his 71-year-old grandmother. The boy's mother survived but was hospitalized in critical condition.
Brown said that several towns — Detroit, Blue River, Vida, Phoenix and Talent — are "substantially destroyed." Hundreds of homes were lost, she added.
And in Washington state on Wednesday, the commissioner of public lands said that a small child had died in the Cold Springs Fire. According to KXLY-TV, the 1-year-old was killed as his family tried to flee from the fire.
The Cold Springs Fire has burned more than 163,000 acres since Sunday evening, prompting mass evacuations and road closures.
In southern Oregon, people in parts of Medford, Talent and nearby communities were ordered to evacuate the area immediately Tuesday, with officials citing the imminent threat of fast-moving fires. The entire town of Phoenix — which has several thousand people — was told to leave.
"I heard popping and houses blowing up and on fire," Bear Creek Mobile Home Park resident Edward Hancock said as he described the scene just outside Ashland to reporter April Ehrlich of Jefferson Public Radio. Hancock and several neighbors eventually made it to a temporary evacuation center at the county fairgrounds.
Ehrlich, who lives in Talent, said she fled her house and went to a friend's place in Medford – only to have that area also fall under evacuation orders. Early Wednesday, she said via Twitter that "there's a good chance my house is gone."
Deputies in Clackamas County, southeast of Portland, spent the night going door to door to make sure residents knew they had to get out, the county sheriff's office said. One fire in the area was sparked "when an RV pulling a Jeep south was emitting sparks and caught fire. The RV pulled over and it started the brush fire," the sheriff's office said.
Across the region, 15 new large wildfires were reported on Monday alone, the National Interagency Fire Center said. That makes at least 87 large fires, which have burned more than 2.7 million acres. Even in places where flames haven't reached, massive amounts of smoke have filled the sky, making it difficult to breathe.
"Foresters and meteorologists say they're seeing unprecedented fire behavior, with blazes traveling dozens of miles in just hours," Raquel Maria Dillon of NPR member station KQED reported.
"Near Big Sur, flames jumped a containment line and overtook more than a dozen firefighters Tuesday," Dillon said. "One is in critical condition. On the other side of the state in the Sierra Nevada, military helicopters rescued hundreds of backpackers and campers."
Enlarge this image toggle caption David McNew/Getty Images David McNew/Getty Images
The 2020 fire season is off to a staggering start, far outpacing last year. By the end of the first week of September 2019, California had seen fewer than 5,000 fires, which burned nearly 118,000 acres. By the same point this year, the state recorded more than 7,600 fires and roughly 2.3 million acres burned, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
The fires have been stoked by a recent heat wave and propelled by strong winds. In many places, even a small blaze can find plentiful fuel — dry timber, grass and brush — officials said, pleading with people to avoid any activities that could create a spark or flame.
A blast of cold air may reduce the risks in some inland areas, but along the coast, it's adding to the problems.
"Strong winds on the western side of the winter storm have brought dangerous and life-threatening fire weather conditions to large portions of [the] western U.S.," the National Weather Service said, "from the desert Southwest, through the Great Basin, much of California into the Pacific Northwest."
The dangerous winds could start to diminish across the coastal area by Thursday, the weather service said.
A critical or elevated fire weather threat persists in many of those places, with red flag warnings along most of the Western coastline and nearby areas on Wednesday.
Smoke from the fires caused eerie orange and hazy skies in San Francisco, the Bay Area and nearby regions Wednesday morning, repeating scenes that have been recorded as far north as Bellingham, Wash., earlier this week.
Many of the largest fires are burning along the Cascade mountain range or, further south, along the Sierra Nevada mountains. But smoke from those fires is now shrouding communities along the coast in haze, as wind patterns funnel the smoke to the west and south.
"There's an elongated low pressure system along the West Coast driving this," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.
For weeks, parts of the Inland Northwest have been seeing consistently smoky skies. But thanks to the shift in the winds, many of those regions are now seeing blue skies.
"An amazing sight after at least a month of near steady dense smoke and haze," NPR's Kirk Siegler said, posting an image of the sky in Boise, Idaho, Tuesday.
Pacific Gas & Electric has shut off power in parts of Northern and central California in hopes of reducing the chance that its power lines could trigger a wildfire.
"PG&E's shutoffs have affected 170,000 homes and businesses from California wine country to the Sierra Nevada mountains," KQED's Lily Jamali reported.
Such extreme measures are a last resort, the utility said.
"PG&E set up 50 community resource centers for customers, especially those needing power for medical equipment," Jamali said. "But the utility has shut down three of them so far because of the fires ravaging the state."
The U.S. Forest Service has closed campgrounds in all national forests in California, citing the deadly risks of "extreme fire behavior" and firefighting resources that are already stretched thin.


npr--2020-09-10--Coronavirus Maps: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Maps : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 6 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 180,000 have died .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily .
Some state outbreaks are worse than others .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on new daily cases per capita .
These color-coded risk levels were developed by a consortium of researchers and public health experts .
The group advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
Orange states may need to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and both yellow and green states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily 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 .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 600 per day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see totals and per capita figures around 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 August , California , Florida and Texas have surpassed 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 state by state , the table below shows the change in average new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over week for the last 28 days .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies 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 .
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 until the JHU team was able to reconcile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited 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--2020-09-10--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
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.


npr--2020-09-10--The Women Of Peru Are Suffering From A 'Shadow Pandemic'

The Women Of Peru Are Suffering From A 'Shadow Pandemic' It 's a grim roster of alerts .
A woman , age 19 , last spotted in July wearing sky blue jeans , a black sweater and black sneakers .
A 16-year-girl missing since she left her home one morning in July .
A 14-year-girl last seen heading to the supermarket at the end of June ; she was wearing blue shoes .
Such are the reports of missing women and girls that can be found on the Facebook page of Mujeres Desaparecidas , or Missing Women , a Peruvian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The case reports are shared by distraught families and friends seeking help from the public in their search for loved ones who have been caught up in a grim statistic : Thousands of women — many of them girls and adolescents — have gone missing in Peru since January , including at least 1,423 reported missing since the country entered a state of emergency amid the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March .
`` These are n't just numbers .
They are real women being erased , '' says Katherine Soto , who founded Mujeres @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years ago .
As much of the world entered lockdown this spring , the United Nations in April warned of a `` shadow pandemic '' – a global increase in violence against women and girls , particularly domestic violence .
Even during normal times , violence against women is high globally , with 1 in 3 women experiencing physical or sexual violence during their lifetime , according to the U.N .
But evidence from past pandemics and humanitarian crises has shown that the stress from economic hardship , social isolation and restricted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many victims trapped at home with their abusers , with limited access to services that could help them .
`` This confinement and restriction can exacerbate violence within homes .
That 's what we 're seeing throughout this pandemic , '' says Isabel Ortiz , a human rights lawyer with the women 's rights office of Peru 's National Ombudsman 's office , an independent group that monitors the country 's human rights .
Many of the missing women and girls are feared dead , Ortiz says , given earlier research from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ portion of women reported missing are later discovered to be victims of femicide .
`` So far this year [ January 1 to August 21 ] there have been 75 cases of femicide and 35 violent deaths of women , of which 18 % [ 19 cases ] were previously reported as missing , '' says Eliana Revollar , who heads the women 's rights division of the Ombudsman 's office .
She says 38 cases of femicide and 19 deaths have occurred since mid-March .
But it 's not just disappearances and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for victims of domestic and sexual violence also skyrocketed between March and the end of July to 104,000 – more than double the calls fielded during the same time period the previous year , according to data from Peru 's Ministry for Women and Vulnerable Populations ( MIMP ) , which runs the hotline .
And MIMP 's emergency-response workers attended to nearly 1,000 victims of rape , including 703 girls and adolescents , during this same time period .
`` All of this is really troubling , '' says Clea Guerra Romero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flora Tristan Center for the Peruvian Woman , a feminist organization .
Guerra Romero says she 's received calls during the pandemic from women whose landlords offered them breaks on rent in exchange for sex , as well as from women experiencing increased violence from their partner after one or both of them lost their job .
Peru is far from the only country where reports suggest that fears about increasing violence against women and children have come to fruition : From Tunisia to Argentina to the United States , calls to domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of confinement , according to the U.N. For example , calls to the U.K. 's National Domestic Abuse hotline spiked by 25 % in the first week of lockdown , and France reported a 30 percent increase in domestic abuse cases , according to the U.N. Violence against women is pervasive across Latin America as a whole , in part because of the region 's history of political and military sexual violence against women that has n't really been addressed , says Jelke Boesten of King 's College London , who has spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Peru , domestic violence against women was a longstanding problem before the pandemic , with 5 women and girls reported missing each day on average , according to the Ombudsman 's office .
The fact that the figures remain so high during the pandemic is striking , given that Peru enacted some of the strictest lockdown measures in the world back in mid-March , with police and armed soldiers on the streets enforcing stay-at-home orders and nighttime curfews .
`` How is it possible that women disappear even during lockdown in such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says Boesten .
`` How can women still disappear if we 're all behind closed doors ? ''
`` It seems to me that this proves the fact that the majority of these missing women are [ victims of ] domestic disputes , '' Boesten says .
`` Women disappear , get killed .
This is intimate partner violence or family violence . ''
Boesten and Ortiz note that reports of both femicides and disappearances were down somewhat in the first months of the pandemic compared to the same time period last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases have really decreased , '' Ortiz says , `` but rather , given the restrictions on freedom , it 's harder for victims or their relatives to file complaints [ with authorities ] .
People were still getting used to this new normal . ''
Indeed , Peru saw a jump in missing women reports after it eased some of its pandemic restrictions at the start of July : 508 women and girls were reported missing in July , compared with 358 the prior month , according to the Ombudsman 's office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency that 's been made invisible for decades , and that 's the emergency women live inside their own homes , with multiple forms of violence , '' says Soto .
Soto and others note that it 's impossible to know for sure the fate of the women reported missing .
That 's because Peru lacks an up-to-date , national database for tracking missing women , even though a law requiring the creation of such a database has been on the books since 2003 .
That means there 's no way to track @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappeared or whether they were later found alive or dead , women 's rights advocates say .
Last month , Peruvian Prime MinisterWalter Martos promised the country 's congress that the database would finally be operational in October .
Soto says she welcomes the news but notes that it comes after 17 years of such government promises .
But Guerra Romero says that while the pandemic has forced the issue of violence against women and girls back onto the political agenda , it has also made it harder for victims of that violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services they need from the government .
Most health services `` are currently primarily focused on COVID care , '' says Guerra Romero .
Peru has one of the highest death rates per capita in the world from the coronavirus — 90.87 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants as of Sept. 3 , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
`` So many health services , even sexual and reproductive health services , in practice have been neglected , '' she says .
The Peruvian government operates emergency centers for women ( Centros Emergencia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal help and counseling for victims of violence , but in practice , these centers have n't been able to do much for all but the worst cases , says a worker with one of these centers who asked not to be named because of fears of losing her job for speaking out .
`` I know we are only addressing urgent , emergency calls , for example sexual violence or attempted femicide or physical violence , '' the CEM worker told NPR .
But more moderate cases of assault – such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being attended to , she says .
`` They are being told that they will get a visit when lockdown measures ease more .
Can you imagine ?
I mean , we 're so many months into this already . ''
She tells me about a case emblematic of the obstacles victims of violence face : a 12-year-old girl who was assaulted and raped while walking home in late May in the Vilcashuamán province of Ayacucho , a region in south-central Peru .
The girl reported the rape , but the health workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emergency health kit that victims of sexual violence are supposed to receive under Peruvian law .
The kit includes the emergency birth control drug levonorgestrel .
The girl later found out she was pregnant .
Two men were charged in the case , but relatives of one man testified that the girl was in fact his girlfriend , while the relative of the second man vouched for his whereabouts at the time of the rape .
A judge eventually let both men go free , with some restrictions on their movement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ state shelter , according to Peruvian news reports .
Boesten says that while Peru has passed several laws in the last two decades to address violence against women and girls , in practice , there 's no actual infrastructure .
`` And that means that one can report violence , but nothing will happen . ''
For example , she says the police in practice do not enforce restraining orders against men reported for domestic violence .
And cases of physical abuse are classified as misdemeanors , not criminal offenses , unless the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incapacitated for at least 10 days , she says .
Guerra Romero of the Peruvian feminist group Flora Tristan says at the heart of the problem is a deeply ingrained culture of machismo .
She points to a 2019 survey from the Peruvian government that found nearly 53 percent of Peruvians think a woman 's job is to focus first on her role as a mother and wife , and only after that on `` her dreams . ''
She says these attitudes pervade Peruvian society , including government officials tasked with applying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data tells us how hard it is to fight against societal prejudices , '' Guerra Romero says .
`` It 's a huge problem throughout the civil service .
We 're talking about police , courts , prosecutors . ''

The Women Of Peru Are Suffering From A 'Shadow Pandemic'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Carlos Garcia Granthon/Fotoholica Press/LightRocket via Getty Images Carlos Garcia Granthon/Fotoholica Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
It's a grim roster of alerts. A woman, age 19, last spotted in July wearing sky blue jeans, a black sweater and black sneakers. A 16-year-girl missing since she left her home one morning in July. A 14-year-girl last seen heading to the supermarket at the end of June; she was wearing blue shoes.
Such are the reports of missing women and girls that can be found on the Facebook page of Mujeres Desaparecidas, or Missing Women, a Peruvian advocacy and support group for families. The case reports are shared by distraught families and friends seeking help from the public in their search for loved ones who have been caught up in a grim statistic: Thousands of women — many of them girls and adolescents — have gone missing in Peru since January, including at least 1,423 reported missing since the country entered a state of emergency amid the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March.
"These aren't just numbers. They are real women being erased," says Katherine Soto, who founded Mujeres Desaparecidas after a close friend went missing four years ago.
As much of the world entered lockdown this spring, the United Nations in April warned of a "shadow pandemic" – a global increase in violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence. Even during normal times, violence against women is high globally, with 1 in 3 women experiencing physical or sexual violence during their lifetime, according to the U.N. But evidence from past pandemics and humanitarian crises has shown that the stress from economic hardship, social isolation and restricted movement can exacerbate the problem, with many victims trapped at home with their abusers, with limited access to services that could help them.
"This confinement and restriction can exacerbate violence within homes. That's what we're seeing throughout this pandemic," says Isabel Ortiz, a human rights lawyer with the women's rights office of Peru's National Ombudsman's office, an independent group that monitors the country's human rights.
Many of the missing women and girls are feared dead, Ortiz says, given earlier research from the Ombudsman's office that found a sizable portion of women reported missing are later discovered to be victims of femicide.
"So far this year [January 1 to August 21] there have been 75 cases of femicide and 35 violent deaths of women, of which 18% [19 cases] were previously reported as missing," says Eliana Revollar, who heads the women's rights division of the Ombudsman's office. She says 38 cases of femicide and 19 deaths have occurred since mid-March.
But it's not just disappearances and femicides. Calls to a national hotline for victims of domestic and sexual violence also skyrocketed between March and the end of July to 104,000 – more than double the calls fielded during the same time period the previous year, according to data from Peru's Ministry for Women and Vulnerable Populations (MIMP), which runs the hotline. And MIMP's emergency-response workers attended to nearly 1,000 victims of rape, including 703 girls and adolescents, during this same time period.
"All of this is really troubling," says Clea Guerra Romero, a human rights lawyer with the Flora Tristan Center for the Peruvian Woman, a feminist organization.
Guerra Romero says she's received calls during the pandemic from women whose landlords offered them breaks on rent in exchange for sex, as well as from women experiencing increased violence from their partner after one or both of them lost their job.
Peru is far from the only country where reports suggest that fears about increasing violence against women and children have come to fruition: From Tunisia to Argentina to the United States, calls to domestic abuse helplines spiked during the early days of confinement, according to the U.N. For example, calls to the U.K.'s National Domestic Abuse hotline spiked by 25% in the first week of lockdown, and France reported a 30 percent increase in domestic abuse cases, according to the U.N.
Violence against women is pervasive across Latin America as a whole, in part because of the region's history of political and military sexual violence against women that hasn't really been addressed, says Jelke Boesten of King's College London, who has spent years researching gender-based violence in Peru.
In Peru, domestic violence against women was a longstanding problem before the pandemic, with 5 women and girls reported missing each day on average, according to the Ombudsman's office. The fact that the figures remain so high during the pandemic is striking, given that Peru enacted some of the strictest lockdown measures in the world back in mid-March, with police and armed soldiers on the streets enforcing stay-at-home orders and nighttime curfews.
"How is it possible that women disappear even during lockdown in such high numbers? It is shocking," says Boesten. "How can women still disappear if we're all behind closed doors?"
"It seems to me that this proves the fact that the majority of these missing women are [victims of] domestic disputes," Boesten says. "Women disappear, get killed. This is intimate partner violence or family violence."
Boesten and Ortiz note that reports of both femicides and disappearances were down somewhat in the first months of the pandemic compared to the same time period last year. "It's not because cases have really decreased," Ortiz says, "but rather, given the restrictions on freedom, it's harder for victims or their relatives to file complaints [with authorities]. People were still getting used to this new normal."
Indeed, Peru saw a jump in missing women reports after it eased some of its pandemic restrictions at the start of July: 508 women and girls were reported missing in July, compared with 358 the prior month, according to the Ombudsman's office.
This pandemic has exposed "another emergency that's been made invisible for decades, and that's the emergency women live inside their own homes, with multiple forms of violence," says Soto.
Soto and others note that it's impossible to know for sure the fate of the women reported missing. That's because Peru lacks an up-to-date, national database for tracking missing women, even though a law requiring the creation of such a database has been on the books since 2003. That means there's no way to track information like the circumstances under which they disappeared or whether they were later found alive or dead, women's rights advocates say. Last month, Peruvian Prime MinisterWalter Martos promised the country's congress that the database would finally be operational in October. Soto says she welcomes the news but notes that it comes after 17 years of such government promises.
But Guerra Romero says that while the pandemic has forced the issue of violence against women and girls back onto the political agenda, it has also made it harder for victims of that violence to get the physical and mental health services they need from the government. Most health services "are currently primarily focused on COVID care," says Guerra Romero. Peru has one of the highest death rates per capita in the world from the coronavirus — 90.87 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants as of Sept. 3, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. "So many health services, even sexual and reproductive health services, in practice have been neglected," she says.
The Peruvian government operates emergency centers for women (Centros Emergencia Mujer, or CEM) that offer legal help and counseling for victims of violence, but in practice, these centers haven't been able to do much for all but the worst cases, says a worker with one of these centers who asked not to be named because of fears of losing her job for speaking out.
"I know we are only addressing urgent, emergency calls, for example sexual violence or attempted femicide or physical violence," the CEM worker told NPR. But more moderate cases of assault – such as verbal assault or pushing — aren't being attended to, she says. "They are being told that they will get a visit when lockdown measures ease more. Can you imagine? I mean, we're so many months into this already."
She tells me about a case emblematic of the obstacles victims of violence face: a 12-year-old girl who was assaulted and raped while walking home in late May in the Vilcashuamán province of Ayacucho, a region in south-central Peru. The girl reported the rape, but the health workers who examined her failed to give her the emergency health kit that victims of sexual violence are supposed to receive under Peruvian law. The kit includes the emergency birth control drug levonorgestrel. The girl later found out she was pregnant. Two men were charged in the case, but relatives of one man testified that the girl was in fact his girlfriend, while the relative of the second man vouched for his whereabouts at the time of the rape. A judge eventually let both men go free, with some restrictions on their movement. Meanwhile, the girl is in a state shelter, according to Peruvian news reports.
Boesten says that while Peru has passed several laws in the last two decades to address violence against women and girls, in practice, there's no actual infrastructure. "And that means that one can report violence, but nothing will happen." For example, she says the police in practice do not enforce restraining orders against men reported for domestic violence. And cases of physical abuse are classified as misdemeanors, not criminal offenses, unless the victim is deemed injured enough to be incapacitated for at least 10 days, she says.
Guerra Romero of the Peruvian feminist group Flora Tristan says at the heart of the problem is a deeply ingrained culture of machismo. She points to a 2019 survey from the Peruvian government that found nearly 53 percent of Peruvians think a woman's job is to focus first on her role as a mother and wife, and only after that on "her dreams." She says these attitudes pervade Peruvian society, including government officials tasked with applying the law.
"This type of data tells us how hard it is to fight against societal prejudices," Guerra Romero says. "It's a huge problem throughout the civil service. We're talking about police, courts, prosecutors."


npr--2020-09-10--Whatever Happened To ... The Instant Hospitals Built In Wuhan For COVID-19 Patients?

Whatever Happened To ...
The Instant Hospitals Built In Wuhan For COVID-19 Patients ?
In February , China pulled off an impressive construction feat that caught the world 's attention : Amid surging cases of COVID-19 , China built two hospitals in the pandemic 's epicenter , Wuhan , in under two weeks to isolate and treat COVID-19 patients .
Consisting largely of prefabricated rooms and components , the two-story structures were dubbed `` instant hospitals . ''
NPR reported on the facilities just as the first one opened .
But now the virus is under control in Wuhan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to normal .
So , what happened to these `` instant hospitals ? ''
The 1,000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital ( meaning `` Fire God Mountain '' ) opened its doors on February 3 .
Five days later , its sister hospital , Leishenshan ( meaning `` Thunder God Mountain '' ) , opened with another 1,500 beds .
Although some reports indicate Leishenshan was slower to fill up than Huoshenshan , according to Chinese state media , it was soon operating at near full capacity as well .
`` Most news that came out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news by China , so there 's little information on how effective they actually were , because there 's a propensity to publicize only the better side of the news , '' says Raymond Pan , the design principal at HMC Architects .
In 2011 , Pan won an award for his design of Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University in China , located where the first outbreak of SARS happened in 2003 .
At the request of Chinese health officials , his design allows the hospital to easily isolate any part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infectious disease outbreak .
Huoshenshan and Leishenshan were among 40 hospitals in Wuhan designated for serious and critical care COVID-19 patients .
Sixteen other makeshift hospitals were set up in converted gyms , convention and exhibition centers to isolate and treat mild cases , so those patients infect their families .
The vigorous efforts seem to have worked , because just a month later , on March 10 , Chinese president Xi Jinping declared that the disease had been `` basically curbed '' in Wuhan and its province , Hubei .
That day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down .
Huoshenshan and Leishenshan continued operating for another month , after which they sent their final batch of patients to regular hospitals and were officially sealed off and `` retired '' on April 15 .
According to state media , Leishenshan ended up treating a total of 2,011 patients over the two months it was operational .
Government officials say there are no plans to demolish the hospitals yet , and they can be `` reactivated at any time '' if a second wave of infections hits .
`` Although the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals ] have returned to their workplaces , the equipment and facilities are still there so that if needed , the workers can be mobilized again and the hospital can be reopened , '' says Yanzhong Huang , a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations .
What happens after the pandemic is still unclear , but if the hospitals ' predecessor is any indication , not much .
During the 2003 SARS outbreak , China built Xiaotangshan Hospital on the outskirts of Beijing in just seven days out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what inspired the `` instant hospitals '' in Wuhan .
According to Huang and state media , Xiaotangshan – like the two in Wuhan – was never meant to be a fully functioning hospital .
Rather , it was built as a temporary field hospital that was n't supposed to last more than three years .
During the outbreak , it admitted one-seventh of the country 's SARS patients over roughly two months – an estimated 700 individuals .
And then , it sat abandoned .
In 2010 , the government announced that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparently , it was n't `` completely demolished , '' because in January 2020 , renovations began to revitalize Xiaotangshan for COVID-19 patients .
Again , its service period did n't last long – only one and a half months .
By April 29 , the hospital was once again closed .
`` If there was any negative impact [ of the abandoned hospital sitting there for 17 years ] , it was n't publicized , '' says Pan , but he has concerns .
`` Once a building deteriorates , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as pollution as pieces of the building fall apart or possible medical waste that can contaminate drinking , surface and ground waters if the building is n't properly cleaned and sanitized .
Huang says there were no reports of any medical waste leakage or health hazards while the SARS hospital sat abandoned .
`` To my knowledge , they have also sterilized [ Huoshenshan and Leishenshan ] to make sure there 's no [ medical waste ] leakage , so I guess I have to trust their capability to not make this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From an urban planning perspective , too , Pan says the hospitals occupy strategic locations within Wuhan , so if the hospitals are abandoned , it 'll be a missed opportunity to do something valuable with the sites .
If the buildings are n't demolished , he 'd like to see them converted into other uses – perhaps a rehab facility or even a museum .
`` But the obstacle is : How well was it built to be able to withstand longer-term use and conversion ? ''
says Pan .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital '' model can be adopted by other countries to fight the pandemic .
Although prefabricated hospitals are gaining popularity , Pan says no one besides China has the resources or cost-effective labor to follow suit .
It would be `` prohibitively expensive , '' for any other country , he says .
Instead , the makeshift hospitals that were converted from existing large buildings have already been adopted by others .
On August 1 , Hong Kong opened its first makeshift hospital at a convention center .
Meanwhile , the U.S. has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in convention centers , parking garages , stadiums , among other venues .
`` These [ makeshift hospitals ] were very effective in treating patients [ in China ] , especially mild cases , '' says Huang .
`` They prevented infections that would have happened if those patients had been sent home to crowded living situations . ''
Joanne Lu is a freelance journalist who covers global poverty and inequity .
Her work has appeared in Humanosphere , The Guardian , Global Washington and War is Boring .
Follow her on Twitter @ @ @

Whatever Happened To ... The Instant Hospitals Built For COVID-19 Patients In Wuhan?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Stringer/Getty Images Stringer/Getty Images
In February, China pulled off an impressive construction feat that caught the world's attention: Amid surging cases of COVID-19, China built two hospitals in the pandemic's epicenter, Wuhan, in under two weeks to isolate and treat COVID-19 patients. Consisting largely of prefabricated rooms and components, the two-story structures were dubbed "instant hospitals." NPR reported on the facilities just as the first one opened. But now the virus is under control in Wuhan, and life has more or less returned to normal. So, what happened to these "instant hospitals?"
The 1,000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital (meaning Fire God Mountain) opened its doors on Feb. 3. Five days later, its sister hospital, Leishenshan (meaning Thunder God Mountain), opened with another 1,500 beds. Although some reports indicate Leishenshan was slower to fill up than Huoshenshan, according to Chinese state media, it was soon operating at near full capacity as well.
"Most news that came out about [these hospitals] was state-run news by China, so there's little information on how effective they actually were, because there's a propensity to publicize only the better side of the news," says Raymond Pan, the design principal at HMC Architects. In 2011, Pan won an award for his design of Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University in China, located where the first outbreak of SARS happened in 2003. At the request of Chinese health officials, his design allows the hospital to easily isolate any part of the hospital in the event of an infectious disease outbreak.
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Huoshenshan and Leishenshan were among 40 hospitals in Wuhan designated for serious and critical care for COVID-19 patients. Sixteen other makeshift hospitals were set up in converted gyms, convention and exhibition centers to isolate and treat mild cases, so those patients would not infect their families.
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The vigorous efforts seem to have worked, because just a month later, on March 10, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that the disease had been "basically curbed" in Wuhan and its province, Hubei. That day, the 16 makeshift hospitals were all shut down.
Huoshenshan and Leishenshan continued operating for another month, after which they sent their final batch of patients to regular hospitals and were officially sealed off and "retired" on April 15. According to state media, Leishenshan ended up treating a total of 2,011 patients over the two months it was operational. Government officials say there are no plans to demolish the hospitals yet, and they can be "reactivated at any time" if a second wave of infections hits.
"Although the health workers [in these two field hospitals] have returned to their workplaces, the equipment and facilities are still there so that if needed, the workers can be mobilized again and the hospital can be reopened," says Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.
What happens after the pandemic is still unclear, but if the hospitals' predecessor is any indication, not much.
During the 2003 SARS outbreak, China built Xiaotangshan Hospital on the outskirts of Beijing in just seven days out of prefabricated components. That hospital is what inspired the "instant hospitals" in Wuhan.
According to Huang and state media, Xiaotangshan — like the two in Wuhan — was never meant to be a fully functioning hospital. Rather, it was built as a temporary field hospital that wasn't supposed to last more than three years. During the outbreak, it admitted one-seventh of the country's SARS patients over roughly two months — an estimated 700 individuals. And then, it sat abandoned.
In 2010, the government announced that the facility would be demolished, but apparently, it wasn't "completely demolished," because in January 2020, renovations began to revitalize Xiaotangshan for COVID-19 patients. Again, its service period didn't last long — only one and a half months. By April 29, the hospital was once again closed.
"If there was any negative impact [of the abandoned hospital sitting there for 17 years], it wasn't publicized," says Pan, but he has concerns. "Once a building deteriorates, there are environmental concerns," he says, such as pollution as pieces of the building fall apart or possible medical waste that can contaminate drinking, surface and ground waters if the building isn't properly cleaned and sanitized.
Huang says there were no reports of any medical waste leakage or health hazards while the SARS hospital sat abandoned. "To my knowledge, they have also sterilized [Huoshenshan and Leishenshan] to make sure there's no [medical waste] leakage, so I guess I have to trust their capability to not make this another health hazard," he says.
From an urban planning perspective, too, Pan says the hospitals occupy strategic locations within Wuhan, so if the hospitals are abandoned, it'll be a missed opportunity to do something valuable with the sites. If the buildings aren't demolished, he'd like to see them converted into other uses — perhaps a rehab facility or even a museum. "But the obstacle is: How well was it built to be able to withstand longer-term use and conversion?" says Pan.
Many have also asked whether the "instant hospital" model can be adopted by other countries to fight the pandemic. Although prefabricated hospitals are gaining popularity, Pan says no one besides China has the resources or cost-effective labor to follow suit. It would be "prohibitively expensive" for any other country, he says.
Instead, the makeshift hospitals that were converted from existing large buildings have already been adopted by others. On Aug. 1, Hong Kong opened its first makeshift hospital at a convention center. Meanwhile, the U.S. has installed numerous "pop-up" medical facilities in convention centers, parking garages, stadiums, among other venues.
"These [makeshift hospitals] were very effective in treating patients [in China], especially mild cases," says Huang. "They prevented infections that would have happened if those patients had been sent home to crowded living situations."
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Joanne Lu is a freelance journalist who covers global poverty and inequity. Her work has appeared in Humanosphere, The Guardian, Global Washington and War is Boring. Follow her on Twitter: @joannelu