npr--2020-09-05--Whatever Happened To ... The Heavy Metal Mongolian Band Called The Hu?

Whatever Happened To ...
The Heavy Metal Mongolian Band Called The Hu ?
In January 2019 , NPR reported on a Mongolian heavy metal band whose epic music videos were racking up millions of views on YouTube .
Eight months later The Hu released their first album , which blends the screaming guitars of heavy metal and traditional Mongolian guttural singing .
We caught up with two band members on a video call to Mongolia , where they have been waiting out the pandemic .
The Hu 's first two videos , in which band members sing in a guttural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads back and forth reminiscent of the headbanging of '80s heavy metal bands , picked up 7 million views soon after their release in late 2018 .
The all-male quartet 's combination of leather jackets and skull rings alongside intricately carved Mongolian horsehead fiddles inspired enthusiastic comments from both Western and Eastern audiences .
The videos now have over 93 million views combined .
Meanwhile , the band has taken things even further – to another universe .
In February The Hu released the single `` Sugaan Essena '' for `` Star Wars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video game produced by Disney , Lucasfilm , EA and Respawn Entertainment .
The song was created for use in the game and can be heard when players first meet the main character , Cal Kestis .
`` That we became part of this [ Star Wars ] universe is just unbelievable , '' says lead singer TS .
Galbadrakh , who goes by `` Gala '' and spoke through an interpreter .
The band also includes B. Enkhsaikhan ( `` Enkush '' ) , G. Nyamjantsan ( `` Jaya '' ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
Band manager Tuga Namgur , who is Gala 's older brother and the band 's interpreter , says additional Star Wars collaborations are coming .
While The Hu may not have envisioned performing for distant galaxies , they have always wanted to create music for listeners outside of Mongolia .
They chose `` hu '' as a name because it is the root word for human being in Mongolian and that is who they wanted their audience to be – all human beings .
Their goal is to incorporate as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can into a rock style , the band 's producer and songwriter B. Dashdondog , who goes by `` Dashka , '' explained in an earlier interview .
The result is Mongolian folk rock , a genre that combines traditional Mongolian instruments , like a horsehead fiddle ( morin khuur ) , Jew 's harp ( tumur khuur ) and Mongolian guitar ( tovshuur ) , with the pounding bass and drums of rock .
The two-stringed horsehead fiddle is not only shaped to resemble a horse with the carving of a horse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horsehair , it also can be used to imitate the sound of a herd of horses .
Then there is throat singing , a technique associated with pastoral herders in Central Asia .
The singer produces a low constant sort of drone at the same time as a series of higher tones .
The band named their first album , The Gereg , for a diplomatic passport used during the time of Genghis Khan .
The legendary Mongol leader is also mentioned in a line about how he was fated to bring nations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yuve Yu '' ( What 's going on ? )
.
It was the video for that song – with its dramatic scenes of Mongolian nature – and a second song , `` Wolf Totem '' – which starred a Mongolian motorcycle gang – that originally attracted viewers .
While the imagery and instruments might seem foreign to those outside of Mongolia , the throbbing rock beat is not .
This unique cultural combination of Eastern and Western began appearing during Mongolia 's transition from a satellite of the Soviet Union to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years it has proved popular with an international audience .
Folk metal band Tengger Cavalry played at Carnegie Hall and the music of Altan Urag was featured in the 2007 film Mongol and in the Netflix show Marco Polo .
The Hu are now topping billboard charts .
In April 2019 `` Wolf Totem '' reached number one on Billboard 's Hard Rock chart according to Billboard.com .
Nick Laviers , the audio director at Respawn who invited the band to perform for the Star Wars video , was among those who heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vocals and unfamiliar ethnic instruments that could be alien , all on top of a classic-rock backbone , '' Laviers wrote in an email .
The combination was perfect for Star Wars .
In `` Sugaan Essena '' the band sings in a unique `` Star Wars Hu language '' they invented .
The Hu , wrote Laviers , `` put together a track that really hit the mark on everything we were looking for . ''
Since its debut in February the song 's music video has collected more than 7.7 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's appeal comes from their message : `` The importance of being together and protecting nature and respecting each other is something we need in this world .
That is why this message is received widely , because everybody wants it . ''
Nevertheless , even Gala is sometimes surprised by how much the band is loved .
On Facebook fans post pictures of tattoos they have gotten ; at least one showcases Gala 's face .
`` It 's unbelievable , '' says Gala .
`` When you see your own face @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Gala , who is 30 , trained on traditional Mongolian instruments at the Mongolian State Conservatory .
Also like his bandmates he favors black t-shirts , tattoos and long hair .
Yet The Hu 's fanbase is not limited to a particular type of person , says Jaya , who in addition to throat singing plays the jaw ( or Jew 's ) harp , tsuur ( a Mongolian flute without a mouthpiece ) and flute .
Through an interpreter Jaya describes a scene at a sold-out concert at Le Trianon theater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the audience began chanting with the band .
`` So many different types of people , who do n't even understand the language , '' he says .
`` But together at this moment enjoying the music and being together as a family of human beings . ''
Performing on stage that night the band felt as if they had achieved something greater than themselves .
`` We always wanted to unite people , we felt like we were just doing it , '' says Jaya , who at 37 is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been some controversy .
Early on there were negative comments about how a symbol on the band 's instruments and rings resembled a swastika .
In a Facebook message the band explained that the swastika shape has been a sacred symbol in their culture for thousands of years , but out of respect for their fans they would stop displaying it .
The pandemic has raised other complaints .
Some in Mongolia say that the Mongolian government favors the band , flying them home from an international tour while Mongolians abroad remained stranded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says they did not receive special treatment and waited 45 days in Australia before being flown back to Mongolia .
Further complaints came when the band 's COVID-19 fundraiser for the government 's emergency office was scheduled one day before parliamentary elections , a legal non-campaign day for all parties .
Gala says the band had no political intention .
They ended up changing the date , he says , and raising 55 million tugrik ( $ 19,292 ) for first responders when the concert aired on national television .
With their world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Hu have been focusing on a second album , which they plan to release next year .
They have also been filming more episodes of their YouTube cooking show `` Hu 's in the Kitchen . ''
Tuga the tour manager came up with the idea for the show while the band was playing in Detroit .
Their 14th episode , which came out in late July , has more than 66,000 views .
While earlier episodes feature a variety of foods , later episodes focus on Mongolian fare .
`` As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to share every aspect of Mongolian culture and lifestyle , and not only play Mongolian music , '' says Gala .
In the most recent episode , they make huushuur , Mongolian fried meat pies – and joke around .
`` It 's not easy to make dough for eight men , '' says Jaya , repeating a sentiment another member expressed in an earlier episode .
( On tour the band includes four additional members . )
On the video as he fries the pies Jaya explains that huushuur is associated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a summer festival that includes wrestling , archery and horse racing .
Now that The Hu are back in Ulaanbaatar , they plan to cook more exotic Mongolian dishes .
Jaya wo n't reveal what is on the menu next , but there are plenty of unusual meals to choose from , including marmot pancakes .
Katya Cengel is the author of `` Exiled : From the Killing Fields of Cambodia to California and Back . ''
She reported from Mongolia on a fellowship from the International Reporting Project ( IRP ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kcengel

Whatever Happened To ... The Heavy Metal Mongolian Band Called The Hu?
In January 2019, NPR reported on a Mongolian heavy metal band whose epic music videos were racking up millions of views on YouTube. Eight months later The Hu released their first album, which blends the screaming guitars of heavy metal and traditional Mongolian guttural singing. We caught up with two band members on a video call to Mongolia, where they have been waiting out the pandemic.
toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR
The Hu's first two videos, in which band members sing in a guttural way known as throat singing while throwing heads back and forth reminiscent of the headbanging of '80s heavy metal bands, picked up 7 million views soon after their release in late 2018. The all-male quartet's combination of leather jackets and skull rings alongside intricately carved Mongolian horsehead fiddles inspired enthusiastic comments from both Western and Eastern audiences. The videos now have over 93 million views combined.
Meanwhile, the band has taken things even further – to another universe. In February The Hu released the single "Sugaan Essena" for "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order," a video game produced by Disney, Lucasfilm, EA and Respawn Entertainment. The song was created for use in the game and can be heard when players first meet the main character, Cal Kestis.
"That we became part of this [Star Wars] universe is just unbelievable," says lead singer TS. Galbadrakh, who goes by "Gala" and spoke through an interpreter.
YouTube
The band also includes B. Enkhsaikhan ("Enkush"), G. Nyamjantsan ("Jaya"), and N. Temuulen ("Temka"). Band manager Tuga Namgur, who is Gala's older brother and the band's interpreter, says additional Star Wars collaborations are coming.
About This Series Goats are curious animals and "Goats and Soda" is a curious blog. Over the next week, we'll be looking back at some of our favorite stories to see "whatever happened to ..."
While The Hu may not have envisioned performing for distant galaxies, they have always wanted to create music for listeners outside of Mongolia. They chose "hu" as a name because it is the root word for human being in Mongolian and that is who they wanted their audience to be – all human beings. Their goal is to incorporate as much of Mongolia's musical culture as they can into a rock style, the band's producer and songwriter B. Dashdondog, who goes by "Dashka," explained in an earlier interview.
YouTube
The result is Mongolian folk rock, a genre that combines traditional Mongolian instruments, like a horsehead fiddle (morin khuur), Jew's harp (tumur khuur) and Mongolian guitar (tovshuur), with the pounding bass and drums of rock. The two-stringed horsehead fiddle is not only shaped to resemble a horse with the carving of a horse head and strings and bow made of horsehair, it also can be used to imitate the sound of a herd of horses.
Then there is throat singing, a technique associated with pastoral herders in Central Asia. The singer produces a low constant sort of drone at the same time as a series of higher tones.
The band named their first album, The Gereg, for a diplomatic passport used during the time of Genghis Khan. The legendary Mongol leader is also mentioned in a line about how he was fated to bring nations together in their first song "Yuve Yuve Yu" (What's going on?). It was the video for that song – with its dramatic scenes of Mongolian nature – and a second song, "Wolf Totem" – which starred a Mongolian motorcycle gang – that originally attracted viewers. While the imagery and instruments might seem foreign to those outside of Mongolia, the throbbing rock beat is not.
toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR
This unique cultural combination of Eastern and Western began appearing during Mongolia's transition from a satellite of the Soviet Union to a democracy late last century. In recent years it has proved popular with an international audience. Folk metal band Tengger Cavalry played at Carnegie Hall and the music of Altan Urag was featured in the 2007 film Mongol and in the Netflix show Marco Polo. The Hu are now topping billboard charts. In April 2019 "Wolf Totem" reached number one on Billboard's Hard Rock chart according to Billboard.com.
Nick Laviers, the audio director at Respawn who invited the band to perform for the Star Wars video, was among those who heard it.
"The music had otherworldly-sounding vocals and unfamiliar ethnic instruments that could be alien, all on top of a classic-rock backbone," Laviers wrote in an email.
The combination was perfect for Star Wars. In "Sugaan Essena" the band sings in a unique "Star Wars Hu language" they invented. The Hu, wrote Laviers, "put together a track that really hit the mark on everything we were looking for." Since its debut in February the song's music video has collected more than 7.7 million YouTube views.
Gala believes the band's appeal comes from their message: "The importance of being together and protecting nature and respecting each other is something we need in this world. That is why this message is received widely, because everybody wants it."
Nevertheless, even Gala is sometimes surprised by how much the band is loved. On Facebook fans post pictures of tattoos they have gotten; at least one showcases Gala's face.
"It's unbelievable," says Gala. "When you see your own face on somebody."
Like his bandmates, Gala, who is 30, trained on traditional Mongolian instruments at the Mongolian State Conservatory. Also like his bandmates he favors black t-shirts, tattoos and long hair. Yet The Hu's fanbase is not limited to a particular type of person, says Jaya, who in addition to throat singing plays the jaw (or Jew's) harp, tsuur (a Mongolian flute without a mouthpiece) and flute. Through an interpreter Jaya describes a scene at a sold-out concert at Le Trianon theater in Paris in February of this year when the audience began chanting with the band.
"So many different types of people, who don't even understand the language," he says. "But together at this moment enjoying the music and being together as a family of human beings."
Performing on stage that night the band felt as if they had achieved something greater than themselves.
"We always wanted to unite people, we felt like we were just doing it," says Jaya, who at 37 is the band's oldest member.
There has been some controversy. Early on there were negative comments about how a symbol on the band's instruments and rings resembled a swastika. In a Facebook message the band explained that the swastika shape has been a sacred symbol in their culture for thousands of years, but out of respect for their fans they would stop displaying it.
The pandemic has raised other complaints. Some in Mongolia say that the Mongolian government favors the band, flying them home from an international tour while Mongolians abroad remained stranded after Mongolia closed its borders. Jaya says they did not receive special treatment and waited 45 days in Australia before being flown back to Mongolia.
Further complaints came when the band's COVID-19 fundraiser for the government's emergency office was scheduled one day before parliamentary elections, a legal non-campaign day for all parties. Gala says the band had no political intention. They ended up changing the date, he says, and raising 55 million tugrik ($19,292) for first responders when the concert aired on national television.
YouTube
With their world tour cut short by the pandemic, The Hu have been focusing on a second album, which they plan to release next year. They have also been filming more episodes of their YouTube cooking show "Hu's in the Kitchen." Tuga the tour manager came up with the idea for the show while the band was playing in Detroit. Their 14th episode, which came out in late July, has more than 66,000 views. While earlier episodes feature a variety of foods, later episodes focus on Mongolian fare.
"As an ambassador of Mongolian culture, we wanted to share every aspect of Mongolian culture and lifestyle, and not only play Mongolian music," says Gala.
In the most recent episode, they make huushuur, Mongolian fried meat pies – and joke around.
"It's not easy to make dough for eight men," says Jaya, repeating a sentiment another member expressed in an earlier episode. (On tour the band includes four additional members.)
On the video as he fries the pies Jaya explains that huushuur is associated with summer in Mongolia along with Naadam, a summer festival that includes wrestling, archery and horse racing. Now that The Hu are back in Ulaanbaatar, they plan to cook more exotic Mongolian dishes. Jaya won't reveal what is on the menu next, but there are plenty of unusual meals to choose from, including marmot barbecue.
Katya Cengel has written for the New York Times Magazine and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications, and is the author of three nonfiction books. Her most recent book, From Chernobyl with Love: Reporting from the Ruins of the Soviet Union was awarded an Independent Publisher Book Award and a Foreword INDIES.


npr--2020-09-05--Southwestern Japan Braces For Powerful Typhoon Haishen

A powerful typhoon is making its way toward southwestern Japan , forcing authorities to urge caution and prepare for powerful winds and heavy rainfall .
Japan 's meteorological agency said Typhoon Haishen had sustained winds of up 112 miles an hour early on Saturday , The Associated Press reports .
The storm is predicted to hit Okinawa Sunday , before moving onto the central island of Kyushu .
Japanese meteorologists predict the winds , heavy rains and high tide will begin lashing the islands ahead of Haishen 's arrival .
The Japan Times reports Okinawa is expected to be hit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The AP reports that the storm is predicted to drop 4 to 8 inches of rain across southwestern Japan and is expected to make landfall with the equivalent conditions to a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane .
Officials with Japan 's Meteorological Agency warn that rivers and levees may overflow due to heavy rainfall .
Japanese broadcaster NHK reports that an emergency warning is expected for Sunday and that residents are being urged to remain alert and prepare to evacuate early in line with advisories and local government orders .
NHK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were canceling services in areas expected to be hit by the storm .
The cancellations are expected to go through Monday .
The storm is then poised to move onto the Korean peninsula on Monday .
Earlier predictions , according to The Washington Post , showed that Haishen is likely to hit the same areas as Typhoon Maysak , which struck South Korea early Thursday .
If Haishen continues on its course it would be the second typhoon to make landfall in the region in one week .
Though South Korea 's Yonhap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not make landfall in the country .
Yonhap adds that meteorologists say Haishen 's trajectory and strength could change as it heads through Japan .

Southwestern Japan Braces For Powerful Typhoon Haishen
Enlarge this image toggle caption AP AP
A powerful typhoon is making its way toward southwestern Japan, forcing authorities to urge caution and prepare for powerful winds and heavy rainfall.
Japan's meteorological agency said Typhoon Haishen had sustained winds of up 112 miles an hour early on Saturday, The Associated Press reports.
The storm is predicted to hit Okinawa Sunday, before moving onto the central island of Kyushu. Japanese meteorologists predict the winds, heavy rains and high tide will begin lashing the islands ahead of Haishen's arrival.
The Japan Times reports Okinawa is expected to be hit by winds strong enough to topple homes. The AP reports that the storm is predicted to drop 4 to 8 inches of rain across southwestern Japan and is expected to make landfall with the equivalent conditions to a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane.
Officials with Japan's Meteorological Agency warn that rivers and levees may overflow due to heavy rainfall.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reports that an emergency warning is expected for Sunday and that residents are being urged to remain alert and prepare to evacuate early in line with advisories and local government orders.
NHK reports that several railway companies and airlines were canceling services in areas expected to be hit by the storm. The cancellations are expected to go through Monday.
The storm is then poised to move onto the Korean peninsula on Monday.
Earlier predictions, according to The Washington Post, showed that Haishen is likely to hit the same areas as Typhoon Maysak, which struck South Korea early Thursday. If Haishen continues on its course it would be the second typhoon to make landfall in the region in one week. Though South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reports on that Typhoon Haishen may not make landfall in the country.
Yonhap adds that meteorologists say Haishen's trajectory and strength could change as it heads through Japan.


npr--2020-09-05--New York Attorney General To Empanel Grand Jury In Daniel Prude Death Investigation

New York Attorney General To Empanel Grand Jury In Daniel Prude Death Investigation The New York attorney general announced on Saturday that she is putting together a grand jury as part of her office 's investigation into the death of Daniel Prude , a Black man who died of asphyxiation after being restrained by police in March .
`` The Prude family and the Rochester community have been through great pain and anguish , '' New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement .
`` My office will immediately move to empanel a grand jury as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Protests erupted in Rochester after body camera footage of Prude 's arrest was released on Wednesday .
On Thursday , Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren ordered all seven officers involved suspended with pay .
`` I believe that if Daniel Prude was white all of those systems would not have failed him , '' Warren said .
`` It is time that we stopped trying to not acknowledge this and call it for what it is .
It 's racism . ''
Demonstrators chanted and sang for racial justice on Friday , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Many are frustrated at what they see as an attempt by the Rochester Police Department to cover up Prude 's death , because the department originally described the death as a drug overdose .
`` RPD murdered a man in cold blood .
They tried to cover it up , and they did a fairly decent job , until now , '' one protester said over a bullhorn before leading the crowd in a chant on Friday night : `` No justice ?
No peace ! ''
Police eventually declared the peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly escalated as police set up a moving barricade and fired chemicals and pepper balls on protesters and protesters detonated fireworks and lit a bus stop on fire .
Nearly a dozen people were arrested .
Another protest is expected on Saturday night .
On March 23 , Prude had just been released from Rochester 's Strong Memorial Hospital after expressing suicidal thoughts .
He was with brother , Joe Prude , when he left the house in below-freezing temperatures wearing just long johns and a tank top .
His brother called Rochester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ naked and in distress , allegedly smashing windows and saying he had the coronavirus , according to police reports .
The newly released body camera footage shows officers ordering Prude to lie down on the snowy road , which he did .
Officers cuffed his hands behind his back , but Prude grew agitated .
Officers placed a `` spit hood '' over his head , intended to protect others from possible infection .
The footage showed officers restraining Prude by holding his feet and head down , and putting a knee on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to police reports , and died a week later .
`` Everything that they did , they did n't have to do , '' Joe Prude told NPR earlier this week .
`` That excessive force they used on him , the pushup stands on his neck , the knee on his back , holding his legs , that was n't called for .
They did n't have no dignity in what they was doing to my brother .
They treated my brother like he was an animal in the street .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medical Examiner 's Office ruled the cause of death as `` complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint '' and ruled the manner of death as `` homicide . ''

New York Attorney General To Empanel Grand Jury In Daniel Prude Death Investigation
Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Updated at 7:41 p.m. ET
The New York attorney general announced on Saturday that she is putting together a grand jury as part of her office's investigation into the death of Daniel Prude, a Black man who died of asphyxiation after being restrained by police in March.
"The Prude family and the Rochester community have been through great pain and anguish," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "My office will immediately move to empanel a grand jury as part of our exhaustive investigation into this matter."
Protests erupted in Rochester after body camera footage of Prude's arrest was released on Wednesday. On Thursday, Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren ordered all seven officers involved suspended with pay.
"I believe that if Daniel Prude was white all of those systems would not have failed him," Warren said. "It is time that we stopped trying to not acknowledge this and call it for what it is. It's racism."
Demonstrators chanted and sang for racial justice on Friday, the third day of protests in a row. Many are frustrated at what they see as an attempt by the Rochester Police Department to cover up Prude's death, because the department originally described the death as a drug overdose.
"RPD murdered a man in cold blood. They tried to cover it up, and they did a fairly decent job, until now," one protester said over a bullhorn before leading the crowd in a chant on Friday night: "No justice? No peace!"
Police eventually declared the peaceful protest an unlawful assembly. The demonstration quickly escalated as police set up a moving barricade and fired chemicals and pepper balls on protesters and protesters detonated fireworks and lit a bus stop on fire. Nearly a dozen people were arrested. Another protest is expected on Saturday night.
On March 23, Prude had just been released from Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital after expressing suicidal thoughts. He was with brother, Joe Prude, when he left the house in below-freezing temperatures wearing just long johns and a tank top. His brother called Rochester police for help. Officers found Prude naked and in distress, allegedly smashing windows and saying he had the coronavirus, according to police reports.
The newly released body camera footage shows officers ordering Prude to lie down on the snowy road, which he did. Officers cuffed his hands behind his back, but Prude grew agitated. Officers placed a "spit hood" over his head, intended to protect others from possible infection. The footage showed officers restraining Prude by holding his feet and head down, and putting a knee on his back. Prude fell unconscious, according to police reports, and died a week later.
"Everything that they did, they didn't have to do," Joe Prude told NPR earlier this week. "That excessive force they used on him, the pushup stands on his neck, the knee on his back, holding his legs, that wasn't called for. They didn't have no dignity in what they was doing to my brother. They treated my brother like he was an animal in the street. A stray."
The Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the cause of death as "complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint" and ruled the manner of death as "homicide."
NPR's Brian Mann contributed reporting.


npr--2020-09-05--India Coronavirus Cases Surpass 4 Million

India passed 4 million reported cases of COVID-19 on Saturday .
Since July , India has had the third-highest number of confirmed cases of any country .
With 4,023,179 confirmed cases as of Saturday afternoon , India has almost as many as the second-highest country , Brazil .
The U.S. still leads the world with 6.2 million total cases of the virus reported , according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center .
India also has the third-highest number of deaths from the virus , which has killed almost 70,000 Indians , though the country is far behind the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crossed the 4 million number after seeing the highest daily increase since the pandemic began , with more than 86,000 cases reported Saturday .
Almost a quarter of those came from the western state of Maharashtra , the Times of India reported .
India has been adding more new coronavirus infections than any other country for nearly a month .
While infections have plateaued in an initial hotspot , the densely populated megacity of Mumbai , the virus is now spreading in rural areas where health care is already scant .
Under-funded hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have long waits for ambulances .
The Indian government had imposed a strict lockdown in March , but lifted many restrictions amid economic hardship .
According to The Hindu , India has recorded 28 % of all new COVID-19 infections in the world over the past five days .
The apparent surge in Maharashtra cases could be due in part to increased testing , the Indian Express reports .
More than 93,000 tests were conducted in the state on Friday , compared to about 50,000 daily tests a week prior .
The states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributing large numbers of cases daily .
The Indian Health Ministry on Saturday approved `` on-demand '' testing for the first time , to ensure higher levels of testing .
Previously , a prescription was generally required , though since July authorities in Mumbai have allowed private laboratories there to perform tests without a doctor 's prescription .

India Coronavirus Cases Surpass 4 Million
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mahesh Kumar A/AP Mahesh Kumar A/AP
India passed 4 million reported cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. Since July, India has had the third-highest number of confirmed cases of any country.
With 4,023,179 confirmed cases as of Saturday afternoon, India has almost as many as the second-highest country, Brazil. The U.S. still leads the world with 6.2 million total cases of the virus reported, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
India also has the third-highest number of deaths from the virus, which has killed almost 70,000 Indians, though the country is far behind the U.S. and Brazil in that count.
India crossed the 4 million number after seeing the highest daily increase since the pandemic began, with more than 86,000 cases reported Saturday. Almost a quarter of those came from the western state of Maharashtra, the Times of India reported.
India has been adding more new coronavirus infections than any other country for nearly a month. While infections have plateaued in an initial hotspot, the densely populated megacity of Mumbai, the virus is now spreading in rural areas where health care is already scant. Under-funded hospitals face shortages of beds, and patients have long waits for ambulances.
The Indian government had imposed a strict lockdown in March, but lifted many restrictions amid economic hardship. According to The Hindu, India has recorded 28% of all new COVID-19 infections in the world over the past five days.
The apparent surge in Maharashtra cases could be due in part to increased testing, the Indian Express reports. More than 93,000 tests were conducted in the state on Friday, compared to about 50,000 daily tests a week prior. The states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are also contributing large numbers of cases daily.
The Indian Health Ministry on Saturday approved "on-demand" testing for the first time, to ensure higher levels of testing. Previously, a prescription was generally required, though since July authorities in Mumbai have allowed private laboratories there to perform tests without a doctor's prescription.
NPR's Lauren Frayer contributed reporting.


npr--2020-09-05--After 6 Trials, Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Curtis Flowers

What it took for Curtis Flowers , a Black man who spent some 23 years behind bars , to have charges dropped against him : six trials plagued by prosecutor misconduct , multiple overturned convictions , and a dogged investigation by a podcast into a quadruple murder at a Mississippi furniture store .
Now , more than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Flowers ' latest conviction , prosecutors have decided to stop pursuing the case .
Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Loper approved the state attorney general 's motion to dismiss on Friday .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were no credible witnesses for an unprecedented seventh trial , effectively putting to bed a decades-long pursuit of Flowers for the 1996 slayings in the small city of Winona , Miss .
`` As the evidence stands today , there is no key prosecution witness that incriminates Mr .
Flowers who is alive and available and has not had multiple , conflicting statements in the record , '' wrote Deputy Attorney General Mary Helen Wall in a court filing .
Flowers , who is now 50 , commemorated the dismissal Friday in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Today , I am finally free from the injustice that left me locked in a box for nearly twenty three years , '' the statement read as reported by multiple outlets .
`` I 've been asked if I ever thought this day would come .
I have been blessed with a family that never gave up on me and with them by my side , I knew it would . ''
Flowers had been accused of the July 1996 shooting deaths of Tardy Furniture owner Bertha Tardy as well as employees Carmen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Flowers , who had briefly worked at the store , had no prior criminal record and has maintained his innocence .
Local prosecutor Doug Evans pursued Flowers as the prime suspect , taking him to trial six times .
Four of those trials ended in conviction .
Two of them ended in mistrials .
After each conviction , a higher court struck down the initial ruling .
The latest ruling invalidating Flowers ' conviction , and death sentence , came from the U.S. Supreme Court in June of last year .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that in three prior convictions the prosecution had misrepresented evidence and deliberately eliminated Black jurors .
For Flowers ' first trial , an all-white jury moved to convict .
His second , third , and sixth trials all had only one Black juror and also ended in convictions .
But for his two trials with multiple Black jurors , the jury deadlocked .
The city where Flowers was tried has more Black than white residents .
Flowers was granted bail in December of last year .
Shortly after that the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Evans .
Flowers gained national attention as investigative journalists with the podcast In The Dark looked into the case .
In the Dark 's managing producer Samara Freemark told NPR that with Flowers never having been acquitted , Evans was able to take the case to trial multiple times .
Evans ' persistence continued despite higher courts finding discriminatory jury selection and misconduct by prosecutors .
Freemark says the show 's investigation , which included speaking to hundreds of people and tracking down thousands of documents , found other problems in the pursuit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to key witnesses who told us they had lied on the stand or that they had been pressured by law enforcement .
We discovered an alternate suspect in the case who had never been disclosed to jurors .
We found that the ballistics evidence in the case relied on junk science , '' Freemark told NPR 's Weekend Edition .
Freemark also notes that the attorney general 's filing echoed their finding on the state 's star witness , a jailhouse informant who claimed that Curtis had confessed to him about the killing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us that he had just made that whole thing up . ''

After 6 Trials, Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Curtis Flowers
Enlarge this image toggle caption Rogelio V. Solis/AP Rogelio V. Solis/AP
What it took for Curtis Flowers, a Black man who spent some 23 years behind bars, to have charges dropped against him: six trials plagued by prosecutor misconduct, multiple overturned convictions, and a dogged investigation by a podcast into a quadruple murder at a Mississippi furniture store.
Now, more than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Flowers' latest conviction, prosecutors have decided to stop pursuing the case.
Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Loper approved the state attorney general's motion to dismiss on Friday. In their filing, prosecutors wrote that there were no credible witnesses for an unprecedented seventh trial, effectively putting to bed a decades-long pursuit of Flowers for the 1996 slayings in the small city of Winona, Miss.
"As the evidence stands today, there is no key prosecution witness that incriminates Mr. Flowers who is alive and available and has not had multiple, conflicting statements in the record," wrote Deputy Attorney General Mary Helen Wall in a court filing.
Flowers, who is now 50, commemorated the dismissal Friday in a statement issued through his attorneys.
"Today, I am finally free from the injustice that left me locked in a box for nearly twenty three years," the statement read as reported by multiple outlets. "I've been asked if I ever thought this day would come. I have been blessed with a family that never gave up on me and with them by my side, I knew it would."
Flowers had been accused of the July 1996 shooting deaths of Tardy Furniture owner Bertha Tardy as well as employees Carmen Rigby, Robert Golden and Derrick Stewart. Flowers, who had briefly worked at the store, had no prior criminal record and has maintained his innocence. Local prosecutor Doug Evans pursued Flowers as the prime suspect, taking him to trial six times. Four of those trials ended in conviction. Two of them ended in mistrials.
After each conviction, a higher court struck down the initial ruling. The latest ruling invalidating Flowers' conviction, and death sentence, came from the U.S. Supreme Court in June of last year. The justices noted the Mississippi Supreme Court had found that in three prior convictions the prosecution had misrepresented evidence and deliberately eliminated Black jurors.
For Flowers' first trial, an all-white jury moved to convict. His second, third, and sixth trials all had only one Black juror and also ended in convictions. But for his two trials with multiple Black jurors, the jury deadlocked. The city where Flowers was tried has more Black than white residents.
Flowers was granted bail in December of last year. Shortly after that the state's attorney general took over the case from Evans.
Flowers gained national attention as investigative journalists with the podcast In The Dark looked into the case. In the Dark's managing producer Samara Freemark told NPR that with Flowers never having been acquitted, Evans was able to take the case to trial multiple times.
Evans' persistence continued despite higher courts finding discriminatory jury selection and misconduct by prosecutors. Freemark says the show's investigation, which included speaking to hundreds of people and tracking down thousands of documents, found other problems in the pursuit of a conviction.
"We talked to key witnesses who told us they had lied on the stand or that they had been pressured by law enforcement. We discovered an alternate suspect in the case who had never been disclosed to jurors. We found that the ballistics evidence in the case relied on junk science," Freemark told NPR's Weekend Edition.
Freemark also notes that the attorney general's filing echoed their finding on the state's star witness, a jailhouse informant who claimed that Curtis had confessed to him about the killing. Freemark said that witness "told us that he had just made that whole thing up."


npr--2020-09-05--Trump Tells Agencies To End Trainings On 'White Privilege' And 'Critical Race Theory'

Trump Tells Agencies To End Trainings On 'White Privilege ' And 'Critical Race Theory' The Trump administration has instructed federal agencies to end racial sensitivity trainings that address topics like white privilege and critical race theory , calling them `` divisive , anti-American propaganda . ''
In a letter to federal agencies Friday , the director of the Office of Management and Budget said the president recently became aware of the racial sensitivity programs , which encourage frank conversations about race in the workplace and discuss potential actions to combat systemic racism .
The memo , issued by OMB Director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' All agencies are directed to begin to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on 'critical race theory , ' 'white privilege , ' or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either ( 1 ) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or ( 2 ) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil . ''
The memo said agencies `` should begin to identify all available avenues within the law to cancel any such contracts and/or to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propaganda training sessions . ''
Citing `` press reports '' of training sessions at which employees were allegedly told `` virtually all white people contribute to racism , '' Vought wrote that these sorts of trainings perpetuate misguided views and contribute to racial division .
It was not clear which specific agencies or training sessions he was referring to .
The directive was issued against the backdrop of the ongoing national conversation around police brutality and systemic racism .
It 's a debate in which Trump has sided with law enforcement over advocates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black Lives Matter movement .
As demonstrations were at their peak earlier this summer , an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that two-thirds of Americans believed the president has made race relations worse .
Racial sensitivity training has long been conducted on college campuses and across much of corporate America .
It 's unclear how long it 's been going on at federal agencies .
But its existence has gotten more attention in conservative circles in recent months .
One of the more prominent critics , Christopher Rufo , director of the Center on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Institute , argued on Fox News this week that Trump should end the programs immediately .
`` It 's absolutely astonishing how critical race theory has pervaded every institution in the federal government , '' Rufo told host Tucker Carlson .
`` What I have discovered is that critical race theory has become , in essence , the default ideology of the federal bureaucracy and is now being weaponized against the American people . ''
On Saturday , Trump retweeted Rufo 's appearance on Fox , arguing that diversity training is a threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a person who wrote that `` critical race theory is the greatest threat to western civilization and it 's made its way into the US federal government , '' Trump responded : `` Not any more ! ''
In another tweet , Trump called critical race theory `` a sickness that can not be allowed to continue . ''
While many conservatives applauded the move , others decried the continuing racism that they see pervading many aspects of American society , including the awarding of government contracts .
`` If we are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promise — 'we hold these truths to be self-evident , that all men are created equal ' — we have to see each other as human beings , and we have to do whatever it takes , including taking whatever classes make that possible , '' M.E .
Hart , an attorney who has run hundreds of diversity training sessions for businesses and the federal government , told The Washington Post .
`` These classes have been very powerful in allowing people to do that , and we need them more than ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Trump Tells Agencies To End Trainings On 'White Privilege' And 'Critical Race Theory'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Charlie Riedel/AP Charlie Riedel/AP
The Trump administration has instructed federal agencies to end racial sensitivity trainings that address topics like white privilege and critical race theory, calling them "divisive, anti-American propaganda."
In a letter to federal agencies Friday, the director of the Office of Management and Budget said the president recently became aware of the racial sensitivity programs, which encourage frank conversations about race in the workplace and discuss potential actions to combat systemic racism.
The memo, issued by OMB Director Russell Vought, reads in part:
"All agencies are directed to begin to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on 'critical race theory,' 'white privilege,' or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil."
The memo said agencies "should begin to identify all available avenues within the law to cancel any such contracts and/or to divert Federal dollars away from these un-American propaganda training sessions."
Citing "press reports" of training sessions at which employees were allegedly told "virtually all white people contribute to racism," Vought wrote that these sorts of trainings perpetuate misguided views and contribute to racial division. It was not clear which specific agencies or training sessions he was referring to.
The directive was issued against the backdrop of the ongoing national conversation around police brutality and systemic racism. It's a debate in which Trump has sided with law enforcement over advocates for racial justice and supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement. As demonstrations were at their peak earlier this summer, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that two-thirds of Americans believed the president has made race relations worse.
Racial sensitivity training has long been conducted on college campuses and across much of corporate America. It's unclear how long it's been going on at federal agencies. But its existence has gotten more attention in conservative circles in recent months.
One of the more prominent critics, Christopher Rufo, director of the Center on Wealth and Poverty at the conservative Discovery Institute, argued on Fox News this week that Trump should end the programs immediately.
"It's absolutely astonishing how critical race theory has pervaded every institution in the federal government," Rufo told host Tucker Carlson. "What I have discovered is that critical race theory has become, in essence, the default ideology of the federal bureaucracy and is now being weaponized against the American people."
On Saturday, Trump retweeted Rufo's appearance on Fox, arguing that diversity training is a threat to American unity. In response to a person who wrote that "critical race theory is the greatest threat to western civilization and it's made its way into the US federal government," Trump responded: "Not any more!" In another tweet, Trump called critical race theory "a sickness that cannot be allowed to continue."
While many conservatives applauded the move, others decried the continuing racism that they see pervading many aspects of American society, including the awarding of government contracts.
"If we are going to live up to this nation's promise — 'we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal' — we have to see each other as human beings, and we have to do whatever it takes, including taking whatever classes make that possible," M.E. Hart, an attorney who has run hundreds of diversity training sessions for businesses and the federal government, told The Washington Post. "These classes have been very powerful in allowing people to do that, and we need them more than ever. There's danger here."


npr--2020-09-05--The 2020 Kentucky Derby 'Unlike Any Other'

The 2020 Kentucky Derby 'Unlike Any Other' The Kentucky Derby , usually the first weekend in May , was postponed this year until Saturday due to the coronavirus pandemic .
There are n't any spectators in the stands for this year 's race , which is taking place just after Louisville marks 100 consecutive days of protests against racism and police violence .
Saturday , demonstrators have made the Derby the 101st day .
And this year there have been demands to cancel the Derby — something that 's never been done before .
`` It ca n't just be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to say and do something to acknowledge the situation , '' says Haven Harrington III , the CEO and host of Main Event Sports Radio , who has covered the Derby for years .
He says the town is still waiting with `` bated breath '' for the decision of whether or not to charge the officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor .
Right-wing counter-protesters have also come out for the event .
Saturday afternoon , a long-line of demonstrators , many of whom carried guns , marched to downtown Louisville @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters in a shouting match in front of a memorial for Taylor .
The group was organized by Dylan Stevens , an online personality who calls himself `` The Angry Viking '' and criticizes the Black Lives Matter movement .
During a rally before the group marched on the city , Stevens warned that a `` civil war '' is coming .
Unlike Black Lives Matter demonstrations throughout the summer , Louisville police officers were not present during the right-wing armed demonstrators ' march .
In a statement , Louisville Metro Police said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Downs , where the Black Lives Matter demonstration is set to take place .
Churchill Downs did issue a statement Thursday afternoon , acknowledging the pain community members feel as they wait for the state attorney general and FBI to conclude their investigation into the police killing of Taylor .
The statement also recognized that Black jockeys once dominated the race , but were then excluded .
`` The atmosphere of the Kentucky Derby will be different this year as we respond to those calls for change .
This will be a Derby @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be , '' the statement said .
Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen has said it 's important to carry on and has repeatedly said the Kentucky Derby can and should be a unifying event .
`` This is an important part of healing , '' Carstanjen said on CNBC .
`` This is an important part of our traditions and culture in our community . ''
`` Tell me how this will unify this community , the running of horses , '' says poet and activist Hannah Drake .
She lives near Churchill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Derby for years .
Those frustrations have grown even more recently , she says , as she faces possible arrest for obstructing a highway by protesting in the streets .
`` But it 's fine for Derby to inconvenience me and block off streets and not let me pass ? ''
she says .
`` It 's fine because it 's Derby . ''
Drake recently wrote an open letter to Carstanjen , asking for some self-reflection of the institution 's lack of Black representation , and in her opinion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time Carstanjen spoke to my community ? ''
Drake wrote .
`` When is the last time Carstanjen dwelled among the people ?
The people with no titles .
The people demanding justice .
The people that serve the food .
The people that groom the horses .
The people that clean the stables ...
The people that hand rich people their mint juleps ? ''
`` This is an institution that can redeem itself and they need to start by asking themselves how can we be better neighbors to the adjacent community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tells Louisville 's member station WFPL .
One way Drake thinks they could do better is by dumping a tradition that , she says , is rooted in racism : the annual presentation of `` My Old Kentucky Home . ''
Since the early 1920s , Derby fans have sung the state song before the start of the big race , sometimes weeping as they do so .
It 's been called an anti-slavery song .
But Emily Bingham , a Louisville-born historian who is writing a book on the history of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accurate .
`` It was written by a white man about a Black person being sold down river from Kentucky to the deep south , to be sung by white men pretending to be black men on stages for white audiences , '' Bingham says .
Bingham adds that the man who wrote `` My Old Kentucky Home , '' Stephen Foster , was not an abolitionist .
`` It is true that he was writing in the midst of the bestseller success of 'Uncle Tom 's Cabin , ' the anti-slavery novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
`` And it is true that his original version of the song was about Uncle Tom and not 'My Old Kentucky Home ' ... but he was producing music for the blackface minstrel stage . ''
Friday , Churchill Downs said the song will still be played this year .
But after some discussion , they decided to have it performed by a solo bugler following a `` moment of silence and reflection . ''
Hannah Drake says that 's not good enough .
It still does n't align with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We all know the words to the song .
You do n't play it on a bugle and make it better .
There is no way to dress up slavery , '' she says .

The 2020 Kentucky Derby 'Unlike Any Other'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jess Clark/WFPL Jess Clark/WFPL
Updated 5:03 p.m. ET
The Kentucky Derby, usually the first weekend in May, was postponed this year until Saturday due to the coronavirus pandemic. There aren't any spectators in the stands for this year's race, which is taking place just after Louisville marks 100 consecutive days of protests against racism and police violence.
Saturday, demonstrators have made the Derby the 101st day. And this year there have been demands to cancel the Derby — something that's never been done before.
"It can't just be big hats, pretty dresses ... you have to say and do something to acknowledge the situation," says Haven Harrington III, the CEO and host of Main Event Sports Radio, who has covered the Derby for years. He says the town is still waiting with "bated breath" for the decision of whether or not to charge the officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor.
Right-wing counter-protesters have also come out for the event. Saturday afternoon, a long-line of demonstrators, many of whom carried guns, marched to downtown Louisville where they clashed with Black Lives Matter supporters in a shouting match in front of a memorial for Taylor.
The group was organized by Dylan Stevens, an online personality who calls himself "The Angry Viking" and criticizes the Black Lives Matter movement.
During a rally before the group marched on the city, Stevens warned that a "civil war" is coming.
Unlike Black Lives Matter demonstrations throughout the summer, Louisville police officers were not present during the right-wing armed demonstrators' march.
In a statement, Louisville Metro Police said that their resources were focused on Churchill Downs, where the Black Lives Matter demonstration is set to take place.
Churchill Downs responds
Churchill Downs did issue a statement Thursday afternoon, acknowledging the pain community members feel as they wait for the state attorney general and FBI to conclude their investigation into the police killing of Taylor. The statement also recognized that Black jockeys once dominated the race, but were then excluded.
"The atmosphere of the Kentucky Derby will be different this year as we respond to those calls for change. This will be a Derby unlike any other. As it should be," the statement said.
Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen has said it's important to carry on and has repeatedly said the Kentucky Derby can and should be a unifying event.
"This is an important part of healing," Carstanjen said on CNBC. "This is an important part of our traditions and culture in our community."
Others disagree.
"Tell me how this will unify this community, the running of horses," says poet and activist Hannah Drake. She lives near Churchill Downs and has had a simmering frustration with the Derby for years. Those frustrations have grown even more recently, she says, as she faces possible arrest for obstructing a highway by protesting in the streets.
"But it's fine for Derby to inconvenience me and block off streets and not let me pass?" she says. "It's fine because it's Derby."
Drake recently wrote an open letter to Carstanjen, asking for some self-reflection of the institution's lack of Black representation, and in her opinion, compassion.
"When is the last time Carstanjen spoke to my community?" Drake wrote. "When is the last time Carstanjen dwelled among the people? The people with no titles. The people demanding justice. The people that serve the food. The people that groom the horses. The people that clean the stables ... The people that hand rich people their mint juleps?"
"This is an institution that can redeem itself and they need to start by asking themselves how can we be better neighbors to the adjacent community and to the city," Drake tells Louisville's member station WFPL.
My Old Kentucky Home
One way Drake thinks they could do better is by dumping a tradition that, she says, is rooted in racism: the annual presentation of "My Old Kentucky Home."
Since the early 1920s, Derby fans have sung the state song before the start of the big race, sometimes weeping as they do so. It's been called an anti-slavery song.
But Emily Bingham, a Louisville-born historian who is writing a book on the history of the minstrel song, says that's not accurate.
"It was written by a white man about a Black person being sold down river from Kentucky to the deep south, to be sung by white men pretending to be black men on stages for white audiences," Bingham says.
Bingham adds that the man who wrote "My Old Kentucky Home," Stephen Foster, was not an abolitionist.
"It is true that he was writing in the midst of the bestseller success of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' the anti-slavery novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe," Bingham says. "And it is true that his original version of the song was about Uncle Tom and not 'My Old Kentucky Home' ... but he was producing music for the blackface minstrel stage."
Friday, Churchill Downs said the song will still be played this year. But after some discussion, they decided to have it performed by a solo bugler following a "moment of silence and reflection."
Hannah Drake says that's not good enough. It still doesn't align with the company's statement about empathy and change.
"We all know the words to the song. You don't play it on a bugle and make it better. There is no way to dress up slavery," she says.


npr--2020-09-05--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.
Loading...
Loading...
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.
Loading...
Loading...
This story was originally published on March 30, 2020.


npr--2020-09-05--Coronavirus Maps: How Severe Is Your State's Outbreak?

Coronavirus Maps : How Severe Is Your State 's Outbreak ?
More than 6 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the coronavirus and more than 180,000 have died .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily .
Some state outbreaks are worse than others .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on new daily cases per capita .
These color-coded risk levels were developed by a consortium of researchers and public health experts .
The group advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
Orange states may need to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and both yellow and green states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 600 per day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid August , California , Florida and Texas have surpassed New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends state by state , the table below shows the change in average new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over week for the last 28 days .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to reconcile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

Tracking the coronavirus around the U.S.: See how your state is doing
Loading...
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.
Loading...
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.
Loading...
Methodology
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the World Health Organization; national, state and local government health departments; 1point3acres; and local media reports.
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks them for anomalies. This may result in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds. There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department's website. Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships.
Fluctuations in the numbers may happen as health authorities review old cases, process testing backlogs or update their methodologies. The JHU team maintains a list of such changes.
This story was originally published on March 16, 2020. Elena Renken was a co-author on that version. Sean McMinn and Audrey Carlsen contributed to this story. Carmel Wroth edited this story.


npr--2020-09-05--Review Of Federal Charges In Portland Unrest Shows Most Are Misdemeanors

Review Of Federal Charges In Portland Unrest Shows Most Are Misdemeanors In President Trump 's telling of it , Portland , Ore. , is a city under siege by violent radical leftists .
He has suggested that only the strong hand of federal law enforcement can save it .
On Fox News this week , Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf admonished state and local leaders there and elsewhere for failing to restore law and order , and he touted the administration 's response .
`` We 've seen about 300 arrests across this country regarding civil unrest and protest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criminal protesting , criminal rioting , '' Wolf said .
`` About 100 of those have been in Portland specifically , and I know the Department of Justice has charged about 74 or 75 individuals in Portland there with different federal crimes . ''
But an NPR review of the federal cases brought in Portland shows that the majority of the charges are for what could be considered minor offenses .
As of Aug. 28 , the U.S. Attorney 's Office for Oregon had charges outstanding against 74 people in connection with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 11 are for citations and 42 are for misdemeanors , meaning that more than 70 % of the total charged cases are not felonies .
`` A citation is the least serious of a charge , it 's really more of a ticket , '' said Lisa Hay , the federal public defender for Oregon .
The misdemeanor cases are almost evenly divided between class A and class C misdemeanors .
A class C misdemeanor is one step above a citation and is punishable by no more than one month in jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people face class C misdemeanor charges for allegedly failing to comply with a lawful order .
`` That might be somebody who 's in front of the federal courthouse , on the sidewalk , and an order is issued to disperse , and they did n't disperse or they did n't move away quickly enough , '' said Hay .
The class A misdemeanor cases in Portland have typically involved an alleged assault of a federal officer but without physical contact .
Such a case could involve , for example , verbally abusing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ object .
These sorts of misdemeanors are punishable by no more than one year in prison .
Steve Kanter , a law professor and former dean at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland , said the federal government 's decision to arrest and charge people for offenses like failing to comply with a lawful order suggests that law enforcement officer were acting in a selective manner `` to control and chill expression and activity . ''
`` There should be a clear dividing line between people who are trying to get their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Amendment and the right to assemble , '' he said , `` and people that engage unjustified violence against persons or property . ''
Kanter said those who engage in violence — and he made clear that there have been people in Portland doing exactly that — should be prosecuted .
The vast majority of the protesters in the city have been nonviolent , but some demonstrators have set fires , thrown projectiles and , in some instances , attacked federal officers .
After Trump sent a surge of federal law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the federal courthouse downtown for weeks was a battle zone at night as some protesters clashed with federal agents guarding the facility .
Federal prosecutors have brought more serious felony charges against those they say engaged in the violence — 20 cases as of late last week , according to NPR 's review of the court papers .
Those are primarily either assault of a federal officer or arson charges .
One defendant , for example , is accused of hitting a deputy U.S. marshal with a hammer , while another allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baseball bat .
The president and Attorney General William Barr have repeatedly blamed what they call left-wing radicals and members of the antifa movement for the violence in Portland and elsewhere .
`` I 've talked to every police chief in every city where there 's been major violence , and they all have identified antifa as the ramrod for the violence , '' Barr told CNN this week .
`` They are flying around the country We know people who are flying around the country , '' Barr said .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the riots of weapons to use in those riots . ''
None of the court documents from federal cases in Portland reference antifa or any sort of broader anti-fascist movement or conspiracy .
In a few of the case files , there are references to apparent agitators .
For instance , one defendant told authorities that he was handed a firework by a masked person in the crowd and told to throw it .
But there is nothing more substantial in the federal court record in Portland at this point to support the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public record , the man suspected of fatally shooting a right-wing activist in Portland last weekend said he supports the anti-fascist movement but is not a member of it .
The man , Michael Reinoehl , was killed Thursday night as law enforcement officers tried to arrest him .

Review Of Federal Charges In Portland Unrest Shows Most Are Misdemeanors
Enlarge this image toggle caption Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
In President Trump's telling of it, Portland, Ore., is a city under siege by violent radical leftists. He has suggested that only the strong hand of federal law enforcement can save it.
On Fox News this week, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf admonished state and local leaders there and elsewhere for failing to restore law and order, and he touted the administration's response.
"We've seen about 300 arrests across this country regarding civil unrest and protest, violent protesting, I'd say criminal protesting, criminal rioting," Wolf said. "About 100 of those have been in Portland specifically, and I know the Department of Justice has charged about 74 or 75 individuals in Portland there with different federal crimes."
But an NPR review of the federal cases brought in Portland shows that the majority of the charges are for what could be considered minor offenses.
As of Aug. 28, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Oregon had charges outstanding against 74 people in connection with the Portland unrest.
Of those cases charged, 11 are for citations and 42 are for misdemeanors, meaning that more than 70% of the total charged cases are not felonies.
"A citation is the least serious of a charge, it's really more of a ticket," said Lisa Hay, the federal public defender for Oregon.
The misdemeanor cases are almost evenly divided between class A and class C misdemeanors.
A class C misdemeanor is one step above a citation and is punishable by no more than one month in jail. In Portland, at least 19 people face class C misdemeanor charges for allegedly failing to comply with a lawful order.
"That might be somebody who's in front of the federal courthouse, on the sidewalk, and an order is issued to disperse, and they didn't disperse or they didn't move away quickly enough," said Hay.
The class A misdemeanor cases in Portland have typically involved an alleged assault of a federal officer but without physical contact. Such a case could involve, for example, verbally abusing an officer or pretending to throw an object.
These sorts of misdemeanors are punishable by no more than one year in prison.
Steve Kanter, a law professor and former dean at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, said the federal government's decision to arrest and charge people for offenses like failing to comply with a lawful order suggests that law enforcement officer were acting in a selective manner "to control and chill expression and activity."
"There should be a clear dividing line between people who are trying to get their voices heard, fully protected by the First Amendment and the right to assemble," he said, "and people that engage unjustified violence against persons or property."
Kanter said those who engage in violence — and he made clear that there have been people in Portland doing exactly that — should be prosecuted.
The vast majority of the protesters in the city have been nonviolent, but some demonstrators have set fires, thrown projectiles and, in some instances, attacked federal officers.
After Trump sent a surge of federal law enforcement to Portland in July, the area around the federal courthouse downtown for weeks was a battle zone at night as some protesters clashed with federal agents guarding the facility.
Federal prosecutors have brought more serious felony charges against those they say engaged in the violence — 20 cases as of late last week, according to NPR's review of the court papers.
Those are primarily either assault of a federal officer or arson charges. One defendant, for example, is accused of hitting a deputy U.S. marshal with a hammer, while another allegedly struck a deputy U.S. marshal with a baseball bat.
The president and Attorney General William Barr have repeatedly blamed what they call left-wing radicals and members of the antifa movement for the violence in Portland and elsewhere.
"I've talked to every police chief in every city where there's been major violence, and they all have identified antifa as the ramrod for the violence," Barr told CNN this week.
"They are flying around the country We know people who are flying around the country," Barr said. "We see some purchases they are making before the riots of weapons to use in those riots."
None of the court documents from federal cases in Portland reference antifa or any sort of broader anti-fascist movement or conspiracy.
In a few of the case files, there are references to apparent agitators. For instance, one defendant told authorities that he was handed a firework by a masked person in the crowd and told to throw it.
But there is nothing more substantial in the federal court record in Portland at this point to support the attorney general's assertions.
In the public record, the man suspected of fatally shooting a right-wing activist in Portland last weekend said he supports the anti-fascist movement but is not a member of it.
The man, Michael Reinoehl, was killed Thursday night as law enforcement officers tried to arrest him.


npr--2020-09-05--PHOTOS: A Summer Of Community, Despite Social Distance

What a strange summer it 's been .
All across the United States and beyond , people have changed their daily routines to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic .
An anxious spring spent under lockdown in many parts of the U.S. turned into a summer of continued virtual meetings , financial stress and isolation — along with pent-up desire to seek relief in whatever ways we could .
So , plastic partitions went up , town hall meetings moved to football fields , National Parks became even more popular , and indoor movie dates shifted to film nights beneath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans got creative .
Everyday routines and important ceremonies continued around the U.S. , but with a very different look .
With the season drawing to a close , NPR asked photographers to remind us what America has looked like during this summer of social distancing .
In Phoenix , freelance photographer Ash Ponders spent time at the Salt River in mid-August , a 200-mile waterway on the edge of town that drew locals eager to swim , fish , or go tubing in the sweltering summer months .
Though professional tubing operations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ river remained an outdoor escape .
`` Everyone had masks in their pockets , '' Ponders recalls .
When people saw others at the river , `` they 'd don them ahead of time . ''
Ponders spoke with a group of friends who had lugged inner tubes and snacks to the river on a Friday night just to watch the sunset .
Jacob Willeford , one of the friends , said spending time near the water was better than what he 'd be doing otherwise , `` sitting at home ; furloughed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blueberry-picking farm in the Snohomish River Valley outside of Seattle in August , she found field attendants guiding visitors to rows of berry bushes loaded with ripe fruit .
The guides were responsible for ensuring that , even on a farm , people remained 6 feet apart and kept their masks on .
This year , Mountainview Blueberry Farm set up designated hand-washing stations , provided sanitized berry baskets , and had customers purchase their berry hauls from clerks stationed behind plastic partitions .
Despite the changes to the picking protocol , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , says the farm was as busy as it 's ever been .
Kasinger spoke to one group of friends who had n't seen each other in six months , but arranged to meet to go berry picking — from a safe distance .
`` They were just stoked to be able to be together in what they felt was a safe environment , '' she remembers .
Summer always brings important milestones : graduations , weddings and family reunions .
Keeping 6 feet apart meant rethinking the logistics of many well-established rituals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ High School in Des Moines arrived at staggered times over the course of a week in mid-June to receive their diplomas .
They were each allowed two guests , who watched them cross an empty stage before the new grads posed for photos .
`` Parents frequently looked to the floor for clues on where to stand , '' recalls Olivia Sun , a visual journalist at the Des Moines Register who covered the event .
`` There was no restless buzz of graduates waiting to begin a final summer with childhood friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accompany graduation , the weeklong event felt `` more like a streamlined appointment than a celebration , '' Sun says .
In Philadelphia , photographer Hannah Yoon found Positive Movement , a drumline group , had moved their music and rehearsals outside to be safer .
The decision had an unintended effect , giving neighbors — including those confined to home — the opportunity to hear and see the music on the street .
Tony Royster , who started Positive Movement , says the team has been performing since 2014 , but expanded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birthday and graduation parties as a way to continue to entertain and lift the community 's spirits .
`` We heard the drumline from outside the window and had to come check it out , '' resident Jessica Harmon said on a weeknight in early August when Positive Movement performed as the opening act ahead of an outdoor movie .
`` We had no idea there would be a movie night set up right across the street , '' Harmon says .
She ended up staying to watch the film with others in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works with the Scribe Video Center , which puts on the movie nights , says that need for human connection among neighbors was especially profound this summer .
The center has hosted outdoor screenings for over two decades .
This year , Khader says , every movie night reached maximum capacity .
Friends Nathan Grace , Hana Chamoun , and Anna McCarthy showed up to watch , too .
Chamoun , a graduate student and part-time bartender , is now taking virtual classes and relying on unemployment to make ends meet .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the timelessness of summers in elementary school , she says .
For Chamoun and her friends , the outdoor event was a welcome chance to escape indoor life and see each other in a safe way .
It was `` a sweet treat , '' McCarthy says .
A summer sweetness that transcended even a pandemic .
Photographers Ash Ponders in Phoenix , Chona Kasinger in Seattle , Olivia Sun in Des Moines , and Hannah Yoon in Philadelphia contributed reporting to this story .

PHOTOS: A Summer Of Community, Despite Social Distance
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
What a strange summer it's been.
All across the United States and beyond, people have changed their daily routines to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic. An anxious spring spent under lockdown in many parts of the U.S. turned into a summer of continued virtual meetings, financial stress and isolation — along with pent-up desire to seek relief in whatever ways we could. So, plastic partitions went up, town hall meetings moved to football fields, National Parks became even more popular, and indoor movie dates shifted to film nights beneath the stars.
In other words, Americans got creative. Everyday routines and important ceremonies continued around the U.S., but with a very different look.
toggle caption Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
With the season drawing to a close, NPR asked photographers to remind us what America has looked like during this summer of social distancing.
Escapes To Nature And Fresh Air
In Phoenix, freelance photographer Ash Ponders spent time at the Salt River in mid-August, a 200-mile waterway on the edge of town that drew locals eager to swim, fish, or go tubing in the sweltering summer months. Though professional tubing operations halted because of the pandemic, the river remained an outdoor escape.
Ash Ponders for NPR
"Everyone had masks in their pockets," Ponders recalls. When people saw others at the river, "they'd don them ahead of time."
Ponders spoke with a group of friends who had lugged inner tubes and snacks to the river on a Friday night just to watch the sunset. Jacob Willeford, one of the friends, said spending time near the water was better than what he'd be doing otherwise, "sitting at home; furloughed."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ash Ponders for NPR Ash Ponders for NPR
When photographer Chona Kasinger visited a blueberry-picking farm in the Snohomish River Valley outside of Seattle in August, she found field attendants guiding visitors to rows of berry bushes loaded with ripe fruit. The guides were responsible for ensuring that, even on a farm, people remained 6 feet apart and kept their masks on.
This year, Mountainview Blueberry Farm set up designated hand-washing stations, provided sanitized berry baskets, and had customers purchase their berry hauls from clerks stationed behind plastic partitions. Despite the changes to the picking protocol, Keith Stocker, one of the owners, says the farm was as busy as it's ever been.
Chona Kasinger for NPR
Chona Kasinger for NPR
Kasinger spoke to one group of friends who hadn't seen each other in six months, but arranged to meet to go berry picking — from a safe distance.
"They were just stoked to be able to be together in what they felt was a safe environment," she remembers.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images
toggle caption Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Celebrations And Milestones Get A Socially Distanced Spin
Olivia Sun for NPR
Summer always brings important milestones: graduations, weddings and family reunions. Keeping 6 feet apart meant rethinking the logistics of many well-established rituals this year.
Graduating seniors at Lincoln High School in Des Moines arrived at staggered times over the course of a week in mid-June to receive their diplomas. They were each allowed two guests, who watched them cross an empty stage before the new grads posed for photos.
"Parents frequently looked to the floor for clues on where to stand," recalls Olivia Sun, a visual journalist at the Des Moines Register who covered the event. "There was no restless buzz of graduates waiting to begin a final summer with childhood friends." Without the festivities that usually accompany graduation, the weeklong event felt "more like a streamlined appointment than a celebration," Sun says.
toggle caption Charlie Neibergall/AP
toggle caption Santiago Mejia/The San Francisco Chronicle
A Sense Of Community Preserved
Enlarge this image Hannah Yoon for NPR Hannah Yoon for NPR
In Philadelphia, photographer Hannah Yoon found Positive Movement, a drumline group, had moved their music and rehearsals outside to be safer. The decision had an unintended effect, giving neighbors — including those confined to home — the opportunity to hear and see the music on the street.
Tony Royster, who started Positive Movement, says the team has been performing since 2014, but expanded their schedule this summer to include drive-by birthday and graduation parties as a way to continue to entertain and lift the community's spirits.
toggle caption Hannah Yoon for NPR
"We heard the drumline from outside the window and had to come check it out," resident Jessica Harmon said on a weeknight in early August when Positive Movement performed as the opening act ahead of an outdoor movie. "We had no idea there would be a movie night set up right across the street," Harmon says.
She ended up staying to watch the film with others in her neighborhood.
toggle caption Hannah Yoon for NPR
Nehad Khader, who works with the Scribe Video Center, which puts on the movie nights, says that need for human connection among neighbors was especially profound this summer. The center has hosted outdoor screenings for over two decades. This year, Khader says, every movie night reached maximum capacity.
Friends Nathan Grace, Hana Chamoun, and Anna McCarthy showed up to watch, too. Chamoun, a graduate student and part-time bartender, is now taking virtual classes and relying on unemployment to make ends meet. The past few months have reminded her of the timelessness of summers in elementary school, she says. For Chamoun and her friends, the outdoor event was a welcome chance to escape indoor life and see each other in a safe way.
It was "a sweet treat," McCarthy says. A summer sweetness that transcended even a pandemic.
toggle caption Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Photographers Ash Ponders in Phoenix, Chona Kasinger in Seattle, Olivia Sun in Des Moines, and Hannah Yoon in Philadelphia contributed reporting to this story.