npr--2020-09-11--A Mining Company Blew Up A 46,000-Year-Old Aboriginal Site. Its CEO Is Resigning

A Mining Company Blew Up A 46,000-Year-Old Aboriginal Site .
Its CEO Is Resigning Mining giant Rio Tinto is parting ways with its chief executive as it tries to quell public anger over the company 's destruction of a 46,000-year-old sacred Aboriginal site in Australia .
In May , the company blasted through two rock shelters in Juukan Gorge in Western Australia in order to mine iron ore .
Evidence of human habitation there dates back tens of millennia .
The destruction in the Pilbara region was not illegal under Australian law , according to local media reports .
Rio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area in 2013 , `` a right which was not affected by the discovery of ancient artefacts such as stone relics , faunal remains and human hair in one of the Juukan caves a year later , '' Australia 's ABC noted .
But `` what happened at Juukan was wrong , '' the company 's chairman , Simon Thompson , said in a statement Friday .
`` We are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company 's chief executive and executive director , will depart by `` mutual agreement , '' Rio Tinto said .
He 'll remain in the role until a replacement is found or by March 31 , whichever comes first .
Two other high-ranking executives , iron-ore division head Chris Salisbury and corporate relations head Simone Niven , are also leaving the company .
A month after the destruction in Juukan Gorge , the company issued an apology and said it would support strengthening legal protections for Aboriginal heritage sites .
Last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tinto stripped the three executives of performance-related bonuses for this year .
That review concluded that even though the company had legal permission , its actions `` fell short of the Standards and internal guidance that Rio Tinto sets for itself . ''
Friday 's announcement came after `` significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability , '' according to the company .
`` We are also determined to regain the trust of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people and other Traditional Owners , '' Thomson said .
Critics of Rio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company was aware of the site 's importance before the blasting .
For example , as the BBC reported , `` last week it was revealed that in the days running up to the caves ' destruction in May , Rio Tinto hired lawyers in case opponents tried to seek injunctions to stop them . ''
The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Aboriginal Corporation released a statement saying their people had no comment on the executive shakeup , ABC reported .
`` We will continue to work with Rio Tinto in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the statement said .
`` Our focus continues to rest heavily on preserving Aboriginal heritage and advocating for wide-ranging changes to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again . ''
Jamie Lowe is the chief executive of the National Native Title Council , which advocates for Australia 's traditional owners of the land .
He said the group welcomes the changes at the top of Rio Tinto , but stressed there is more to be done .
`` We do fear that if this is the behaviour of a company thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the risk another Juukan Gorge-type incident will happen again , without sector-wide reforms ? ''
Lowe said in a statement .
He said Rio Tinto has so far refused to carry out an independent review of what led to the destruction — a step that the traditional owners see as critical to prevent further losses to priceless Indigenous sites .

A Mining Company Blew Up A 46,000-Year-Old Aboriginal Site. Its CEO Is Resigning
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Wainwright/AP Richard Wainwright/AP
Mining giant Rio Tinto is parting ways with its chief executive as it tries to quell public anger over the company's destruction of a 46,000-year-old sacred Aboriginal site in Australia.
In May, the company blasted through two rock shelters in Juukan Gorge in Western Australia in order to mine iron ore. Evidence of human habitation there dates back tens of millennia.
The destruction in the Pilbara region was not illegal under Australian law, according to local media reports. Rio Tinto obtained permission to mine in the area in 2013, "a right which was not affected by the discovery of ancient artefacts such as stone relics, faunal remains and human hair in one of the Juukan caves a year later," Australia's ABC noted.
But "what happened at Juukan was wrong," the company's chairman, Simon Thompson, said in a statement Friday. "We are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation."
Jean-Sébastien Jacques, the company's chief executive and executive director, will depart by "mutual agreement," Rio Tinto said. He'll remain in the role until a replacement is found or by March 31, whichever comes first.
Two other high-ranking executives, iron-ore division head Chris Salisbury and corporate relations head Simone Niven, are also leaving the company.
A month after the destruction in Juukan Gorge, the company issued an apology and said it would support strengthening legal protections for Aboriginal heritage sites.
Last month, after a board review, Rio Tinto stripped the three executives of performance-related bonuses for this year. That review concluded that even though the company had legal permission, its actions "fell short of the Standards and internal guidance that Rio Tinto sets for itself."
Friday's announcement came after "significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability," according to the company.
"We are also determined to regain the trust of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people and other Traditional Owners," Thomson said.
Critics of Rio Tinto say there is abundant evidence that the company was aware of the site's importance before the blasting. For example, as the BBC reported, "last week it was revealed that in the days running up to the caves' destruction in May, Rio Tinto hired lawyers in case opponents tried to seek injunctions to stop them."
The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Aboriginal Corporation released a statement saying their people had no comment on the executive shakeup, ABC reported.
"We will continue to work with Rio Tinto in the aftermath of the Juukan Gorge disaster," the statement said.
"Our focus continues to rest heavily on preserving Aboriginal heritage and advocating for wide-ranging changes to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again."
Jamie Lowe is the chief executive of the National Native Title Council, which advocates for Australia's traditional owners of the land. He said the group welcomes the changes at the top of Rio Tinto, but stressed there is more to be done.
"We do fear that if this is the behaviour of a company thought to have sector-leading standards, what is the risk another Juukan Gorge-type incident will happen again, without sector-wide reforms?" Lowe said in a statement.
He said Rio Tinto has so far refused to carry out an independent review of what led to the destruction — a step that the traditional owners see as critical to prevent further losses to priceless Indigenous sites.


npr--2020-09-11--Coronavirus World Map: Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak

Coronavirus World Map : Tracking The Spread Of The Outbreak Since the new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan , China , in December , the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19 has spread rapidly within China and to neighboring countries and beyond .
The first confirmed coronavirus cases outside China occurred on Jan. 20 , in Japan , Thailand and South Korea .
On Jan. 21 , the first case in the U.S. was identified in Washington state .
On Jan. 24 , the first two European cases were confirmed in France .
By Feb. 1 , eight European nations had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month later that count had risen to 24 countries with at least 2,200 cases , most of them in Italy .
On March 11 , Italy eclipsed 10,000 cases and the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic — the first since H1N1 in 2009 .
That 's also when China , the original epicenter , began seeing drops in daily counts of new cases .
March also saw exponential spread of the virus throughout the U.S. , with all 50 states reporting cases by March 17 .
This particular virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the third strain of coronavirus known to frequently cause severe symptoms in humans .
The other two strains cause Middle East respiratory syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome .
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States .
This story was originally published on March 30 , 2020 .

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


npr--2020-09-11--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 190,000 have died .
Tens of thousands of new cases are reported daily .
Some state outbreaks are worse than others .
In the graphics below , explore the trends in your state .
View the data via a heat map ( immediately below ) , curve charts , a table of state-by-state trends over four weeks , or a map of total cases and deaths .
The map above shows the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on new daily cases per capita .
These color-coded risk levels were developed by a consortium of researchers and public health experts .
The group advises states in the red category to issue stay-home orders .
Orange states may need to consider stay-home orders , along with increased testing and contact tracing .
Yellow states need to keep up social distancing and mask usage , and both yellow and green states should continue testing and contact tracing .
To compare state outbreaks , the chart above graphs trend lines for average new daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ totals to date .
This type of visualization highlights a state 's daily growth or decline relative to the overall size of its outbreak .
When both new and total case and death counts grow quickly , the curves bend upward .
As new cases and deaths slow , the curves level or bend down .
In New York , the curve rose sharply before reaching over 170,000 total cases in April .
Since then , new cases have fallen from about 10,000 per day in mid-April to under 600 per day in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see totals and per capita figures around the country for both new confirmed cases and reported deaths from COVID-19 .
New York was the original epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. As of mid August , California , Florida and Texas have surpassed New York for total cases to date , though New York still has the highest death total .
Click here to see a global map of confirmed cases and deaths .
To show trends state by state , the table below shows the change in average new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over week for the last 28 days .
States marked in shades of red are showing growth , those in shades of green , are showing declines .
The graphics on this page pull from data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University from several sources , including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ; the World Health Organization ; national , state and local government health departments ; 1point3acres ; and local media reports .
The JHU team automates its data uploads and regularly checks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in occasional data discrepancies on this page as the JHU team resolves anomalies and updates its feeds .
State-by-state recovery data are unavailable at this time .
There may be discrepancies between what you see here and what you see on your local health department 's website .
Figures shown do not include cases on cruise ships .
In early June , Michigan health authorities started including probable cases in its totals .
This resulted in a brief spike in the state 's daily numbers until the JHU team was able to reconcile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Jersey included 1,854 previously-unreported probable deaths in its totals , resulting in a spike in the state 's daily death numbers .
This story was originally published on March 16 , 2020 .
Elena Renken was a co-author on that version .
Sean McMinn contributed to and Carmel Wroth edited this story .

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


npr--2020-09-12--A Karaoke Bar Is Helping A Japanese Town Come Back To Life After Fukushima Disaster

A Karaoke Bar Is Helping A Japanese Town Come Back To Life After Fukushima Disaster In downtown Namie , a small coastal city in eastern Fukushima prefecture , there was a chorus of construction noise this spring .
Truck after truck rolled through , bringing workers to string up power lines and rip down deserted houses , rebuild structures and repave roads .
But at night , all was quiet — except in one small corner of a tiny strip mall .
The faint sounds of music , laughter and maybe a hit of tambourine floated on the wind , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leading to a karaoke bar in full swing .
Namie was once home to over 21,000 people , a close-knit community of farmers and fishermen , dotted with rice paddies and pastures and a bustling downtown full of shops , schools and restaurants .
But on March 11 , 2011 , an earthquake and tsunami triggered explosions at three reactors at the nearby Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant , just 5 miles away .
The earthquake rocked the city , while the tsunami devastated the coastal area , washing people and buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were forced to evacuate , to escape the plumes of radioactive material carried by the wind after the nuclear explosions .
Nearly overnight , Namie became a ghost town — completely sealed off from the public for six years .
Slowly though , as radiation levels have decreased , places like downtown Namie have reopened and are starting to come back to life — even if only a fraction of the population has returned .
The Cosmos Karaoke Bar caters to that fraction , hoping to bring a sense of community back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In March , two giant screens on either side of the room flashed Japanese lyrics while a dozen patrons , mostly men , passed around microphones , singing at the top of their lungs , shaking tambourines and clutching ceramic cups filled with sake and tall glass mugs of beer .
Things changed in April , when the government declared a national emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Cosmos Karaoke had to close under government orders , in an effort to stop the virus from spreading .
The town , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a halt .
But recently , the bar reopened , although business has been slower than before .
The force driving it is Minza Lee , a 63-year-old South Korean woman who has lived in Japan for decades .
She opened Cosmos Karaoke in 2018 .
She 's a ball of energy , laughing and smiling , greeting every customer by name and often singing along .
In March , she wore a tight leather jacket embroidered with flowers and a big yellow skirt and a sparkly top as she wandered around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more in a motherly sort of way .
After the Fukushima disaster , she came to Namie from Fukushima City as a volunteer , helping to clean up debris and abandoned buildings .
She says she fell in love with the town , with the idea of bringing it back from disaster , helping to bring it to life again — even though many of her friends thought it was a bad idea .
`` Everyone was against it , '' she remembered .
`` They said , 'You 're going to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crazy ! '
But the more they pushed back , the more I said , 'Yes , I absolutely will . '
`` So she moved to Namie for good and opened this bar named after the town flower — one of the most popular blooms in Japan , known as the fall cherry blossom .
She hung big , long posters on the walls showing pink and purple cosmos flowers , which appear to be dancing to the near-constant music .
The room is filled with glittery blue velvet booths topped with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ painted like a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds .
`` When I first came here , it was so depressing .
Everything was rotting and falling apart , '' Lee said in March .
`` So I decided that I had to bring the light , the brightness , the energy . ''
She pointed to the glitter , the decorations , the ceilings — as if wanting to show evidence that she accomplished what she had set out to do .
In the kitchen in the back , a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no set menu — plates of kimchi and rice cakes started flowing as soon as customers sat down .
It 's one of the few places to get food in town .
Since 2017 , Namie has seen progress and new businesses have sprung up .
There are several ramen shops open for lunch and a few new hotels .
The main train line was recently rebuilt to connect with major cities like Sendai , about 60 miles to the north , and Tokyo , about 150 miles south .
But there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so people who have come back to live here , many of whom are elderly .
That 's why Cosmos opens in the late afternoon — for them .
In one corner booth in March , three friends in their 70s toasted one another over plates of seafood and scallion pancakes and grilled pork-belly lettuce wraps .
The men used to be neighbors in Namie , but after the disaster , they scattered to different areas .
Only one lives back in Namie now .
They try to meet up as often as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once had together in the town .
`` We used to all meet up in our old neighborhood , but now , it 's a total ghost town , totally empty ... except for the animals that have taken over our homes , '' said Masato Yamazaki , 76 , with a wry laugh .
He said he wished that Cosmos Karaoke had even more customers , that more people had come back to Namie .
He pointed out that his friends were drinking iced oolong tea , since they had a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nice to have this place , to meet and reminisce , '' he said .
And , of course , sing .
Yamazaki 's favorite tunes are old Japanese love songs — which he sang often that March night , much to the delight of his friends , who clapped and cheered .
The construction workers who 've been painstakingly rebuilding the town have also moved here , at least for now .
One of the workers , 53-year-old Takashi Togashi , sat alone in a booth next to a pile of tambourines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He moved to Namie to empty out and tear down the rotting houses that have been sitting abandoned for nearly a decade .
When he first arrived a few years ago , it was scary , he said , especially at night .
`` There was no one on the streets — not a single person .
All you could hear was dogs barking ... and even they sounded scared , '' he said .
It was lonely and depressing , especially given the work he had to do .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open a refrigerator that has n't been opened in nine years !
Just try to imagine , '' he said , making a gagging noise .
But then he found Cosmos Karaoke and finally had a way to blow off some steam and decompress after the long days .
When he comes here , he can just be happy , he said , laughing .
With that , Togashi picked up a microphone and put on ABBA 's `` Dancing Queen . ''
As the opening piano riff blasted from the speakers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tambourine .
Another person took up an extra mic .
A small karaoke band formed .
Lee said this is exactly why she committed to opening this bar — to bring people together .
`` I know my contribution — a karaoke bar — is small , '' she said , looking around .
`` But it 's important . ''
And as the chorus of `` Dancing Queen '' blasted over the speakers and the small crowd joined in , it was clear everyone else in the room agreed .
Kat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Above the Fray fellow .
The fellowship is sponsored by the John Alexander Project , which supports foreign reporting in undercovered parts of the world .
Follow the fellowship on Instagram ( @ thejohnaproject ) and Twitter ( @ thejohnaproject ) .

A Karaoke Bar Is Helping A Japanese Town Come Back To Life After Fukushima Disaster
Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR
In downtown Namie, a small coastal city in eastern Fukushima prefecture, there was a chorus of construction noise this spring. Truck after truck rolled through, bringing workers to string up power lines and rip down deserted houses, rebuild structures and repave roads.
But at night, all was quiet — except in one small corner of a tiny strip mall. The faint sounds of music, laughter and maybe a hit of tambourine floated on the wind, traveling down empty sidewalks and deserted streets, leading to a karaoke bar in full swing.
Namie was once home to over 21,000 people, a close-knit community of farmers and fishermen, dotted with rice paddies and pastures and a bustling downtown full of shops, schools and restaurants.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR
But on March 11, 2011, an earthquake and tsunami triggered explosions at three reactors at the nearby Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, just 5 miles away. The earthquake rocked the city, while the tsunami devastated the coastal area, washing people and buildings out to sea. Those who survived were forced to evacuate, to escape the plumes of radioactive material carried by the wind after the nuclear explosions.
Nearly overnight, Namie became a ghost town — completely sealed off from the public for six years.
Slowly though, as radiation levels have decreased, places like downtown Namie have reopened and are starting to come back to life — even if only a fraction of the population has returned. The Cosmos Karaoke Bar caters to that fraction, hoping to bring a sense of community back to a town that once thrived on it.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR
In March, two giant screens on either side of the room flashed Japanese lyrics while a dozen patrons, mostly men, passed around microphones, singing at the top of their lungs, shaking tambourines and clutching ceramic cups filled with sake and tall glass mugs of beer.
Things changed in April, when the government declared a national emergency because of the coronavirus pandemic. Cosmos Karaoke had to close under government orders, in an effort to stop the virus from spreading. The town, like the rest of Japan, ground mostly to a halt. But recently, the bar reopened, although business has been slower than before.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR
The force driving it is Minza Lee, a 63-year-old South Korean woman who has lived in Japan for decades. She opened Cosmos Karaoke in 2018. She's a ball of energy, laughing and smiling, greeting every customer by name and often singing along. In March, she wore a tight leather jacket embroidered with flowers and a big yellow skirt and a sparkly top as she wandered around the room, urging customers to eat more in a motherly sort of way.
After the Fukushima disaster, she came to Namie from Fukushima City as a volunteer, helping to clean up debris and abandoned buildings. She says she fell in love with the town, with the idea of bringing it back from disaster, helping to bring it to life again — even though many of her friends thought it was a bad idea.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR
"Everyone was against it," she remembered. "They said, 'You're going to live in a nuclear town? You're crazy!' But the more they pushed back, the more I said, 'Yes, I absolutely will.' "
So she moved to Namie for good and opened this bar named after the town flower — one of the most popular blooms in Japan, known as the fall cherry blossom. She hung big, long posters on the walls showing pink and purple cosmos flowers, which appear to be dancing to the near-constant music. The room is filled with glittery blue velvet booths topped with big floral pillows. The ceiling is painted like a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
"When I first came here, it was so depressing. Everything was rotting and falling apart," Lee said in March. "So I decided that I had to bring the light, the brightness, the energy."
She pointed to the glitter, the decorations, the ceilings — as if wanting to show evidence that she accomplished what she had set out to do.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR
In the kitchen in the back, a small staff prepared mostly Korean food, with no set menu — plates of kimchi and rice cakes started flowing as soon as customers sat down. It's one of the few places to get food in town.
Since 2017, Namie has seen progress and new businesses have sprung up. There are several ramen shops open for lunch and a few new hotels. The main train line was recently rebuilt to connect with major cities like Sendai, about 60 miles to the north, and Tokyo, about 150 miles south.
But there isn't much entertainment for the 1,000 or so people who have come back to live here, many of whom are elderly.
That's why Cosmos opens in the late afternoon — for them.
In one corner booth in March, three friends in their 70s toasted one another over plates of seafood and scallion pancakes and grilled pork-belly lettuce wraps. The men used to be neighbors in Namie, but after the disaster, they scattered to different areas. Only one lives back in Namie now.
They try to meet up as often as they can and remember the lives they once had together in the town.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR
"We used to all meet up in our old neighborhood, but now, it's a total ghost town, totally empty... except for the animals that have taken over our homes," said Masato Yamazaki, 76, with a wry laugh.
He said he wished that Cosmos Karaoke had even more customers, that more people had come back to Namie. He pointed out that his friends were drinking iced oolong tea, since they had a long drive home.
"But it's nice to have this place, to meet and reminisce," he said.
And, of course, sing.
Yamazaki's favorite tunes are old Japanese love songs — which he sang often that March night, much to the delight of his friends, who clapped and cheered.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR
The construction workers who've been painstakingly rebuilding the town have also moved here, at least for now.
One of the workers, 53-year-old Takashi Togashi, sat alone in a booth next to a pile of tambourines. A guitar rested against the wall. He moved to Namie to empty out and tear down the rotting houses that have been sitting abandoned for nearly a decade. When he first arrived a few years ago, it was scary, he said, especially at night.
"There was no one on the streets — not a single person. All you could hear was dogs barking ... and even they sounded scared," he said.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR
It was lonely and depressing, especially given the work he had to do. "The houses are disgusting. Sometimes I'll open a refrigerator that hasn't been opened in nine years! Just try to imagine," he said, making a gagging noise.
But then he found Cosmos Karaoke and finally had a way to blow off some steam and decompress after the long days. When he comes here, he can just be happy, he said, laughing.
With that, Togashi picked up a microphone and put on ABBA's "Dancing Queen." As the opening piano riff blasted from the speakers, everyone clapped and cheered. Someone grabbed a tambourine. Another person took up an extra mic. A small karaoke band formed.
Lee said this is exactly why she committed to opening this bar — to bring people together.
"I know my contribution — a karaoke bar — is small," she said, looking around. "But it's important."
And as the chorus of "Dancing Queen" blasted over the speakers and the small crowd joined in, it was clear everyone else in the room agreed.
Kat Lonsdorf (@lilkat_bigworld) is NPR's Above the Fray fellow. The fellowship is sponsored by the John Alexander Project, which supports foreign reporting in undercovered parts of the world. Follow the fellowship on Instagram (@thejohnaproject) and Twitter (@thejohnaproject).


npr--2020-09-12--Will 2020 Be The Year Of The Young Voter?

Will 2020 Be The Year Of The Young Voter ?
For Camilo Villa , a sophomore at Providence College , and his peers , there 's one issue that keeps coming up : getting ready to vote .
`` It 's an icebreaker .
Are you registered ?
Are you voting ?
Who are you voting for ? ''
he describes .
`` We finally get to perform our first real adult civic duty .
It 's like — I 'm a big boy now , I get to go out and vote for what I believe in . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to young voters : always promised , never delivered .
But Villa thinks this could be the year that trend is reversed .
`` It 's up to us , the younger people , to step up and prove them wrong and sway this election in a way that they 're not expecting . ''
Young people could wield significant political power : Millennials and some members of Gen Z comprise 37 % of eligible voters , roughly the same share of the electorate that baby boomers and pre-boomers make up , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brookings Institution .
But for decades , youth voters have showed up to the polls at low rates .
When We All Vote , a nonpartisan nonprofit launched in 2018 by former first lady Michelle Obama , is one group working to bridge the gap .
`` Young people are a very powerful bloc of voters and they could really change the course of this country if they all voted , '' says Stephanie Young , the group 's chief officer for communications , culture and media partnership .
She stresses the need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're spending time , like popular blogs and social media .
To that end , Michelle Obama recently hosted a private call with online influencers , urging them to use their platforms for civics .
`` They literally could be the only person that talks about voting in someone 's life , '' Young says .
`` Yes , do your makeup tutorials .
Yes , critique the latest reality show , do all of the stuff that you do every day on your social media , but take time to talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My School Votes , an effort to build registration programs in high schools , where students can take the lead .
That includes Gabrielle Forbes , a senior in Miami who 's registering peers , despite being too young to vote herself this fall .
`` It 's just really refreshing to know I do n't have to wait till I 'm 'an adult ' to encourage people to vote , '' she says .
One of her jobs was piloting a new messaging campaign .
`` We 'll send our registration links @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Forbes says .
`` Just catalyzing that conversation with someone saying , 'What matters to you ?
What do you want to see in the future ?
You have the opportunity to create that reality . '
'' Each registration link is tied to a volunteer 's portal , so students can track how many people they 've personally helped register .
The campaign has sent over 90,000 direct messages and over five million texts to eligible voters .
Traditional outreach is still taking place , despite complications from the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I make sure I have my mask , my hand sanitizer , and my flyers , '' Caprecia Miller says .
Miller , 49 , has been volunteering with When We All Vote for months and says she tries to find creative ways to reach young people .
`` I 've seen young adults playing basketball , and I 've interrupted games on the basketball court .
I 've taken flyers to local businesses , nail salons , barber shops , fitness centers , restaurants , '' she says .
`` If this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to teach their children the importance of voting .
It definitely will be a positive trickling effect for years to come . ''
Young says 2020 is uniquely poised to be a turning point for young people participating in the electoral process .
`` Because of COVID-19 , because of the civil unrest that we 're seeing , the continual police violence , all of these things that are happening right now , this is creating a little bit of a perfect storm to harness a new generation of Americans who are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their communities , '' she says .
Sunshine Hillygus , a professor at Duke University , says energy around protests in 2018 may have accounted for a jump in youth turnout in the midterm elections .
`` There was a lot of youth activism around the Parkland mass shooting .
There were headlines saying young people were more energized than ever before , '' she explains .
`` And there were unprecedented levels of turnout .
But it 's worth remembering that unprecedented surge was an increase from like 20 % turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's still just a really low level of participation . ''
Hillygus rejects the stereotype that 's long plagued young voters : they 're apathetic , uninterested and lazy .
`` That 's , in fact , not true .
Young people are very interested in politics .
They have high levels of the civic precursors of participation .
The real problem is they do n't follow through on their civic intentions , '' she says .
Hillygus co-authored Making Young Voters , which looks at why that 's the case .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by processes like registration , an additional step in most states that can feel like an obstacle .
They are more likely to need education on how to request and fill out an absentee ballot and are more likely to spoil their ballot because they 're unfamiliar with it .
Hillygus says young people also hold themselves to a high standard when it comes to casting their ballots .
`` We often had young people admit that they wanted to vote , planned to vote , but felt they were n't informed enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
`` Older people will say , no , you should vote , even if you 're not terribly informed .
And there 's a massive gap in the expectations about what is required to be a good citizen . ''
A bevy of groups like When We All Vote — both partisan and nonpartisan — are working to register new voters .
Most feature celebrities , who have become a staple for get out the vote efforts .
`` Just Vote , '' a newly-announced campaign by Global Citizen and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win luxe items from their favorite celebrities , like a signed guitar by Taylor Swift or a virtual dance lesson with Usher .
When We All Vote also has star-studded support , including Meghan Markle and the cast of The West Wing .
As part of its outreach efforts , the nonprofit teamed up with Community , a text messaging platform , whereby celebrities like Kerry Washington and the Jonas Brothers send messages to voters on their 18th birthday , reminding them to register to vote .
But Hillygus says it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly impactful but what information they 're providing .
`` Instead of telling people that voting is cool with having celebrities say they should go vote , maybe we need to send calendar reminders , maybe we need to to make sure that young people are very aware of what the process is . ''
Hillygus says programs like same-day registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds can substantially boost youth turnout .
But to truly increase turnout among young people , she argues education in the U.S. has to shift from `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The important information is not memorizing who 's the chief justice of the Supreme Court , '' she says .
`` The important information is what is the date by which you must register ?
What is the information that you must have available when you show up at the ballot box ?
What should you do if you get up there and they say that you 're not on the list ? ''
Those are the questions advocates hope to help young people answer now that the first absentee ballots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Will 2020 Be The Year Of The Young Voter?
Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images
For Camilo Villa, a sophomore at Providence College, and his peers, there's one issue that keeps coming up: getting ready to vote.
"It's an icebreaker. 'Are you registered? Are you voting? Who are you voting for?' " he describes. "We finally get to perform our first real adult civic duty. It's like — I'm a big boy now, I get to go out and vote for what I believe in."
There's a political adage when it comes to young voters: always promised, never delivered.
But Villa thinks this could be the year that trend is reversed.
"It's up to us, the younger people, to step up and prove them wrong and sway this election in a way that they're not expecting," he says.
Young people could wield significant political power: Millennials and some members of Gen Z comprise 37% of eligible voters, roughly the same share of the electorate that baby boomers and pre-boomers make up, according to census data analyzed by the Brookings Institution.
But for decades, youth voters have showed up to the polls at low rates.
Bridging the gap
When We All Vote, a nonpartisan nonprofit launched in 2018 by former first lady Michelle Obama, is one group working to bridge the gap.
"Young people are a very powerful bloc of voters and they could really change the course of this country if they all voted," says Stephanie Young, the group's chief officer for communications, culture and media partnership.
She stresses the need to engage young people in places they're spending time, like popular blogs and social media. To that end, Obama recently hosted a private call with online influencers, urging them to use their platforms for civics.
"They literally could be the only person that talks about voting in someone's life," Young says. "Yes, do your makeup tutorials. Yes, critique the latest reality show. Do all of the stuff that you do every day on your social media, but take time to talk about voting."
The organization also created My School Votes, an effort to build registration programs in high schools, where students can take the lead.
That includes Gabrielle Forbes, a senior in Miami who's registering peers, despite being too young to vote herself this fall.
"It's just really refreshing to know I don't have to wait 'til I'm 'an adult' to encourage people to vote," she says.
One of her jobs was piloting a new messaging campaign.
"We'll send our registration links and talk to people our age," Forbes says. "Just catalyzing that conversation with someone saying, 'What matters to you? What do you want to see in the future? You have the opportunity to create that reality.' "
Each registration link is tied to a volunteer's portal, so students can track how many people they've personally helped register.
The campaign has sent over 90,000 direct messages and over 5 million texts to eligible voters.
Traditional outreach is still taking place, despite complications from the coronavirus pandemic.
"When I leave home, I make sure I have my mask, my hand sanitizer and my flyers," Caprecia Miller says.
Miller, 49, has been volunteering with When We All Vote for months and says she tries to find creative ways to reach young people.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of Caprecia Miller Courtesy of Caprecia Miller
"I've seen young adults playing basketball, and I've interrupted games on the basketball court. I've taken flyers to local businesses, nail salons, barber shops, fitness centers, restaurants," she says.
Miller emphasizes reaching young people now to form lifelong voting habits.
"If this generation is voting, they're going to teach their children the importance of voting. It definitely will be a positive trickling effect for years to come."
Young says 2020 is uniquely poised to be a turning point for young people participating in the electoral process.
"Because of COVID-19, because of the civil unrest that we're seeing, the continual police violence, all of these things that are happening right now, this is creating a little bit of a perfect storm to harness a new generation of Americans who are going to be interested in what's happening in their communities," she says.
Myth-busting the young voter
Sunshine Hillygus, a professor at Duke University, says energy around protests in 2018 may have accounted for a jump in youth turnout in the midterm elections.
"There was a lot of youth activism around the Parkland mass shooting. There were headlines saying young people were more energized than ever before," she explains. "And there were unprecedented levels of turnout. But it's worth remembering that unprecedented surge was an increase from like 20% turnout to something like 30% turnout. It's still just a really low level of participation."
Hillygus rejects the stereotype that's long plagued young voters: they're apathetic, uninterested and lazy.
"That's, in fact, not true. Young people are very interested in politics. They have high levels of the civic precursors of participation. The real problem is they don't follow through on their civic intentions," she says.
Hillygus co-authored Making Young Voters, which looks at why that's the case.
She found young people can get overwhelmed by processes like registration, an additional step in most states that can feel like an obstacle.
They are more likely to need education on how to request and fill out an absentee ballot and are more likely to spoil their ballot because they're unfamiliar with it.
Hillygus says young people also hold themselves to a high standard when it comes to casting their ballots.
"We often had young people admit that they wanted to vote, planned to vote, but felt they weren't informed enough to be a good voter," she says. "Older people will say, no, you should vote, even if you're not terribly informed. And there's a massive gap in the expectations about what is required to be a good citizen."
I spy ... celebrities
A bevy of groups like When We All Vote — both partisan and nonpartisan — are working to register new voters. Most feature celebrities, who have become a staple for get out the vote efforts.
"Just Vote," a newly announced campaign by Global Citizen and HeadCount, offers new voters the chance to win luxe items from their favorite celebrities, like a signed guitar by Taylor Swift or a virtual dance lesson with Usher.
When We All Vote also has star-studded support, including Meghan Markle and the cast of The West Wing.
As part of its outreach efforts, the nonprofit teamed up with Community, a text messaging platform, in which celebrities like Kerry Washington and the Jonas Brothers send messages to voters on their 18th birthday, reminding them to register to vote.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Courtesy of When We All Vote Courtesy of When We All Vote
But Hillygus says it's not the presence of celebrities that's truly impactful but what information they're providing.
"Instead of telling people that voting is cool with having celebrities say they should go vote, maybe we need to send calendar reminders, maybe we need to to make sure that young people are very aware of what the process is."
Beyond 'bubble sheet' civics
Hillygus says programs like same-day registration and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds can substantially boost youth turnout.
But to truly increase turnout among young people, she argues education in the U.S. has to shift from "bubble sheet" civics to practical civics.
"The important information is not memorizing who's the chief justice of the Supreme Court," she says. "The important information is what is the date by which you must register? What is the information that you must have available when you show up at the ballot box? What should you do if you get up there and they say that you're not on the list?"
Those are the questions advocates hope to help young people answer now that the first absentee ballots are already going out in the mail.


npr--2020-09-12--Trump Says He Prevented Panic On Pandemic. That's Not His Usual Approach

Trump Says He Prevented Panic On Pandemic .
That 's Not His Usual Approach President Trump is under fire for misleading the public by publicly downplaying the risk of the coronavirus even while he privately acknowledged the magnitude of the threat , a central revelation in a new book by journalist Bob Woodward called `` Rage . ''
`` I wanted to always play it down , '' Trump said on March 19 in an interview recorded by Woodward .
`` I still like playing it down because I do n't want to create a panic . ''
Trump told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood the danger and severity of the coronavirus , even as he told Americans not to worry about something he compared to the seasonal flu .
`` Just stay calm and it will go away , '' he said on March 10 .
Trump has defended his approach by saying he wanted to avoid panicking the public .
`` I do n't want to jump up and down and start screaming , 'Death !
Death ! '
because that 's not what it 's about , '' Trump said when pressed this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February and early March .
More than 190,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus and the number keeps rising .
The president said he sees himself as a cheerleader for the nation , keeping panic at bay .
But this 'keep calm and carry on ' approach is `` incongruous on its face '' with the way he 's talked about other threats — those where fear might work to his political advantage , said Jennifer Mercieca , a historian of political discourse from Texas A & M University , who has written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Trump routinely uses fear appeals .
He routinely tells you who to be afraid of whether it 's an internal threat or an external threat to the nation .
He uses fear appeals to try and motivate voters , '' Mercieca said .
Trump has time and again used ominous language and tweeted out videos of violence in other areas where he sees risks for the nation .
As Trump campaigned during the 2018 congressional elections , he described `` caravan after caravan after caravan of illegal aliens '' as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrants seeking asylum .
He said they would `` flood into our country and overwhelm your communities .
That 's what 's happening .
Have you seen the pictures ? ''
More recently , he has incited fear about low income housing destroying the suburbs , and anarchists taking over towns .
On Thursday , shortly before a press conference where he insisted it was important to avoid panic about the virus , Trump took a very different tack on Twitter : And then there are hurricanes , a threat where — as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear and preparation can save lives .
With storms , Trump is there every time to play up the potential for danger , `` the likes of which you 've never seen before . ''
`` It seems to be one of the biggest hurricanes we 've ever seen , '' Trump said about Hurricane Dorian , warning people in several states , including Alabama , to prepare for the worst .
That storm was n't headed to Alabama , but a map of the storm was modified to look like it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Sharpiegate . ''
Trump has cast the stakes in the upcoming presidential election in apocalyptic terms , railing that a Democratic win would crash the economy .
`` Your stocks will be down to nothing , '' Trump threatened earlier this month .
`` And we will have a depression like you 've never seen before . ''
Mercieca said with this truly frightening pandemic , Trump never settled on a way to make the rhetoric work for him .
He went from downplaying the risk to casting himself as a war-time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invisible enemy to again urging everyone to return to normal life , saying the virus would go away eventually .
On Thursday , Trump insisted he was taking the pandemic seriously , and then in the next breath , returned to cheer leading .
`` We are going to get through this , '' Trump said .
`` And we are right now , I think , I hope , we 're rounding the final turn . ''
But that 's not the assessment of the nation 's leading infectious disease expert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases and 1,000 deaths per day , Fauci said the numbers are way too high and could get worse as the weather gets cooler and people spend more time indoors .
`` We need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter because it 's not going to be easy , '' Fauci said .

Trump Says He Prevented Panic On Pandemic. That's Not His Usual Approach
Enlarge this image toggle caption Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images
President Trump is under fire for misleading Americans by publicly downplaying the risk of the coronavirus even while he privately acknowledged the magnitude of the threat, a central revelation in Rage, a new book by journalist Bob Woodward.
"I wanted to always play it down," Trump said on March 19 in an interview recorded by Woodward. "I still like playing it down because I don't want to create a panic."
Trump told Woodward privately in early February that he understood the danger and severity of the coronavirus, even as he told Americans not to worry about something he compared to the seasonal flu.
"Just stay calm and it will go away," he said on March 10.
Trump has defended his approach by saying he wanted to avoid panicking the public. "I don't want to jump up and down and start screaming, 'Death! Death!' because that's not what it's about," Trump said when pressed this week about why he played down COVID-19 in February and early March.
More than 190,000 Americans have died from the coronavirus and the number keeps rising.
The president said he sees himself as a cheerleader for the nation, keeping panic at bay. But this "keep calm and carry on" approach is "incongruous on its face" with the way he has talked about other threats — those where fear might work to his political advantage, said Jennifer Mercieca, a historian of political discourse from Texas A&M University, who has written a book about how Trump wields language.
"Trump routinely uses fear appeals. He routinely tells you who to be afraid of, whether it's an internal threat or an external threat to the nation. He uses fear appeals to try and motivate voters," Mercieca said.
Trump has time and again used ominous language and tweeted out videos of violence in other areas where he sees risks for the nation. As Trump campaigned during the 2018 congressional elections, he described "caravan after caravan after caravan of illegal aliens" as he sought to generate concern about Central American migrants seeking asylum. He said they would "flood into our country and overwhelm your communities. That's what's happening. Have you seen the pictures?"
More recently, he has incited fear about low-income housing destroying the suburbs and of anarchists taking over towns. On Thursday, shortly before a press conference at which he insisted it was important to avoid panic about the virus, Trump took a very different tack on a different issue on Twitter:
And then there are hurricanes, a threat where — as with the pandemic — a dose of fear and preparation can save lives. With storms, Trump is there every time to play up the potential for danger, "the likes of which you've never seen before."
"It seems to be one of the biggest hurricanes we've ever seen," Trump said about Hurricane Dorian, warning people in several states, including Alabama, to prepare for the worst. That storm wasn't headed to Alabama, but a map of the storm was modified to look like it was, an incident that became known as "Sharpiegate."
Trump has cast the stakes in the upcoming presidential election in apocalyptic terms, railing that a Democratic win would crash the economy. "Your stocks will be down to nothing," Trump threatened earlier this month. "And we will have a depression like you've never seen before."
Mercieca said that for this truly frightening pandemic, Trump never settled on a way to make the rhetoric work for him. He went from downplaying the risk to casting himself as a wartime president leading America into battle with the invisible enemy to again urging everyone to return to normal life, saying the virus would go away eventually. On Thursday, Trump insisted he was taking the pandemic seriously and then, in the next breath, returned to cheerleading.
"We are going to get through this," Trump said. "And we are right now, I think, I hope, we're rounding the final turn."
But that's not the assessment of the nation's leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. With approximately 40,000 new cases and 1,000 deaths per day in the U.S., Fauci said the numbers are way too high and could get worse as the weather gets cooler and people spend more time indoors.
"We need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter because it's not going to be easy," Fauci said.


npr--2020-09-12--A COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Only 50% Effective. Is That Good Enough?

A COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Only 50 % Effective .
Is That Good Enough ?
As we get closer to a COVID-19 vaccine , it 's exciting to imagine a day when the virus is gone .
But a vaccine will not be a magic bullet .
In fact , it may be only about 50 % effective .
Dr. Anthony Fauci , chief of the National Institute of Health and Infectious Disease , has tried to set realistic expectations when discussing the importance of a vaccine .
`` We do n't know yet what the efficacy might be .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be 50 % or 60 % , '' Fauci said during a Brown University event in August .
I 'd like it to be 75 % or more , '' Fauci said , but he acknowledged that may not be realistic .
Meanwhile , the Food and Drug Administration has said that once a vaccine is shown to be safe and at least 50 % effective it could be approved for use in the U.S .
So what does 50 % efficacy mean ?
`` When we talk 'vaccine effectiveness , ' what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effective was the vaccine at preventing actual disease , ' `` explains scientist L.J .
Tan , chief strategist of the nonprofit Immunization Action Coalition .
In other words , Tan says , `` If you vaccinate 100 people , 50 people will not get disease . ''
This may not sound like an impressive rate of infection prevention , but there are other potential benefits to individuals and the community from getting vaccinated .
`` It 's possible that the [ COVID-19 ] vaccine will reduce the severity of disease '' in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sick , says physician Bill Miller of The Ohio State University , College of Public Health .
`` It may mean that people are less likely to be hospitalized , require ICU care , or die . ''
`` That 's certainly the case with the influenza vaccine , '' Miller adds .
`` People who get the vaccine may still get the flu , but , for the most part , their disease is milder than if they had n't had the vaccine . ''
Michael Ison , an infectious disease physician @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , echoes that sentiment .
While it 's true that 50 out of 100 people who get the vaccine could still end up getting infected with the coronavirus , `` hopefully the majority will have milder disease , '' Ison says .
But he cautions there 's a lot to learn in that regard , given that the studies of COVID-19 vaccine candidates are still very much underway .
`` We really need to get some information from the trials that are ongoing to best understand what the impact will be , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the research team at Northwestern that is conducting studies on COVID-19 and on influenza vaccines .
And here 's the next reality check : The extent to which any vaccine that emerges will help halt the COVID-19 pandemic depends on how many people get the immunization .
In order to put this pandemic in the rearview mirror , a large percentage of the population needs to either be vaccinated , or gain immunity via an infection with the virus ( a much riskier route , that would include many more deaths ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population has immunity to the virus because of this sort of `` herd immunity , '' it 's unlikely to keep spreading .
Even people who have n't been vaccinated ( such as very young babies and the immunocompromised ) are protected once this level of immunity in a population is achieved , because the illness has little opportunity to spread within the community — most people who run into the virus in this scenario are immune .
For the coronavirus , Ison says , `` 'herd immunity ' is seen when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the population having some degree of protection . ''
So — here 's a little math — if 20 % of the U.S. population ends up getting exposed to the virus and developing an infection before we have a vaccine ( as is estimated to be the level of immunity in the New York City metro area right now ) , then we 'd still need an additional 40 % of the population to gain protection via a vaccine .
And in order to get 40 % of a population immune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine with 50 % efficacy — `` you 're going to have to vaccinate 80 % of the population , '' says Carlos del Rio , an infectious disease expert at Emory University .
`` So it 's not going to happen right away . ''
For starters , Michael Ison says , there are logistical challenges to getting everyone vaccinated , given the mammoth undertaking of manufacturing and distributing a vaccine .
`` It 's going to take us months to get the entire population vaccinated if they are willing to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is another big `` if . ''
An NPR/PBS/Marist poll in August found that more than a third of Americans — 35 % — say they wo n't get vaccinated when a vaccine comes available .
What 's more , most of the candidate vaccines now being tested would require two separate doses to trigger their most effective protection , Ison says .
So at a minimum , he notes , you 've got a full month between the two doses of vaccine and a short period of time after the second dose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be protected .
It 's also still not known how long the immunity gained through any of the current COVID-19 vaccine candidates will last or to what extent the virus might mutate or change in a way that makes that vaccine less effective .
`` What we will only know once we have the vaccine [ approved and rolled out ] is how effective it is , how long lasting the protection is , and how much pressure it applies to the virus to change , to escape the pressures of the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these remaining unknowns , it is safe to say that any such vaccine against the coronavirus could play a significant role in reducing the spread of the virus .
`` If a vaccine is 50 % effective , that 's still good , '' Miller says .
That means that you have a good possibility of being protected .
He says we should think about its effectiveness the way we do about the benefits of cancer treatments , for example .
`` In some severe cancers , we 'd be pretty happy to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 % effectiveness , '' he notes .
Why do we need to test a proposed vaccine in so many people ?
For now , it 's important to see the experimental trials of each vaccine candidate through to the end , Miller says .
The phase three trials will tell us a lot about the safety of a vaccine as well as its effectiveness .
The large studies now underway are being conducted as double-blind , placebo-controlled trials , which is considered the gold standard in scientific research .
This means half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` half the patients get a placebo — a water shot , '' Ison says .
And nobody — not the researchers or the participants — will know until after the study is complete who got the placebo and who got the real vaccine .
`` What we would like to see is that there 's a difference in the rate of COVID-19 — with a much lower rate in patients who get the vaccine than in the patients who get the placebo , '' Ison says .
But it takes time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that sort of effect , and to answer questions about safety .
The vaccine makers are aiming to enroll about 30,000 people in each trial .
`` Side effects of vaccines [ can be ] very rare , so you need a lot of people to see if the vaccine causes any unexpected problems , '' Bill Miller explains .
`` These side effects must also be monitored carefully post-marketing to ensure that every important problem is identified . ''
Ison notes that there 's another benefit to a large study — it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response to a vaccine needs to be to be protective .
Will the vaccine protect older people ?
And what if I 'm heavy ?
With age , the immune system often mounts a lesser response to vaccination ; that 's why , for example , adults 65 and older can opt for a high-dose flu shot — that 's thought to help bolster their protection .
And scientists also know from prior research that the flu vaccine is less effective in people who carry a lot of extra weight .
Ison says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obesity or age will be a factor in the immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine candidates now being considered for use .
In research results so far , he says , `` the small , phase one data shows that you can generate antibody responses even in older adults , but it 'll be these larger studies that will tell us [ whether ] we need to use higher doses or more doses of the vaccine in certain cases . ''
Results from phase three trials of safety and effectiveness are expected in @ @ @ @

A COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Only 50% Effective. Is That Good Enough?
Enlarge this image Jesse Zhang for NPR Jesse Zhang for NPR
As we get closer to a COVID-19 vaccine, it's exciting to imagine a day when the virus is gone. But a vaccine will not be a magic bullet. In fact, it may be only about 50% effective.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief of the National Institute of Health and Infectious Disease, has tried to set realistic expectations when discussing the importance of a vaccine. "We don't know yet what the efficacy might be. We don't know if it will be 50% or 60%," Fauci said during a Brown University event in August.
"I'd like it to be 75% or more," Fauci said, but he acknowledged that may not be realistic.
The Food and Drug Administration has said that once a vaccine is shown to be safe and at least 50% effective, it could be approved for use in the U.S.
So what does 50% efficacy mean?
"When we talk 'vaccine effectiveness,' what we're talking about is, 'How effective was the vaccine at preventing actual disease?' " explains scientist L.J. Tan, chief strategist of the nonprofit Immunization Action Coalition.
In other words, Tan says, "If you vaccinate 100 people, 50 people will not get disease."
This may not sound like an impressive rate of infection prevention, but there are other potential benefits to individuals and the community from getting vaccinated.
"It's possible that the [COVID-19] vaccine will reduce the severity of disease" in the other 50% who do get sick, says physician Bill Miller of The Ohio State University College of Public Health. "It may mean that people are less likely to be hospitalized, require ICU care or die."
"That's certainly the case with the influenza vaccine," Miller adds. "People who get the vaccine may still get the flu, but, for the most part, their disease is milder than if they hadn't had the vaccine."
Michael Ison, an infectious disease physician at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, echoes that sentiment. While it's true that 50 out of 100 people who get the vaccine could still end up getting infected with the coronavirus, "hopefully, the majority will have milder disease," Ison says. But he cautions there's a lot to learn in that regard, given that the studies of COVID-19 vaccine candidates are still very much underway.
"We really need to get some information from the trials that are ongoing to best understand what the impact will be," he says. Ison is a member of the research team at Northwestern that is conducting studies on COVID-19 and on influenza vaccines.
And here's the next reality check: The extent to which any vaccine that emerges will help halt the COVID-19 pandemic depends on how many people get the immunization.
In order to put this pandemic in the rearview mirror, a large percentage of the population needs to either be vaccinated or gain immunity via an infection with the virus (a much riskier route that would include many more deaths).
When a large portion of the population has immunity to the virus because of this sort of "herd immunity," it's unlikely to keep spreading. Even people who haven't been vaccinated (such as very young babies and those with compromised immune systems) are protected once this level of immunity in a population is achieved, because the illness has little opportunity to spread within the community — most people who run into the virus in this scenario are immune.
For the coronavirus, Ison says, " 'herd immunity' is seen when we have somewhere between 60% to 70% of the population having some degree of protection."
So — here's a little math — if 20% of the U.S. population ends up getting exposed to the virus and developing an infection before we have a vaccine (as is estimated to be the level of immunity in the New York City metro area right now), then we would still need an additional 40% of the population to gain protection via a vaccine.
And in order to get 40% of a population immune through vaccination — if you have a vaccine with 50% efficacy — "you're going to have to vaccinate 80% of the population," says Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert at Emory University. "So it's not going to happen right away."
For starters, Michael Ison says, there are logistical challenges to getting everyone vaccinated, given the mammoth undertaking of manufacturing and distributing a vaccine.
"It's going to take us months to get the entire population vaccinated if they are willing to get vaccinated," he says — which is another big "if." An NPR/PBS/Marist poll in August found that more than a third of Americans — 35% — say they won't get vaccinated when a vaccine comes available.
What's more, most of the candidate vaccines now being tested would require two separate doses to trigger their most effective protection, Ison says. So at a minimum, he notes, you've got a full month between the two doses of vaccine and a short period of time after the second dose before someone who was been vaccinated would be protected.
It's also still not known how long the immunity gained through any of the current COVID-19 vaccine candidates will last or to what extent the virus might mutate or change in a way that makes that vaccine less effective.
"What we will only know once we have the vaccine [approved and rolled out] is how effective it is, how long lasting the protection is and how much pressure it applies to the virus to change, to escape the pressures of the vaccine," Ison says.
Despite all these remaining unknowns, it is safe to say that any such vaccine against the coronavirus could play a significant role in reducing the spread of the virus.
"If a vaccine is 50% effective, that's still good," Miller says. That means that you have a good possibility of being protected. He says we should think about its effectiveness the way we do about the benefits of cancer treatments, for example.
"In some severe cancers, we'd be pretty happy to get a drug that gets us to 50% effectiveness," he notes.
Why do we need to test a proposed vaccine in so many people?
For now, it's important to see the experimental trials of each vaccine candidate through to the end, Miller says. The phase 3 trials will tell us a lot about the safety of a vaccine as well as its effectiveness.
The large studies now underway are being conducted as double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, which is considered the gold standard in scientific research. This means half the participants get the real vaccine and "half the patients get a placebo — a water shot," Ison says. And nobody — not the researchers nor the participants — will know until after the study is complete who got the placebo and who got the real vaccine.
"What we would like to see is that there's a difference in the rate of COVID-19 — with a much lower rate in patients who get the vaccine than in the patients who get the placebo," Ison says. But it takes time and a lot of people to see that sort of effect and to answer questions about safety.
The vaccine makers are aiming to enroll about 30,000 people in each trial.
"Side effects of vaccines [can be] very rare, so you need a lot of people to see if the vaccine causes any unexpected problems," Bill Miller explains. "These side effects must also be monitored carefully post-marketing to ensure that every important problem is identified."
Ison notes that there's another benefit to a large study — it helps researchers know how strong the immune response to a vaccine needs to be to be protective.
Will the vaccine protect older people? And what if I'm heavy?
With age, the immune system often mounts a lesser response to vaccination; that's why, for example, adults 65 and older can opt for a high-dose flu shot — that's thought to help bolster their protection. And scientists also know from prior research that the flu vaccine is less effective in people who carry a lot of extra weight. Ison says it's too soon to know if obesity or age will be a factor in the immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine candidates now being considered for use.
In research results so far, he says, "the small, phase 1 data shows that you can generate antibody responses even in older adults, but it'll be these larger studies that will tell us [whether] we need to use higher doses or more doses of the vaccine in certain cases." Results from phase 3 trials of safety and effectiveness are expected in the coming months.


npr--2020-09-11--California Bill Clears Path For Ex-Inmates To Become Firefighters

California Bill Clears Path For Ex-Inmates To Become Firefighters California Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a bill allowing inmate firefighters to have their records expunged , clearing the path for them to be eligible for firefighting jobs upon release .
The bill , sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Eloise Reyes , lets prisoners who received `` valuable training and [ placed ] themselves in danger assisting firefighters to defend the life and property of Californians '' to petition the courts to dismiss their convictions after completing their sentences .
That will make them eligible to receive EMT certification , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , one that former inmates are prohibited by state law to pursue .
`` Inmates who have stood on the frontlines , battling historic fires should not be denied the right to later become a professional firefighter , '' Gov .
Newsom said upon signing the bill into law .
People convicted of violent felonies , including murder , kidnapping and sex offenses are ineligible to fight fires as inmates and therefore also excluded from applying to have their records cleared .
Michael Gerbe expects the new law will change his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robbery at 19 years old in 2011 and sentenced to 10 years .
It was n't until his fourth year in prison that he learned of the firefighting program `` and that changed everything , '' he said .
After an exhaustive vetting process , several mental health checks , and weeks of rigorous training at 23 he joined the program .
Over the years he wore the bright orange firefighting suit that distinguishes inmate crews from all others , battling many of the state 's largest blazes while $ 1.90 a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain are the Thomas Fire , the Mendocino Complex Fire , the Ferguson Fire , and the Carr Fire .
His last was the Camp Fire in Paradise .
`` That was the craziest fire I 'd ever been on , '' he recalled .
He was a model crew member and after his early release in 2019 he was recommended by Cal Fire officials for a position in the fire academy .
Gerbe , who is still on parole , is now a firefighter with Cal Fire .
But without an EMT @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stall .
`` Without the training I ca n't get certain jobs , '' he said .
`` I ca n't do what an EMT does .
So it limits me and it would limit me for promotions . ''
`` If I 'm up against three or four other guys and they all have EMTs , I 'm not ever going to get the job , '' he said .
And it 's no longer against the law for him to work for a local municipal fire department that also requires an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gerbe said , he 'll now be able to do more .
`` I could be of more help , I could be of more assistance .
So the news is huge , and it 's not only huge for me , it 's huge for the community I serve , because with me being an EMT , I could do more for the community that I serve . ''
Newsom signed the bill after touring the town of Oroville , part of the North Complex Fire which has burned more than 250,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
California 's fire season began earlier than usual this year and has so far consumed more than 3 million acres , destroyed above 6,300 structures , and caused the deaths of 20 people .
The state has used inmate firefighters for more than 80 years .
The current program , called Conservation Camp Program , is operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation , Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department .
Together they operate 43 fire camps across 27 counties .
Like regular firefighters , the incarcerated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ axes to hack through heavy underbrush to clear pathways around a fire .
In a typical year , the state employs nearly 200 inmate crews to battle brush fires , but last month a CAL Fire spokeswoman told NPR that their numbers have been dramatically slashed .
As of Aug. 21 , the state employed only 113 of 192 possible crews .
The spread of Covid-19 in California 's prisons has triggered the early release of low-security and low-risk populations of prisoners , many of whom are eligible to volunteer for the firefighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensure the formerly incarcerated have a career is a pathway to recidivism , '' Reyes said in a statement .
`` We must get serious about providing pathways for those that show the determination to turn their lives around . ''
Law enforcement groups and prosecutors opposed the bill saying the former inmates pose a danger to the public .

California Bill Clears Path For Ex-Inmates To Become Firefighters
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Kitagaki Jr./AP Paul Kitagaki Jr./AP
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a bill allowing inmate firefighters to have their records expunged, clearing the path for them to be eligible for firefighting jobs upon release.
The bill, sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Eloise Reyes, lets prisoners who received "valuable training and [placed] themselves in danger assisting firefighters to defend the life and property of Californians" to petition the courts to dismiss their convictions after completing their sentences.
That will make them eligible to receive EMT certification, a hiring requirement of municipal firefighting departments. However, one that former inmates are prohibited by state law to pursue.
"Inmates who have stood on the frontlines, battling historic fires should not be denied the right to later become a professional firefighter," Gov. Newsom said upon signing the bill into law.
"AB 2147 will fix that," Newsom added.
People convicted of violent felonies, including murder, kidnapping and sex offenses are ineligible to fight fires as inmates and therefore also excluded from applying to have their records cleared.
Michael Gebre expects the new law will change his life.
Gebre was convicted of a robbery at 19 years old in 2011 and sentenced to 10 years. It wasn't until his fourth year in prison that he learned of the firefighting program "and that changed everything," he said.
After an exhaustive vetting process, several mental health checks, and weeks of rigorous training at 23 he joined the program. Over the years he wore the bright orange firefighting suit that distinguishes inmate crews from all others, battling many of the state's largest blazes while $1.90 a day. Among the massive fires he helped contain are the Thomas Fire, the Mendocino Complex Fire, the Ferguson Fire, and the Carr Fire. His last was the Camp Fire in Paradise.
"That was the craziest fire I'd ever been on," he recalled.
He was a model crew member and after his early release in 2019 he was recommended by Cal Fire officials for a position in the fire academy.
Gebre, who is still on parole, is now a firefighter with Cal Fire. But without an EMT certification he says his career will soon stall.
"Without the training I can't get certain jobs," he said. "I can't do what an EMT does. So it limits me and it would limit me for promotions."
"If I'm up against three or four other guys and they all have EMTs, I'm not ever going to get the job," he said.
And it's no longer against the law for him to work for a local municipal fire department that also requires an EMT license.
But most importantly, Gebre said, he'll now be able to do more.
"I could be of more help, I could be of more assistance. So the news is huge, and it's not only huge for me, it's huge for the community I serve, because with me being an EMT, I could do more for the community that I serve."
Newsom signed the bill after touring the town of Oroville, part of the North Complex Fire which has burned more than 250,000 acres and is only 23% contained.
California's fire season began earlier than usual this year and has so far consumed more than 3 million acres, destroyed above 6,300 structures, and caused the deaths of 20 people.
The state has used inmate firefighters for more than 80 years.
The current program, called Conservation Camp Program, is operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Cal Fire and the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Together they operate 43 fire camps across 27 counties.
Like regular firefighters, the incarcerated men fell trees and use saws and axes to hack through heavy underbrush to clear pathways around a fire.
In a typical year, the state employs nearly 200 inmate crews to battle brush fires, but last month a CAL Fire spokeswoman told NPR that their numbers have been dramatically slashed. As of Aug. 21, the state employed only 113 of 192 possible crews.
The spread of Covid-19 in California's prisons has triggered the early release of low-security and low-risk populations of prisoners, many of whom are eligible to volunteer for the firefighting training.
"Rehabilitation without strategies to ensure the formerly incarcerated have a career is a pathway to recidivism," Reyes said in a statement. "We must get serious about providing pathways for those that show the determination to turn their lives around."
Law enforcement groups and prosecutors opposed the bill saying the former inmates pose a danger to the public.


npr--2020-09-12--Police Fire Tear Gas At Refugees Protesting To Leave Greek Island

Just days after fire tore through the Moria refugee camp in the Greek island of Lesbos and displaced more than 12,000 people , some of those same people were tear-gassed by police while protesting the construction of a replacement camp .
Protesters say they want to leave the island altogether .
Hundreds of refugees gathered Saturday , some chanting `` freedom '' and carrying signs , while bulldozers cleared debris in preparation for a new tent settlement , Reuters reported .
Police fired tear gas after some protesters tried to march to Mytilene , the island 's main city .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at an army firing range , will host about 3,000 people , according to local media .
Families and members of `` vulnerable groups '' will get priority , government officials said .
It 's not clear what will happen to the other 9,000 or so refugees .
After the fires , Greek officials relocated more than 400 unaccompanied children to mainland Greece , according to CNN .
But authorities have refused mass transfer off the island , despite the pleas of refugees .
Officials promised to provide safe and sanitary conditions at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camp was built to house 3,000 people but at least four times as many people have been living there .
Complicating the resettlement are fears of the coronavirus .
Authorities have lost track of 35 camp residents who had tested positive for the virus , Reuters reported .
And the displaced refugees have had no access to basic sanitation in the days since the Moria camp burned .
`` This is a health bomb , '' Matina Pagoni , president of Athens and Piraeus hospital doctors ' union , told Skai television , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These people have n't even had access to water all these days , they can not even wash their hands . ''

Police Fire Tear Gas At Refugees Protesting To Leave Greek Island
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty Images Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP via Getty Images
Just days after fire tore through the Moria refugee camp in the Greek island of Lesbos and displaced more than 12,000 people, some of those same people were tear-gassed by police while protesting the construction of a replacement camp.
Protesters say they want to leave the island altogether.
Hundreds of refugees gathered Saturday, some chanting "freedom" and carrying signs, while bulldozers cleared debris in preparation for a new tent settlement, Reuters reported. Police fired tear gas after some protesters tried to march to Mytilene, the island's main city.
The new Lesbos camp, set up at an army firing range, will host about 3,000 people, according to local media. Families and members of "vulnerable groups" will get priority, government officials said. It's not clear what will happen to the other 9,000 or so refugees.
After the fires, Greek officials relocated more than 400 unaccompanied children to mainland Greece, according to CNN. But authorities have refused mass transfer off the island, despite the pleas of refugees. Officials promised to provide safe and sanitary conditions at the new tent encampment.
The Moria camp was built to house 3,000 people but at least four times as many people have been living there.
Complicating the resettlement are fears of the coronavirus. Authorities have lost track of 35 camp residents who had tested positive for the virus, Reuters reported. And the displaced refugees have had no access to basic sanitation in the days since the Moria camp burned.
"This is a health bomb," Matina Pagoni, president of Athens and Piraeus hospital doctors' union, told Skai television, according to the wire service. "These people haven't even had access to water all these days, they cannot even wash their hands."


npr--2020-09-12--Wildfires Latest: Helpful Weather; Oregon Official Warns Of 'Mass Fatality Incident'

Fire crews battling blazes across the western United States are hoping a change in conditions , including increased humidity and cooler temperatures , will aid them in containment efforts .
Some 29,000 personnel are working to stop 97 large fires that have burned some 4.7 million acres across several states , according to the National Interagency Fire Center .
About 40 of those fires have prompted evacuation orders in California , Oregon , Washington , Colorado , Idaho and Utah .
The White House said Saturday that President Trump will visit McClellan Park , Calif. , on Monday to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials .
Fires have killed at least 25 people since mid-August , though authorities worry about more who are unaccounted for .
In Oregon , an official with the state 's department of a emergency management is warning of a `` mass fatality incident . ''
Democratic governors in California and Washington are speaking out about climate change , as the record-breaking fire season scorches parts of their states .
Meanwhile , law enforcement and public officials are contending with online conspiracy theories about the origins of at least some of the blazes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes for a break in conditions The director of Oregon 's Office of Emergency Management , Andrew Phelps , warned of a `` mass fatality incident '' as fires there continue after having burned more than 1 million acres .
Half a million Oregonians are under some kind of evacuation notice while about 40,000 have already fled .
At least six people have died as a result of wildfires in Oregon .
Dozens more are missing , Gov .
Kate Brown said during a virtual news conference on Friday .
Fire officials in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in conditions is enabling progress by the 3,000 fire personnel in the state .
`` Cooler temperatures , along with moisture in the air , helped the firefighters put us in a position to move from just life safety to the offense against these fires , '' said Department of Forestry Chief of Fire Protection Doug Grafe during the press conference .
Grafe went on to say that conditions are expected to push through the weekend .
`` This is positive firefighting weather for three days .
It 'll continue to next week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
Changing weather conditions are expected to also improve air quality , which Brown noted is the `` worst in the world '' because of the fires .
On Friday , the National Weather Service in Portland tweeted that marine air with a `` modest westerly breeze '' was expected to improve air quality in both Oregon and Washington .
California , Oregon and Washington have all been dealing with poor air quality because of the fires .
In California , Cal Fire said improved weather conditions had helped some containment efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have n't seen much relief from the weather conditions that have driven fires .
`` While weather conditions have improved compared to last weekend , warm and dry conditions persist through much of the state , although onshore flow early next week should help with humidity level , '' Cal Fire said in its daily wildfire update .
But the agency also warned that `` critical fire weather '' could soon return .
`` Red Flag conditions are in effect in the very northern part of California on Sunday , bringing gusty winds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forest and the Tulelake Basin , '' the agency went on to say .
California Gov .
Gavin Newsom surveyed damage from the North Complex Fire in the state 's Oroville State Recreation Area on Friday .
The North Complex Fire has burned more than 252,000 acres in three of the state 's northern counties .
Statewide , Cal Fire says , 28 major wildfires have devastated 3.2 million acres .
At least 19 people have died since Aug. 15 , with over 4,000 structures destroyed .
Capital Public Radio notes that six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have burned this year , including the August Complex Fire in the Mendocino and Humboldt counties .
That fire , the second largest in recorded state history , has already consumed more than 846,000 acres .
During his visit on Friday , Newsom vowed to accelerate efforts to fight climate change .
Newsom called the fires a `` climate damn emergency . ''
`` The debate is over around climate change .
Just come to the state of California .
Observe it with your own eyes , '' Newsom said .
Washington Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to action on climate .
Noting that , as of Friday , more than 626,000 acres burned in his state , Inslee labeled this season 's blazes `` climate fires . ''
`` Right now , we have a state that is just a tinderbox .
And the reason is , is because of the low humidity , the high temperatures and obviously the winds , and these are conditions that are becoming much more frequent in our state .
That 's why we had three of the last five years some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history , '' Inslee said .
Also on Friday , Newsom signed a bill to allow inmate firefighters to have their records expunged .
Alongside efforts to contain the blazes , authorities in the Pacific Northwest have been battling the spread of misinformation .
Postings to Facebook and other social media sites have been spreading rumors of looting and even blaming left-wing activists for starting the blaze .
In Oregon , where right-wing and left-wing activists clashed in Portland , conspiracy theories have blamed antifa — anti-fascist protesters — with starting fires .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the state , vigilante groups have organized to drive off rumored threats .
One of the station 's reporters was recently stopped by such a group in Clackamas County and told to leave .
Law enforcement organizations have been working to quash the rumors .
In Douglas County , the sheriff 's office shot down rumors that it had arrested several antifa members , calling the conflagration of misinformation a drain on resources .
`` Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY , OREGON , '' the Sheriff 's office posted to its Facebook page this week .
Similar rumors spread in Jackson County , where officials opened an investigation into the Almeda fire .
`` In no way does it point towards any political group , including anybody associated with antifa .
Any rumors suggesting that it is pointed toward antifa are entirely fabricated , '' said Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara .
The FBI field office in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are found them untrue .
`` Conspiracy theories and misinformation take valuable resources away [ from ] local fire and police agencies working around the clock to bring these fires under control , '' the field office said in a statement on Friday .
Oregon Public Broadcasting 's Ryan Haas and Conrad Wilson contributed to this report .

Wildfires Latest: Helpful Weather; Oregon Official Warns Of 'Mass Fatality Incident'
Enlarge this image toggle caption Nic Coury/AP Nic Coury/AP
Updated at 12:06 a.m. ET on Sunday
Fire crews battling blazes across the western United States are hoping a change in conditions, including increased humidity and cooler temperatures, will aid them in containment efforts.
Some 29,000 personnel are working to stop 97 large fires that have burned some 4.7 million acres across several states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. About 40 of those fires have prompted evacuation orders in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Idaho and Utah.
The White House said Saturday that President Trump will visit McClellan Park, Calif., on Monday to be briefed on fires by local and federal officials.
Fires have killed at least 28 people since mid-August, though authorities worry about more who are unaccounted for. In Oregon, an official with the state's department of a emergency management is warning of a "mass fatality incident."
Democratic governors in California and Washington are speaking out about climate change, as the record-breaking fire season scorches parts of their states.
Meanwhile, law enforcement and public officials are contending with online conspiracy theories about the origins of at least some of the blazes.
Enlarge this image toggle caption John Locher/AP John Locher/AP
"Mass fatality incident" and hopes for a break in conditions
The director of Oregon's Office of Emergency Management, Andrew Phelps, warned of a "mass fatality incident" as fires there continue after having burned more than 1 million acres.
Half a million Oregonians are under some kind of evacuation notice while about 40,000 have already fled.
By Saturday evening, at least eight people had died as a result of wildfires in Oregon. Gov. Kate Brown said dozens were missing during a virtual news conference a day earlier.
Fire officials in Oregon expressed optimism that a change in conditions is enabling progress by the 3,000 fire personnel in the state.
"Cooler temperatures, along with moisture in the air, helped the firefighters put us in a position to move from just life safety to the offense against these fires," said Department of Forestry Chief of Fire Protection Doug Grafe during the press conference.
Grafe went on to say that conditions are expected to push through the weekend.
"This is positive firefighting weather for three days. It'll continue to next week with more favorable conditions," Grafe added.
Changing weather conditions are expected to also improve air quality, which Brown noted is the "worst in the world" because of the fires.
On Friday, the National Weather Service in Portland tweeted that marine air with a "modest westerly breeze" was expected to improve air quality in both Oregon and Washington.
California, Oregon and Washington have all been dealing with poor air quality because of the fires.
In California, Cal Fire said improved weather conditions had helped some containment efforts, though other parts of the state haven't seen much relief from the weather conditions that have driven fires.
"While weather conditions have improved compared to last weekend, warm and dry conditions persist through much of the state, although onshore flow early next week should help with humidity level," Cal Fire said in its daily wildfire update.
But the agency also warned that "critical fire weather" could soon return.
"Red Flag conditions are in effect in the very northern part of California on Sunday, bringing gusty winds and low humidity to the Modoc National Forest and the Tulelake Basin," the agency went on to say.
Governors talk climate change
California Gov. Gavin Newsom surveyed damage from the North Complex Fire in the state's Oroville State Recreation Area on Friday.
The North Complex Fire has burned more than 252,000 acres in three of the state's northern counties. Statewide, Cal Fire said, 28 major wildfires have devastated 3.2 million acres. At least 22 people have died since Aug. 15, with over 4,000 structures destroyed.
Capital Public Radio noted that six of the state's 20 largest fires have burned this year, including the August Complex Fire in the Mendocino and Humboldt counties. That fire, the second largest in recorded state history, has already consumed more than 875,000 acres.
During his visit on Friday, Newsom vowed to accelerate efforts to fight climate change. Newsom called the fires a "climate damn emergency."
"The debate is over around climate change. Just come to the state of California. Observe it with your own eyes," Newsom said.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee made his own call to action on climate. Noting that, as of Friday, more than 626,000 acres burned in his state, Inslee labeled this season's blazes "climate fires."
"Right now, we have a state that is just a tinderbox. And the reason is, is because of the low humidity, the high temperatures and obviously the winds, and these are conditions that are becoming much more frequent in our state. That's why we had three of the last five years some of the worst fires in our state's history," Inslee said.
Also on Friday, Newsom signed a bill to allow inmate firefighters to have their records expunged.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Paula Bronstein/AP Paula Bronstein/AP
Authorities battle conspiracy theory narrative
Alongside efforts to contain the blazes, authorities in the Pacific Northwest have been battling the spread of misinformation.
Postings to Facebook and other social media sites have been spreading rumors of looting and even blaming left-wing activists for starting the blaze.
In Oregon, where right-wing and left-wing activists clashed in Portland, conspiracy theories have blamed antifa — anti-fascist protesters — with starting fires.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that in rural parts of the state, vigilante groups have organized to drive off rumored threats. One of the station's reporters was recently stopped by such a group in Clackamas County and told to leave.
Law enforcement organizations have been working to quash the rumors.
In Douglas County, the sheriff's office shot down rumors that it had arrested several antifa members, calling the conflagration of misinformation a drain on resources.
"Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON," the Sheriff's office posted to its Facebook page this week.
Similar rumors spread in Jackson County, where officials opened an investigation into the Almeda fire.
"In no way does it point towards any political group, including anybody associated with antifa. Any rumors suggesting that it is pointed toward antifa are entirely fabricated," said Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara.
The FBI field office in Portland says it has investigated such rumors are found them untrue.
"Conspiracy theories and misinformation take valuable resources away [from] local fire and police agencies working around the clock to bring these fires under control," the field office said in a statement on Friday.
Oregon Public Broadcasting's Ryan Haas and Conrad Wilson contributed to this report.