npr--2020-03-01--'We Sent A Message': Buttigieg Ends Historic Presidential Bid

Pete Buttigieg , the 38-year-old who rose from mayor of a midsize Indiana city to a serious presidential contender , officially suspended his campaign on Sunday evening .
`` The truth is that the path has narrowed to a close , '' Buttigieg told a crowd in his hometown of South Bend , Ind.
, after an introduction by his husband Chasten .
`` We have a responsibility to consider the effect of remaining in this race any further . ''
An openly gay Navy Reserve veteran , Buttigieg departs the Democratic race third in overall delegates , behind Vermont @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden .
On Sunday night , Buttigieg thanked supporters for the campaign they helped build , and said that effort to usher in a new generation of politics will continue .
`` I firmly believe that in these years , in our time , we can and we will make American life and politics more like what it could be — not just more wise and more prosperous , but more equitable and more just and more decent , '' he said , as supporters cheered and chanted `` BOOT-EDGE-EGE . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ husband , Chasten , gave an emotional speech , emphasizing the historic weight of the campaign and the significance of the first openly gay candidate to make a serious run at a major party 's nomination for president .
His voice wavered at several points , and he paused to wipe tears .
`` Life gave me some interesting experiences on my way to find Pete , '' he said .
`` After falling in love with Pete , Pete got me to believe in myself again .
And I told Pete to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids sitting out there in this country , who needed to believe in themselves , too . ''
`` We sent a message to every kid out there , wondering if whatever marks them out as different , means they are somehow destined to be less than , to see that someone who once felt that exact same way can become a leading presidential candidate with his husband at his side , '' he said .
The announcement came a day after Buttigieg finished fourth in South Carolina 's Democratic primary , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had finished in a virtual tie in Iowa 's caucuses , then second in New Hampshire and third in Nevada .
Iowa and New Hampshire are predominately white states , but Buttigieg struggled to attract support in the more diverse states of Nevada and South Carolina .
According to exit polls , he earned the backing of just 3 % of African American voters in South Carolina ; black voters made up a majority of the Democratic electorate in Saturday 's primary .
Buttigieg spent the final day of his campaign meeting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma , an annual commemoration of Bloody Sunday .
He said walking in the shadow of civil rights giants had him thinking about how the nation might now try to live up to their example .
Buttigieg 's departure could help boost Biden , who has been competing for some of the same moderate voters and is trying to catch up to Sanders ' delegate lead on Super Tuesday .
The Sanders campaign is pushing back on the idea that the shakeup hurts Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters are going to be more up for grabs , '' Sanders ' campaign manager , Faiz Shakir , told NPR .
`` I think people are far more complicated in their ideology than pundits like to suggest . ''
Buttigieg made the announcement at the Century Center in South Bend , the venue where he held a launch event for his book last February , before jumping into the race .
Back then , there was no national press — mostly local South Bend television affiliates .
A year later , Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and often drew rally crowds that topped a thousand .
On Sunday night , the former mayor joked about his relative anonymity when he decided to run last year : `` Hardly anybody knew my name , and even fewer could pronounce it .
First name Mayor , last name Pete . ''
A graduate of Harvard and Oxford and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan , Buttigieg spent eight years in office in South Bend and gained national recognition in 2017 during an unsuccessful bid to serve as chairman of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced his candidacy for president last year , Buttigieg was perceived as a little-known long shot focused on what he calls `` inter-generational justice , '' but he quickly emerged among the front-runners in the crowded Democratic field with his moderate , future-focused message .
An adept debater , Buttigieg often clashed onstage with Sanders and fellow progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass.
, criticizing their sweeping `` Medicare for All '' health care proposals .
Buttigieg also warned that Sanders ' self-avowed democratic socialism would harm Democrats down ballot .
But Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of high-profile racial incidents involving the police during his tenure as mayor .
He also faced scrutiny over his brief tenure at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company , prompting the release of a list of nine of his former clients .
And fellow candidates pressured him to open his fundraisers to reporters and provide more information about the people raising money for his presidential campaign .
But before that , speaking to NPR 's Steve Inskeep in January 2019 , he said he understood his campaign was an `` underdog project .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that you should ever run for any office that you do not seek to win , '' he said .
In a statement Sunday night , Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said the former South Bend mayor 's candidacy made history .
`` Mayor Buttigieg ran an incredible campaign that broke glass ceilings and inspired countless LGBTQ people to run for office and enter public service , '' he wrote .
`` His history-making , open and honest campaign gave representation to a community that has been for long far too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He gave a voice to millions across the country , to issues often ignored . ''
Buttigieg 's departure will leave six candidates in the race , after billionaire Tom Steyer ended his bid on Saturday night .
The youngest male candidate is now 77-year-old Joe Biden .
With additional reporting by NPR 's Asma Khalid and Scott Detrow

'We Sent A Message': Pete Buttigieg Ends Historic Presidential Bid
Enlarge this image toggle caption Scott Olson/Getty Images Scott Olson/Getty Images
Updated at 10 p.m. ET
Pete Buttigieg, the 38-year-old who rose from mayor of a midsize Indiana city to a serious presidential contender, officially suspended his campaign on Sunday evening.
"The truth is that the path has narrowed to a close," Buttigieg told a crowd in his hometown of South Bend, Ind., after an introduction by his husband, Chasten. "We have a responsibility to consider the effect of remaining in this race any further."
An openly gay Navy Reserve veteran, Buttigieg departs the Democratic race third in overall delegates, behind Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.
On Sunday night, Buttigieg thanked supporters for the campaign they helped build and said that effort to usher in a new generation of politics will continue.
"I firmly believe that in these years, in our time, we can and we will make American life and politics more like what it could be — not just more wise and more prosperous, but more equitable and more just and more decent," he said, as supporters cheered and chanted "BOOT-EDGE-EGE."
Before Buttigieg took the stage, his husband, Chasten, gave an emotional speech, emphasizing the historic weight of the campaign and the significance of the first openly gay candidate to make a serious run at a major party's nomination for president. His voice wavered at several points, and he paused to wipe tears.
"Life gave me some interesting experiences on my way to find Pete," he said. "After falling in love with Pete, Pete got me to believe in myself again. And I told Pete to run because I knew there were other kids sitting out there in this country who needed to believe in themselves, too."
Buttigieg recognized that significance, too.
"We sent a message to every kid out there, wondering if whatever marks them out as different means they are somehow destined to be less than, to see that someone who once felt that exact same way can become a leading presidential candidate with his husband at his side," he said.
The announcement came a day after Buttigieg finished fourth in South Carolina's Democratic primary, the party's fourth nominating contest. Buttigieg had finished in a virtual tie in Iowa's caucuses, then second in New Hampshire and third in Nevada.
Iowa and New Hampshire are predominantly white states, but Buttigieg struggled to attract support in the more diverse states of Nevada and South Carolina. According to exit polls, he earned the backing of just 3% of African American voters in South Carolina; black voters made up a majority of the Democratic electorate in Saturday's primary.
Buttigieg spent the final day of his campaign meeting with former President Jimmy Carter in Georgia, and then marching across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., an annual commemoration of Bloody Sunday. He said walking in the shadow of civil rights giants had him thinking about how the nation might now try to live up to their example.
Buttigieg's departure could help boost Biden, who has been competing for some of the same moderate voters and is trying to catch up to Sanders' delegate lead on Super Tuesday.
The Sanders campaign is pushing back on the idea that the shake-up hurts Sanders more than anyone else.
"His supporters are going to be more up for grabs," Sanders' campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, told NPR. "I think people are far more complicated in their ideology than pundits like to suggest."
Buttigieg made the announcement at the Century Center in South Bend, the venue where he held a launch event for his book last February before jumping into the race. Back then, there was no national press — mostly local South Bend television affiliates. A year later, Buttigieg outlasted most of a crowded Democratic field and often drew rally crowds that topped 1,000.
On Sunday night, the former mayor joked about his relative anonymity when he decided to run last year: "Hardly anybody knew my name, and even fewer could pronounce it. First name Mayor, last name Pete."
A graduate of Harvard and Oxford and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Buttigieg spent eight years in office in South Bend and gained national recognition in 2017 during an unsuccessful bid to serve as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
When he first announced his candidacy for president last year, Buttigieg was perceived as a little-known long shot focused on what he calls "intergenerational justice," but he quickly emerged among the front-runners in the crowded Democratic field with his moderate, future-focused message.
An adept debater, Buttigieg often clashed onstage with Sanders and fellow progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., criticizing their sweeping "Medicare for All" health care proposals. Buttigieg also warned that Sanders' self-avowed democratic socialism would harm down-ballot Democrats.
But Buttigieg was dogged by questions about his handling of high-profile racial incidents involving the police during his tenure as mayor. He also faced scrutiny over his brief tenure at the consulting firm McKinsey, prompting the release of a list of nine of his former clients. And fellow candidates pressured him to open his fundraisers to reporters and provide more information about the people raising money for his presidential campaign.
But before that, speaking to NPR's Steve Inskeep in January 2019, he said he understood his campaign was an "underdog project."
"But I also don't think that you should ever run for any office that you do not seek to win," he said.
In a statement Sunday night, Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said the former South Bend mayor's candidacy made history.
"Mayor Buttigieg ran an incredible campaign that broke glass ceilings and inspired countless LGBTQ people to run for office and enter public service," he wrote. "His history-making, open and honest campaign gave representation to a community that has been for long far too long pushed out of the spotlight. He gave a voice to millions across the country, to issues often ignored."
Buttigieg's departure will leave six candidates in the race, after billionaire Tom Steyer ended his bid on Saturday night. The youngest male candidate is now 77-year-old Joe Biden.
With additional reporting by NPR's Asma Khalid and Scott Detrow


npr--2020-03-02--5 Chinese State Media Outlets In U.S. Told To Reduce Nationals On Staffs

5 Chinese State Media Outlets In U.S. Told To Reduce Nationals On Staffs In a move reminiscent of the Cold War , five Chinese state media entities were informed by the U.S. State Department Monday that they will have to reduce the number of their nationals working in the U.S .
Characterized by the State Department as a `` personnel cap , '' the restriction stipulates that no more than 100 citizens of the Peoples ' Republic of China will be able to work in the U.S. for the five state media outlets , effective March 13 .
A senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nationals are currently employed by the five entities .
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear in a statement that the newly imposed quota for Chinese state media employees in the U.S. is in response to Beijing 's `` misguided '' restrictions on foreign journalists working in China .
`` For years , the government of the People 's Republic of China has imposed increasingly harsh surveillance , harassment , and intimidation against American and other foreign journalists operating in China , '' Pompeo said , noting the decision to impose the cap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by those entities , nor does it restrict what they may publish in the U.S. '' Our goal is reciprocity , '' said Pompeo .
`` As we have done in other areas of the U.S.-China relationship , we seek to establish a long-overdue level playing field .
It is our hope that this action will spur Beijing to adopt a more fair and reciprocal approach to U.S. and other foreign press in China . ''
The five Chinese state media outlets targeted by the caps were all designated last month by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PRC government , meaning they are either substantially owned or effectively controlled the government of Chinese leader Xi Jinping .
Those organizations include China 's Xinhua News Agency , Chinese Radio International , China Daily Distribution Corporation , China Global Television Network , and the U.S. distributor of People 's Daily , Hai Tian Development USA .
All will have to reduce the Chinese nationals on their staffs by roughly 40 % , with the exception of Hai Tian , where no PRC citizens are employed .
Other Chinese news outlets in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cap , according to a senior State Department official .
The limit on Chinese employees follows punitive actions by authorities in Beijing against American journalists working in China .
The day after the State Department designated the Chinese state media as foreign missions , China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters based there .
Chinese authorities justified the expulsion of the three correspondents — two Americans and one Australian — citing the `` China is the Real Sick Man of Asia '' headline for a Feb. 3 Wall Street Journal opinion piece , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
None of the expelled reporters had contributed to that opinion piece .
Asked whether the cap imposed on the Chinese state media outlets was specifically in response to the ejection of those reporters , a senior State Department official maintained it was not .
`` It does not link to any one particular incident , '' the official said , `` although the incident you point to was , in fact , a fairly egregious example . ''
He said about 100 American journalists are now working in China and alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harsh surveillance , harassment and intimidation '' against them and other foreign journalists in China .
A report released this week by the 186-member Foreign Correspondents ' Club of China bolsters those charges .
It finds Chinese authorities are using the visa applications required of foreign journalists seeking to work in China `` as weapons against the foreign press like never before . ''
The FCCC study , titled `` Control-Halt-Delete , '' states that since Xi 's ascent to power in 2013 , nine foreign journalists have either been expelled from China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Last year , it adds , a dozen foreign correspondents were given credentials valid for less than six months , even though such short-term visas normally are issued for a full year .
Among the affected U.S. news organizations were The Wall Street Journal , Voice of America and The New York Times .
`` The influence and pressure brought to bear on foreign journalists in China , '' the report concludes , `` reflects how Chinese authorities extend their reach and scope in chilling ways to ensure the 'China story ' has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to the State Department , the Chinese state media organizations designated foreign missions have until March 6 to inform U.S. authorities which employees will be cut to meet the new personnel caps .
It is entirely up to those entities , one U.S. official said , to decide who those persons will be .

5 Chinese State Media Outlets In U.S. Told To Reduce Nationals On Staffs
Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP
In a move reminiscent of the Cold War, five Chinese state media entities were informed by the U.S. State Department Monday that they will have to reduce the number of their nationals working in the U.S.
Characterized by the State Department as a "personnel cap," the restriction stipulates that no more than 100 citizens of the Peoples' Republic of China will be able to work in the U.S. for the five state media outlets, effective March 13. A senior State Department official says about 160 Chinese nationals are currently employed by the five entities.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear in a statement that the newly imposed quota for Chinese state media employees in the U.S. is in response to Beijing's "misguided" restrictions on foreign journalists working in China.
"For years, the government of the People's Republic of China has imposed increasingly harsh surveillance, harassment, and intimidation against American and other foreign journalists operating in China," Pompeo said, noting the decision to impose the cap does not stem from any content produced by those entities, nor does it restrict what they may publish in the U.S.
"Our goal is reciprocity," said Pompeo. "As we have done in other areas of the U.S.-China relationship, we seek to establish a long-overdue level playing field. It is our hope that this action will spur Beijing to adopt a more fair and reciprocal approach to U.S. and other foreign press in China."
The five Chinese state media outlets targeted by the caps were all designated last month by the State Department as foreign missions of the PRC government, meaning they are either substantially owned or effectively controlled the government of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Those organizations include China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Radio International, China Daily Distribution Corporation, China Global Television Network, and the U.S. distributor of People's Daily, Hai Tian Development USA. All will have to reduce the Chinese nationals on their staffs by roughly 40%, with the exception of Hai Tian, where no PRC citizens are employed.
Other Chinese news outlets in the U.S. will not be affected by the cap, according to a senior State Department official.
The limit on Chinese employees follows punitive actions by authorities in Beijing against American journalists working in China.
The day after the State Department designated the Chinese state media as foreign missions, China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters based there.
Chinese authorities justified the expulsion of the three correspondents — two Americans and one Australian — citing the "China is the Real Sick Man of Asia" headline for a Feb. 3 Wall Street Journal opinion piece, which those officials termed "racially discriminatory." None of the expelled reporters had contributed to that opinion piece.
Asked whether the cap imposed on the Chinese state media outlets was specifically in response to the ejection of those reporters, a senior State Department official maintained it was not.
"It does not link to any one particular incident," the official said, "although the incident you point to was, in fact, a fairly egregious example." He said about 100 American journalists are now working in China and alleged that "the PRC has imposed increasingly harsh surveillance, harassment and intimidation" against them and other foreign journalists in China.
A report released this week by the 186-member Foreign Correspondents' Club of China bolsters those charges. It finds Chinese authorities are using the visa applications required of foreign journalists seeking to work in China "as weapons against the foreign press like never before."
The FCCC study, titled "Control-Halt-Delete," states that since Xi's ascent to power in 2013, nine foreign journalists have either been expelled from China or had their visa renewals denied. Last year, it adds, a dozen foreign correspondents were given credentials valid for less than six months, even though such short-term visas normally are issued for a full year. Among the affected U.S. news organizations were The Wall Street Journal, Voice of America and The New York Times.
"The influence and pressure brought to bear on foreign journalists in China," the report concludes, "reflects how Chinese authorities extend their reach and scope in chilling ways to ensure the 'China story' has but one narrative — theirs."
According to the State Department, the Chinese state media organizations designated foreign missions have until March 6 to inform U.S. authorities which employees will be cut to meet the new personnel caps. It is entirely up to those entities, one U.S. official said, to decide who those persons will be.


npr--2020-03-02--Mortgage Rates Are Near All-Time Lows As Coronavirus Worries Hit Markets

Mortgage Rates Are Near All-Time Lows As Coronavirus Worries Hit Markets A dramatic drop in mortgage rates may give prospective homebuyers a chance to afford the house they 've been eyeing — or to lower monthly payments for homeowners who refinance .
Last week , fears over coronavirus outbreak 's anticipated economic impact sparked the most dramatic stock market sell-off since the financial crisis .
Stocks rallied Monday on expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates to boost the economy .
But there 's a silver lining in this market mayhem for homeowners and homebuyers : Mortgage rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .
Mortgages tend to rise and fall with 10-year Treasury yields .
So nervous investors piling into bonds have helped push down mortgage rates , which have fallen about a full percentage point over the past year .
That 's a good thing , says Laurie Goodman , co-director of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute .
She says buying a home is crucial for most Americans to build wealth and these lower rates can mean hundreds or thousands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Homeownership is really the single best way to build wealth , '' Goodman says .
The median homeowner has a net worth of around $ 230,000 — nearly half of that is in the form of equity in their home , she says .
Meanwhile , Goodman adds , the median renter has a total wealth of less than $ 5,000 .
If you have good credit , rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage have dropped from about 4.5 % to around 3.5 % over the past year .
Goodman says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a year ago more than 10 % cheaper today in monthly mortgage payments .
So , she says , someone who was on the fence a year ago about whether they could afford to own a home `` is going to find it very attractive at this time . ''
Millions of people around the country who are already homeowners could probably save money on their monthly payment by refinancing .
But , it can be a little tricky to figure out if that 's worth doing .
Elysia Stobbe works in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the book How To Get Approved For The Best Mortgage Without Sticking A Fork In Your Eye .
`` People see rates are low , or rates are dropping , so we get a lot of calls , '' she says .
`` People just want us to run the numbers and make sure it makes sense . ''
Stobbe says on a $ 300,000 30-year fixed rate loan , if you were at 4.5 % and refinanced at 3.5 % , that would save you about $ 2,000 a year in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good .
`` Yes , the monthly savings is great , '' she says , `` but what are the fees involved ? ''
Stobbe says the fees vary a lot from state to state .
In Florida , you might have to pay thousands of dollars more than in Virginia or Georgia , she says .
So she says you want to think about how long it will take to break even on paying those fees before you actually save any money .
And there 's one last very important thing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying your mortgage for a long time , say five or 10 years .
When you get a new 30-year loan , you go back to year one on your payments .
That matters a lot because in those early years you 're paying much more interest than you are principal .
So you 're not paying down what you owe on the house that much .
`` Absolutely , '' Stobbe says , `` on any loan , the interest is front-loaded . ''
Think about this like eating a sandwich .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bank .
The meat is the principal — the amount that goes toward building equity and actually owning more of your home .
The first couple years on a new 30-year loan , you 're basically eating a mayonnaise sandwich .
It 's mostly interest .
So you probably do n't want to go back there .
Stobbe says many lenders will structure a 25-year or 20-year loan so you do n't have to go all the way back to square one .
And if you can afford to refinance into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even better .
`` The shorter term , you 're plugging away at that principal much quicker than the longer 30-year fixed , '' Stobbe says .

Mortgage Rates Are Near All-Time Lows As Coronavirus Worries Hit Markets
Enlarge this image toggle caption Steve Dipaola/Reuters Steve Dipaola/Reuters
A dramatic drop in mortgage rates may give prospective homebuyers a chance to afford the house they've been eyeing — or may lower monthly payments for homeowners who refinance.
Last week, fears over the novel coronavirus outbreak's anticipated economic impact sparked the most dramatic stock market sell-off since the 2008 financial crisis. Stocks rallied Monday on expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates to boost the economy.
But there's a silver lining in this market mayhem for homeowners and homebuyers: Mortgage rates have been driven down to near all-time lows.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
Mortgages tend to rise and fall with 10-year Treasury yields. So nervous investors piling into bonds have helped push down mortgage rates, which have fallen about a full percentage point over the past year.
That's a good thing, says Laurie Goodman, co-director of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute. She says that buying a home is crucial for most Americans to build wealth and that these lower rates can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars a year in lower mortgage payments.
"Homeownership is really the single best way to build wealth," Goodman says. The median homeowner has a net worth of around $230,000 — nearly half of that is in the form of equity in their home, she says. Meanwhile, Goodman adds, the median renter has total wealth of less than $5,000.
If you have good credit, rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage have dropped from about 4.5% to around 3.5% over the past year. Goodman says that this effectively makes the same-priced house from a year ago more than 10% cheaper today in monthly mortgage payments.
So, she says, someone who was on the fence a year ago about whether they could afford to own a home "is going to find it very attractive at this time."
Millions of people around the country who are already homeowners could probably save money on their monthly payment by refinancing. But it can be a little tricky to figure out if that's worth doing.
Elysia Stobbe works in the mortgage industry and is the author of the book How to Get Approved for the Best Mortgage Without Sticking a Fork in Your Eye.
"People see rates are low or rates are dropping, so we get a lot of calls," she says. "People just want us to run the numbers and make sure it makes sense."
Stobbe says that on a $300,000 30-year fixed-rate loan, if you were at 4.5% and refinanced at 3.5%, that would save you about $2,000 a year in mortgage payments. So that sounds pretty good.
"Yes, the monthly savings is great," she says, "but what are the fees involved?"
Stobbe says the fees vary a lot from state to state. In Florida, you might have to pay thousands of dollars more than in Virginia or Georgia, she says. So she says you want to think about how long it will take to break even on paying those fees before you actually save any money.
And there's one last very important thing to consider, especially if you've been paying your mortgage for a long time, say five or 10 years. When you get a new 30-year loan, you go back to year one on your payments. That matters a lot because in those early years you're paying much more interest than you are principal. So you're not paying down what you owe on the house that much.
"Absolutely," Stobbe says, "on any loan, the interest is front-loaded."
Think about this like eating a sandwich. The mayonnaise is the interest you pay the bank. The meat is the principal — the amount that goes toward building equity and actually owning more of your home.
The first couple of years on a new 30-year loan, you're basically eating a mayonnaise sandwich. It's mostly interest. So you probably don't want to go back there.
Stobbe says many lenders will structure a 25-year or 20-year loan so you don't have to go all the way back to square one. And if you can afford to refinance into a 15-year loan, she says, that's even better. "The shorter term, you're plugging away at that principal much quicker than the longer 30-year fixed," Stobbe says.


npr--2020-03-02--All Bushfires Extinguished In Australia's Hardest-Hit New South Wales, Officials Say

All Bushfires Extinguished In Australia 's Hardest-Hit New South Wales , Officials Say Australian officials announced on Friday there are no longer any active bush or grass fires in New South Wales , the state hardest-hit by massive wildfires that have scorched millions of acres in the country since July .
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service said in a tweet on Monday that the fires had raged for `` more than 240 days '' across the country 's most populous state .
The respite comes more than two weeks after torrential rains helped to put out some fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been the worst-affected , record high temperatures and other extreme weather conditions have also led to unprecedented wildfire devastation in other regions , including Queensland and Victoria .
Over several months , the summer bushfires consumed thousands of homes , claimed more than 30 lives and decimated wildlife populations .
Firefighters from around the world , including the United States and Canada , and members of the Australian Defence Force helped battle the blazes as they ravaged more than 42,000 square miles ( 27 million acres ) of land across the country — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. state of Virginia .
The end of the fires does not mean the end of Australia 's natural disaster woes , however .
The latest climate disaster roiling the country involves the very water that has put an end to the inferno ; recent flash floods in eastern Australia have left thousands without power in parts of NSW and Queensland .
`` It 's a pretty vicious cycle , unfortunately , '' Julia Holman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation told NPR .
`` The rainfall has been welcomed mainly because it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 've had .
...
But the rainfall in some parts has been extreme and too much for emergency services to cope with in some cases , '' Holman said .

All Bushfires Extinguished In Australia's Hardest-Hit New South Wales, Officials Say
Enlarge this image toggle caption Noah Berger/AP Noah Berger/AP
Australian officials announced on Friday there are no longer any active bush or grass fires in New South Wales, the state hardest-hit by massive wildfires that have scorched millions of acres in the country since July.
The New South Wales Rural Fire Service said in a tweet on Monday that the fires had raged for "more than 240 days" across the country's most populous state.
The respite comes more than two weeks after torrential rains helped to put out some fires and contain others.
While NSW has been the worst-affected, record high temperatures and other extreme weather conditions have also led to unprecedented wildfire devastation in other regions, including Queensland and Victoria.
Over several months, the summer bushfires consumed thousands of homes, claimed more than 30 lives and decimated wildlife populations.
Firefighters from around the world, including the United States and Canada, and members of the Australian Defence Force helped battle the blazes as they ravaged more than 42,000 square miles (27 million acres) of land across the country — an area about the size of the U.S. state of Virginia.
The end of the fires does not mean the end of Australia's natural disaster woes, however. The latest climate disaster roiling the country involves the very water that has put an end to the inferno; recent flash floods in eastern Australia have left thousands without power in parts of NSW and Queensland.
"It's a pretty vicious cycle, unfortunately," Julia Holman of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation told NPR.
"The rainfall has been welcomed mainly because it has put out these enormous bush fires that we've had. ... But the rainfall in some parts has been extreme and too much for emergency services to cope with in some cases," Holman said.


npr--2020-03-02--Coronavirus Update: Containment Is Possible, WHO Says

Coronavirus Update : Containment Is Possible , WHO Says The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 poses a unique challenge to health authorities , the head of the World Health Organization said on Monday as he gave an update on the viral epidemic that has now touched at least 62 countries .
But he added that the virus is also showing signs that it can be contained .
`` We are in unchartered [ sic ] territory , '' WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a briefing in Geneva .
`` We have never before seen a respiratory pathogen that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also be contained with the right measures . ''
Contrasting COVID-19 with the flu , Tedros said , `` If this was an influenza epidemic , we would have expected to see widespread community transmission across the globe by now , and efforts to slow it down or contain it would not be feasible .
`` But containment of COVID-19 is feasible and must remain the top priority for all countries , '' he added , crediting quick and aggressive responses from some countries in limiting transmission of the deadly virus .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus that causes COVID-19 than any other country , with more than 80,000 cases .
But while the coronavirus has been contained in some areas , the WHO is concerned about epidemics in four countries : South Korea , Italy , Iran and Japan .
`` In the last 24 hours , there were almost nine times more cases reported outside China than inside China , '' Tedros said at the briefing .
As the virus spreads , health officials are working to learn the patterns and characteristics that make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are signs that it does n't sicken children as frequently as it does adults — a metric often referred to as an `` attack rate . ''
`` What we 've seen is higher attack rates in adults than we 've seen in children , '' WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said , referring to research collected by a joint WHO-China team working on the coronavirus .
But Van Kerkhove , who recently spent two weeks in China , also cautioned that information about the coronavirus ' impact on different demographic groups is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of more `` stratified '' data has only just begun .
Up to now , she said , most of the reporting has focused on patients ' symptoms .
There are currently more than 90,000 confirmed cases of the respiratory coronavirus in the world , according to a tracking tool created by Johns Hopkins University 's Whiting School of Engineering .
Of that number , slightly more than half — nearly 45,600 people — have recovered from the virus .
But more than 3,000 people have died .
South Korea now has at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 500 new cases on Monday .
The country 's health agencies are in the process of testing over 33,000 more people .
More than 71,000 people have tested negative for the virus , the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says .
More than 3,000 cases were confirmed in the city of Daegu , where most of the cases are related to a Christian sect called the Shincheonji Church of Jesus .
South Korea 's CDC agency says the country 's main strategy for coping with COVID-19 will now focus on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather than containing it .
Japan currently has 268 patients who were infected by the coronavirus , says the country 's Ministry of Health , Labor and Welfare .
The figure does not include passengers and crew from the Diamond Princess cruise ship .
One of the hardest-hit areas is the northern prefecture of Hokkaido , which has at least 72 cases .
All of Japan 's schools , from the elementary level through high school , are now closed in an attempt to keep the virus from spreading further .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 80 per day to make up for income lost because of parents taking leave from work , according to NHK World-Japan .
Italy now has 1,835 coronavirus cases , including more than 1,200 in the Lombardy region , which includes Milan .
Italy 's Health Ministry says 52 people have died after developing COVID-19 .
Nearly 1,000 people are currently living in isolation in their homes , and 742 people are hospitalized — including 166 who are in intensive care .
`` For 10 days , 11 towns in the Lombardy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public gatherings are banned , and schools and universities are closed , '' NPR 's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome .
`` The national health institute says the coming week will be crucial to determine whether these measures will succeed in at least slowing down the rate of contagion . ''
Iran is reporting 1,501 cases , including 54 deaths , according to the WHO 's regional office in the eastern Mediterranean .
That total represents a significant spike : Iran 's deputy health minister , Ali-Reza Raeesi , said 523 new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , according to the Islamic Republic News Agency .
To help fight the epidemic in Iran , the WHO has sent a charter flight with medical experts and enough supplies and protective gear to equip more than 15,000 health care workers , the organization says .
The shipment includes more than 1,000 screening tests — `` enough to screen nearly 100,000 people , '' the WHO says .
The supplies were flown to Tehran aboard a cargo plane from the United Arab Emirates Air Force .
Britain , France and Germany are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about $ 5.5 million , including equipment for laboratory tests , protective body suits and gloves .
That shipment was being transported Monday , Britain 's Foreign Office said , describing the material as `` a comprehensive package of both material and financial support to combat the rapid spread of the disease . ''

Coronavirus Update: Containment Is Possible, WHO Says
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ari Jalal/Reuters Ari Jalal/Reuters
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 poses a unique challenge to health authorities, the head of the World Health Organization said on Monday as he gave an update on the viral epidemic that has now touched at least 62 countries. But he added that the virus is also showing signs that it can be contained.
"We are in unchartered [sic] territory," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a briefing in Geneva. "We have never before seen a respiratory pathogen that is capable of community transmission but which can also be contained with the right measures."
Contrasting COVID-19 with the flu, Tedros said, "If this was an influenza epidemic, we would have expected to see widespread community transmission across the globe by now, and efforts to slow it down or contain it would not be feasible.
"But containment of COVID-19 is feasible and must remain the top priority for all countries," he added, crediting quick and aggressive responses from some countries in limiting transmission of the deadly virus.
By far, China still has more cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 than any other country, with more than 80,000 cases. But while the coronavirus has been contained in some areas, the WHO is concerned about epidemics in four countries: South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan.
"In the last 24 hours, there were almost nine times more cases reported outside China than inside China," Tedros said at the briefing.
As the virus spreads, health officials are working to learn the patterns and characteristics that make it unique. For one thing, there are signs that it doesn't sicken children as frequently as it does adults — a metric often referred to as an "attack rate."
"What we've seen is higher attack rates in adults than we've seen in children," WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said, referring to research collected by a joint WHO-China team working on the coronavirus.
But Van Kerkhove, who recently spent two weeks in China, also cautioned that information about the coronavirus' impact on different demographic groups is still coming in and that the collection of more "stratified" data has only just begun. Up to now, she said, most of the reporting has focused on patients' symptoms.
There are currently more than 90,000 confirmed cases of the respiratory coronavirus in the world, according to a tracking tool created by Johns Hopkins University's Whiting School of Engineering. Of that number, slightly more than half — nearly 45,600 people — have recovered from the virus. But more than 3,000 people have died.
South Korea
South Korea now has at least 4,212 coronavirus cases, after reporting nearly 500 new cases on Monday. The country's health agencies are in the process of testing over 33,000 more people. More than 71,000 people have tested negative for the virus, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
More than 3,000 cases were confirmed in the city of Daegu, where most of the cases are related to a Christian sect called the Shincheonji Church of Jesus.
South Korea's CDC agency says the country's main strategy for coping with COVID-19 will now focus on mitigating the virus that causes the disease, rather than containing it.
Japan
Japan currently has 268 patients who were infected by the coronavirus, says the country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The figure does not include passengers and crew from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
One of the hardest-hit areas is the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, which has at least 72 cases.
All of Japan's schools, from the elementary level through high school, are now closed in an attempt to keep the virus from spreading further. The government plans to pay up to about $80 per day to make up for income lost because of parents taking leave from work, according to NHK World-Japan.
Italy
Italy now has 1,835 coronavirus cases, including more than 1,200 in the Lombardy region, which includes Milan.
Italy's Health Ministry says 52 people have died after developing COVID-19. Nearly 1,000 people are currently living in isolation in their homes, and 742 people are hospitalized — including 166 who are in intensive care.
"For 10 days, 11 towns in the Lombardy and Veneto regions have been in lockdown. Public gatherings are banned, and schools and universities are closed," NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome. "The national health institute says the coming week will be crucial to determine whether these measures will succeed in at least slowing down the rate of contagion."
Iran
Iran is reporting 1,501 cases, including 54 deaths, according to the WHO's regional office in the eastern Mediterranean. That total represents a significant spike: Iran's deputy health minister, Ali-Reza Raeesi, said 523 new cases had been added to the total since Sunday, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.
To help fight the epidemic in Iran, the WHO has sent a charter flight with medical experts and enough supplies and protective gear to equip more than 15,000 health care workers, the organization says.
The shipment includes more than 1,000 screening tests — "enough to screen nearly 100,000 people," the WHO says. The supplies were flown to Tehran aboard a cargo plane from the United Arab Emirates Air Force.
Britain, France and Germany are sending to Iran an aid package worth about $5.5 million, including equipment for laboratory tests, protective body suits and gloves. That shipment was being transported Monday, Britain's Foreign Office said, describing the material as "a comprehensive package of both material and financial support to combat the rapid spread of the disease."


npr--2020-03-02--Coronavirus Testing: What To Know As It Becomes Available Across The U.S.

Coronavirus Testing : What To Know As It Becomes Available Across The U.S. After a slow initial rollout , test kits for the new coronavirus are now becoming more widely available in the U.S. That means a big surge in testing is coming – one that will likely cause a significant increase in identified cases of the COVID-19 illness .
Here are some things to know about the tests .
If I think I might have the coronavirus , should I get tested ?
The most common initial symptoms of COVID-19 are fever , a dry cough and shortness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local health department if you believe you might have the virus , and they will advise the best course of action .
It 's important to remember that not everyone who get infected gets sick and symptomatic .
Also , it 's flu season , so lots of people with flu-like symptoms have just that : the flu .
And to guard against becoming infected , start by practicing good hygiene : Wash your hands with soap and water frequently .
Stay home from work or school if you 're sick .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not know it because your symptoms are mild — so it 's important not to pass the virus on to others who could be especially vulnerable to it .
How does the test work — do you get tested at a hospital ?
If a patient is suspected of having COVID-19 , they will most likely be tested at a hospital .
A medical professional will swab inside a patient 's nostril and throat .
If the patient has a wet cough , they 'll also collect sputum ( the mixture of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
These samples are then examined in a lab for genetic material that indicate whether the coronavirus is present .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it is now shipping test kits to labs across the country and that they should be in state and local labs by the end of the week .
The Food and Drug Administration has also just given permission to advanced labs — mostly at academic hospitals — to use their own tests if they have developed them .
So who decides who 'll be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to state and local health departments to decide who to test .
The CDC provides clinical criteria to healthcare professionals for determining whether someone should be classified as a person under investigation for COVID-19 .
Unless someone is very sick and/or has reason to believe they 've been exposed to the virus , the doctor is likely to decide the person does not need to be tested for coronavirus .
The first suspected U.S. case of coronavirus through `` community spread '' was left undiagnosed for days because a request for testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicates the person was infected despite having no history of travel to affected areas or exposure to someone known to have the COVID-19 illness — so the cause of their infection is unknown .
Not all people who want to be tested will be , at least in the short term .
Some people have recently told NPR that they had asked to be tested for the virus because they were experiencing some flu-like symptoms , but they were not tested .
Will the test tell me if I had coronavirus but got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show only whether you are currently infected with the virus .
It will not show whether you had the virus in the past .
What does the test 's wider availability mean for the U.S. ?
As testing becomes more accessible , it 's likely the tests will find infections around the country – including cases that have gone undetected for a while .
A genetic analysis of the virus in Washington state published Saturday found the virus might have been circulating there for weeks and that hundreds of people might already be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health authorities should be able to catch new cases more quickly .
How many tests are available ?
The CDC says it has enough kits to test at least 75,000 people , and more are on order .
Each lab that orders a diagnostic panel from the CDC to test for COVID-19 will receive one diagnostic panel initially , and each panel can test 700 to 800 patient specimens .
Why has n't broader testing been available until now ?
The first test kits sent by the CDC to state and local labs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a three-step process , and the third step was causing problems .
The FDA subsequently authorized the use of just the first and second steps to provide a definitive diagnostic .
That set the U.S. back several weeks , and public health officials lost a crucial window to contain the virus and prevent it from getting a foothold in the U.S. Secondly , the CDC was using very strict criteria to determine who could be tested .
That 's what happened with the `` community spread '' case last month at UC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The CDC has now revised the criteria for testing to include people who are so sick that they need to be hospitalized but do n't know how they might have been exposed .
NPR 's Rob Stein and Richard Harris contributed to this report .

Coronavirus Testing: What To Know As It Becomes Available Across The U.S.
Enlarge this image toggle caption NIAID-RML NIAID-RML
Updated Wednesday at 4:20 p.m. ET
After a slow initial roll-out, test kits for the new coronavirus are now becoming more widely available in the United States. That means a big surge in testing is coming — one that will likely cause a significant increase in identified cases of the COVID-19 illness.
Here are some things to know about the tests.
What is the current availability of coronavirus testing?
Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the government's coronavirus response, said Wednesday that more than 2,500 kits are being distributed around the country this week. That will make more than 1 million tests available to hospitals that have requested them, particularly in regions where cases have already been identified, he said.
In testimony Tuesday, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was skeptical that the tests would soon be widely available.
Currently, the tests are available at state and university labs in each state, Pence said.
"Our objective is to make tests available broadly to the American public" by going to their doctor or local pharmacy, Pence said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on testing has changed so that "any American that wants to be tested for the coronavirus on their doctor's indications can be tested," he said.
Pence met with CEOs of commercial laboratories on Wednesday to discuss meeting the need for testing. Those labs, along with academic labs, have formed a consortium to share information and hasten the availability of tests to the broader American public.
Pence said that testing would be focused on the areas hit hardest so far by coronavirus cases.
If I think I might have the coronavirus, should I get tested?
The most common initial symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, a dry cough and shortness of breath. Call your doctor or your local health department if you believe you might have the virus, and you'll be advised of the best course of action.
It's important to remember that not everyone who gets infected gets sick and symptomatic. Also, it's flu season, so lots of people with flu-like symptoms have just that: the flu.
And to guard against becoming infected, start by practicing good hygiene: Wash your hands with soap and water frequently. Stay home from work or school if you're sick. It's possible you could get the virus and not know it because your symptoms are mild — so it's important not to pass the virus on to others who could be especially vulnerable to it.
How does the test work? Do you get tested at a hospital?
If a patient is suspected of having COVID-19, the person will most likely be tested at a hospital.
A medical professional will swab inside a patient's nostril and throat. If the patient has a wet cough, the health care worker will also collect sputum (the mixture of saliva and mucus that is coughed up). These samples will then be examined in a lab for genetic material that indicates whether the coronavirus is present.
So who decides who'll be tested?
Right now, it's up to state and local health departments to decide whom to test. The CDC provides clinical criteria to health care professionals for determining whether someone should be classified as a person under investigation for COVID-19.
That criteria was expanded on Wednesday to include a wider group of symptomatic patients. Its advice to health care professionals now says clinicians should "use their judgment to determine if a patient has signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and whether the patient should be tested."
The guidance goes on to say that who is tested depends in part on whether there are already cases locally or if the patient has had contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus. It notes that most people with confirmed COVID-19 cases exhibit fever and/or symptoms of acute respiratory illness, like cough or difficulty breathing. Clinicians are strongly encouraged to test for other illnesses like flu.
Previously, some people had told NPR that they had asked to be tested for the virus because they were experiencing some flu-like symptoms, but they were not tested. In some well-publicized cases, people detailed their unsuccessful efforts to get tested. The Trump administration says it is working to make the tests broadly available.
Who pays for the coronavirus testing?
The Department of Health and Human Services has designated coronavirus testing as an "essential health benefit," Pence said Wednesday.
That designation ensures the test will be covered by health insurance plans, Medicare and Medicaid.
Will the test tell me if I had coronavirus but got better?
No. The test will show only whether you are currently infected with the virus. It will not show whether you had the virus in the past.
What does the test's wider availability mean for the U.S.?
As testing becomes more accessible, it's likely the tests will find infections around the country — including cases that have gone undetected for a while.
A genetic analysis of the virus in Washington state published Saturday found that the virus might have been circulating there for weeks and that hundreds of people might already be infected.
The test also means public health authorities should be able to catch new cases more quickly.
How many tests are available?
The CDC says it has enough kits to test at least 75,000 people, and more are on order.
Separately, Pence said 2,500 diagnostic test kits are being sent to labs, which he says will allow for over 1 million tests.
Each lab that orders a diagnostic panel from the CDC to test for COVID-19 will receive one diagnostic panel initially, and each panel can test 700 to 800 patient specimens.
Why hasn't broader testing been available until now?
The first test kits sent by the CDC to state and local labs didn't work as planned. It was a three-step process, and the third step was causing problems. The FDA subsequently authorized the use of just the first and second steps to provide a definitive diagnostic.
That set the U.S. back several weeks, and public health officials lost a crucial window to contain the virus and prevent it from getting a foothold in the United States.
Secondly, the CDC was using very strict criteria to determine who could be tested. That's what happened with the community spread case last month at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Calif.
The CDC later revised the criteria for testing to include people who are so sick that they need to be hospitalized but don't know how they might have been exposed. It has since expanded the criteria further.
NPR's Rob Stein and Richard Harris contributed to this report.


npr--2020-03-02--Texas Criminal Trial Highlights Climate Liability For Factories In Floodplains

Opening arguments ended Monday in Texas in the highest profile criminal case ever brought against a company and its employees for allegedly failing to adequately prepare for the effects of climate change .
The company , Arkema , owns a chemical plant outside Houston that flooded when Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 5 feet of rain on the area in 2017 .
The rising water knocked out power to the plant and caused volatile chemicals stored there to heat up and eventually catch fire .
Burning containers and trailers sent up a column of black smoke above the facility for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to the current criminal case .
The Harris County District Attorney is charging Arkema , the local plant manager , and a company executive with recklessly emitting air pollution , and a third employee with assault .
The criminal charges associated with air pollution allege that the company and its employees should have foreseen the risk of catastrophic flooding , and prepared for it better .
`` We 've had a new normal in Houston .
We 've had three 500-year floods in just a short period of time .
And so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg told NPR in an interview after the first indictments were announced last year .
In his opening arguments , special prosecutor Michael Doyle listed major storms that have affected the region over the last eight decades , Houston Public Media 's Katie Watkins reported .
`` Arkema always did the same thing in the face of an approaching storm system , '' he said .
`` They always choose to leave the product at risk , they never move a single gallon , a pint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Arkema defense attorney Letitia Quinones argued that the company acted appropriately , Houston Public Media reported .
`` We survived 20 storms by utilizing the safety procedures we had in place , '' Quinones told jurors .
The prosecution 's focus on whether extreme weather events such as Hurricane Harvey are foreseeable — and whether companies are liable if they fail to adequately prepare for such storms — makes this case an important test of the legal system 's power when it comes to adapting to wetter , more frequent storms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's the big question in this case : When is something an act of God that is unforeseeable , versus when is [ it ] a thing that we should have prepared for , given what we know about the increasing impacts of climate change ?
And where are we going to draw that line ? ''
says Elena Mihaly , a staff attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation , a Boston-based environmental law nonprofit .
Hurricane Harvey dropped the most rain of any hurricane in recorded history , going back to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicted increased flood risk in many parts the U.S. as the Earth gets hotter .
Scientists are also increasingly able to tie individual weather events to climate change , by comparing what happened during a given storm to a model of what would have happened without global warming .
Attribution science , as it is known , has matured in recent years as climate models have gotten more sophisticated .
Studies show that hotter-than-average water in the Gulf of Mexico strengthened Hurricane Harvey and increased the amount of rain it carried .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean that it 's not foreseeable , '' says Mihaly , who is not personally involved in the Texas case .
The Texas case could also influence how companies prepare for , and are held accountable after , storms that cause coastal or inland flooding .
The plant at the center of the Texas case is one of many industrial facilities built in flood-prone areas .
`` There are chemical plants , power plants , refineries , wastewater treatment plants , and all kinds of other industrial operations all along our rivers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to climate impacts , '' says Michael Burger , the executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University .
Climate change is also driving more frequent and severe wildfires , droughts and heat waves in the U.S. , all of which are creating more liability for companies that operate in disaster-prone areas .
For example , California 's Pacific Gas and Electric was forced to file for bankruptcy protection after electrical transmission lines it owned and operated caused the deadly 2018 Camp Fire .
`` The lawsuits and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant explosion , the California wildfires and other recent disasters could send a signal that everybody needs to be prepared , '' says Burger .
It is still unclear , however , whether cases like the one in Texas will change how companies prepare for disasters , or whether courts will instead look to regulators to redefine what constitutes adequate preparation for climate-driven disasters .
Arkema defense attorney Rusty Hardin says that any concerns about how companies assess flood risk and prepare for climate change should be handled by regulators , not by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen that — there 's no crime .
There 's no responsibility .
It 's not anyone 's fault , '' Hardin told NPR in an interview after the indictments were first announced .
`` We need to look forward to the future and make sure that we are prepared for these kinds of things if this is going to be the new norm , and many think it is . ''
Katie Watkins of Houston Public Media contributed to this report .

Texas Criminal Trial Highlights Climate Liability For Factories In Floodplains
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Opening arguments ended Monday in Texas in the highest profile criminal case ever brought against a company and its employees for allegedly failing to adequately prepare for the effects of climate change.
The company, Arkema, owns a chemical plant outside Houston that flooded when Hurricane Harvey dumped more than 5 feet of rain on the area in 2017. The rising water knocked out power to the plant and caused volatile chemicals stored there to heat up and eventually catch fire. Burning containers and trailers sent up a column of black smoke above the facility for days.
It is that smoke that led to the current criminal case.
The Harris County District Attorney is charging Arkema, the local plant manager, and a company executive with recklessly emitting air pollution, and a third employee with assault. The criminal charges associated with air pollution allege that the company and its employees should have foreseen the risk of catastrophic flooding, and prepared for it better.
"We've had a new normal in Houston. We've had three 500-year floods in just a short period of time. And so it was a risk that was unjustifiable," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg told NPR in an interview after the first indictments were announced last year.
In his opening arguments, special prosecutor Michael Doyle listed major storms that have affected the region over the last eight decades, Houston Public Media's Katie Watkins reported.
"Arkema always did the same thing in the face of an approaching storm system," he said. "They always choose to leave the product at risk, they never move a single gallon, a pint, any amount to avoid the risk."
Arkema defense attorney Letitia Quinones argued that the company acted appropriately, Houston Public Media reported. "We survived 20 storms by utilizing the safety procedures we had in place," Quinones told jurors.
The prosecution's focus on whether extreme weather events such as Hurricane Harvey are foreseeable — and whether companies are liable if they fail to adequately prepare for such storms — makes this case an important test of the legal system's power when it comes to adapting to wetter, more frequent storms driven by climate change.
"That's the big question in this case: When is something an act of God that is unforeseeable, versus when is [it] a thing that we should have prepared for, given what we know about the increasing impacts of climate change? And where are we going to draw that line?" says Elena Mihaly, a staff attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation, a Boston-based environmental law nonprofit.
Hurricane Harvey dropped the most rain of any hurricane in recorded history, going back to the 1880s. But climate models have long predicted increased flood risk in many parts the U.S. as the Earth gets hotter.
Scientists are also increasingly able to tie individual weather events to climate change, by comparing what happened during a given storm to a model of what would have happened without global warming. Attribution science, as it is known, has matured in recent years as climate models have gotten more sophisticated. Studies show that hotter-than-average water in the Gulf of Mexico strengthened Hurricane Harvey and increased the amount of rain it carried.
"Just because something is unprecedented does not mean that it's not foreseeable," says Mihaly, who is not personally involved in the Texas case.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
The Texas case could also influence how companies prepare for, and are held accountable after, storms that cause coastal or inland flooding. The plant at the center of the Texas case is one of many industrial facilities built in flood-prone areas.
"There are chemical plants, power plants, refineries, wastewater treatment plants, and all kinds of other industrial operations all along our rivers and coastlines. These facilities are potentially vulnerable to climate impacts," says Michael Burger, the executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University.
Climate change is also driving more frequent and severe wildfires, droughts and heat waves in the U.S., all of which are creating more liability for companies that operate in disaster-prone areas. For example, California's Pacific Gas and Electric was forced to file for bankruptcy protection after electrical transmission lines it owned and operated caused the deadly 2018 Camp Fire.
"The lawsuits and enforcement actions coming out of the Arkema plant explosion, the California wildfires and other recent disasters could send a signal that everybody needs to be prepared," says Burger.
It is still unclear, however, whether cases like the one in Texas will change how companies prepare for disasters, or whether courts will instead look to regulators to redefine what constitutes adequate preparation for climate-driven disasters.
Arkema defense attorney Rusty Hardin says that any concerns about how companies assess flood risk and prepare for climate change should be handled by regulators, not by the courts.
"Sometimes bad things happen that — there's no crime. There's no responsibility. It's not anyone's fault," Hardin told NPR in an interview after the indictments were first announced. "We need to look forward to the future and make sure that we are prepared for these kinds of things if this is going to be the new norm, and many think it is."
Katie Watkins of Houston Public Media contributed to this report.


npr--2020-03-02--Coronavirus Cluster Near Seattle Highlights Vulnerability Of Nursing Homes

An outbreak of coronavirus disease in a nursing home near Seattle is prompting urgent calls for precautionary tactics at America 's elder care facilities , where residents are at heightened risk of serious complications from the illness because of the dual threat of age and close living conditions .
As of Monday afternoon , the emergence of the novel contagious illness at the Life Care Center of Kirkland , Wash. , had left four residents dead and others hospitalized , local health officials said .
A health care worker also has been hospitalized .
In total , Washington state has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officials previously said that of the nursing home 's 108 residents and 180 staff members , more than 50 have shown signs of possible COVID-19 infections , the name given the illness caused by the novel coronavirus that emerged from Wuhan , China , late last year .
Visits from families , volunteers and vendors have been halted and new admissions placed on hold , according to a statement from Ellie Basham , the center 's executive director .
`` Current residents and associates are being monitored closely , and any with symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she wrote .
This cluster of illness is the first of its type in the U.S. , where 2.2 million people live in long-term care settings and may be at heightened risk because of age and underlying health conditions .
`` We are very concerned about an outbreak in a setting where there are many older people , '' says Dr. Jeff Duchin , health officer for the Seattle and King County public health agency .
The American Health Care Association , which represents 13,500 nonprofit and for-profit facilities for seniors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday , in response to the Washington outbreak .
The new virus is thought to spread primarily via droplets in the air , and the guidelines largely echo strategies recommended to stem the spread of other respiratory viruses , such as influenza .
That includes frequent hand sanitation among staff and visitors , grouping people who become ill in the same room or wing , and asking family members who are sick to avoid in-person visits .
But members had been anticipating cases of the new virus , says Dr. David Gifford , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president of quality and regulatory affairs .
`` Clearly , it signaled that it 's here and that what people knew was likely to come is closer to them than before , '' he says .
COVID-19 has been identified in more than 85,000 people worldwide and led to nearly 3,000 deaths , including the first U.S. death reported Saturday in another Washington state man in his 50s .
That man was not associated with the Kirkland nursing center , officials said .
Studies of hospitalized patients in China suggest the median @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that about 80 % of COVID-19 cases are mild .
However , a new summary in the journal JAMA reported that the virus has a case fatality rate of 1 % to 2 % overall — and as high as 8 % to 15 % in older patients in China .
That is alarming news for U.S. residents in long-term care settings , where illnesses caused by more common pathogens like norovirus and seasonal influenza often spread rapidly among residents , causing severe complications .
Immune response wanes as people age , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all types .
Dr. Karl Steinberg , a geriatrician who serves as medical director for two nursing homes and as chief medical officer for a chain of 20 others in Southern California , says the news of COVID-19 cases at the Washington state nursing center is worrisome .
`` That 's very scary , '' Steinberg says .
`` It worries me that once it gets going , it will be really hard to control the spread . ''
The situation may be akin to the spread of coronavirus on cruise ships , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarantined off the coast of Japan , with one key exception , Steinberg said .
People on cruise ships can be confined to their rooms with minimal interaction with staff and fellow residents .
People in nursing centers are there because they need help with activities of daily living , he noted .
In the Washington state center , Duchin says , officials are advising health workers to separate cohorts of sick patients from those who remain well and to don personal protective gear , including eye protection , to avoid infection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with so many vulnerable patients to manage an outbreak , '' he says .
Duchin urged older people and those with health conditions such as heart disease , lung disease and diabetes to pay close attention to precautions such as washing hands frequently , keeping their hands away from their faces and avoiding people who show signs of illness .
Just-released guidelines from the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine call for increasing hand hygiene , isolating infected patients and making plans to ensure that health care workers stay home if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for screening visitors and daily temperature checks for residents and staff .
Individual centers should remain in close contact with local health officials about appropriate actions , Gifford says .
Authorities — and families — should think carefully before taking steps such as removing patients from nursing centers during an outbreak .
`` Evacuating a facility is not a benign event , '' he says , noting that moving can be traumatic to frail and elderly people .
The nursing home cases are examples of community transmission of the virus , meaning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of travel to other nations where the virus is spreading or contact with a traveler diagnosed with the illness .
Community transmission has now been detected in multiple states , including California .
However , Seattle researchers reported late Saturday that new genomic analysis suggests the virus may have been spreading in Washington state since mid-January , when a 35-year-old Snohomish County man who had visited Wuhan , China , was confirmed as the first U.S. case of the infection .
`` This strongly suggests that there has been cryptic transmission in Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' tweeted Trevor Bedford , a computational biologist at Seattle 's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center , who is tracking the virus .
He estimated there could be `` a few hundred '' infections in the state .
At least 70 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed or presumed positive in the U.S. , and officials with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans should expect to hear more reports of illness in the coming days and weeks .
The new Washington cases and the first reported U.S. deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the definition of who could be tested for the virus and after states and hospitals were given more leeway and supplies to conduct their own tests .
`` What that says to us is that as we test more , we 're more likely to find cases of the disease , '' Duchin says .
A team from the CDC has been sent to help local and state health officials investigate the Life Care Center outbreak .
`` We have a large investigation ahead of us , a complicated investigation ahead of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meantime , Steinberg said he and others will take precautions to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 cases in long-term care settings and act swiftly to contain them , if necessary .
`` I guess there 's not much to do but hunker down and hope it 's not too bad , '' he says .
Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit news service covering health issues .
It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

Coronavirus Cluster Near Seattle Highlights Vulnerability Of Nursing Homes
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ryan Henriksen/Reuters Ryan Henriksen/Reuters
An outbreak of coronavirus disease in a nursing home near Seattle is prompting urgent calls for precautionary tactics at America's elder care facilities, where residents are at heightened risk of serious complications from the illness because of the dual threat of age and close living conditions.
As of Monday afternoon, the emergence of the novel contagious illness at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, Wash., had left four residents dead and others hospitalized, local health officials said. A health care worker also has been hospitalized. In total, Washington state has reported six deaths, officials said.
Officials previously said that of the nursing home's 108 residents and 180 staff members, more than 50 have shown signs of possible COVID-19 infections, the name given the illness caused by the novel coronavirus that emerged from Wuhan, China, late last year. Visits from families, volunteers and vendors have been halted and new admissions placed on hold, according to a statement from Ellie Basham, the center's executive director.
"Current residents and associates are being monitored closely, and any with symptoms or who were potentially exposed are quarantined," she wrote.
This cluster of illness is the first of its type in the U.S., where 2.2 million people live in long-term care settings and may be at heightened risk because of age and underlying health conditions.
"We are very concerned about an outbreak in a setting where there are many older people," says Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for the Seattle and King County public health agency.
The American Health Care Association, which represents 13,500 nonprofit and for-profit facilities for seniors and disabled people, issued updated guidelines Saturday, in response to the Washington outbreak. The new virus is thought to spread primarily via droplets in the air, and the guidelines largely echo strategies recommended to stem the spread of other respiratory viruses, such as influenza. That includes frequent hand sanitation among staff and visitors, grouping people who become ill in the same room or wing, and asking family members who are sick to avoid in-person visits.
But members had been anticipating cases of the new virus, says Dr. David Gifford, AHCA's chief medical officer and senior vice president of quality and regulatory affairs.
"Clearly, it signaled that it's here and that what people knew was likely to come is closer to them than before," he says.
COVID-19 has been identified in more than 85,000 people worldwide and led to nearly 3,000 deaths, including the first U.S. death reported Saturday in another Washington state man in his 50s. That man was not associated with the Kirkland nursing center, officials said.
Studies of hospitalized patients in China suggest the median age of infection is in the 50s and that about 80% of COVID-19 cases are mild. However, a new summary in the journal JAMA reported that the virus has a case fatality rate of 1% to 2% overall — and as high as 8% to 15% in older patients in China.
That is alarming news for U.S. residents in long-term care settings, where illnesses caused by more common pathogens like norovirus and seasonal influenza often spread rapidly among residents, causing severe complications. Immune response wanes as people age, leaving them more vulnerable to infections of all types.
Dr. Karl Steinberg, a geriatrician who serves as medical director for two nursing homes and as chief medical officer for a chain of 20 others in Southern California, says the news of COVID-19 cases at the Washington state nursing center is worrisome.
"That's very scary," Steinberg says. "It worries me that once it gets going, it will be really hard to control the spread."
The situation may be akin to the spread of coronavirus on cruise ships, such as the Diamond Princess that was quarantined off the coast of Japan, with one key exception, Steinberg said. People on cruise ships can be confined to their rooms with minimal interaction with staff and fellow residents. People in nursing centers are there because they need help with activities of daily living, he noted.
In the Washington state center, Duchin says, officials are advising health workers to separate cohorts of sick patients from those who remain well and to don personal protective gear, including eye protection, to avoid infection. "It's a very challenging environment with so many vulnerable patients to manage an outbreak," he says.
Duchin urged older people and those with health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes to pay close attention to precautions such as washing hands frequently, keeping their hands away from their faces and avoiding people who show signs of illness.
Just-released guidelines from the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine call for increasing hand hygiene, isolating infected patients and making plans to ensure that health care workers stay home if they're sick. The guidelines also call for screening visitors and daily temperature checks for residents and staff.
Individual centers should remain in close contact with local health officials about appropriate actions, Gifford says. Authorities — and families — should think carefully before taking steps such as removing patients from nursing centers during an outbreak.
"Evacuating a facility is not a benign event," he says, noting that moving can be traumatic to frail and elderly people.
The nursing home cases are examples of community transmission of the virus, meaning the patients did not have a known history of travel to other nations where the virus is spreading or contact with a traveler diagnosed with the illness. Community transmission has now been detected in multiple states, including California.
However, Seattle researchers reported late Saturday that new genomic analysis suggests the virus may have been spreading in Washington state since mid-January, when a 35-year-old Snohomish County man who had visited Wuhan, China, was confirmed as the first U.S. case of the infection.
"This strongly suggests that there has been cryptic transmission in Washington state for the past 6 weeks," tweeted Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, who is tracking the virus. He estimated there could be "a few hundred" infections in the state.
At least 70 cases of coronavirus infection have been confirmed or presumed positive in the U.S., and officials with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans should expect to hear more reports of illness in the coming days and weeks.
The new Washington cases and the first reported U.S. deaths were identified only after the CDC expanded the definition of who could be tested for the virus and after states and hospitals were given more leeway and supplies to conduct their own tests.
"What that says to us is that as we test more, we're more likely to find cases of the disease," Duchin says.
A team from the CDC has been sent to help local and state health officials investigate the Life Care Center outbreak. "We have a large investigation ahead of us, a complicated investigation ahead of us," Duchin said.
In the meantime, Steinberg said he and others will take precautions to prevent the possible spread of COVID-19 cases in long-term care settings and act swiftly to contain them, if necessary.
"I guess there's not much to do but hunker down and hope it's not too bad," he says.
Kaiser Health News is a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation that is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


npr--2020-03-02--Which U.S. States Have Confirmed Coronavirus Cases?

Which U.S. States Have Confirmed Coronavirus Cases ?
Since Jan. 21 , health officials have identified nearly 100 cases of COVID-19 in the United States .
The respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus has spread to dozens of countries and has killed thousands since it was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December .
U.S. health officials have identified and tested 43 cases of COVID-19 as of March 2 .
In addition , 48 cases were found among people who flew back to the U.S. on flights chartered by the U.S. State Department , including those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
To date , there have been six deaths in the U.S. , including four confirmed in Washington state on Monday by local health officials .
The virus is thought to spread mostly through close contact and is more dangerous for people who have underlying health conditions , the CDC says .
So far , the virus has proved more dangerous for the elderly .
The CDC recommends basic precautions such as hand-washing to avoid spreading the disease , and it discourages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 — China , Iran , Italy and South Korea .

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.