npr--2020-01-12--Australian Prime Minister To Launch Inquiry Into Handling Of Wildfires

Australian Prime Minister To Launch Inquiry Into Handling Of Wildfires Facing criticism for his handling of the ferocious wildfires that have swept across Australia , Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will call for a government inquiry into the response to the blazes .
In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation , Morrison said that the `` unprecedented '' fire season has `` created an environment where people for the first time I think , arguably , have wanted to see a more direct involvement of the federal government in responding to that natural disasters . ''
The crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
The most recent fatality occurred on Saturday , when a falling tree in eastern Victoria state killed a firefighter with 40 years of experience .
He is the fourth firefighter to die in the blazes .
Many have pointed to climate change as a major cause of the country 's devastating fires , and have blamed successive conservative governments in Australia for inaction .
That including Morrison 's — he has been a champion of the coal industry .
The prime minister acknowledged the role of climate change .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drier summers .
This is obviously affected by the broader changes in climate , '' he said .
`` You 'll find that in all the government 's policy statements . ''
He signaled the possibility of reducing Australia 's climate emissions target , saying that the government and cabinet `` will continue to evolve our policies to meet our targets and to beat them . ''
Morrison said that `` there are things that I could have handled on the ground much better . ''
He demurred on the specifics , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire-affected communities where people refused to shake his hand .
He has also been criticized for vacationing in Hawaii while Australia burned .
Morrison said the country will set aside about $ 52 million for psychological counseling for firefighters and communities traumatized by the fires .

Australian Prime Minister To Launch Inquiry Into Handling Of Wildfires
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Mariuz/Getty Images David Mariuz/Getty Images
Facing criticism for his handling of the ferocious wildfires that have swept across Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he will call for a government inquiry into the response to the blazes.
In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Morrison said that the "unprecedented" fire season has "created an environment where people for the first time I think, arguably, have wanted to see a more direct involvement of the federal government in responding to that natural disasters."
The crisis has been blamed for at least 27 deaths. The most recent fatality occurred on Saturday, when a falling tree in eastern Victoria state killed a firefighter with 40 years of experience. He is the fourth firefighter to die in the blazes.
Many have pointed to climate change as a major cause of the country's devastating fires, and have blamed successive conservative governments in Australia for inaction. That including Morrison's — he has been a champion of the coal industry.
The prime minister acknowledged the role of climate change. "We're living in longer, hotter, drier summers. This is obviously affected by the broader changes in climate," he said. "You'll find that in all the government's policy statements."
He signaled the possibility of reducing Australia's climate emissions target, saying that the government and cabinet "will continue to evolve our policies to meet our targets and to beat them."
Morrison said that "there are things that I could have handled on the ground much better." He demurred on the specifics, but seemed to be referencing his visits to fire-affected communities where people refused to shake his hand.
He has also been criticized for vacationing in Hawaii while Australia burned.
Morrison said the country will set aside about $52 million for psychological counseling for firefighters and communities traumatized by the fires.


npr--2020-01-12--U.S. Official: A Dozen Saudi Military Students Set To Be Expelled In Wake Of Shooting

U.S. Official : A Dozen Saudi Military Students Set To Be Expelled In Wake Of Shooting About a dozen Saudi nationals receiving military training in the U.S. are expected to be expelled in the wake of a Pentagon review of a Saudi officer who opened fire last month at a naval base in Pensacola , Fla. , a U.S. official familiar with the investigation confirms to NPR .
The official , who was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation , said some of the dozen Saudis failed to alert authorities about the Pensacola shooter 's warning signs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other mass shootings at cadet dinner parties .
Federal authorities linked some of the Saudi trainees to extremist rhetoric online , the official said .
It is not clear when exactly the students will be kicked out of the country , but federal officials are planning to announce the decision in the coming days .
In December , a Saudi aviation student opened fire in a classroom of the naval base , leaving three young sailors dead and wounding eight others .
The incident prompted the Pentagon to suspend operational training of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indefinitely , as federal investigators conduct a security review of the more than 800 military students in the U.S. from Saudi Arabia .
Some members of Congress used the incident to renew attention to foreign military exchange training programs , which bring thousands of students from dozens of countries to America to be taught at U.S. bases .
Top military officials view the programs as a way to boost relationships with foreign militaries and to increase the sharing of intelligence around the globe as a national security measure .
When asked on Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out a dozen Saudi trainees , National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said U.S. officials , including Defense Secretary Mark Esper , are exhibiting caution in the aftermath of the bloody rampage .
`` I think we 're being very careful .
Obviously , Pensacola showed that there had been errors in the way that we vetted , and out of an abundance of caution Secretary Esper has taken these actions to protect our service men and women , '' O'Brien said .
The dozen Saudis set to be expelled from the U.S. are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gunman who carried out the attack , according to CNN , which first reported Saturday night that the Saudi servicemen would be removed from the country .
Federal investigators believe the Saudi gunman , who legally purchased a handgun before the shooting , acted alone and was not part of a larger network .
A sheriff 's deputy shot and a killed him .
Shortly after the shooting , an account linked to the gunman surfaced showing vitriolic posts on social media criticizing American foreign policy and military action , saying the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation both declined to comment on the pending announcement about the Saudi students being expelled .

U.S. Officials: More Than 20 Saudi Students To Be Expelled In Wake Of Fla. Shooting
Enlarge this image toggle caption Cliff Owen/AP Cliff Owen/AP
Updated 8:38 p.m. Sunday ET
The Trump administration is planning to announce on Monday that more than 20 Saudi students receiving military training in the United States will be sent back to their home country, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
The expulsions come in the wake of a Pentagon review of the Saudi officer who opened fire last month at a naval base in Pensacola, Fla., leaving three young sailors dead and wounding eight others.
Earlier reports indicated that about 12 Saudi trainees would be kicked out of the country. However, those reports did not include Saudis who will be expelled from military bases other than Naval Air Station Pensacola, according to the U.S. officials who spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity.
The Saudis who will be removed from the country raised a number of concerns among federal investigators, the officials said.
Some Saudi trainees failed to alert authorities about the shooter's extremist leanings. Investigators believe the gunman and other Saudi trainees watched videos of other mass shootings at a party before the attack.
Some Saudis are being expelled because they viewed child pornography, according to the officials. Other Saudi officers in the U.S. were involved in extremist online chat rooms, according to one of the officials.
The shooting prompted the Pentagon to suspend operational training of all Saudi Arabian military students in the U.S. indefinitely, as federal investigators conduct a security review of the some 850 military students in the U.S. from Saudi Arabia.
The Justice Department, which has been investigating the incident as an act of terrorism, is planning on Monday to publicly announce the Saudi removals and the results of its criminal investigation into the Pensacola shooting.
In Saudi Arabia, news of the expulsions is expected to be greeted as unwelcome news, according to Daniel Byman, a Middle East expert and professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.
"They don't like public embarrassment. So having have these individuals be expelled, having it make the news, is not something the Saudi regime wants," Byman said.
The expelling of the Saudi students arrives amid heightened tensions in the region following the American drone strike that killed Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani.
Byman said pushing out the students could make a precarious situation with Iran even more uncertain.
"If there's going to be efforts to do diplomacy with Iran, no matter which direction the United States wants to go in, Saudi Arabia is going to be important for that," according to Byman.
Authorities identified the victims of the December attack in Pensacola as Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, of Enterprise, Ala.; Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Cameron Scott Walters, 21, of Richmond Hill, Ga.
Some members of Congress used the incident to renew attention on foreign military exchange training programs, which bring thousands of students from dozens of countries to be taught at U.S. bases.
Top military officials view the programs as a way to boost relationships with foreign militaries and to increase the sharing of intelligence around the globe as a national security measure.
When asked on Fox News Sunday about the move to kick out Saudi trainees, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Mark Esper, are exhibiting caution in the aftermath of the bloody rampage.
"I think we're being very careful. Obviously, Pensacola showed that there had been errors in the way that we vetted, and out of an abundance of caution Secretary Esper has taken these actions to protect our service men and women," O'Brien said.
The Saudis set to be expelled from the U.S. are not accused of aiding the 21-year-old Saudi gunman who carried out the attack, according to CNN, which first reported Saturday night that more than a dozen Saudi servicemen would be removed from the country.
Federal investigators believe the Saudi gunman, who legally purchased a handgun before the shooting, acted alone and was not part of a larger network. A sheriff's deputy shot and killed him.
Shortly after the shooting, an account linked to the gunman surfaced showing vitriolic posts on social media criticizing American foreign policy and military action, saying the country had become "a nation of evil."
The Department of Justice, Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation all declined to comment on the pending announcement about the Saudi students being expelled.
NPR's Ryan Lucas contributed to this report.


npr--2020-01-12--Haiti In Ruins: A Look Back At The 2010 Earthquake

Haiti In Ruins : A Look Back At The 2010 Earthquake Editor 's note : This story contains images that some readers may find disturbing .
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti in Jan. 12 , 2010 , left 220,000 people dead , 300,000 injured and rubble nearly everywhere .
NPR photographer David Gilkey and correspondent Jason Beaubien were among those who rushed to Haiti immediately after the quake to report on rescue and recovery efforts , medical care for the injured , distribution of food and water , and the government 's struggle to reestablish essential services .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. , Beaubien shared his impressions with NPR 's Neal Conan .
Their discussion has been edited for length and clarity .
CONAN : You reached Haiti the day after the earthquake .
BEAUBIEN : It was actually — took one whole day after the earthquake to get in , and then on Thursday , our photographer David Gilkey and I drove in from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic .
CONAN : And what did you see after you crossed the border ?
BEAUBIEN : What was really striking was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things looked fairly normal in Haiti .
And in Dominican Republic , which , obviously , shares that island , you were n't seeing really any damage at all on that side .
And you were n't seeing much damage until you really got to the outskirts of Port-au-Prince .
And then as you get closer and closer into the heart of the city , things just got worse and worse and worse .
And as we were coming in , there were people fleeing out .
You saw people leaving , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But it was amazing how , as you penetrated deeper into the city , the damage just got worse .
There was more — there were more dead people , the buildings were in worse shape .
It was almost as if a bomb went straight to the heart of Port-au-Prince .
CONAN : And that kind of — there 's nothing to compare it to .
BEAUBIEN : Really , I mean , I 've — I covered Africa for four years .
I covered the tsunami .
And this story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories just have n't , in part because of the concentration of the destruction , the fact that there were so many dead people , there were so many people with nowhere to sleep at night .
Everything in the city — in parts of the city , absolutely everything was destroyed .
It was really — it was very intense .
It was probably the most intense story that I 've — I think I 've ever covered in my career .
CONAN : And not to belabor a point , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as efficient before the earthquake , and it 's — is it fair to say it 's in ruins now ?
BEAUBIEN : Certainly , the physical structure of the government is in ruins .
Many government officials also died .
That week right after the quake , there was this sense of just a country completely adrift , that the U.N. had also really been knocked back on its heels .
Its main compound suffered significant damage .
The head of the U.N. had died in the actual quake .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was President René Préval .
There was this sense of a country that had both been devastated , that was in ruins .
There were , as I say , dead people everywhere , people sleeping outside and the sense that the country was leaderless .
CONAN : Has that abated since ?
BEAUBIEN : I think , to some degree , the Haitian government has come back and made it clear that — they 've set up at a police station out by the airport — made it clear that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Also , the international community has rallied and shown that they 're going to try to work on this in a manner of consensus .
But you never felt , while I was there in the first two weeks , that there was going to be somebody that people could rally around .
And I went to the funeral of the archbishop .
It was actually not the first Sunday , but the second Sunday after the quake .
And people chased President René Préval out of that funeral , shouting `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is in exile in South Africa at the moment .
So there was ... BEAUBIEN : The former president , Aristide .
So this sense that there was great discomfort with Préval and disappointment in how he was leading things .
CONAN : The situation for the aid , as it came in , clearly , it came in too slowly .
BEAUBIEN : It came in too slowly , but at the same time , the logistical challenges where huge .
And when you 're there on the ground , you saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was incredibly difficult .
The earthquake had knocked buildings into the streets .
The port was extremely damaged and , actually , they were using parts of the port which later they 've said they should n't have been using .
CONAN : Because it was unsafe .
BEAUBIEN : Because it was unsafe .
The airport was down to one runway .
The U.S. Air Force had basically taken over control of the airspace over Haiti to try to manage the flights that were coming in and out .
So , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normally a road which you get heavy trucks coming over , because the relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti are just stressed at best of times .
And so , basically , you had this city that was both in ruins and cutoff .
CONAN : And you can now expect to be going back to Haiti from time to time , I suspect ?
BEAUBIEN : Yeah , in a couple of weeks , I 'm going to be heading back .
CONAN : And if there was one thing you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help people , what would it be ?
BEAUBIEN : The amazing thing about this disaster was the number of times David Gilkey and I were sharing a vehicle and driving around , a number of times , we turned to each and just said , `` How are they going to rebuild from this ?
How are they going to overcome this ?
How are you going to feed this people and house people in the days to come when the city is in such ruins ? ''
And it was really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do n't have some clear answer of what it is , but I think leadership is obviously going to be key .
Photographer David Gilkey was killed on assignment for NPR in Afghanistan on June 5 , 2016 .

Haiti In Ruins: A Look Back At The 2010 Earthquake
Enlarge this image toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR David Gilkey/NPR
Editor's note: This story contains images that some readers may find disturbing.
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti in Jan. 12, 2010, left 220,000 people dead, 300,000 injured and rubble nearly everywhere.
NPR photographer David Gilkey and correspondent Jason Beaubien were among those who rushed to Haiti immediately after the quake to report on rescue and recovery efforts, medical care for the injured, distribution of food and water, and the government's struggle to reestablish essential services. A month after the event, back in the U.S., Beaubien shared his impressions with NPR's Neal Conan. Their discussion has been edited for length and clarity.
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
CONAN: You reached Haiti the day after the earthquake.
BEAUBIEN: It was actually — took one whole day after the earthquake to get in, and then on Thursday, our photographer David Gilkey and I drove in from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
CONAN: And what did you see after you crossed the border?
BEAUBIEN: What was really striking was you came across the border, and things looked fairly normal in Haiti. And in Dominican Republic, which, obviously, shares that island, you weren't seeing really any damage at all on that side. And you weren't seeing much damage until you really got to the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. And then as you get closer and closer into the heart of the city, things just got worse and worse and worse. And as we were coming in, there were people fleeing out. You saw people leaving, people trying to get out of the city.
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
But it was amazing how, as you penetrated deeper into the city, the damage just got worse. There was more — there were more dead people, the buildings were in worse shape. It was almost as if a bomb went straight to the heart of Port-au-Prince.
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
CONAN: And that kind of — there's nothing to compare it to.
BEAUBIEN: Really, I mean, I've — I covered Africa for four years. I covered the tsunami. And this story hit me in a way that other stories just haven't, in part because of the concentration of the destruction, the fact that there were so many dead people, there were so many people with nowhere to sleep at night. Everything in the city — in parts of the city, absolutely everything was destroyed. It was really — it was very intense. It was probably the most intense story that I've — I think I've ever covered in my career.
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
CONAN: And not to belabor a point, but the government in Haiti was not described as efficient before the earthquake, and it's — is it fair to say it's in ruins now?
BEAUBIEN: Certainly, the physical structure of the government is in ruins. Many government officials also died. That week right after the quake, there was this sense of just a country completely adrift, that the U.N. had also really been knocked back on its heels. Its main compound suffered significant damage. The head of the U.N. had died in the actual quake. It was kind of unclear at that point where was President René Préval. There was this sense of a country that had both been devastated, that was in ruins. There were, as I say, dead people everywhere, people sleeping outside and the sense that the country was leaderless.
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
CONAN: Has that abated since?
BEAUBIEN: I think, to some degree, the Haitian government has come back and made it clear that — they've set up at a police station out by the airport — made it clear that they are going to attempt to lead this effort. Also, the international community has rallied and shown that they're going to try to work on this in a manner of consensus. But you never felt, while I was there in the first two weeks, that there was going to be somebody that people could rally around.
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
And I went to the funeral of the archbishop. It was actually not the first Sunday, but the second Sunday after the quake. And people chased President René Préval out of that funeral, shouting "Aristide, Aristide." And Aristide is in exile in South Africa at the moment. So there was...
CONAN: The former president.
BEAUBIEN: The former president, Aristide. So this sense that there was great discomfort with Préval and disappointment in how he was leading things.
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
CONAN: The situation for the aid, as it came in, clearly, it came in too slowly.
BEAUBIEN: It came in too slowly, but at the same time, the logistical challenges where huge. And when you're there on the ground, you saw it. Just moving around that city was incredibly difficult. The earthquake had knocked buildings into the streets. The port was extremely damaged and, actually, they were using parts of the port which later they've said they shouldn't have been using.
CONAN: Because it was unsafe.
BEAUBIEN: Because it was unsafe. The airport was down to one runway. The U.S. Air Force had basically taken over control of the airspace over Haiti to try to manage the flights that were coming in and out. So, and a road from Santo Domingo is not normally a road which you get heavy trucks coming over, because the relations between the Dominican Republic and Haiti are just stressed at best of times. And so, basically, you had this city that was both in ruins and cutoff.
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
CONAN: And you can now expect to be going back to Haiti from time to time, I suspect?
BEAUBIEN: Yeah, in a couple of weeks, I'm going to be heading back.
CONAN: And if there was one thing you could take back with you that would help people, what would it be?
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
BEAUBIEN: The amazing thing about this disaster was the number of times David Gilkey and I were sharing a vehicle and driving around, a number of times, we turned to each and just said, "How are they going to rebuild from this? How are they going to overcome this? How are you going to feed this people and house people in the days to come when the city is in such ruins?" And it was really overwhelming. And I have to say I don't have some clear answer of what it is, but I think leadership is obviously going to be key.
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
toggle caption David Gilkey/NPR
Photographer David Gilkey was killed on assignment for NPR in Afghanistan on June 5, 2016.


npr--2020-01-12--Australia's Massive Fires Threaten To Slow Decades-Long Economic Boom

Australia calls itself the Lucky Country , a nation so fortunate in geography and natural resources that it has n't had a recession in nearly three decades .
But the deadly wildfires raging through large parts of the country are slowing tourism and other key sectors that contribute to its impressive economic growth .
`` Just the area of Australia that 's now impacted is unheard of .
So we are in uncertain territory , '' says Martin North , principal at the research firm Digital Finance Analytics .
The wildfires have killed more than two dozen people more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 1,800 houses , an untold number of commercial buildings and thousands of acres of prime farmland , according to the Insurance Council of Australia .
Insurance losses so far have totaled nearly a half billion dollars , but the numbers are likely to rise sharply , says Campbell Fuller , the council 's head of communications .
`` For [ the fires ] to burn across such a wide area , over such an extensive period , is uncommon .
In fact , it 's unprecedented to have that number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The fires have damaged two pillars of the Australian economy : the agricultural sector , which was already weakened by a severe drought , and the all-important tourism industry .
Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is peak tourist season in Australia , when visitors from Asia and Europe flock to the country , eager to soak up the sun and enjoy the country 's outdoor lifestyle .
As news of the wildfires spreads around the world , fewer tourists are arriving and those who do come have had to endure less-than-ideal conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fires , skies are so smoky that fire alarms have gone off in office buildings .
Ferry service in the city 's world-famous harbor has sometimes been canceled because of poor visibility .
The campground run by Fiona Austin in Shoalhaven , south of Sydney , is usually full this time of year , but tourists were ordered to evacuate , and only a few people remain .
`` It 's affected a lot of businesses , and I ca n't see people coming back at the moment when the fires are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Jason Beaubien .
The fires mark something of a change of fortune for the Australian economy , sometimes called the Wonder Down Under .
The country has benefited enormously from its proximity to Asia , says Justin Wolfers , an Australian native who is a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan .
`` Not only did we start the last few decades a relatively rich country in the club of the first-world industrialized countries , we 're also parked right next to Asia , which is where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from over the past few years , '' Wolfers says .
China , in particular , has been hungry for the kinds of commodities Australia has a lot of , such as coal , natural gas , wheat and wool , and it sends more tourists to Australia than any other country .
Wolfers says the Australian government has also demonstrated more skill than other countries at navigating the challenges of the global economy , like the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s .
While the U.S. Congress was squabbling over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Canberra government was acting swiftly to stimulate spending and cut interest rates , he says .
Unlike other industrialized countries , Australia has experienced a steady rise in population , largely because of immigration , so even in slow times the economy has kept growing , Wolfers adds .
Some of that growth has eased in recent years , as China 's economy has slowed .
Australian consumers are spending less , and housing prices , which have skyrocketed in recent years , have fallen .
`` The growth levels in Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very long time , '' North says .
`` We were already looking ... pretty shaky and that was before all of the bushfires . ''
One potential problem is that many Australians have n't updated their insurance policies over the years or have let them lapse altogether , he notes .
Australia has suffered through catastrophic fires before , such as the 2009 conflagration in Victoria , which did billions of dollars in damage .
But the current fires are affecting a much bigger area , and they 've also begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much they 'll cost .
`` What 's really concerning to us is that this is still relatively early in our typical bushfire season '' and there are worries about how much longer it will last , says economist Katrina Ell of Moody 's Analytics .
Ell does n't think a recession is likely , but North is n't as sure .
The fires started in relatively unpopulated areas , but they 're moving closer to the cities , where they can do a lot more damage , he says .

Australia's Massive Fires Threaten To Slow Decades-Long Economic Boom
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jenny Evans/Getty Images Jenny Evans/Getty Images
Australia calls itself the Lucky Country, a nation so fortunate in geography and natural resources that it hasn't had a recession in nearly three decades.
But the deadly wildfires raging through large parts of the country are slowing tourism and other key sectors that contribute to its impressive economic growth.
"Just the area of Australia that's now impacted is unheard of. So we are in uncertain territory," says Martin North, principal at the research firm Digital Finance Analytics.
The wildfires have killed more than two dozen people more than a billion animals. They've destroyed more than 1,800 houses, an untold number of commercial buildings and thousands of acres of prime farmland, according to the Insurance Council of Australia.
Insurance losses so far have totaled nearly a half billion dollars, but the numbers are likely to rise sharply, says Campbell Fuller, the council's head of communications.
"For [the fires] to burn across such a wide area, over such an extensive period, is uncommon. In fact, it's unprecedented to have that number of bushfires burning concurrently," he says.
The fires have damaged two pillars of the Australian economy: the agricultural sector, which was already weakened by a severe drought, and the all-important tourism industry.
Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is peak tourist season in Australia, when visitors from Asia and Europe flock to the country, eager to soak up the sun and enjoy the country's outdoor lifestyle.
As news of the wildfires spreads around the world, fewer tourists are arriving and those who do come have had to endure less-than-ideal conditions.
Even in Sydney, far from the fires, skies are so smoky that fire alarms have gone off in office buildings. Ferry service in the city's world-famous harbor has sometimes been canceled because of poor visibility.
The campground run by Fiona Austin in Shoalhaven, south of Sydney, is usually full this time of year, but tourists were ordered to evacuate, and only a few people remain.
"It's affected a lot of businesses, and I can't see people coming back at the moment when the fires are still burning," Austin told NPR's Jason Beaubien.
The fires mark something of a change of fortune for the Australian economy, sometimes called the Wonder Down Under.
The country has benefited enormously from its proximity to Asia, says Justin Wolfers, an Australian native who is a professor of economics and public policy at the University of Michigan.
"Not only did we start the last few decades a relatively rich country in the club of the first-world industrialized countries, we're also parked right next to Asia, which is where much of the world's growth has come from over the past few years," Wolfers says.
China, in particular, has been hungry for the kinds of commodities Australia has a lot of, such as coal, natural gas, wheat and wool, and it sends more tourists to Australia than any other country.
Wolfers says the Australian government has also demonstrated more skill than other countries at navigating the challenges of the global economy, like the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.
While the U.S. Congress was squabbling over how to address the Great Recession, the Canberra government was acting swiftly to stimulate spending and cut interest rates, he says.
Unlike other industrialized countries, Australia has experienced a steady rise in population, largely because of immigration, so even in slow times the economy has kept growing, Wolfers adds.
Some of that growth has eased in recent years, as China's economy has slowed. Australian consumers are spending less, and housing prices, which have skyrocketed in recent years, have fallen.
"The growth levels in Australia are lower than they've been in a very long time," North says. "We were already looking ... pretty shaky and that was before all of the bushfires."
One potential problem is that many Australians haven't updated their insurance policies over the years or have let them lapse altogether, he notes.
Australia has suffered through catastrophic fires before, such as the 2009 conflagration in Victoria, which did billions of dollars in damage. But the current fires are affecting a much bigger area, and they've also begun earlier, making it hard to assess how much they'll cost.
"What's really concerning to us is that this is still relatively early in our typical bushfire season" and there are worries about how much longer it will last, says economist Katrina Ell of Moody's Analytics.
Ell doesn't think a recession is likely, but North isn't as sure.
The fires started in relatively unpopulated areas, but they're moving closer to the cities, where they can do a lot more damage, he says.


npr--2020-01-12--A 'Lost Decade': Haiti Still Struggles To Recover 10 Years After Massive Earthquake

A 'Lost Decade ' : Haiti Still Struggles To Recover 10 Years After Massive Earthquake On the wind-whipped hills north of Haiti 's capital , Port-au-Prince , Berthenid Dasny holds the keys to the gated memorial erected for Haiti 's earthquake victims .
Thousands of bodies are buried here in a mass grave dug after a magnitude 7 earthquake shook the country on Jan. 12 , 2010 .
`` They 've forgotten about this place ; it should look better than this , '' Dasny says as she walks past the overgrown grass , rusted metal statues and brittle brush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been the memorial 's groundskeeper , though she has never been paid .
`` You must remember the humans buried here .
They were just like us and should always be honored , not forgotten , '' she says .
Dasny believes some of her own relatives who were never found after the quake are buried in the grave .
The earthquake 's main shock lasted almost 30 seconds .
A series of aftershocks soon followed .
An estimated 220,000 died , though Haiti 's official estimates are higher .
Some 1.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the International Organization for Migration .
About 300,000 were injured , and large parts of the country were buried under tons of twisted metal and concrete .
Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .
Donors from around the world swiftly pledged billions of dollars in aid and made promises to rebuild .
But a decade on , Haitians who survived say they feel forgotten , as much of the goodwill and billions have been lost to waste , greed and corruption .
Elizabonne Casseus , 50 , is trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 17 relatives in a small shelter in Canaan , a slum north of Port-au-Prince inhabited by displaced earthquake survivors .
Today , the sprawling array of concrete homes and wooden shacks is home to more than a quarter of a million people .
There is no running water ; there are no sewers and few roads .
Aid , Casseus says , `` was good for the people that got it , but not for me . ''
Her flimsy one-room shack is covered with a gray tarp , stamped with logos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She bought the cover before coming to these windy hills after spending five years in a squalid tent camp near downtown Port-au-Prince .
She had hoped the foreign aid would help her repair her home , destroyed in the quake .
Haiti has long been the Western Hemisphere 's poorest nation , and the earthquake only made things worse .
In the first year after the quake , the economy contracted by more than 5 % .
Do n't see the graphic above ?
Click here .
Moved by the grisly images @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the world pledged almost $ 10 billion to Haiti .
In addition , $ 3 billion more was donated to worldwide charities that sent thousands of volunteers to the island .
Promises were made for new roads , schools , government buildings and permanent , earthquake-proof housing .
Haiti 's long-troubled economy was going to be revitalized .
While millions poured into Haiti in the first two years after the quake , giving the economy a boost , signs were emerging that reconstruction would n't live up to those promises .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ earthquake that could have reduced so much poverty , '' says Kesner Pharel , a Haitian economist .
He calls the last 10 years a `` lost decade . ''
By 2012 , millions of cubic feet of rubble still filled the streets .
More than 500,000 people still lived in squalid tent camps , according to the International Organization for Migration .
High-profile groups created to help coordinate the flow of aid money stopped operating .
The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission , set up to streamline and provide transparency for major aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton , had already disbanded by the fall of 2011 , and less than half of the $ 4.6 billion pledged to projects was spent .
A 2013 Government Accountability Office investigation found that USAID had underestimated the cost of infrastructure and housing projects , forcing it to substantially reduce the number of homes it originally planned to help build .
The GAO also found that most USAID contracts went to non-Haitian companies , leaving local businesses out of any reconstruction boon .
And an NPR investigation five years after the quake found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took in half a billion dollars from U.S. donors , had only built six permanent homes , not the 132,000 it had claimed .
The Red Cross disputed NPR 's reports and objected to findings of opaque bookkeeping and exorbitant overhead costs .
Economist Pharel says that on top of the botched reconstruction effort , Haiti 's constant political turmoil , weak institutions and poor governance squandered international funds and goodwill .
The United Nations has struggled in recent years to get donors to fulfill their aid commitments .
Last year , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goals to Haiti , according to the U.N .
In recent months , though , citizens have been demanding more accountability from their leaders , not only for the earthquake aid but also for billions of dollars provided to Haiti from an aid program sponsored by Venezuela , known as PetroCaribe .
Opponents of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse accuse him of embezzling some of the PetroCaribe funds , and they 've taken to the streets demanding he resign .
Moïse denies all allegations .
This fall , demonstrations turned violent , leaving 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Schools and businesses were shut down for weeks .
Critical food aid , especially outside the capital , could n't reach much of the population as demonstrators blocked highways and roads .
About a million Haitians suffer severe hunger .
Human rights advocates say gangs have grown in the midst of the political turmoil .
But many Haitians are no longer waiting for government or aid groups to build them more permanent homes .
Casseus , who relocated to the sprawling slum outside Port-au-Prince , buys sand and stone whenever she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , she can build a more permanent structure on the land she bought .
She admits it is slow going for her and her husband , a car mechanic .
`` Sometimes he goes out all day long and comes back with no money , '' she says .
Dasny , the earthquake memorial 's groundskeeper , also hopes for a better place to live .
For now , she has cobbled together a two-room house on the dusty hillside where she lives by the mass grave .
It is made of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and roars with every gust of wind .
Like Casseus , she keeps a large pile of stone and sand outside her door .
When she has work or sells one of her goats , she uses the money to buy stones .
She breaks the rocks and adds to the piles , getting ever closer to her goal of building a new home .

A 'Lost Decade': Haiti Still Struggles To Recover 10 Years After Massive Earthquake
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR
On the wind-whipped hills north of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, Berthenid Dasny holds the keys to the gated memorial erected for Haiti's earthquake victims. Thousands of bodies are buried here in a mass grave dug after a magnitude 7 earthquake shook the country on Jan. 12, 2010.
"They've forgotten about this place; it should look better than this," Dasny says as she walks past the overgrown grass, rusted metal statues and brittle brush. For the past year, she has been the memorial's groundskeeper, though she has never been paid.
"You must remember the humans buried here. They were just like us and should always be honored, not forgotten," she says. Dasny believes some of her own relatives who were never found after the quake are buried in the grave.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR
The earthquake's main shock lasted almost 30 seconds. A series of aftershocks soon followed. An estimated 220,000 died, though Haiti's official estimates are higher. Some 1.5 million people were displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration. About 300,000 were injured, and large parts of the country were buried under tons of twisted metal and concrete.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
Donors from around the world swiftly pledged billions of dollars in aid and made promises to rebuild. But a decade on, Haitians who survived say they feel forgotten, as much of the goodwill and billions have been lost to waste, greed and corruption.
Elizabonne Casseus, 50, is trying to keep her family afloat. She lives with 17 relatives in a small shelter in Canaan, a slum north of Port-au-Prince inhabited by displaced earthquake survivors. Today, the sprawling array of concrete homes and wooden shacks is home to more than a quarter of a million people. There is no running water; there are no sewers and few roads.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR
Aid, Casseus says, "was good for the people that got it, but not for me."
Her flimsy one-room shack is covered with a gray tarp, stamped with logos of the U.S. Agency for International Development. She bought the cover before coming to these windy hills after spending five years in a squalid tent camp near downtown Port-au-Prince. She had hoped the foreign aid would help her repair her home, destroyed in the quake.
Haiti has long been the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation, and the earthquake only made things worse. In the first year after the quake, the economy contracted by more than 5 %.
Loading...
Don't see the graphic above? Click here.
Moved by the grisly images of the death and destruction, nations around the world pledged almost $10 billion to Haiti. In addition, $3 billion more was donated to worldwide charities that sent thousands of volunteers to the island. Promises were made for new roads, schools, government buildings and permanent, earthquake-proof housing. Haiti's long-troubled economy was going to be revitalized.
While millions poured into Haiti in the first two years after the quake, giving the economy a boost, signs were emerging that reconstruction wouldn't live up to those promises.
"There were so many opportunities after the earthquake that could have reduced so much poverty," says Kesner Pharel, a Haitian economist. He calls the last 10 years a "lost decade."
By 2012, millions of cubic feet of rubble still filled the streets. More than 500,000 people still lived in squalid tent camps, according to the International Organization for Migration.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR
High-profile groups created to help coordinate the flow of aid money stopped operating. The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission, set up to streamline and provide transparency for major aid projects and co-chaired by former President Bill Clinton, had already disbanded by the fall of 2011, and less than half of the $4.6 billion pledged to projects was spent.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR
A 2013 Government Accountability Office investigation found that USAID had underestimated the cost of infrastructure and housing projects, forcing it to substantially reduce the number of homes it originally planned to help build. The GAO also found that most USAID contracts went to non-Haitian companies, leaving local businesses out of any reconstruction boon.
And an NPR investigation five years after the quake found that the American Red Cross, which took in half a billion dollars from U.S. donors, had only built six permanent homes, not the 132,000 it had claimed. The Red Cross disputed NPR's reports and objected to findings of opaque bookkeeping and exorbitant overhead costs.
Economist Pharel says that on top of the botched reconstruction effort, Haiti's constant political turmoil, weak institutions and poor governance squandered international funds and goodwill. The United Nations has struggled in recent years to get donors to fulfill their aid commitments. Last year, it only met 30% of its funding goals to Haiti, according to the U.N.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR
In recent months, though, citizens have been demanding more accountability from their leaders, not only for the earthquake aid but also for billions of dollars provided to Haiti from an aid program sponsored by Venezuela, known as PetroCaribe. Opponents of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse accuse him of embezzling some of the PetroCaribe funds, and they've taken to the streets demanding he resign. Moïse denies all allegations.
This fall, demonstrations turned violent, leaving 50 people dead and more than 100 injured. Schools and businesses were shut down for weeks. Critical food aid, especially outside the capital, couldn't reach much of the population as demonstrators blocked highways and roads. About a million Haitians suffer severe hunger. Human rights advocates say gangs have grown in the midst of the political turmoil.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images Valerie Baeriswyl/AFP via Getty Images
But many Haitians are no longer waiting for government or aid groups to build them more permanent homes. Casseus, who relocated to the sprawling slum outside Port-au-Prince, buys sand and stone whenever she has a little extra money so that one day, she can build a more permanent structure on the land she bought.
She admits it is slow going for her and her husband, a car mechanic. "Sometimes he goes out all day long and comes back with no money," she says.
Dasny, the earthquake memorial's groundskeeper, also hopes for a better place to live. For now, she has cobbled together a two-room house on the dusty hillside where she lives by the mass grave. It is made of wooden slats and corrugated tin that rattles and roars with every gust of wind.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR Richard Tsong-Taatarii for NPR
Like Casseus, she keeps a large pile of stone and sand outside her door. When she has work or sells one of her goats, she uses the money to buy stones. She breaks the rocks and adds to the piles, getting ever closer to her goal of building a new home.


npr--2020-01-12--Australia's Wildfires Are Releasing Vast Amounts Of Carbon

Smoke from the ongoing firestorm in Australia is obscuring skies halfway around the world .
Satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show a haze from the deadly fires spreading over South America .
The swirling plume is nearly the size of the continental United States .
All fires emit smoke — a combination of thousands of compounds , including climate-warming greenhouse gases .
But the sheer scale of the emissions , and the severity of the fires causing them , are concerning climate scientists around the world .
Already , atmospheric watchdogs say , the fires have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carbon dioxide into Earth 's atmosphere .
`` For these fires in the southeast south ( of Australia ) , probably we are in the ballpark of 400 million tons of carbon , '' says Dr .
Pep Canadell , a lead scientist with Australia 's national research agency and the executive director of the Global Carbon Project , which tracks greenhouse gas emissions globally .
To put that figure in perspective , Australia 's total emissions from man-made sources last year was roughly 540 million tons .
So this year 's fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , have already surpassed two-thirds of that amount .
But perhaps more concerning is that many of these fires , including two that merged into a massive `` megafire , '' are burning in areas that could take decades or longer to regrow .
Forest ecologists and atmospheric scientists generally view wildfire as being carbon neutral .
As fires burn , chewing through structures and vegetation , they spit out vast amounts of carbon and other compounds in their smoke .
`` But then over time , we expect a lot of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] down by plants growing again , '' says Rebecca Buchholz , a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research , based in Boulder , Colo. `` For fires , it 's all about balance . ''
But there are concerns that balance is shifting .
Climate change is causing wildfires to burn more frequently and severely around the world .
It 's increasing the areas that fires can burn , and the length of time in which fire conditions exist .
A 2018 `` State of the Climate '' report by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Meteorology found that there has been a `` long-term increase in extreme fire weather and in the length of the fire season across large parts of Australia since the 1950s . ''
At the same time , the world is getting hotter , precipitation patterns are shifting , and human development is expanding .
All that is making it harder for some forests to regrow .
`` We could be changing the atmosphere with fossil fuels in such a way that fires in landscape ecosystems go from being neutral or harmless , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is destructive , '' says Bob Yokelson , a researcher and professor at the University of Montana .
In that scenario , wildfire would become a bigger source of climate-warming emissions , adding to the growing amount that humans are pumping into the atmosphere , thus making future fires worse .
Scientists call this a positive feedback loop .
It 's too soon to say whether the fires in Australia will end up being a net source of carbon , or if areas will be able to regrow .
But it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country is worrisome .
`` Climate impacts the fires , and the fires can potentially impact climate , and we do n't know where we 're going , '' says Buchholz , who is from Australia and has spent the last few weeks there avoiding the oppressive smoke .
`` It 's a moving goal post all the time , and we have n't reached that new balance point . ''

Australia's Wildfires Are Releasing Vast Amounts Of Carbon
Enlarge this image toggle caption Cassie Trotter/Getty Images Cassie Trotter/Getty Images
Smoke from the ongoing firestorm in Australia is obscuring skies halfway around the world. Satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show a haze from the deadly fires spreading over South America. The swirling plume is nearly the size of the continental United States.
All fires emit smoke — a combination of thousands of compounds, including climate-warming greenhouse gases. But the sheer scale of the emissions, and the severity of the fires causing them, are concerning climate scientists around the world.
Already, atmospheric watchdogs say, the fires have pumped hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide into Earth's atmosphere.
"For these fires in the southeast south (of Australia), probably we are in the ballpark of 400 million tons of carbon," says Dr. Pep Canadell, a lead scientist with Australia's national research agency and the executive director of the Global Carbon Project, which tracks greenhouse gas emissions globally.
To put that figure in perspective, Australia's total emissions from man-made sources last year was roughly 540 million tons. So this year's fires, fueled by record-high temperatures and drought, have already surpassed two-thirds of that amount.
But perhaps more concerning is that many of these fires, including two that merged into a massive "megafire," are burning in areas that could take decades or longer to regrow.
Forest ecologists and atmospheric scientists generally view wildfire as being carbon neutral. As fires burn, chewing through structures and vegetation, they spit out vast amounts of carbon and other compounds in their smoke.
"But then over time, we expect a lot of that carbon dioxide will be drawn [back] down by plants growing again," says Rebecca Buchholz, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, based in Boulder, Colo. "For fires, it's all about balance."
But there are concerns that balance is shifting.
Climate impacts the fires, and the fires can potentially impact climate.
Climate change is causing wildfires to burn more frequently and severely around the world. It's increasing the areas that fires can burn, and the length of time in which fire conditions exist.
A 2018 "State of the Climate" report by Australia's leading research agency and Bureau of Meteorology found that there has been a "long-term increase in extreme fire weather and in the length of the fire season across large parts of Australia since the 1950s."
At the same time, the world is getting hotter, precipitation patterns are shifting, and human development is expanding. All that is making it harder for some forests to regrow.
"We could be changing the atmosphere with fossil fuels in such a way that fires in landscape ecosystems go from being neutral or harmless, in terms of climate, to something that is destructive," says Bob Yokelson, a researcher and professor at the University of Montana.
In that scenario, wildfire would become a bigger source of climate-warming emissions, adding to the growing amount that humans are pumping into the atmosphere, thus making future fires worse. Scientists call this a positive feedback loop.
It's too soon to say whether the fires in Australia will end up being a net source of carbon, or if areas will be able to regrow. But it's clear that what's happening now in the country is worrisome.
"Climate impacts the fires, and the fires can potentially impact climate, and we don't know where we're going," says Buchholz, who is from Australia and has spent the last few weeks there avoiding the oppressive smoke. "It's a moving goal post all the time, and we haven't reached that new balance point."


npr--2020-01-11--Deadly Storms Sweep Through Southern United States, Leaving At Least 11 Dead

Deadly Storms Sweep Through Southern United States , Leaving At Least 11 Dead Updated Sunday at 10:15 a.m .
ET Authorities say at least 11 people have died in severe storms that are spreading across much of the United States , bringing dangerous winds across the South and blinding snow and ice to parts of the Great Plains and Midwest .
At least seven tornadoes have been confirmed in Arkansas , Missouri , Oklahoma and Texas , according to the National Weather Service .
Three people were confirmed dead in Alabama near the town of Carrollton in Pickens County after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line of intense thunderstorms '' ravaged the area , according to the Alabama Emergency Management Agency .
In Lubbock , Texas , two first responders were struck and killed by a vehicle as they were attending to a traffic accident brought on by icy road conditions .
A 27-year-old police officer died at the scene , The Associated Press reported , while a 39-year-old firefighter was pronounced dead at the hospital .
A second firefighter injured at the scene was in critical condition .
A third person was reported dead in Texas when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dallas as severe thunderstorms swept through the city .
On the other side of the Texas border , in the town of Benton in Bossier Parish , La.
, winds were so strong that they peeled the roof off an entire wing of a middle school , local TV station KSLA reported .
Firefighters in Bossier Parish recovered the bodies of an elderly couple on Saturday near their demolished trailer , the sheriff 's office wrote in a post on Facebook .
Another man died when a tree fell on his house in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Caddo Parish , La.
, coroner 's office , as reported by the AP .
Near Kiowa , Okla. , a man drowned after high waters rushed into his truck and swept him away , the state highway patrol confirmed to the AP .
And in the early hours on Saturday , a semitruck on an interstate highway east of Iowa City lost control on the icy roads and flipped onto its side , killing the passenger , according to the Iowa State Patrol .
The violent thunderstorms got underway in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rain and bringing high winds as the storm system moved east and northeast .
In Texas and Mississippi , meteorologists recorded winds as high as 80 miles per hour — the speed of winds in a Category 1 hurricane .
The National Weather Service reported an `` enhanced risk '' of severe storms in parts of the region , declaring `` the greatest threat for tornadoes '' in parts of Alabama , Georgia and the western Carolinas .
Severe thunderstorms also passed through Arkansas on Friday night .
By Saturday , the destruction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power lines scattered across the streets and with many homes damaged or destroyed .
Parts of the region remained in a blackout on Saturday as storms continued to churn .
More than 105,000 people in Georgia lost power , according to the website PowerOutage.us .
Nearly 83,000 people in Alabama and 35,000 in Mississippi were also without power .
As the severe weather continued to move northeast on Saturday into colder climates , the Chicago area braced for ice and snow , canceling some 1,000 flights , the AP reported .
The National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 20-foot-high waves on the city 's lake shore , and freezing rain brought power outages to more than 5,000 structures in northern Illinois .
Snow also fell in other parts of the region on Saturday .
In Kansas , the streets were coated with a 1-inch dusting , while much of Iowa was in whiteout conditions as 4 inches of snow fell on Des Moines .
East of the Mississippi River , the weather was much sunnier , with temperatures that were 20 to 30 degrees higher than normal for this time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to set record highs , including a high of 70 degrees in Washington , D.C. , and 67 degrees in New York City .

Deadly Storms Sweep Through Southern United States, Leaving At Least 11 Dead
Enlarge this image toggle caption Bill Davis/AP Bill Davis/AP
Updated Sunday at 10:15 a.m. ET
Authorities say at least 11 people have died in severe storms that are spreading across much of the United States, bringing dangerous winds across the South and blinding snow and ice to parts of the Great Plains and Midwest.
At least seven tornadoes have been confirmed in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, according to the National Weather Service.
Three people were confirmed dead in Alabama near the town of Carrollton in Pickens County after "an embedded tornado within a long line of intense thunderstorms" ravaged the area, according to the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.
In Lubbock, Texas, two first responders were struck and killed by a vehicle as they were attending to a traffic accident brought on by icy road conditions. A 27-year-old police officer died at the scene, The Associated Press reported, while a 39-year-old firefighter was pronounced dead at the hospital. A second firefighter injured at the scene was in critical condition.
A third person was reported dead in Texas when a car flipped into a creek in Dallas as severe thunderstorms swept through the city.
On the other side of the Texas border, in the town of Benton in Bossier Parish, La., winds were so strong that they peeled the roof off an entire wing of a middle school, local TV station KSLA reported.
Firefighters in Bossier Parish recovered the bodies of an elderly couple on Saturday near their demolished trailer, the sheriff's office wrote in a post on Facebook.
Another man died when a tree fell on his house in Oil City early Saturday morning, according to the Caddo Parish, La., coroner's office, as reported by the AP.
Near Kiowa, Okla., a man drowned after high waters rushed into his truck and swept him away, the state highway patrol confirmed to the AP.
And in the early hours on Saturday, a semitruck on an interstate highway east of Iowa City lost control on the icy roads and flipped onto its side, killing the passenger, according to the Iowa State Patrol.
The violent thunderstorms got underway in Texas and Oklahoma on Friday, dumping rain and bringing high winds as the storm system moved east and northeast. In Texas and Mississippi, meteorologists recorded winds as high as 80 miles per hour — the speed of winds in a Category 1 hurricane.
The National Weather Service reported an "enhanced risk" of severe storms in parts of the region, declaring "the greatest threat for tornadoes" in parts of Alabama, Georgia and the western Carolinas. Severe thunderstorms also passed through Arkansas on Friday night.
By Saturday, the destruction was widespread, with downed trees and power lines scattered across the streets and with many homes damaged or destroyed.
Parts of the region remained in a blackout on Saturday as storms continued to churn. More than 105,000 people in Georgia lost power, according to the website PowerOutage.us. Nearly 83,000 people in Alabama and 35,000 in Mississippi were also without power.
As the severe weather continued to move northeast on Saturday into colder climates, the Chicago area braced for ice and snow, canceling some 1,000 flights, the AP reported. The National Weather Service in Chicago also warned of nearly 20-foot-high waves on the city's lake shore, and freezing rain brought power outages to more than 5,000 structures in northern Illinois.
Snow also fell in other parts of the region on Saturday. In Kansas, the streets were coated with a 1-inch dusting, while much of Iowa was in whiteout conditions as 4 inches of snow fell on Des Moines.
East of the Mississippi River, the weather was much sunnier, with temperatures that were 20 to 30 degrees higher than normal for this time of year. Many areas were expected to set record highs, including a high of 70 degrees in Washington, D.C., and 67 degrees in New York City.


npr--2020-01-13--As New CEO Takes Charge, Boeing's Challenges Remain

As he moves into the chief executive 's suite in Boeing 's 36-story world headquarters building in downtown Chicago today , David Calhoun will find he has monumental tasks ahead of him .
The aerospace giant is still reeling from the fallout of two 737 Max jetliner crashes — in Indonesia in October 2018 and in Ethiopia last March — that killed a total of 346 people .
Documents released by Boeing late last week reveal that during the years the 737 Max was under development , key company employees appear to have hidden safety problems and deceived regulators and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , along with some of Boeing 's suppliers and even fellow employees .
`` I 'm just shaking my head and rolling my eyes , '' says Scott Hamilton , an aviation industry consultant for the Leeham Company , who has been closely watching Boeing for decades .
He says he can understand expressing frustrations in the workplace , `` but in this case , this goes beyond frustrations .
This is disdain , this is contempt for the regulators , for some of their customers and even for some of their co-workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eye for Boeing , '' Hamilton adds .
Even though it may not hurt the company 's efforts to get the troubled 737 Max re-certified by regulators around the world , he says , `` It 's going to affect the ability to restore confidence in the traveling public . ''
The more than 100 pages of emails and internal instant messages show a pattern of deceit as Boeing employees downplay safety problems with the 737 Max .
In one of the most shocking messages , one worker tells another , `` This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in turn supervised by monkeys . ''
Another unnamed employee , while complaining about safety flaws , mentions that the company once admired for high safety standards has changed , and `` created a culture of 'good enough ' and that is an incredibly low bar . ''
In another exchange , one employee asks a colleague , `` Would you put your family on a Max simulator trained aircraft ?
I would n't . ''
The colleague responds , `` No . ''
The documents also detail schemes to hide information about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Max that has been pinpointed as a primary cause of the two deadly crashes ; as well as efforts to mislead regulators so they do n't require costly pilot training in a simulator , something that some experts say might have been able to prevent the plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia .
`` It 's horrifying , '' says Nadia Milleron , the mother of Samya Stumo , who was 24 when she was killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 310 on March 10 , 2019 .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; I keep wanting to wake up . ''
`` The culture of Boeing has eroded horribly , '' he added .
`` My daughter is dead as a result . ''
The documents released by Boeing dropped late Thursday on the FAA and congressional committees investigating the 737 Max crisis .
They paint a picture of a corporate culture fixated on cutting costs , and boosting profits and shareholder value , at the expense of engineering excellence and safety .
`` It 's terrible .
The company has to change completely in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' says Milleron .
Milleron and some others say they do n't have much faith in new CEO Calhoun , a private equity executive and one-time head of GE 's aircraft engine unit , who has served on Boeing 's board of directors for more than a decade .
`` I would point out that David Calhoun has been on the board since 2009 and has set and endorsed the policies of shareholder value and cost , '' says industry consultant Hamilton , who has closely watched Boeing since the 1970s .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually part of the problem . ''
Milleron puts it more bluntly to those expecting Calhoun to bring an outsider 's perspective and shake things up : `` He 's not new to the company .
He is partially responsible for my daughter 's death . ''
Boeing has made one significant change , reversing its long-held position that pilots do n't need training on a simulator to fly a 737 Max even after its flaws are fixed .
The company is now recommending simulator training for all 737 Max pilots before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service .
Pilots and travelers ' advocates applaud the reversal in Boeing 's position but some say they are disturbed to discover in the emails and other messages released last week the great lengths Boeing went to in order to fight against such recommendations .
One of the airlines that the documents show had been pushing for Boeing to provide their pilots with more costly and time-consuming simulator training was Indonesia 's Lion Air .
On October 29 , 2018 , Lion Air flight 610 was the first Boeing 737 Max to crash @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Boeing worked very hard to dissuade them , pressure them , some might say , bully them by using examples of other airlines around the world and regulators around the world that said the simulator time was n't necessary , '' says Sean Broderick , senior air transport and safety editor at Aviation Week , adding that `` Boeing , in that case , did n't take its customers ' best interest into consideration .
It took its own best interests into consideration .
Rebuilding relationships with airlines , with pilots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top challenges facing Calhoun , as is restoring the trust of airline passengers , many of whom say they wo n't fly on a Max even if regulators clear the troubled plane to fly again .
`` He 's got his work cut out for him , '' says Hamilton .
For doing that job , Calhoun will earn a salary of $ 1.4 million , plus a $ 7 million bonus if and when the Max is re-certified and other benchmarks are met .
In all , he could earn nearly $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , incentives and bonuses Boeing is offering .
Meanwhile , the company has announced his predecessor , Dennis Muilenburg , is walking out with more than $ 62 million in compensation .
In a statement , Boeing says that is what Muilenburg is contractually entitled to receive .
Boeing said he is not receiving severance pay or a bonus , and he has returned nearly $ 15 million worth of stock options .
Still , that 's a hefty payout for someone who one of the families of those killed in the plane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is to keep airline passengers safe .
`` He should n't get any reward for killing people , '' Nadia Milleron says .
`` He should actually go to jail rather that get a reward . ''

As New CEO Takes Charge, Boeing's Challenges Remain
Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Ralston /AFP via Getty Images Mark Ralston /AFP via Getty Images
Business David Calhoun, New Boeing CEO, Has His Work Cut Out For Him David Calhoun, New Boeing CEO, Has His Work Cut Out For Him Listen · 3:59 3:59
Updated at 11 a.m. ET
As he moves into the chief executive's suite in Boeing's 36-story world headquarters building in downtown Chicago today, David Calhoun will find he has monumental tasks ahead of him.
The aerospace giant is still reeling from the fallout of two 737 Max jetliner crashes — in Indonesia in October 2018 and in Ethiopia last March — that killed a total of 346 people.
Documents released by Boeing late last week reveal that during the years the 737 Max was under development, key company employees appear to have hidden safety problems and deceived regulators and customers, while also sometimes mocking them, along with some of Boeing's suppliers and even fellow employees.
"I'm just shaking my head and rolling my eyes," says Scott Hamilton, an aviation industry consultant for the Leeham Company, who has been closely watching Boeing since the 1970s. He says he can understand expressing frustrations in the workplace, "but in this case, this goes beyond frustrations. This is disdain, this is contempt for the regulators, for some of their customers and even for some of their co-workers."
"This is another black eye for Boeing," Hamilton adds. Even though it may not hurt the company's efforts to get the troubled 737 Max recertified by regulators around the world, he says, "It's going to affect the ability to restore confidence in the traveling public."
The more than 100 pages of emails and internal instant messages show a pattern of deceit as Boeing employees downplay safety problems with the 737 Max. In one of the most shocking messages, one worker tells another, "This plane was designed by clowns who are in turn supervised by monkeys."
Another unnamed employee, while complaining about safety flaws, mentions that the company once admired for high safety standards has changed and "created a culture of 'good enough' and that is an incredibly low bar."
In another exchange, one employee asks a colleague, "Would you put your family on a Max simulator trained aircraft? I wouldn't." The colleague responds, "No."
The documents also detail schemes to hide information about a new automated flight control system on the Max that has been pinpointed as a primary cause of the two deadly crashes, as well as efforts to mislead regulators so they didn't require costly pilot training in a simulator, something that some experts say might have been able to prevent the plane crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
"It's horrifying," says Nadia Milleron, the mother of Samya Stumo, who was 24 when she was killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 310 on March 10. "I feel like I'm living a nightmare; I keep wanting to wake up."
"These revelations sicken me," adds Michael Stumo, Samya's father.
"The culture of Boeing has eroded horribly," he added. "My daughter is dead as a result."
The documents released by Boeing dropped late Thursday on the FAA and congressional committees investigating the 737 Max crisis. They paint a picture of a corporate culture fixated on cutting costs, as well as boosting profits and shareholder value, at the expense of engineering excellence and safety.
"It's terrible. The company has to change completely in order to actually produce safe aircraft," Milleron says.
Milleron and some others say they don't have much faith in the new CEO Calhoun, a private equity executive and onetime head of GE's aircraft engine unit, who has served on Boeing's board of directors for more than a decade.
"I would point out that David Calhoun has been on the board since 2009 and has set and endorsed the policies of shareholder value and cost," Hamilton says. "And so I would say he's actually part of the problem."
Milleron puts it more bluntly to those expecting Calhoun to bring an outsider's perspective and shake things up: "He's not new to the company. He is partially responsible for my daughter's death."
Boeing has made one significant change, reversing its long-held position that pilots don't need training on a simulator to fly a 737 Max even after its flaws are fixed. The company is now recommending simulator training for all 737 Max pilots before the plane is certified to return to passenger service.
Pilots and travelers' advocates applaud the reversal in Boeing's position, but some say they are disturbed to discover in the emails and other messages released last week the great lengths Boeing went to in order to fight against such recommendations.
One of the airlines that the documents show had been pushing for Boeing to provide their pilots with more costly and time-consuming simulator training was Indonesia's Lion Air. On Oct. 29, 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 was the first Boeing 737 Max to crash, killing all 189 people on board.
"Boeing worked very hard to dissuade them, pressure them, some might say, bully them by using examples of other airlines around the world and regulators around the world that said the simulator time wasn't necessary," says Sean Broderick, senior air transport and safety editor at Aviation Week, adding that "Boeing, in that case, didn't take its customers' best interest into consideration. It took its own best interests into consideration."
Rebuilding relationships with airlines, with pilots and with aviation regulators is among the top challenges Calhoun faces, as is restoring the trust of airline passengers, many of whom say they won't fly on a Max even if regulators clear the troubled plane to fly again.
"He's got his work cut out for him," Hamilton says.
For doing that job, Calhoun will earn a salary of $1.4 million, plus a $7 million bonus if and when the Max is recertified and other benchmarks are met. In all, he could earn nearly $30 million with all the stock options, incentives and bonuses Boeing is offering.
In an email to Boeing employees on Monday, Calhoun said returning the 737 Max to service safely is among his top priorities for the company in 2020.
"This company has a tremendous legacy of aerospace achievement, thanks to your efforts and the contributions of generations before you," he said. "I honor that legacy, and I appreciate your tireless commitment. I also recognize the learnings — many of them painful — from the experiences of the last 18 months that you are bringing to the way we do business."
Meanwhile, the company has announced that Calhoun's predecessor, Dennis Muilenburg, is walking out with more than $62 million in compensation. In a statement, Boeing says that is what Muilenburg is contractually entitled to receive. Boeing said he is not receiving severance pay or a bonus, and he has returned nearly $15 million worth of stock options.
Still, that's a hefty payout for someone who one of the families of those killed in the plane crash says failed to do his job, which is to keep airline passengers safe.
"He shouldn't get any reward for killing people," Nadia Milleron says. "He should actually go to jail rather that get a reward."


npr--2020-01-13--Pharmaceutical Executives Face Prison Time In Case Linked To Opioid Crisis

Sentencing is scheduled to begin on Monday in the criminal trial of top executives at Insys Therapeutics .
This landmark case was the first successful prosecution of high-ranking pharmaceutical executives linked to the opioid crisis , including onetime billionaire John Kapoor .
After a 10-week trial and 15 days of jury deliberations , Kapoor and his four co-defendants were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy in May 2019 .
This charge is often used to prosecute drug dealers and mob bosses .
However , this was a rare case in which the federal government used racketeering to go after corporate executives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of running a nationwide bribery scheme .
The case centered on a potent opioid painkiller , Subsys , that Insys developed and aggressively marketed .
Federal prosecutors argued that from 2012 to 2015 , the company paid doctors to prescribe the opioid in high doses and give it to patients who did not necessarily need it .
They did this through inviting doctors with a history of liberally prescribing opioids to participate in a sham `` speakers program . ''
The federal prosecutors said the doctors were paid well for `` speaking '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Subsys , even if nobody showed up to the lectures .
Insys representatives then systematically lied to insurance companies in an effort to ensure that their painkiller , which could cost as much as $ 19,000 per month , would be covered .
Kapoor 's defense attorneys argued that he was unaware of the illegal activities .
They blamed executives who pleaded guilty and cooperated with the prosecutors .
The jury was not convinced and found Kapoor and his co-defendants guilty .
However , seven months later , the Massachusetts federal judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the jury 's verdict .
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said the evidence was insufficient to prove the jury 's conclusion that Insys executives intended that doctors prescribe the opioid when it was not medically needed .
Burroughs said the evidence indicated that the defendants did not care about the medical necessity of the drug , but it did not prove their intent .
`` The Court only very reluctantly disturbs a jury verdict , but finds it necessary to do so here , '' Burroughs wrote in her ruling .
While she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defendants violated the Controlled Substances Act , she denied the defendants ' request for a new trial , and the defendants were still guilty of other acts , including mail fraud and wire fraud .
When federal prosecutors brought charges against Insys executives , experts saw it as the federal government seeking to hold drug companies accountable for their part in the opioid epidemic .
The judge 's decision to overturn part of the Insys verdict was interpreted as an indication that federal prosecutors may be overreaching .
Outside the trial , Insys @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month after the Insys executives were found guilty , the company reached a $ 225 million settlement with the Justice Department .
As part of the agreement , the company acknowledged bribing doctors and agreed to close federal monitoring .
Five days later , the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy .
Amid it all , Insys replaced its CEO , Saeed Motahari , with Andrew Long .
Six months later , Long stepped down .
The sentencings are scheduled to take place over two weeks , beginning Monday and concluding on Jan. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be sentenced to 15 years in prison , while his lawyers suggested a year of prison time .
Kapoor 's sentencing is slated for Jan. 23 .
Prosecutors recommended prison terms between six and 11 years for the other former Insys executives — Michael Gurry , Richard Simon , Joseph Rowan and Sunrise Lee .
For two former executives , Michael Babich and Alec Burlakoff , who testified for the prosecution , the government recommended 66 months and 60 months , respectively .
Attorneys for the executives all requested a combination of probation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year of prison time .

Pharmaceutical Executives Face Prison Time In Case Linked To Opioid Crisis
Enlarge this image toggle caption Craig F. Walker/Boston Globe via Getty Images Craig F. Walker/Boston Globe via Getty Images
Sentencing is scheduled to begin on Monday in the criminal trial of top executives at Insys Therapeutics. This landmark case was the first successful prosecution of high-ranking pharmaceutical executives linked to the opioid crisis, including onetime billionaire John Kapoor.
After a 10-week trial and 15 days of jury deliberations, Kapoor and his four co-defendants were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy in May 2019. This charge is often used to prosecute drug dealers and mob bosses. However, this was a rare case in which the federal government used racketeering to go after corporate executives.
The Insys executives were found guilty of running a nationwide bribery scheme. The case centered on a potent opioid painkiller, Subsys, that Insys developed and aggressively marketed.
Federal prosecutors argued that from 2012 to 2015, the company paid doctors to prescribe the opioid in high doses and give it to patients who did not necessarily need it. They did this through inviting doctors with a history of liberally prescribing opioids to participate in a sham "speakers program." The federal prosecutors said the doctors were paid well for "speaking" if they wrote a lot of prescriptions for Subsys, even if nobody showed up to the lectures. Insys representatives then systematically lied to insurance companies in an effort to ensure that their painkiller, which could cost as much as $19,000 per month, would be covered.
Kapoor's defense attorneys argued that he was unaware of the illegal activities. They blamed executives who pleaded guilty and cooperated with the prosecutors. The jury was not convinced and found Kapoor and his co-defendants guilty.
However, seven months later, the Massachusetts federal judge overseeing the case struck down part of the jury's verdict. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said the evidence was insufficient to prove the jury's conclusion that Insys executives intended that doctors prescribe the opioid when it was not medically needed. Burroughs said the evidence indicated that the defendants did not care about the medical necessity of the drug, but it did not prove their intent.
"The Court only very reluctantly disturbs a jury verdict, but finds it necessary to do so here," Burroughs wrote in her ruling. While she overturned the jury's finding that the defendants violated the Controlled Substances Act, she denied the defendants' request for a new trial, and the defendants were still guilty of other acts, including mail fraud and wire fraud.
When federal prosecutors brought charges against Insys executives, experts saw it as the federal government seeking to hold drug companies accountable for their part in the opioid epidemic. The judge's decision to overturn part of the Insys verdict was interpreted as an indication that federal prosecutors may be overreaching.
Outside the trial, Insys Therapeutics has faced turbulent times. A month after the Insys executives were found guilty, the company reached a $225 million settlement with the Justice Department. As part of the agreement, the company acknowledged bribing doctors and agreed to close federal monitoring. Five days later, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Amid it all, Insys replaced its CEO, Saeed Motahari, with Andrew Long. Six months later, Long stepped down.
The sentencings are scheduled to take place over two weeks, beginning Monday and concluding on Jan. 23.
Federal prosecutors recommended that Kapoor be sentenced to 15 years in prison, while his lawyers suggested a year of prison time. Kapoor's sentencing is slated for Jan. 23. Prosecutors recommended prison terms between six and 11 years for the other former Insys executives — Michael Gurry, Richard Simon, Joseph Rowan and Sunrise Lee. For two former executives, Michael Babich and Alec Burlakoff, who testified for the prosecution, the government recommended 66 months and 60 months, respectively. Attorneys for the executives all requested a combination of probation, home confinement and no more than a year of prison time.