Category: International

The Trump administration is calling the effort to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 “Operation Warp Speed.” Dr. Anthony Fauci says if all goes well, we could have hundreds of millions of vaccines as early as next January.

Today is International Workers Day, and this year workers at Amazon, Walmart and Target are using the occasion to organize mass protests. They say their companies are not doing enough to protect and compensate them, even as the nation hails them as “essential.”

Today is also historically known as National College Decision Day for college-bound high school seniors. But that’s changed this year too. Many colleges have postponed their decision deadlines to June 1. And as the pandemic continues to cause students’ personal circumstances to change, some are reconsidering attending a four-year college full time at all.

In New York City, a funeral director says knowing that his team is performing a service for their community helps him get through long and stressful days.

Plus, some happy news: NPR producer Emma Talkoff’s twin sister and her now-husband got married in their apartment last weekend. Talkoff shares what it was like for her family to witness the joyful moment via Zoom.

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The federal stay-at-home guidance ends on Thursday. Some governors are planning to open up their states, but others say it’s too soon.

A potential new kind of test for COVID-19 could be simpler and cheaper to use than existing tests. But because it has a relatively high false negative rate, some scientists are wary. The pandemic has left more than 30 million people in the U.S. unemployed.

Activists and community organizers are putting together strikes, refusing to pay rent on May 1. But landlords are also facing financial pressure.

Using the Defense Production Act, President Trump has ordered meatpacking plants to stay open despite a high rate of coronavirus outbreaks among workers. KCUR’s Frank Morris reports on what’s happening in the industry.

Life Kit’s guide to managing screen time on Apple, Spotify and NPR One.

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Results from a trial involving more than a thousand hospital patients showed the drug Remdesivir could speed up recovery from COVID-19 and possibly also reduce deaths.

Wednesday morning’s first quarter gross domestic product report shows that the economy shrank last quarter at a rate not seen since the fall of 2008.

New findings suggest a link between COVID-19 and life-threatening blood clots that cause strokes in all age groups.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts talks about how his state is trying to lead the charge in contact tracing, and how leadership during a pandemic is uniquely challenging.

Plus, in New Orleans, Brass-a-Holics bandleader Winston “Trombone” Turner wanted to honor the deceased of COVID-19 like they would have been ordinarily — with music. So, he picked up his horn and called a few friends to record a performance of “I’ll Fly Away,” a celebratory song played at almost every traditional New Orleans funeral.

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More than 1 million cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Nationwide social distancing guidance runs through April 30. After that, what happens is up to individual states.

One reason why coronavirus testing has been stymied in the United States is that public health labs in at least 10 states have been underfunded for years, an investigation by APM found.

Plus, listeners of It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders share how they are spending their free time. Listen on Apple, Spotify and NPR One.

Life Kit’s full episode on how to start running with Peter Sagal on Apple, Spotify and NPR One.

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Challenges with testing and logistics, clashes between federal and state officials and even hospitals’ fears of being stigmatized as a source of infection — all cost valuable time in detecting the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S., reports NPR’s Lauren Sommer.

The federal government has re-started the Paycheck Protection Program, which gives loans to small businesses. Lawmakers required some of the money to go community banks this time around.

Also, the CDC recognizes new symptoms of the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Italy will start reopening the country next week. The country has suffered high death rates, second only to the U.S., and it was the first western nation to lock down.

Plus, one of the top-grossing movie theaters in the country this past week was the Ocala Drive-In in Ocala, Florida.

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A scientist and a philosopher answer listener questions on ‘The National Conversation with All Things Considered,’ NPR’s nightly radio show about the coronavirus crisis. Excerpted here:

– Aerobiologist Joshua Santarpia discusses disinfectants.
– Professor David Chan talks through the day-to-day ethical dilemmas during the pandemic.

If you have a question, you can share it at npr.org/nationalconversation, or tweet with the hashtag, #NPRConversation.

We’ll return with a regular episode of Coronavirus Daily on Monday.

Data shared at a White House press briefing Thursday was unusual, says David Lappan of the Bipartisan Policy Center — and not just because it prompted the President to wonder if disinfectants could be injected into coronavirus patients.

Southern states are some of the first to start reopening, but NPR’s Debbie Elliott reports people there may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 because of high rates of poverty, chronic diseases, and natural disasters.

Plus, a Washington Post reporter on what America looks like from the open road.

The biggest risk in grocery shopping comes from the people you could come in contact with, not the food. Watch Life Kit’s video for tips on grocery shopping safely.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci said we will still be dealing with the coronavirus next fall. The severity depends on what we do over the next few months.

What about college campuses? NPR’s Elissa Nadworny reports universities are figuring out if they can reopen for fall semester or go virtual.

Plus, a study finds wearing a nylon stocking over homemade masks can boost protection.

And a look at why COVID-19 seems to be killing more men than women.

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Posthumous autopsy results revealed the first U.S. death from COVID-19 happened much earlier than previously thought.

The state of Georgia will reopen parts of its economy on Friday, even as members of the White House coronavirus task force can’t say how all parts of the state could safely do so.

NPR’s David Folkenflik reports on the link between Fox News and anti-shutdown protests.

Plus, a website that recreates the sounds of your office.

NPR’s reporting on the NIH’s recommendation against doctors using hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Listen to the latest episode of NPR’s Rough Translation on Apple, Spotify and NPR One.

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The Paycheck Protection Program was created to help small businesses hit by the pandemic, but the program was exhausted quickly. Now congress has secured another round of funding.

Recovering from COVID-19 can be a long journey. NPR’s Jon Hamilton reports on the oftentimes grueling process.

Experts say contact tracing and antibody testing are crucial steps for reopening the country.

Plus, a look at one part of the economy that never closed. Must-run factories operating around the clock have lessons for other businesses about how to keep workers safe.

Listen to Life Kit’s episode on how to spot misinformation on Apple, Spotify and NPR One.

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