npr--2020-08-01--PHOTOS: Living Tree Bridges In A Land Of Clouds

It was a cloudy monsoon afternoon , and I had been trailing my guide Bah Drong for over an hour .
Despite the slight but persistent drizzle , Bah Drong marched along unfazed , his seasoned calf muscles carrying him swiftly along the rough , mountainous trail .
I had to hurry to avoid falling behind .
Every now and then he turned to offer encouragement with a few words of broken English and a mouth full of betel nut seeds : `` Little more ! ''
It would take us another full hour to find what I had come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both intrinsically natural and intrinsically engineered , a `` JingKiengJri , '' or a living bridge made out of tree roots .
The word comes from the local ( phonetic ) language called Khasi .
I was in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya , which translates to `` abode of the clouds . ''
Here , at the foot of the Himalayas , lie the Garo and Khasi ranges , which endow the landscape with undulating hills , deep valleys and fast-flowing rivers .
Every monsoon season , rain-laden winds sweep up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open upon this mountainous terrain and creating what 's widely considered to be the wettest region in the world .
On average , this area receives between 32 and 45 feet of rainfall a year .
These hills are home to the Khasi people , a mountain tribe who , for centuries , have made this harsh landscape their own .
Their primary occupation is farming , often supplemented by fishing , growing betel palm , fermenting rice beer and distilling spirits from rice or millet .
Some villages have concrete houses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , slightly elevated from the ground so water can flow under them .
During the dry season , the community 's focus is split between farming and preparation for the rainy season .
When the rains begin , usually in June , they continue for four to five months , and life slows down to a standstill .
This is a time for staying indoors and socializing .
With the advent of electricity , board games have been replaced by mobile phones and television , but drinking beer and telling stories have n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the populous cities , the villages that dot these hills are remote and sparsely inhabited .
Over the centuries , the Khasis have learned to adapt to the specific challenges this landscape creates .
They have learned to delicately mold the landscape into a form they can inhabit .
There is perhaps nothing else that exemplifies this more than the JingKiengJri .
When I think back to my own arduous trek across this hillscape , I begin to comprehend how much the geography of this place is characterized by isolation and disconnectedness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not have road access .
A trip to the closest town might require climbing down into valleys and crossing flooding rivers to reach another village .
But crossing these rivers is n't possible without a bridge .
It 's hardly surprising , then , that it was the need for connectedness that provided the first guiding impulse for these ancient experiments in bioengineering .
Tree bridges are structures that are literally rooted in the terrain and that thrive under the relentless pressures of the wettest land in the world .
The raw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fig trees ( Ficus elastica ) .
That 's because they are very elastic , and they put out aerial roots .
First , an ideal location on the river is identified for the bridge , and then people go into the forest and find healthy F. elastica saplings to replant on either side of the river .
After a wait of 10 to 15 years , the trees are old enough to put out aerial roots , which the bridge builders then coax across the river with the help of bamboo scaffolding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way for pedestrians to cross the river while the bridge is under construction .
Over the years , the aerial roots are pulled and woven to meet the tree on the other side of the river .
The roots are tied with each other and over the years they begin to merge by a process of fusion known as anastomosis .
Once the tree has reached a certain level of maturity , it adds more roots to the network , which the local people weave into the bridge .
After the entire network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bridge reaches a critical strength capable of supporting pedestrians .
This is the standard method used in root bridge-building .
But after exploring and photographing over 25 such structures and speaking with those who use them most , I came to realize there is no one way to construct or grow these bridges , and no two bridges look exactly alike .
I found bridges in their very early stages of development and some that were centuries old .
In the early stages of growth there is more maintenance as villagers guide and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sometimes they 'll build bamboo handrails to prevent people from falling off .
In addition , the villagers will stuff fallen leaves inside the gaps of the root network so they may decompose into humus and provide nutrition for the bridge .
The more I learned , the more I realized how conventional vocabulary related to building and construction simply did not seem adequate to describe this process .
As I walked across my first JingKiengJri , my mind darted this way and that , trying to find a comparable experience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crossing a concrete bridge .
No , it did not feel like climbing a tree .
Instead , it felt like a fairy tale come to life .
And perhaps , in a way , that 's what it is .
In a place where concrete bridges are unlikely to survive even a few decades due to earthquakes , landslides and floods , these bridges grow stronger , more robust and resilient with age .
They do not require revenue to build , only time .
What 's more , the root bridges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over them .
Studies suggest that a single F. elastica tree can potentially support up to a few hundred living species — birds , insects , sometimes mammals and vegetation like moss .
The trees themselves are ecosystems , constantly interacting with their living and nonliving surroundings .
Exploring and photographing these bridges was n't easy .
The mountains were never-ending , and the villages remote .
Except for a few areas frequented by tourists , gaining access to faraway villages took time and planning .
Even once I reached a village , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a difficult task .
As most bridges lie in valleys , reaching them usually required treacherous treks up and down hills for hours on end , often along damaged and slippery trails , with torrential rainfall for company .
All this while carrying heavy camera gear that had to be kept dry .
It was a lesson in endurance .
While documenting different aspects of these bridges , I was keen to photograph them in a unique light .
The idea was to isolate these monumental bridges from the rainforest background that engulfs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one thing : illuminating my subject with multiple fixed light sources was not an option , as it would require ferrying much equipment to such a remote location and might also disturb the bridge ecosystem with constant bright light .
After extensive research and advice from a photographer friend Anand Varma , I settled on a age-old technique known as light painting .
Essentially , with an exposure time of approximately few minutes , I would hold the portable light source as I walked the length and breadth of the bridge , aiming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go dark for the photograph .
In addition , I put fixed lighting in specific places , sometimes behind the bridge , to add layers of highlights , bringing certain branches and elements of the bridge into focus .
After many nights , I began to get a sense of what to illuminate and what to leave in shadow , which bridges would benefit from the ambient light of the moon and which would retain their mystery without it .
When I showed my results to my friends from the villages , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at their very own bridges .
As fantastical as they appear , these bridges face very real issues today .
Some have become tourist spots , and hundreds of people visit them during the rainy season when the forests are lush and inviting .
Tourism , here as everywhere else , is a double-edged sword .
It has undoubtedly brought in steady income for these villages : Locals make money from home stays and guiding , and even the state government has begun to fund tourism development .
But these bridges are built @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pedestrians , not of hundreds of tourists scrambling for selfies .
Some bridges have begun to show signs of physical damage .
Besides this , government funds have been used to build concrete stairs , walls and ticket collection stands , often right next to these bridges , posing a long-term threat to their stability and sometimes blocking the roots .
Fortunately , many locals are increasingly aware of these threats and are working toward developing a more sustainable model of tourism — for example , by considering a limit on the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I hiked back from our trip to the bridge , my mind was buzzing with thoughts of how much knowledge these bridges hold — for engineers , architects , ecologists , anthropologists and others .
They are living , breathing examples of life in the past that can help us create sustainable lifestyles for the future .
When I shared my thoughts with Bah Drong , he agreed .
These bridges are special , he told me : That 's why his people build them .
He told me that they fully intend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making sure they last as long as possible .
I asked him what happens to the bridges that are no longer in use .
He smiled at me and said , `` They 'll become a part of the forest , my friend . ''
A molecular biologist turned photographer , Prasenjeet Yadav focuses on natural history and science stories in Asia .
He now combines his experience in research with his photography skills to popularize ecological and conservation sciences in the wider society .
He is currently working on a story for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

PHOTOS: Living Tree Bridges In A Land Of Clouds
Enlarge this image toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav Prasenjeet Yadav
It was a cloudy monsoon afternoon, and I had been trailing my guide Bah Drong for over an hour. Despite the slight but persistent drizzle, Bah Drong marched along unfazed, his seasoned calf muscles carrying him swiftly along the rough, mountainous trail. I had to hurry to avoid falling behind. Every now and then, he turned to offer encouragement with a few words of broken English and a mouth full of betel nut seeds: "Little more!"
It would take us another full hour to find what I had come to see: a being that was both intrinsically natural and intrinsically engineered, a jing kieng jri, a living bridge made out of tree roots. The word comes from the local (phonetic) language called Khasi.
toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav
I was in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya, which translates to "abode of the clouds." Here, at the foot of the Himalayas lie the Garo and Khasi ranges, which endow the landscape with undulating hills, deep valleys and fast-flowing rivers. Every monsoon season, rain-laden winds sweep up from the Bay of Bengal, breaking open upon this mountainous terrain and creating what's widely considered to be the wettest region in the world. On average, this area receives between 32 and 45 feet of rainfall a year.
toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav
These hills are home to the Khasi people, a mountain tribe that, for centuries, have made this harsh landscape its own. The residents' primary occupation is farming, often supplemented by fishing, growing betel palm, fermenting rice beer, and distilling spirits from rice or millet. Some villages have concrete houses, but most locals prefer traditional bamboo dwellings, slightly elevated from the ground so water can flow under them.
During the dry season, the community's focus is split between farming and preparation for the rainy season.
When the rains begin, usually in June, they continue for four to five months, and life slows down to a standstill. This is a time for staying indoors and socializing. With the advent of electricity, board games have been replaced by mobile phones and television, but drinking beer and telling stories haven't lost their charm.
Far removed from the populous cities, the villages that dot these hills are remote and sparsely inhabited. Over the centuries, the Khasis have learned to adapt to the specific challenges this landscape creates. They have learned to delicately mold the landscape into a form they can inhabit.
There is perhaps nothing else that exemplifies this more than the jing kieng jri.
toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav
When I think back to my own arduous trek across this hillscape, I begin to comprehend how much the geography of this place is characterized by isolation and disconnectedness. Even today, most of these villages do not have road access. A trip to the closest town might require climbing down into valleys and crossing flooding rivers to reach another village.
But crossing these rivers isn't possible without a bridge.
It's hardly surprising, then, that it was the need for connectedness that provided the first guiding impulse for these ancient experiments in bioengineering. Tree bridges are structures that are literally rooted in the terrain and that thrive under the relentless pressures of the wettest land in the world.
The raw materials for building these bridges are rubber fig trees (Ficus elastica). That's because they are very elastic, and they put out aerial roots. First, an ideal location on the river is identified for the bridge, and then people go into the forest and find healthy F. elastica saplings to replant on either side of the river.
After a wait of 10 to 15 years, the trees are old enough to put out aerial roots, which the bridge builders then coax across the river with the help of bamboo scaffolding. This scaffolding doubles as a temporary way for pedestrians to cross the river while the bridge is under construction. Over the years, the aerial roots are pulled and woven to meet the tree on the other side of the river. The roots are tied with one another and eventually they merge by a process of fusion known as anastomosis.
Once the tree has reached a certain level of maturity, it adds more roots to the network, which the local people weave into the bridge. After the entire network of roots has sufficiently matured, the bridge reaches a critical strength capable of supporting pedestrians.
toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav
This is the standard method used in root-bridge building. But after exploring and photographing over 25 such structures and speaking with those who use them most, I came to realize that there is no one way to construct or grow these bridges and that no two bridges look exactly alike. I found bridges in their very early stages of development and some that were centuries old.
In the early stages of growth, there is more maintenance as villagers guide and tie new roots into the existing bridge. Sometimes they'll build bamboo handrails to prevent people from falling off. In addition, the villagers will stuff fallen leaves inside the gaps of the root network so they may decompose into humus and provide nutrition for the bridge.
toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav
The more I learned, the more I realized how conventional vocabulary related to building and construction simply did not seem adequate to describe this process. As I walked across my first jing kieng jri, my mind darted this way and that, trying to find a comparable experience. No, it did not feel like crossing a concrete bridge. No, it did not feel like climbing a tree. Instead, it felt like a fairy tale come to life. And perhaps, in a way, that's what it is.
In a place where concrete bridges are unlikely to survive even a few decades because of earthquakes, landslides and floods, these bridges grow stronger, more robust and resilient with age. They do not require revenue to build, only time.
What's more, the root bridges don't just support humans who cross over them. Studies suggest that a single F. elastica tree can potentially support up to a few hundred living species — birds, insects, sometimes mammals and vegetation like moss. The trees themselves are ecosystems, constantly interacting with their living and nonliving surroundings.
toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav
toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav
Exploring and photographing these bridges wasn't easy. The mountains were never-ending, and the villages remote. Except for a few areas frequented by tourists, gaining access to faraway villages took time and planning. Even once I reached a village, getting to a root bridge was always a difficult task. As most bridges lie in valleys, reaching them usually required treacherous treks up and down hills for hours on end, often along damaged and slippery trails, with torrential rainfall for company. All this while carrying heavy camera gear that had to be kept dry. It was a lesson in endurance.
While documenting different aspects of these bridges, I was keen to photograph them in a unique light. The idea was to isolate these monumental bridges from the rainforest background that engulfs them. I was certain of only one thing: illuminating my subject with multiple fixed-light sources was not an option, as it would require ferrying much equipment to such a remote location and might also disturb the bridge ecosystem with constant bright light.
After extensive research and advice from a photographer friend Anand Varma, I settled on a age-old technique known as light painting.
toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav
Essentially, with an exposure time of approximately few minutes, I would hold the portable light source as I walked the length and breadth of the bridge, aiming light at some areas and letting others go dark for the photograph. In addition, I put fixed lighting in specific places, sometimes behind the bridge, to add layers of highlights, bringing certain branches and elements of the bridge into focus.
After many nights, I began to get a sense of what to illuminate and what to leave in shadow, which bridges would benefit from the ambient light of the moon and which would retain their mystery without it. When I showed my results to my friends from the villages, they often couldn't believe they were looking at their very own bridges.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Prasenjeet Yadav Prasenjeet Yadav
As fantastical as they appear, these bridges face very real problems today. Some have become tourist spots, and hundreds of people visit them during the rainy season when the forests are lush and inviting.
Tourism, here as everywhere else, is a double-edged sword. It has undoubtedly brought in steady income for these villages: Locals make money from home stays and guiding, and even the state government has begun to fund tourism development. But these bridges are built to withstand the weight of occasional local pedestrians, not of hundreds of tourists scrambling for selfies. Some bridges have begun to show signs of physical damage.
Besides this, government funds have been used to build concrete stairs, walls and ticket collection stands, often right next to these bridges, posing a long-term threat to their stability and sometimes blocking the roots.
Fortunately, many locals are increasingly aware of these threats and are working toward developing a more sustainable model of tourism — for example, by considering a limit on the number of tourists.
As Bah Drong and I hiked back from our trip to the bridge, my mind was buzzing with thoughts of how much knowledge these bridges hold — for engineers, architects, ecologists, anthropologists and others. They are living, breathing examples of life in the past that can help us create sustainable lifestyles for the future.
When I shared my thoughts with Bah Drong, he agreed. These bridges are special, he told me: That's why his people build them.
He told me that they fully intend to keep maintaining the useful bridges, making sure they last as long as possible.
I asked him what happens to the bridges that are no longer in use. He smiled at me and said, "They'll become a part of the forest, my friend."
A molecular biologist-turned-photographer, Prasenjeet Yadav focuses on natural history and science stories in Asia. He now combines his experience in research with his photography skills to popularize ecological and conservation sciences in the wider society. He is currently working on a story for National Geographic Magazine on the Indian Himalayas.


npr--2020-08-01--Biden Wants The Fed To Help Close Racial Economic Gaps. How Would That Work?

Biden Wants The Fed To Help Close Racial Economic Gaps .
How Would That Work ?
This week , the Biden campaign released its fourth and final plank in the former Vice President 's package of economic ideas : a plan for racial economic equity .
It 's a 26-page rundown of policies ranging from a plan to boost small businesses to a first-time homebuyer tax credit .
But contained in the plan was a less-flashy proposal : asking the Federal Reserve to explicitly take race into account when it sets policy .
`` Within its existing mandate of promoting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fed should aggressively enhance its surveillance and targeting of persistent racial gaps in jobs , wages , and wealth , '' the Biden plan says .
What the Biden team is proposing is n't a total overhaul of monetary policy ; rather , it 's more of a refocusing of the Fed 's attention onto America 's wide racial economic gaps , as well as making sure that the Fed talks about those gaps .
Monetary policy is n't known for targeting particular subgroups , however — the Fed 's main tools are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible that the policy could play a part in shrinking gaps considerably , but there is some dispute over how effective it would be .
What Biden is proposing Biden is proposing that the Fed pay attention to racial gaps in making monetary policy , and also regularly talk about those gaps .
A quick refresher on what the Fed does : it has what 's called a `` dual mandate , '' meaning that by law , it has to pursue two aims : to both keep inflation in check and maintain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been to get unemployment down to a level that is as low as possible , without getting so low that inflation picks up .
Its main tool in doing that is manipulating interest rates .
Pushing interest rates downward is like pushing on the accelerator ; it 's supposed to speed up the economy , because lower interest rates help spur investment and borrowing .
( For example , think about how people say it 's a great time to buy a house when mortgage rates are low . )
Here 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Fed usually pays attention to the total unemployment rate when it considers what full employment looks like .
However , that unemployment rate obscures some wide gaps .
For example , Black and Hispanic unemployment have been consistently higher than white and Asian unemployment .
In fact , the Black unemployment rate in recent years has been just under twice as high as the total unemployment rate .
`` Based on historical relationships , a 4 % overall rate translates into something like an 8 % overall rate for Blacks , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' said Jared Bernstein , who was Chief Economist to Vice President Biden and is familiar with Biden 's current proposals .
Bernstein also co-wrote a June paper that advocated for the Fed shrinking racial gaps .
Bernstein makes the case that the Fed could keep monetary policy loose without sparking runaway inflation .
Unemployment was at historically low levels before the pandemic , but it did n't appear to be sending prices spiking upward .
All of that might mean the Fed would decide to hold interest rates lower for longer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that more of the the ( disproportionately Black and Hispanic ) people remaining unemployed are hired , without inflation also increasing .
In addition , Biden is proposing that the Fed talk more about racial gaps .
Specifically , he would want to amend the Federal Reserve Act so that when the Fed chair goes to Capitol Hill to report on the economy ( as the chair is required by law to do ) , they would also report on racial gaps .
Those gaps go well beyond jobs ; America has some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family has 10 times the wealth of the median Black family and 8 times that of the median Hispanic family , according to Fed data .
Would it work ?
One former Fed governor believes that just the communication part of the Biden policy would play a big part in shrinking racial gaps .
`` I think that you could go a long way simply by saying to the Fed , 'Look , we want you to report on a regular basis about the gap between Black unemployment and white unemployment , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ influence that gap ? '
'' said Narayana Kocherlakota , professor of economics at the University of Rochester and former president of the Minneapolis Fed .
`` I think anything the Fed has to pay attention to in its reports to Congress or the public immediately flow into decision-making . ''
He also sees past Fed policy as being too tight and thinks paying attention to racial economic gaps would prevent those kinds of moves in the future .
`` I think it really would put an alert on the Fed about tightening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I think we saw a lot of in the last slow recovery from from the Great Recession , '' Kocherlakota said .
But then , not everyone agrees that the Fed should be targeting racial gaps .
Former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin told the Wall Street Journal earlier this week that he thinks this type of Fed policy would be `` a long way from their traditional mandate . ''
In addition , it 's also possible that such a policy would n't be very effective at shrinking gaps .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an economist at Duke University .
`` I do n't see any way that aggregate interest rate policy will reduce the gap , '' Darity wrote in an email to NPR .
`` Since the unemployment rate gap is an index of the degree of discrimination in employment in the economy , and interest policy has no impact on discrimination , I have no idea why anyone would believe conventional Fed monetary policy cold have an effect on the black-white ratio of unemployment rates . ''
He added that he would prefer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct role in financing reparations for black American descendants of U.S .
slavery . ''
Biden has said he supports a study of reparations , but his racial equity plan does not call for that kind of policy .
For his part , Bernstein is clear that Fed policy alone would n't achieve Biden 's goals for greater racial equality .
`` No one is claiming that this idea by itself would close racial wealth gaps , '' he said .
But he added , `` I think it would be a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of color of persistently tight labor markets . ''

Biden Wants The Fed To Help Close Racial Economic Gaps. How Would That Work?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
Updated at 9 a.m. ET
This week, Joe Biden's campaign released its fourth and final plank in the former vice president's package of economic ideas: a plan for racial economic equity. It's a 26-page rundown of policies ranging from a plan to boost small businesses to a first-time homebuyer tax credit.
But contained in the plan was a less-flashy proposal: asking the Federal Reserve to explicitly take race into account when it sets policy.
"Within its existing mandate of promoting maximum employment and stable prices, the Fed should aggressively enhance its surveillance and targeting of persistent racial gaps in jobs, wages, and wealth," the Biden plan says.
What the Biden team is proposing isn't a total overhaul of monetary policy; rather, it's more of a refocusing of the Fed's attention onto America's wide racial economic gaps, as well as making sure that the Fed talks about those gaps.
Monetary policy isn't known for targeting particular subgroups, however — the Fed's main tools are more sledgehammers than scalpels. It's possible that the policy could play a part in shrinking gaps considerably, but there is some dispute over how effective it would be.
What Biden is proposing
Biden is proposing that the Fed pay attention to racial gaps in making monetary policy, and also regularly talk about those gaps.
(He's also proposing greater diversity in Fed hiring, as well as backing a "real-time payment system" the Fed has proposed to allow faster bank transactions between people and businesses. This article is going to focus on typical monetary policy, however.)
A quick refresher on what the Fed does: It has what's called a "dual mandate," meaning that by law, it has to pursue two aims: to both keep inflation in check and maintain "full employment."
The idea has been to get unemployment down to a level that is as low as possible, without getting so low that inflation picks up.
Its main tool in doing that is manipulating interest rates. Pushing interest rates downward is like pushing on the accelerator; it's supposed to speed up the economy, because lower interest rates help spur investment and borrowing. (For example, think about how people say it's a great time to buy a house when mortgage rates are low.)
Here's where Biden's proposals come in. The Fed usually pays attention to the total unemployment rate when it considers what full employment looks like.
However, that unemployment rate obscures some wide gaps. For example, Black and Hispanic unemployment have been consistently higher than white and Asian unemployment. In fact, the Black unemployment rate in recent years has been just under twice as high as the total unemployment rate.
"Based on historical relationships, a 4% overall rate translates into something like an 8% overall rate for Blacks, and that's a recessionary unemployment rate," said Jared Bernstein, who was chief economist to Vice President Biden and is familiar with Biden's current proposals. Bernstein also co-wrote a June paper that advocated for the Fed shrinking racial gaps.
Bernstein makes the case that the Fed could keep monetary policy loose without sparking runaway inflation. Unemployment was at historically low levels before the pandemic, but it didn't appear to be sending prices spiking upward.
All of that might mean the Fed would decide to hold interest rates lower for longer, Bernstein said. The hope would be that more of the (disproportionately Black and Hispanic) people remaining unemployed are hired, without inflation also increasing.
In addition, Biden is proposing that the Fed talk more about racial gaps. Specifically, he would want to amend the Federal Reserve Act so that when the Fed chair goes to Capitol Hill to report on the economy (as the chair is required by law to do), they would also report on racial gaps.
Those gaps go well beyond jobs; America has some gaping wealth disparities. The median white family has 10 times the wealth of the median Black family and 8 times that of the median Hispanic family, according to Fed data.
For his part, President Trump has touted the record-low unemployment levels that Black and Hispanic Americans hit pre-pandemic as proof that his economic policies benefit people of color. However, in recent weeks, he has also used the rollback of a housing policy designed to combat bias in an apparent attempt to play on white voters' presumed racist fears.
Trump has had a rocky relationship with the Federal Reserve, as well, often criticizing Chair Jerome Powell when Trump thinks the Fed has not boosted the economy aggressively enough.
Would it work?
One former Fed governor believes that just the communication part of the Biden policy would play a big part in shrinking racial gaps.
"I think that you could go a long way simply by saying to the Fed, 'Look, we want you to report on a regular basis about the gap between Black unemployment and white unemployment, and how are your policy choices likely to influence that gap?' " said Narayana Kocherlakota, professor of economics at the University of Rochester and former president of the Minneapolis Fed. "I think anything the Fed has to pay attention to in its reports to Congress or the public immediately flow into decision-making."
He also sees past Fed policy as being too tight and thinks paying attention to racial economic gaps would prevent those kinds of moves in the future.
"I think it really would put an alert on the Fed about tightening too early, which I think unfortunately, I think we saw a lot of in the last slow recovery from from the Great Recession," Kocherlakota said.
But then, not everyone agrees that the Fed should be targeting racial gaps. Former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin told the Wall Street Journal earlier this week that he thinks this type of Fed policy would be "a long way from their traditional mandate."
In addition, it's also possible that such a policy wouldn't be very effective at shrinking gaps. That's the view of Sandy Darity, an economist at Duke University.
"I don't see any way that aggregate interest rate policy will reduce the gap," Darity wrote in an email to NPR. "Since the unemployment rate gap is an index of the degree of discrimination in employment in the economy, and interest policy has no impact on discrimination, I have no idea why anyone would believe conventional Fed monetary policy could have an effect on the black-white ratio of unemployment rates."
He added that he would prefer the Fed to instead "play a direct role in financing reparations for black American descendants of U.S. slavery."
Biden has said he supports a study of reparations, but his racial equity plan does not call for that kind of policy.
For his part, Bernstein is clear that Fed policy alone wouldn't achieve Biden's goals for greater racial equality.
"No one is claiming that this idea by itself would close racial wealth gaps," he said. But he added, "I think it would be a big mistake to underestimate the benefits to persons of color of persistently tight labor markets."


npr--2020-08-01--Smaller Nuclear Plants May Come With Less Stringent Safety Rules

Smaller Nuclear Plants May Come With Less Stringent Safety Rules For more than a half century , nuclear power has been focused on one kind of plant : a huge , complicated , expensive facility , with armed guards , located away from cities and next to a river .
Now , a new generation of nuclear engineers focused on climate change is designing plants that are smaller and cheaper , and could be located closer to where people live .
Companies say the plants are also safer , but to help their business models succeed they need changes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ existing plants .
One of the start-ups getting attention is Oklo , whose proposed nuclear power plant looks more like a stylish ski chalet than an industrial facility .
`` We 're not using water .
We 're not large .
We 're not using the same type of fuel .
We 're able to recycle waste and used fuel , '' says Caroline Cochran , Oklo chief operating officer and co-founder .
Cochran says her company 's plants are more like the small research reactors found on college campuses .
Each would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes .
Initially the plan is to use them in remote areas such as rural Alaska , where they could replace more-polluting diesel generators .
NuScale Power has designed a larger nuclear power plant that is still very different from existing generators .
Instead of one big reactor , each NuScale facility would have up to 12 smaller reactors that sit underground in a huge pool of water that absorbs heat .
NuScale co-founder José Reyes told NPR last year that there are no pumps or generators that could fail .
That 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to melt-downs .
Reyes says if there 's a problem and radiation is released , the danger to people would be limited to the plant site .
That means his plants could be located closer to homes , say at old coal power plant sites .
`` They would love to re-purpose those sites for clean energy like nuclear power , '' said Reyes .
`` Our design would fit perfectly with those plans . ''
But first the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would have to change its rules .
The NRC is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evacuation zones around these newer reactors — from a 10-mile radius to , in some cases , the boundary of the plant site .
Nuclear energy critics say that would be a mistake .
`` When you 're talking about a reactor that 's never been built or operated , you have to take with a big grain of salt the claims that it 's actually safer or more secure , '' says Edwin Lyman at Union of Concerned Scientists .
He says the industry also wants to use weaker reactor containment shells @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't want to have to keep an operator at the site .
Lyman thinks companies should build plants under current rules first .
`` You have to work out the kinks of these new plants , '' he says .
`` And then over time you might be able to adjust your requirements accordingly .
But you do n't do that at the get-go . ''
A National Nuclear Security Administration ( NNSA ) official recently echoed some of Lyman 's concerns in comments sent to the NRC .
The NNSA is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Deputy Under Secretary Jay Tilden called the proposed rule a major departure from `` the successful 42-year-old practice of using a 10-mile plume exposure emergency planning zone . ''
That existing regulation , he wrote , provides `` the last layer of a defense-in-depth for low-probability , high-consequence accidents . ''
But a day later , U.S. Department of Energy Spokesperson Jessica Szymanski said the comments `` do not represent the official position of DOE or NNSA . ''
She said both agencies support the proposed rulemaking .
That 's in line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are simpler and safer , and so deserve different and less stringent regulations .
`` As technology evolves , the regulations should evolve to match the new state of technology , '' says Marcus Nichol , senior director of new reactors at the Nuclear Energy Institute .
Nichol says there 's a lot of knowledge about how these new reactor designs work , and years of testing behind the components .
Previous accidents — including Three Mile Island in 1979 — stopped the nuclear industry 's growth .
Nichol says companies and regulators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plants are safe .
`` We recognize that if we were to do anything that 's not safe , that is the end of our industry as we know it , '' he says .
The NRC has extended a comment period on the proposed rule to September 25th .
A final rule on whether to shrink evacuation zones around plants is expected next year .

Smaller Nuclear Plants May Come With Less Stringent Safety Rules
For more than a half century, nuclear power has been focused on one kind of plant: a huge, complicated, expensive facility, with armed guards, located away from cities and next to a river.
Now, a new generation of nuclear engineers focused on climate change is designing plants that are smaller and cheaper, and could be located closer to where people live. Companies say the plants are also safer, but to help their business models succeed they need changes to regulations that were designed for the larger existing plants.
One of the start-ups getting attention is Oklo, whose proposed nuclear power plant looks more like a stylish ski chalet than an industrial facility.
"We're not using water. We're not large. We're not using the same type of fuel. We're able to recycle waste and used fuel," says Caroline Cochran, Oklo chief operating officer and co-founder.
Cochran says her company's plants are more like the small research reactors found on college campuses. Each would generate enough electricity to power hundreds of homes. Initially the plan is to use them in remote areas such as rural Alaska, where they could replace more-polluting diesel generators.
NuScale Power has designed a larger nuclear power plant that is still very different from existing generators. Instead of one big reactor, each NuScale facility would have up to 12 smaller reactors that sit underground in a huge pool of water that absorbs heat.
NuScale co-founder José Reyes told NPR last year that there are no pumps or generators that could fail. That's what happened in the Fukishima accident that led to melt-downs.
Reyes says if there's a problem and radiation is released, the danger to people would be limited to the plant site. That means his plants could be located closer to homes, say at old coal power plant sites.
Enlarge this image toggle caption NuScale Power NuScale Power
"They would love to re-purpose those sites for clean energy like nuclear power," said Reyes. "Our design would fit perfectly with those plans."
But first the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would have to change its rules.
Taking safety claims "with a big grain of salt"
The NRC is considering whether to shrink emergency planning and evacuation zones around these newer reactors — from a 10-mile radius to, in some cases, the boundary of the plant site.
Nuclear energy critics say that would be a mistake.
"When you're talking about a reactor that's never been built or operated, you have to take with a big grain of salt the claims that it's actually safer or more secure," says Edwin Lyman at Union of Concerned Scientists.
He says the industry also wants to use weaker reactor containment shells, and in some cases they don't want to have to keep an operator at the site.
Lyman thinks companies should build plants under current rules first. "You have to work out the kinks of these new plants," he says. "And then over time you might be able to adjust your requirements accordingly. But you don't do that at the get-go."
A National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) official recently echoed some of Lyman's concerns in comments sent to the NRC. The NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the Department of Energy.
Deputy Under Secretary Jay Tilden called the proposed rule a major departure from "the successful 42-year-old practice of using a 10-mile plume exposure emergency planning zone." That existing regulation, he wrote, provides "the last layer of a defense-in-depth for low-probability, high-consequence accidents."
But a day later, U.S. Department of Energy Spokesperson Jessica Szymanski said the comments "do not represent the official position of DOE or NNSA." She said both agencies support the proposed rulemaking.
That's in line with nuclear industry arguments that these plants are simpler and safer, and so deserve different and less stringent regulations.
"As technology evolves, the regulations should evolve to match the new state of technology," says Marcus Nichol, senior director of new reactors at the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Nichol says there's a lot of knowledge about how these new reactor designs work, and years of testing behind the components.
Previous accidents — including Three Mile Island in 1979 — stopped the nuclear industry's growth. Nichol says companies and regulators are committed to making sure these new plants are safe.
"We recognize that if we were to do anything that's not safe, that is the end of our industry as we know it," he says.
The NRC has extended a comment period on the proposed rule to September 25th. A final rule on whether to shrink evacuation zones around plants is expected next year.


npr--2020-08-01--In Rural Missouri, Latinx Communities Learn To Contain And Cope With The Coronavirus

In Rural Missouri , Latinx Communities Learn To Contain And Cope With The Coronavirus Francisco Bonilla is a pastor in Carthage , Mo.
, catering to the spiritual needs of the town 's growing Latinx community .
But he 's also a media personality , casting his voice far beyond the white-painted walls of Casa de Sanidad .
Inside the church , Bonilla runs a low-power , Spanish-language radio station .
Bonilla mainly uses the station to broadcast sermons and religious music .
But these days he is also focused on COVID-19 : explaining the illness and its symptoms , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counts , and bringing on guests .
He has broadcast interviews with a local nurse and with investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Bonilla and some fellow pastors have closed their churches amid the COVID-19 crisis .
But there are some 30 churches serving the town 's Latinx community , and he says other pastors have n't acted as responsibly .
Bonilla says that some church leaders may believe that if they do n't hold services , it means they do n't have faith , and they want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June , the southwest corner of Missouri experienced a surge of coronavirus cases , including an outbreak among workers at the Butterball poultry processing plant in Carthage .
Coronavirus infections have been a problem at meat and poultry processing plants in many states .
The impact has been particularly hard on nearby Latinx communities , which often provide the bulk of the workforce inside the plants .
Hispanic and Latinx people have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 .
In Missouri , they make up 4 % of the state 's population but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or ethnicity is known .
In Jasper County , where Carthage is located , they comprise almost 40 % of the confirmed cases , but only 8.5 % of the county population , according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services .
Nationwide , Hispanic and Latinx patients are hospitalized for COVID-19 at four times the rate of white people .
Many Latin American immigrants came to Carthage to work at the Butterball poultry processing plant , which employs some 800 people in the town of 15,000 .
The first to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the bulk who moved to the area over the past two decades came primarily from Guatemala and El Salvador .
The Butterball plant is half a mile from Carthage 's town square , a straight shot north along Main Street .
Along the stretch are small shops and restaurants , many with Spanish-language flyers in the windows .
They advertise money transfer services , self-help books , and the availability of regional ingredients from Guatemala and El Salvador .
The Butterball plant has always been a sort of anchor for Carthage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked there in the 1992 , after moving the family to Carthage from Los Angeles .
When he was younger , Topete also worked for Butterball .
`` My family came from having nothing , whatever we had in our U-Haul and that was it , to owning a restaurant and selling it later and being well established in the community , '' Topete explains .
It 's a common story for many of the Latin American immigrants to Carthage , who can find good-paying jobs at the plant without having to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down here , if you were Hispanic you knew each other , '' Topete says .
`` It was a very tight group and it 's expanded tremendously these last few years . ''
These days , a third of the people in Carthage are Hispanic , according to the U.S. Census Bureau .
In 2016 , Topete won a seat on the city council , the first Latinx resident to do so .
Topete says the Latinx residents at Butterball and in other essential jobs face pressure on several fronts .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel like they have to keep going to work .
They 're afraid of being laid off , or they need the money for their families .
`` I do know people that have tested positive , '' Topete says .
`` I try to stay in contact by calling them , following up on them , making sure they 're doing OK. '' A CDC team came to Carthage to investigate the outbreak .
They reported the virus made its way into the Butterball plant , infecting workers and spreading through their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed workers have tested positive , but declined to say how many .
Topete says some residents still do n't know much about the disease , so the city is ramping up its outreach .
A Spanish-langue public service announcement produced by the Carthage Police Department explains that just because the Missouri governor has lifted the statewide stay-at-home order , it does n't mean the virus is gone .
The police department is part of the town 's COVID-19 taskforce , and has helped Topete post flyers for the Latinx community .
Rural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connecting to immigrant communities , says Lori Freeman , CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials .
These health departments are smaller , and typically have fewer language resources than their larger , urban counterparts , Freeman says .
`` In larger or even medium health departments there are community health workers that are often bilingual or lingual enough to serve the communities that exist in the demographic area that they serve , '' Freeman says .
At La Tiendita , a Mexican grocery store and restaurant , owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help keep his workers and customers safe .
He 's concerned about children being exposed to the virus when their parents bring them along to shop , so he 's posted a sign on the door asking that only one member of a family enter at a time .
Next to the industrial tortilla maker , he has marked the floor with large `` X '' s , as a visual guide and reminder for customers to stay socially distant from one another .
Topete fears the town 's Latinx community could become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says many people have the impression that the virus has only affected workers at the Butterball plant , when in reality it has spread throughout town .
Topete says that Carthage officials need to keep up their outreach efforts , but he does think the educational efforts are working : on a recent trip to the store , he saw more Latinx shoppers than before wearing masks — and more of them were wearing masks than white shoppers .
This story is part of a partnership between NPR , KBIA and Kaiser Health @ @

In Rural Missouri, Latinx Communities Learn To Contain And Cope With The Coronavirus
Enlarge this image toggle caption Terra Fondriest for The Washington Post via Getty Images Terra Fondriest for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Francisco Bonilla is a pastor in Carthage, Mo., catering to the spiritual needs of the town's growing Latinx community. But he's also a media personality, casting his voice far beyond the white-painted walls of Casa de Sanidad. Inside the church, Bonilla runs a low-power, Spanish-language radio station.
Bonilla mainly uses the station to broadcast sermons and religious music. But these days he is also focused on COVID-19: explaining the illness and its symptoms, updating his listeners with the newest case counts, and bringing on guests. He has broadcast interviews with a local nurse and with investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bonilla and some fellow pastors have closed their churches amid the COVID-19 crisis. But there are some 30 churches serving the town's Latinx community, and he says other pastors haven't acted as responsibly.
Bonilla says that some church leaders may believe that if they don't hold services, it means they don't have faith, and they want to show God is in control.
toggle caption Seth Thompson
Starting in June, the southwest corner of Missouri experienced a surge of coronavirus cases, including an outbreak among workers at the Butterball poultry processing plant in Carthage.
Coronavirus infections have been a problem at meat and poultry processing plants in many states. The impact has been particularly hard on nearby Latinx communities, which often provide the bulk of the workforce inside the plants.
Hispanic and Latinx people have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In Missouri, they make up 4% of the state's population but 14% of cases in which race or ethnicity is known. In Jasper County, where Carthage is located, they comprise almost 40% of the confirmed cases, but only 8.5% of the county population, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Nationwide, Hispanic and Latinx patients are hospitalized for COVID-19 at four times the rate of white people.
Many Latin American immigrants came to Carthage to work at the Butterball poultry processing plant, which employs some 800 people in the town of 15,000. The first to arrive in Carthage were predominantly from Mexico. But the bulk who moved to the area over the past two decades came primarily from Guatemala and El Salvador.
The Butterball plant is half a mile from Carthage's town square, a straight shot north along Main Street. Along the stretch are small shops and restaurants, many with Spanish-language flyers in the windows. They advertise money transfer services, self-help books, and the availability of regional ingredients from Guatemala and El Salvador.
The Butterball plant has always been a sort of anchor for Carthage councilman Juan Topete: his Mexican-American parents worked there in the 1992, after moving the family to Carthage from Los Angeles. When he was younger, Topete also worked for Butterball.
"My family came from having nothing, whatever we had in our U-Haul and that was it, to owning a restaurant and selling it later and being well established in the community," Topete explains.
It's a common story for many of the Latin American immigrants to Carthage, who can find good-paying jobs at the plant without having to speak English.
"When I first moved down here, if you were Hispanic you knew each other," Topete says. "It was a very tight group and it's expanded tremendously these last few years."
These days, a third of the people in Carthage are Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2016, Topete won a seat on the city council, the first Latinx resident to do so.
Topete says the Latinx residents at Butterball and in other essential jobs face pressure on several fronts. Some who test positive for the virus nevertheless feel like they have to keep going to work. They're afraid of being laid off, or they need the money for their families.
"I do know people that have tested positive," Topete says. "I try to stay in contact by calling them, following up on them, making sure they're doing OK."
A CDC team came to Carthage to investigate the outbreak. They reported the virus made its way into the Butterball plant, infecting workers and spreading through their families. In a statement, Butterball confirmed workers have tested positive, but declined to say how many.
Topete says some residents still don't know much about the disease, so the city is ramping up its outreach.
toggle caption Sebastián Martínez Valdivia/ KBIA; Seth Thompson
A Spanish-langue public service announcement produced by the Carthage Police Department explains that just because the Missouri governor has lifted the statewide stay-at-home order, it doesn't mean the virus is gone.
The police department is part of the town's COVID-19 taskforce, and has helped Topete post flyers for the Latinx community.
Rural health departments can have a harder time connecting to immigrant communities, says Lori Freeman, CEO of the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
These health departments are smaller, and typically have fewer language resources than their larger, urban counterparts, Freeman says. "In larger or even medium health departments there are community health workers that are often bilingual or lingual enough to serve the communities that exist in the demographic area that they serve," Freeman says.
At La Tiendita, a Mexican grocery store and restaurant, owner Jose Alvarado has taken some steps to help keep his workers and customers safe.
He's concerned about children being exposed to the virus when their parents bring them along to shop, so he's posted a sign on the door asking that only one member of a family enter at a time. Next to the industrial tortilla maker, he has marked the floor with large "X"s, as a visual guide and reminder for customers to stay socially distant from one another.
Topete fears the town's Latinx community could become a scapegoat for the virus. He says many people have the impression that the virus has only affected workers at the Butterball plant, when in reality it has spread throughout town.
Topete says that Carthage officials need to keep up their outreach efforts, but he does think the educational efforts are working: on a recent trip to the store, he saw more Latinx shoppers than before wearing masks — and more of them were wearing masks than white shoppers.
This story is part of a partnership between NPR, KBIA and Kaiser Health News.


npr--2020-07-31--Trump Says He'll Ban TikTok From U.S. As Soon As Saturday

Trump Says He 'll Ban TikTok From U.S. As Soon As Saturday Updated at 6:00 a.m .
ET Saturday President Trump has announced he plans to ban TikTok , the hugely popular video-sharing app , from operating in the U.S. as early as Saturday .
Trump 's announcement comes after reports Friday that software giant Microsoft was in talks to acquire the app 's U.S. operations .
The president made it clear that he did not approve of the proposed acquisition .
`` As far as TikTok is concerned , we 're banning them from the United States , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida .
He added that he could sign an executive order in order to enact the ban .
If Microsoft bought TikTok , it would give the lumbering tech giant ownership of one of the trendiest social media platforms , favored by the youngest digital users coveted by all of Silicon Valley .
Microsoft is said to be just one of a number of interested buyers of the app .
For months , TikTok has been the go-to platform for teens and millennials to showcase and spread comedy routines , dance challenges and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , TikTok 's popularity has surged worldwide , logging in more than 180 million downloads in the U.S. alone , according to research firm Sensor Tower .
TikTok has also come under increasing scrutiny in Washington because it is owned by ByteDance , a Chinese company worth $ 100 billion .
Before his announcement , Trump floated the idea of banning the app on his way to Floriday .
`` We may be banning TikTok , '' Trump told reporters earlier on Friday .
`` We 'll see what happens . ''
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US , with strict controls on employee access , '' a TikTok spokesperson said , responding to Trump 's announcement .
`` We are committed to protecting our user 's privacy and safety as we continue to work to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform . ''
The spokesperson added that the company has hired nearly 1,000 people to the U.S. team The Trump administration and some Democrats in Congress have been raising alarms over the possibility of the Chinese government compelling TikTok to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans .
While there is no hard evidence that such data collection is occurring , Trump officials see the threat TikTok poses as real and for weeks now have been considering ways to ban TikTok or force it to sever ties with ByteDance .
For its part , TikTok says it has never turned over any data to the Chinese Community Party , nor have Chinese officials ever asked for the data .
TikTok publicly discloses the data it collects on users , including what messages are exchanged , what videos are watched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and access to the contacts on a user 's phone .
Technology experts say that level of data collection is in line with other smartphone apps .
The person familiar with the acquisition talks pointed to the popular gay dating app Grindr as a possible model for TikTok .
Earlier this year , U.S. officials approved the sale of Grindr to a group of American investors .
The agreement was approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States , the same panel now examining TikTok .
In particular , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Musical.ly , a video-sharing service that become popular in the U.S. but was then relaunched as TikTok and became the first Chinese-based app to become a huge global hit .
This deal would address the fears over Chinese ownership — worries the company has forcefully battled against .
TikTok 's corporate owner is based in Beijing , but the company has long said it stores its data in Virginia .
Its backup servers are in Singapore , and it says Chinese officials do not have access to them .
Still , TikTok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to demote topics like Black Lives Matter and of censoring content to please the Chinese Communist Party .
In a nod to the concerns from Washington , TikTok 's newly-minted CEO Kevin Mayer announced this week that the company would take an unusual step toward transparency .
It will open up its algorithms , as well as its content moderation decisions and data collection , to the public , he wrote .
`` We will not wait for regulation to come , '' Mayer wrote .
`` Experts can observe our moderation policies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the actual code that drives our algorithms .
This puts us a step ahead of the industry , and we encourage others to follow suit . ''
In the same announcement , Mayer announced TikTok would hire 10,000 workers in the U.S. His statement was also a response to competition from Facebook .
The social media giant plans to launch a feature similar to TikTok next month .
It is reportedly offering hundreds of thousands of dollars to lure TikTok stars to its service .
Mayer called Facebook 's forthcoming feature a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and designed to put an end to our very presence in the US . ''

Microsoft In Talks To Buy TikTok As Trump Threatens A Ban
Enlarge this image toggle caption Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Updated at 11:51 a.m. ET Saturday
President Trump has announced he plans to ban TikTok, the hugely popular video-sharing app, from operating in the U.S. as early as Saturday.
Trump's announcement comes after reports Friday that software giant Microsoft was in talks to acquire the app's U.S. operations. The president made it clear that he does not approve of the proposed acquisition.
"As far as TikTok is concerned, we're banning them from the United States," he told reporters traveling with him from Florida. He added that he could sign an executive order to enact the ban.
Following Trump's announcement, TikTok shared a message from its U.S. general manager, Vanessa Pappas, in which she said, "We're not planning on going anywhere." Pappas said that TikTok was "building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do" and that it intended to bring more jobs to the U.S.
"I want to say thank you to the millions of Americans who use TikTok every day bringing their creativity and joy into our daily lives. We've heard your outpouring of support and we want to say thank you," said Pappas.
"We're here for the long run," she added.
If Microsoft buys TikTok, it would give the lumbering tech giant ownership of one of the trendiest social media platforms, favored by the youngest digital users coveted by all of Silicon Valley. Microsoft is said to be just one of a number of interested buyers of the app.
For months, TikTok has been the go-to platform for teens and millennials to showcase and spread comedy routines, dance challenges and political activism. Since the pandemic began, TikTok's popularity has surged worldwide, logging in more than 180 million downloads in the U.S. alone, according to research firm Sensor Tower.
TikTok has also come under increasing scrutiny in Washington because it is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company worth $100 billion.
Before his announcement, Trump floated the idea of banning the app on his way to Florida. "We may be banning TikTok," Trump told reporters earlier on Friday. "We'll see what happens."
"TikTok US user data is stored in the US, with strict controls on employee access," a TikTok spokesperson said, responding to Trump's announcement. "We are committed to protecting our user's privacy and safety as we continue to work to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform."
The spokesperson added that the company has hired nearly 1,000 people for the U.S. team.
The Trump administration and some Democrats in Congress have been raising alarms about the possibility of the Chinese government compelling TikTok to turn over personal data of millions of Americans. While there is no hard evidence that such data collection is occurring, Trump officials see the threat TikTok poses as real and for weeks now have been considering ways to ban TikTok or force it to sever ties with ByteDance.
TikTok says it has never turned over any data to the Chinese Community Party, nor have Chinese officials ever asked for the data.
TikTok publicly discloses what it does with the data it collects on users, including what messages are exchanged, what videos are watched on the app, online browsing history and access to the contacts on a user's phone. Technology experts say that level of data collection is in line with other smartphone apps.
The person familiar with the acquisition talks pointed to the popular dating app Grindr as a possible model for TikTok.
Earlier this year, U.S. officials approved the sale of Grindr to a group of American investors. The agreement was approved by the federal Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, the same panel now examining TikTok.
In particular, the committee is now reviewing ByteDance's purchase of Musical.ly, a video-sharing service that became popular in the U.S. but was then relaunched as TikTok and became the first Chinese-based app to become a global hit.
This deal would address the fears over Chinese ownership — worries the company has forcefully battled.
TikTok's corporate owner is based in Beijing, but the company has long said it stores its data in Virginia. Its backup servers are in Singapore, and it says Chinese officials do not have access to them.
Still, TikTok has been accused of using its algorithms to demote topics like Black Lives Matter and of censoring content to please the Chinese Communist Party.
In a nod to the concerns from Washington, TikTok's newly minted CEO, Kevin Mayer, announced this week that the company would take an unusual step toward transparency. It will open up its algorithms, as well as its content moderation decisions and data collection, to the public, he wrote.
"We will not wait for regulation to come," Mayer wrote. "Experts can observe our moderation policies in real-time, as well as examine the actual code that drives our algorithms. This puts us a step ahead of the industry, and we encourage others to follow suit."
In the same announcement, Mayer announced TikTok would hire 10,000 workers in the U.S.
His statement was also a response to competition from Facebook. The social media giant plans to launch a feature similar to TikTok next month. It is reportedly offering hundreds of thousands of dollars to lure TikTok stars to its service.
Mayer called Facebook's forthcoming feature a "copycat" service "disguised as patriotism and designed to put an end to our very presence in the U.S."
NPR's Shannon Bond and Wynne Davis contributed to this report.


npr--2020-08-01--Scientists In Washington State Have Trapped Their 1st Murder Hornet

Scientists In Washington State Have Trapped Their 1st Murder Hornet The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced Friday that it trapped its first Asian giant hornet on July 14 , a step forward in the race to remove the invasive species before it damages North American bee populations beyond repair .
`` This is encouraging because it means we know that the traps work , '' Sven Spichiger , the managing entomologist for WSDA , said in a press release .
`` But it also means we have work to do . ''
Also known as murder hornets , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thumb and they have sharp , serrated jaws and stingers that can pierce through denim jeans .
It `` kind of seems like someone just stitched together a bunch of nightmares and just ran with it , '' entomologist Samuel Ramsey told NPR 's Short Wave in May .
According to the WSDA , the hornets could have `` negative impacts on the environment , economy , and public health of Washington State . ''
In Japan , they kill up to 50 people a year .
Experts are also worried about their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bees and destroy their colonies , an alarming sight on a continent already grappling with a rapidly declining bee population .
When these hornets are finished attacking , they can leave what amounts to piles of bees with their heads torn from their bodies .
While the species is new to North America , bees in the hornets ' native habitat in Japan have developed a way to fight back .
Murder hornets hunt by sending out a single drone , who scouts potential hives and returns to its colony to recruit more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Japanese bees can coax that first scouting hornet inside their colony , where an entire squadron of bees is ready to drop onto the hornet and cover it completely .
`` They all start vibrating their flight muscles and they actually create so much heat in this process that they cook the hornet , and the carbon dioxide that 's produced in the process also totally can suffocate the hornet as well , '' Ramsey said .
`` It 's a pretty remarkable ability that they create a convection oven in nature to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North America ca n't do that , though .
In the fall , colonies begin reproducing queens and drones , so the WSDA hopes to destroy all of the murder hornets in the area by mid-September to prevent the spread of the invasive species .
Now that the department knows its traps work , staffers are going to search for murder hornet nests using infrared cameras and place more traps around the area that will keep these captured hornets alive .
If the hornets stay alive in their traps , WSDA researchers will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the colony and eliminate them in one swoop .

Scientists In Washington State Have Trapped Their 1st Murder Hornet
Enlarge this image toggle caption Karen Ducey/Getty Images Karen Ducey/Getty Images
The Washington State Department of Agriculture announced Friday that it trapped its first Asian giant hornet on July 14, a step forward in the race to remove the invasive species before it damages North American bee populations beyond repair.
"This is encouraging because it means we know that the traps work," Sven Spichiger, the managing entomologist for WSDA, said in a press release. "But it also means we have work to do."
Also known as murder hornets, they are about the size of an average thumb and they have sharp, serrated jaws and stingers that can pierce through denim jeans. It "kind of seems like someone just stitched together a bunch of nightmares and just ran with it," entomologist Samuel Ramsey told NPR's Short Wave in May.
According to the WSDA, the hornets could have "negative impacts on the environment, economy, and public health of Washington State." In Japan, they kill up to 50 people a year. Experts are also worried about their presence in North America because they eat bees and destroy their colonies, an alarming sight on a continent already grappling with a rapidly declining bee population. When these hornets are finished attacking, they can leave what amounts to piles of bees with their heads torn from their bodies.
While the species is new to North America, bees in the hornets' native habitat in Japan have developed a way to fight back. Murder hornets hunt by sending out a single drone, who scouts potential hives and returns to its colony to recruit more murder hornets to attack the bees. Japanese bees can coax that first scouting hornet inside their colony, where an entire squadron of bees is ready to drop onto the hornet and cover it completely.
"They all start vibrating their flight muscles and they actually create so much heat in this process that they cook the hornet, and the carbon dioxide that's produced in the process also totally can suffocate the hornet as well," Ramsey said. "It's a pretty remarkable ability that they create a convection oven in nature to kill their enemies."
Bees in North America can't do that, though. In the fall, colonies begin reproducing queens and drones, so the WSDA hopes to destroy all of the murder hornets in the area by mid-September to prevent the spread of the invasive species.
Now that the department knows its traps work, staffers are going to search for murder hornet nests using infrared cameras and place more traps around the area that will keep these captured hornets alive. If the hornets stay alive in their traps, WSDA researchers will be able to track them back to the colony and eliminate them in one swoop.


npr--2020-08-01--Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva Tests Positive For COVID-19

Rep. Raúl Grijalva tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday , becoming at least the 12th member of Congress to contract the virus .
The Arizona Democrat chairs the House Natural Resources Committee , which held a hearing on Tuesday that was attended by Rep. Louie Gohmert , R-Texas , who has repeatedly refused to wear a mask in public .
The next day , Gohmert tested positive for the coronavirus during a routine screening at the White House .
Soon after the news of Gohmert 's test result , Grijalva was one of a handful of members who went into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Grijalva contracted the infection .
`` While I can not blame anyone directly for this , this week has shown that there are some Members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously , '' Grijalva said in a statement , adding that he has yet to show any symptoms .
`` Numerous Republican members routinely strut around the Capitol without a mask to selfishly make a political statement at the expense of their colleagues , staff , and their families . ''
Twelve members of Congress are now known to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rand Paul , R-Ky. , and Reps. Morgan Griffith , R-Va. , Tom Rice , R-S.C. , Neal Dunn , R-Fla. , Nydia Velázquez , D-N.Y. , Mike Kelly , R-Pa. , Joe Cunningham , D-S.C. , Seth Moulton , D-Mass.
, Mario Diaz-Balart , R-Fla. and Ben McAdams , D-Utah .
More than 60 Capitol Hill workers have also been exposed to the virus .
On Wednesday , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that all members of Congress and staff will be required to wear masks in the House chamber except when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleased that Speaker Pelosi has mandated the use of masks at the Capitol to keep members and staff safe from those looking to score quick political points , '' Grijalva said in the statement .
`` Stopping the spread of a deadly virus should not be a partisan issue . ''
Grijalva 's home state of Arizona reported an average of 2,530 new COVID-19 cases a day this week , according to tracking by NPR .
Since January , there have been more than 174,000 cases and nearly 3,700 deaths from the virus @ @ @ @

Arizona Congressman Raúl Grijalva Tests Positive For COVID-19
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bonnie Cash/Pool/Getty Images Bonnie Cash/Pool/Getty Images
Rep. Raúl Grijalva tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, becoming at least the 12th member of Congress to contract the virus.
The Arizona Democrat chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, which held a hearing on Tuesday that was attended by Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, who has repeatedly refused to wear a mask in public. The next day, Gohmert tested positive for the coronavirus during a routine screening at the White House.
Soon after the news of Gohmert's test result, Grijalva was one of a handful of members who went into quarantine, but it is not known how Grijalva contracted the infection.
"While I cannot blame anyone directly for this, this week has shown that there are some Members of Congress who fail to take this crisis seriously," Grijalva said in a statement, adding that he has yet to show any symptoms. "Numerous Republican members routinely strut around the Capitol without a mask to selfishly make a political statement at the expense of their colleagues, staff, and their families."
Twelve members of Congress are now known to have contracted the virus, including Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Reps. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., Tom Rice, R-S.C., Neal Dunn, R-Fla., Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., Mike Kelly, R-Pa., Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., Seth Moulton, D-Mass., Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. and Ben McAdams, D-Utah.
More than 60 Capitol Hill workers have also been exposed to the virus. On Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that all members of Congress and staff will be required to wear masks in the House chamber except when recognized to speak.
"I'm pleased that Speaker Pelosi has mandated the use of masks at the Capitol to keep members and staff safe from those looking to score quick political points," Grijalva said in the statement. "Stopping the spread of a deadly virus should not be a partisan issue."
Grijalva's home state of Arizona reported an average of 2,530 new COVID-19 cases a day this week, according to tracking by NPR. Since January, there have been more than 174,000 cases and nearly 3,700 deaths from the virus in the state.


npr--2020-08-01--Tropical Storm Isaias Nears Florida Coast

Isaias weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm as it headed toward Florida 's southeast coast on Saturday evening , but it is expected to restrengthen to a hurricane overnight .
The National Hurricane Center is warning that tropical storm conditions are expected to begin Saturday night in Florida and is urging residents to prepare `` to protect life and property . ''
`` Do n't be fooled by the downgrade , we do think it will be upgraded back to a hurricane later on this evening , '' Gov .
Ron DeSantis said on Saturday at a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sustained winds were 70 mph , the National Hurricane Center reported .
The center of the storm is expected to hit the Florida coast late Saturday or early Sunday morning and continue traveling north along the coast .
On Abaco Islands in the Bahamas , officials evacuated people who had been living in temporary housing since Hurricane Dorian hit the region last year , The Associated Press reported .
Hurricane conditions and dangerous storm surges continued through the day in the Bahamas and are expected to continue in portions of the northwest Bahamas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hurricane Center .
Before reaching hurricane status , Isaias caused widespread flooding , power outages and landslides in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Thursday .
At least one person died in the Dominican Republic as a result of the storm , according to the AP .
In Puerto Rico , nearly half a million homes and businesses were without power , the Weather Channel reported .
In Florida , Gov .
DeSantis urged state residents to remain vigilant and heed warnings from local officials and news outlets as Isaias moves closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains fluid and can change quickly , '' DeSantis said Friday .
Storm surges along parts of Florida 's east coast with water rising 2 to 4 feet above ground level are possible , according to the National Hurricane Center .
Isaias is expected to bring heavy rains and potentially life-threatening flash flooding and urban flooding to south and east-central Florida .
On Friday , DeSantis declared a state of emergency in every coastal county of Florida 's east coast , from Miami-Dade to Nassau counties , and closed virus testing sites .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is continuing to battle one of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus in the nation .
Yet DeSantis said that Florida 's Division of Emergency Management was prepared for the storm .
The governor said the state has 20 million masks , 22 million gloves , 10 million gowns , 1.6 million face shields , 270,000 coveralls and 20,000 thermometers to help respond to impacted areas .
In addition to personal protective equipment , the state purchased 50 additional generators in case of power outages .
DeSantis also said that all nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure they have working generators onsite to continue providing care .
That includes 21 COVID-19 nursing facilities .
Though hurricanes can result in the need for shelters , DeSantis said the state did not think they would be necessary for this storm — but officials are prepared if needed .
`` The division created new and detailed shelter guidance for all counties in light of COVID-19 and has prepared shelter kits with hand sanitizer , masks and gloves ready to be deployed upon request , '' DeSantis said .
The confluence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases led the American Meteorological Society on Thursday to issue new guidance for hurricane preparedness .
The organization noted that this hurricane season would be different because of the pandemic .
It urged people to include PPE in their evacuation kits as well as hand sanitizer and personal hygiene supplies .
As Florida prepares for the storm this weekend , the rest of the East Coast could feel the impacts through the beginning of next week with risks of winds , heavy rainfall and storm surge .
The National Hurricane Center warned of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mid-Atlantic region stretching up to Virginia in the coming days .
Both North Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency ahead of the storm 's arrival .
South Carolina Gov .
Henry McMaster said he did not plan to issue a state of emergency or evacuation orders , but local leaders along the state 's Grand Strand coastal area have issued their own orders .

Tropical Storm Isaias Nears Florida Coast
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Updated at 6:52 p.m. ET
Isaias weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm as it headed toward Florida's southeast coast on Saturday evening, but it is expected to restrengthen to a hurricane overnight. The National Hurricane Center is warning that tropical storm conditions are expected to begin Saturday night in Florida and is urging residents to prepare "to protect life and property."
"Don't be fooled by the downgrade, we do think it will be upgraded back to a hurricane later on this evening," Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Saturday at a press conference.
On Saturday evening, maximum sustained winds were 70 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported. The center of the storm is expected to hit the Florida coast late Saturday or early Sunday morning and continue traveling north along the coast.
On Abaco Islands in the Bahamas, officials evacuated people who had been living in temporary housing since Hurricane Dorian hit the region last year, The Associated Press reported. Hurricane conditions and dangerous storm surges continued through the day in the Bahamas and are expected to continue in portions of the northwest Bahamas Saturday night, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Before reaching hurricane status, Isaias caused widespread flooding, power outages and landslides in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic on Thursday. At least one person died in the Dominican Republic as a result of the storm, according to the AP. In Puerto Rico, nearly half a million homes and businesses were without power, the Weather Channel reported.
In Florida, Gov. DeSantis urged state residents to remain vigilant and heed warnings from local officials and news outlets as Isaias moves closer to the state.
"The situation remains fluid and can change quickly," DeSantis said Friday.
Storm surges along parts of Florida's east coast with water rising 2 to 4 feet above ground level are possible, according to the National Hurricane Center. Isaias is expected to bring heavy rains and potentially life-threatening flash flooding and urban flooding to south and east-central Florida.
On Friday, DeSantis declared a state of emergency in every coastal county of Florida's east coast, from Miami-Dade to Nassau counties, and closed virus testing sites.
Isaias is approaching Florida as the state is continuing to battle one of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus in the nation. Yet DeSantis said that Florida's Division of Emergency Management was prepared for the storm.
The governor said the state has 20 million masks, 22 million gloves, 10 million gowns, 1.6 million face shields, 270,000 coveralls and 20,000 thermometers to help respond to impacted areas.
In addition to personal protective equipment, the state purchased 50 additional generators in case of power outages. DeSantis also said that all nursing homes and assisted living facilities were checked to make sure they have working generators onsite to continue providing care. That includes 21 COVID-19 nursing facilities.
Though hurricanes can result in the need for shelters, DeSantis said the state did not think they would be necessary for this storm — but officials are prepared if needed.
"The division created new and detailed shelter guidance for all counties in light of COVID-19 and has prepared shelter kits with hand sanitizer, masks and gloves ready to be deployed upon request," DeSantis said.
The confluence of hurricane season with the spike in COVID-19 cases led the American Meteorological Society on Thursday to issue new guidance for hurricane preparedness. The organization noted that this hurricane season would be different because of the pandemic. It urged people to include PPE in their evacuation kits as well as hand sanitizer and personal hygiene supplies.
As Florida prepares for the storm this weekend, the rest of the East Coast could feel the impacts through the beginning of next week with risks of winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge. The National Hurricane Center warned of potential flooding in the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic region stretching up to Virginia in the coming days.
Both North Carolina and Virginia declared states of emergency ahead of the storm's arrival. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he did not plan to issue a state of emergency or evacuation orders, but local leaders along the state's Grand Strand coastal area have issued their own orders.


npr--2020-08-01--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--2020-08-01--Tracking The Pandemic: Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State?

Tracking The Pandemic : Are Coronavirus Cases Rising Or Falling In Your State ?
More than 4 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 150,000 have died .
Though growth in new cases slowed in late spring , by mid-June new cases began to trend upward nationally .
In the graphics below , explore the trend in new cases in your state to see whether cases are rising , falling or staying level .
You can view the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , a curve chart and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case trends over the last three weeks .
Or to see states ' total cases and deaths on a map , click here .
The following chart displays states ' trends in new daily case counts , total cases , and per capita totals .
To compare state outbreaks , the trend lines for average new daily cases are graphed against each state 's total case count to date .
This highlights a state 's daily growth relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As cases slow , the curve levels or bends down .
In New York , site of the country 's largest outbreak , the state 's 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 800 per day in mid July .
Conversely , Florida peaked around 1,200 new cases per day on average in April , only to surge again to nearly 12,000 per day in mid-July Coronavirus case totals are much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In the spring , a large share of U.S. cases were centered around New York City .
As of mid July , other large , populous states such as California , Florida and Texas have reached high totals as well .
Some other states such as Arizona and Louisiana show a heavy burden of infection relative to their population size .
Explore the map below to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both cases and deaths .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the table below shows the change in average new cases per day in each state , week over week .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JHU team was able to 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 .
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.