When and how to start lifting coronavirus restrictions
Communities across the globe under strict physical distancing measures — in many cases for weeks — are now wrestling with when and how to relax those policies. And, a group of scientists is looking for antibodies in those who have successfully recovered from the novel coronavirus, which could help develop drugs to fight COVID-19. Also, Finland's government has elevated the status of social medi...
48m Apr 16, 2020
48m
The Number in The News: 45 — Mr. Motivator wants you to have fun exercising under quarantine
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number is 45. As working from home during the novel coronavirus outbreak becomes the new norm, many of us have become even more tethered to our screens — and our chairs — than usual. Luckily, Derrick Evans is here to help. You may know him as Mr. Motivator. He rose to fame in the United Kingdom in the 1990s with his high-energy exe...
4m Apr 16, 2020
4m
Outcry over Trump's WHO funding cut order
President‌ ‌Donald Trump‌ ‌says‌ ‌he’s‌ ‌halting‌ ‌funding‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌World‌ ‌Health‌ ‌Organization‌ ‌pending‌ ‌a‌ ‌review.‌ ‌How‌ would the funding ‌cut ‌affect‌ ‌the‌ ‌WHO’s‌ ‌work‌? And, there's a global backlash against Trump's WHO announcement, especially in places where the organization is vital like in Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are not only dealing with COVID-19 but als...
49m Apr 15, 2020
49m
France stays under lockdown while other countries debate lifting restrictions
While US President Donald Trump clashed with state governors over plans to reopen the economy, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday that France will remain under lockdown for four more weeks. And, earlier this month, top cybersecurity officials in the US and the UK issued a warning about COVID-19-related scams and phishing attempts. Also, in Calgary, Canada, high school students l...
48m Apr 14, 2020
48m
When is it safe to lift coronavirus restrictions?
The US is now the center of the global pandemic. With more than a half a million confirmed cases and 22,000 deaths from COVID-19 and a surge still on the way for many parts of the country, is it premature to talk about opening things up again? And, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the threat of the coronavirus in the country, but that's not the only thing that's making it hard ...
48m Apr 13, 2020
48m
Faith in the time of a global coronavirus crisis
The coronavirus has fundamentally changed how we live our lives — but perhaps most heartbreaking is how it's changed how we deal with death. And, every year, thousands of Catholic worshipers travel to the east side of Mexico City to watch a live reenactment of the stations of the cross. This year, as Mexico and much of the world is implementing social isolation measures to slow the spread of th...
48m Apr 10, 2020
48m
Politicizing the coronavirus crisis?
US President Donald Trump is threatening to pull funding from the World Health Organization, accusing it of being too "China-centric." The WHO has cautioned against politicizing the coronavirus crisis. And, health care professional burnout has been a long-standing and overlooked issue in hospitals around the world, even before the coronavirus. Also, triathlete Mirinda Carfrae was in second plac...
47m Apr 09, 2020
47m
China's coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan emerges from lockdown
The central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus pandemic, began allowing people to leave on Wednesday for the first time after being locked down for 76 days. And, the pandemic has brought all sorts of things to a standstill, including elections. Many officials are looking to make online voting available to more people — that makes election security experts particularly...
48m Apr 08, 2020
48m
What's next for Britain with Boris Johnson in intensive care?
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is spending his second night in intensive care in a London hospital after contracting COVID-19. And, the Trump administration is pushing forward with a new plan for a power-sharing government in Venezuela, as the South American nation struggles with a collapsed economy and the looming threat of the coronavirus pandemic. Also, with much of the world cooped up...
47m Apr 07, 2020
47m
Coronavirus outbreak showing signs of slowing in Spain
Spain is the country with the second most reported cases of COVID-19 in the world. However, there seems to be some good news of late: Spanish officials are reporting the growth rate of the virus shows signs of slowing. And, Lebanon's Hezbollah, which recently invited reporters to tour some of its medical facilities, says it's ready for the battle against coronavirus. Also, New Zealand Prime Mi...
47m Apr 06, 2020
47m
Countries are spending big to stop economic losses
The US is rolling out its largest economic stimulus package in history. Other countries are also spending big to stop losses caused by the coronavirus crisis, but there are some differences in how they do it and who benefits. And, Iran is one of the countries worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more than a month, health authorities have struggled to contain the outbreak. Also, after much ea...
47m Apr 03, 2020
47m
Number in The News: 71 — Spotify creates a podcast to save your pup from loneliness
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 71. Swedish audio streaming site Spotify surveyed 5,000 pet owners from Britain, Australia, Spain, Italy and the United States and found that 71% of pet owners play music for their pets when they leave the house. Your pup might be getting extra attention as the world hunkers down amid the pandemic. But if you need some pet-...
3m Apr 03, 2020
3m
Privacy concerns amid government coronavirus tracking tools
Governments around the world are using digital tracking tools to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In Europe, where privacy and data protections are among the strongest in the world, there’s an effort to come up with effective digital tracking tools that are also privacy-friendly. And, the US armed forces are juggling contradictory goals — troop readiness and troop protection. Tensions around...
47m Apr 02, 2020
47m
The USS Theodore Roosevelt faces an outbreak of the coronavirus
The US aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is docked off the island of Guam, a US territory. Onboard, an unknown number of sailors are sick with COVID-19. But Guam itself has its own coronavirus outbreak. And, the government of India has shut down the entire country, to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As a result, millions of Indians have lost their jobs, which has triggered unpr...
47m Apr 01, 2020
47m
China steps up support as US and Europe struggle to contain COVID-19
As the US and Europe struggle to contain the coronavirus outbreak, China is sending aid and medical supplies around the world. And, over 70 million displaced people around the world are stuck in overcrowded refugee camps. The coronavirus outbreak is putting a strain on already poor living conditions. Also, archaeologists have discovered the remains of 3,400-year-old ball court in the mountains ...
47m Mar 31, 2020
47m
Deciding how to allocate scarce medical resources
With masks and ventilators in short supply, how health care providers around the world deciding to allocate scarce resources? And, Moscow residents got a four-hour notice Sunday before the city went under a sweeping quarantine. The order from the mayor of Moscow came just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a week-long, paid, stay-at-home holiday. Also, the new Social Distanci...
47m Mar 30, 2020
47m
Trump's medical advice triggers run on malaria drugs in Mexico
US President Donald Trump’s unproven endorsement of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19 has triggered a run on the drug worldwide — including in Mexico. Also, the spread of the coronavirus and the border closures have slowed down humanitarian aid to war-torn Syria. Host Marco Werman speaks with David Miliband, the chief executive officer of the International Rescue Committee, about w...
48m Mar 27, 2020
48m
Understanding COVID-19 from the front lines
The novel coronavirus is novel in a number of ways. It's disturbingly easy to spread, often coming from people with no symptoms. Infectious disease epidemiologist Gabriel Leung, who has been at the forefront of understanding the coronavirus, explains what we now know and what remains a mystery about COVID-19. And, we speak with former Pentagon chief Leon Panetta about the challenges that limit ...
48m Mar 26, 2020
48m
What's next after India's coronavirus lockdown?
As India settles into a country-wide lockdown, a looming question is whether its health care system will be prepared for what's next. And, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore have all been praised for "flattening the curve" of COVID-19 outbreaks. But sadly, these places can't celebrate just yet. If you're an ant the size of a sesame seed, danger can come in many forms. New research has...
49m Mar 25, 2020
49m
80: 'Harry Potter' and the Yiddish translation
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 80. The worldwide sensation that is the "Harry Potter" series has been translated into over 80 languages. One of the latest translations is Yiddish. Translator Arun Viswanath describes the process and teaches us how to say some magical words including “magic wand” in Yiddish.
4m Mar 25, 2020
4m
Number of lockdowns grows as countries try to counter the coronavirus
About a fifth of the world's population is now under some sort of lockdown to try to contain the spread of the coronavirus. At the same time, China has announced it will be lifting the restrictions on people in Wuhan and the surrounding province of Hubei, where the virus was first identified. And, in states like California, in shelter-in-place mode because of the coronavirus, farmworkers are co...
49m Mar 24, 2020
49m
Doctors in Italy struggle to keep up with COVID-19
Italy now has reported the most deaths from COVID-19, and doctors are scrambling to keep up with the demand for hospital beds and ventilators. More than 300 million students in China are stuck at home and getting their schooling through online classes. We report what massive experiment in online learning has been like for kids, parents and teachers across the country. For many athletes around t...
48m Mar 23, 2020
48m
The week in coronavirus
Everybody, everywhere is discussing one thing: the coronavirus pandemic. The World's public health reporter Elana Gordon lays out we've learned about the science of the virus this week. And, The World speaks to a bioethicist to clear up several of US President Donald Trump's false statements on treatments for coronavirus. Also, radio DJs across Europe send a musical message to people across the...
48m Mar 20, 2020
48m
Is China turning the tide on coronavirus?
China reported that there were no new domestically transmitted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. But in Italy, the death toll from coronavirus overtook China's, as hospitals said they were being overwhelmed and the government prepared to prolong emergency lockdown measures. And, governments around the world, including the US, are working to counter crashing economies. US Congress passed two coronavi...
48m Mar 19, 2020
48m
3: Your burger's carbon footprint
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 3. Restaurants have been adding caloric values to their menus alongside dishes for years in an effort to better inform their customers. Now, a diner in Edmonton, Canada, is going one step further by adding carbon footprint information to its menu. In this week’s special feature of The Number in the News, hear from the owner...
3m Mar 19, 2020
3m
The uncertainty wrought by the coronavirus pandemic
A global pandemic is bringing new questions, concerns and confusion every day. We're trying to stay on top of the latest information on how COVID-19 is spread and what epidemiologists are discovering as the coronavirus moves around the globe. And, the US and Canada have agreed to partially close its northern border to non-essential travel. Also, with millions of people working from home during ...
47m Mar 18, 2020
47m
COVID-19 rattles the global airline industry
The COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on people's lives in so many ways, from health to education, the economy to politics to the arts. First, what's this all going to mean for the airline industry? Flights are being shut down all over and airline staff are being laid off. We're also looking to see how this all ends. And, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced plans to close the c...
47m Mar 17, 2020
47m
World leaders scramble to slow the spread of coronavirus
The international community has been scrambling to confront the global threat of the coronavirus pandemic. So far, multilateral diplomacy hasn't been used to effectively beat back spread of the outbreak. And, across much of Asia, it's incredibly hard to find a hospital-grade face mask — so the black market has stepped in. Also, Coronavirus-related toilet paper shortages have raised an awkward t...
47m Mar 16, 2020
47m
Coronavirus puts spotlight on global sick leave policies
The latest on the global impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, including a look at sick leave policies around the world, the reaction in Lebanon and the impact on businesses in India. And, thousands of migrants and refugees are trying to leave Turkey to get into Greece. The World’s Lydia Emmanouilidou reports on a group of migrants that landed in Lesbos, including one Syrian stuck on a beach. Al...
47m Mar 13, 2020
47m
22,000: Yoshi the turtle breaks tracking record
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 22,000. A loggerhead sea turtle named Yoshi has been on an incredible journey. In December 2017, Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa, released Yoshi into the open water after 20 years in captivity. Since then she has swum more than 22,000 miles from Cape Town to the western shores of Australia. The aquarium write...
2m Mar 13, 2020
2m
US restricts travelers from Europe to halt the spread of coronavirus
US President Donald Trump announced sweeping restrictions preventing most foreign nationals coming from much of Europe from entering the US for 30 days in an effort to try and combat the spread of the coronavirus. The move sent travelers scrabbling at airports around the world. And, the federal government has taken a lot of flack for inadequate testing for the coronavirus. How does testing in t...
46m Mar 12, 2020
46m
WHO says the coronavirus is now officially a pandemic
The World Health Organization has designated COVID-19 a pandemic. Today, we find out how epidemiologists predict the path of the coronavirus. And, as many US colleges cancel classes and boot students off-campus, they're creating logistical and financial nightmares that could leave some students in a bind. Also, scientists have discovered that lettuce grown in space is safe to eat and nutritional.
47m Mar 11, 2020
47m
A lockdown for the entirety of Italy to contain the coronavirus
From the boot's top to its toe and heel, Italy is in lockdown to try to contain the coronavirus. And, on the Greek isle of Lesbos, residents are becoming increasingly frustrated with migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers in camps there. Also, who knew that hand-washing could spur so much creativity online? Amid concerns about the new coronavirus, memes about how to wash your hands have been goi...
48m Mar 10, 2020
48m
Russia and Saudi Arabia start an oil price war as global markets take a dive
Russia and Saudi Arabia have started an oil price war by pushing down prices amid a growing coronavirus outbreak, spooking financial markets worldwide. And, there has been chaos at the border fence between Greece and Turkey, with migrants and refugees trying to cross into Greece as police and security forces respond with tear gas and water cannons. Also, a conservator cleaning a painting of Dav...
46m Mar 09, 2020
46m
Tensions along the border between Greece and Turkey
Turkey has deployed security forces to its border with Greece to keep migrants from being pushed back into its territory. Meanwhile, Greek authorities are at the border trying to prevent access to their country. The World's Lydia Emmanouilidou is at the border in Orestiada, Greece. And, how we use our hands to interact with others is different across cultures, and habits are changing because of...
46m Mar 06, 2020
46m
The spread of misinformation on coronavirus in Nigeria
There's been one confirmed case of coronavirus in Nigeria, but false information is quickly spreading. And, the International Criminal Court has ruled that the United States and Afghan government can be investigated for alleged war crimes dating back to 2003. Plus, pop star Mai Khôi, the Lady Gaga of Vietnam, sings about censorship and human rights. But her music is getting her in some hot water.
45m Mar 05, 2020
45m
100,000: China could send ducks to help rescue Pakistan’s crops
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 100,000. Swarms of locusts are devouring crops in Pakistan, raising the threat of famine. The infestation has prompted the country to declare a national emergency. Neighboring China has offered to help by sending 100,000 ducks to Pakistan’s most impacted areas.
3m Mar 05, 2020
3m
The far-reaching impact of COVID-19
School were cancelled In Italy, journalists and politicians suspect the government of a cover-up in Iran and in Kenya, and officials are trying to contain fake news. We have the latest on COVID-19 from some of the places affected. Also, a Greek member of the European parliament discusses the tense situation along the Greece-Turkey border where migrants have been flocking in an attempt to reach ...
46m Mar 04, 2020
46m
Migrants and refugees at the center of tensions along the Greek-Turkey border
Violence has escalated on the small Greek island of Lesbos this week. Clashes intensified after the Turkish government said they were opening their border with Greece, allowing the passage of thousands more asylum-seekers. And, it's Super Tuesday — when 14 states hold their primaries. But many voters concerned about where the candidates stand on immigration polices are still waiting on specific...
46m Mar 03, 2020
46m
Grassroots efforts to fight the coronovirus in epicenter of Wuhan
In Wuhan, China — where COVID-19 began — residents now volunteer to obtain supplies, make deliveries to hospitals and raise funds to fight the coronavirus. And, Taliban officials say they're resuming military operations just days after signing a peace deal with the US after Afghanistan's government rejected the timeline for a prisoner swap. Plus, a US federal appeals court flip flops as it inva...
47m Mar 02, 2020
47m
Turkey threatens to open borders after airstrike
Refugees from Syria clamored to board buses in Istanbul on Friday with the hope of a passage to Europe. We're fact-checking the news that's being seen as a response to the escalating war in Syria where 33 Turkish soldiers were killed by Russian-backed Syrian government troops. And, how Singapore may be a model for handling the coronavirus outbreak. Plus, gorillas at the Werribee Open Range Zoo ...
47m Feb 28, 2020
47m
Saudi Arabia bans foreign pilgrims over coronavirus fears
Muslims who have planned an Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia have had their plans canceled over the Kingdom's decision to ban foreign pilgrims from entering the country to visit its Islamic holy sites over coronavirus fears. And, a man in Afghanistan who helped the United States now feels increasingly trapped there as the US makes moves toward a peace deal with Taliban. Also, French voters are ...
46m Feb 27, 2020
46m
Americans on alert for coronavirus after CDC warning
US health officials are now signalling that the spread of coronavirus appears inevitable in the United States. And, despite sporting events being postponed or canceled globally because of the coronavirus, the year's largest sporting event — the 2020 summer Olympics — are still scheduled for July in Japan. But officials from International Olympic Committee suggest that could change at any time. ...
45m Feb 26, 2020
45m
The coronavirus death toll grows in Iran
Iran's coronavirus death toll rose to 16 on Tuesday, the highest outside of China, and real extent infections could be much higher — increasing the country's international isolation as health authorities move to accelerated emergency measures to curb the epidemic's global spread. And, it was a brief state visit, but on his way out of India, President Donld Trump said he asked Prime Minister Nar...
46m Feb 25, 2020
46m
10: Evidence of car-sized turtles found in Colombia
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 10. While evidence of giant turtles first emerged in Venezuela in 1976, new research uncovers the first full-sized, 10-foot-long shell that once belonged to what's believed to be the largest turtles in history. A team of researchers from Venezuela, Brazil and Colombia spent six years searching, gathering, processing and res...
3m Feb 25, 2020
3m
The coronavirus continues to spread globally
The coronavirus continues to spread, eroding a sense of safety that comes with distance from China. Europe is confronting its first major eruption of cases in Italy. And, despite a growing chorus of troubling reports of human rights abuses in the disputed region of Kashmir, US President Donald Trump praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday during a visit to India.  Also, in the mid...
46m Feb 24, 2020
46m
International cooperation on the coronavirus in China
We speak with the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to find out about international cooperation with scientists in China on the coronavirus outbreak, America's preparedness for infections here and some experimental treatments being tested. South Sudan's political rivals President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar have announced they will agree to share ...
47m Feb 21, 2020
47m
German authorities treat shooting as act of terrorism
Federal prosecutors are treating the mass shooting in Hanau, Germany as an act of terrorism. Far-right extremism is thought to have motivated the shooter, who opened fire in two hookah bars in the western German town and killed at least nine people. We also look at the appointment of Ambassador Richard Grenell as acting director of national intelligence, and ask what impact it might have on US ...
45m Feb 20, 2020
45m
Syria's ongoing humanitarian crisis continues to worsen
The humanitarian crisis in northwestern Syria is massive. Since December, an estimated 900,000 civilians have fled from their homes as Syrian government forces — with Russian military help — have continued their offensive in Idlib province. Now, Turkey's president says it's "only a matter of time" before Turkish troops launch an operation of their own. And, as COVID-19 spreads, online platforms...
46m Feb 19, 2020
46m
10,000: Grow your meal in a repurposed mattress
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 10,000. Zaatari, a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, has quickly turned into a city of 80,000 people since opening in 2012. Water can be scarce and the desert soil is too poor to cultivate anything, making nutritious food a hard resource to come by. But scientists from the University of Sheffield in England have a solution. Th...
3m Feb 19, 2020
3m