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Consider This from NPR - White House Task Force Briefing Is Back; Texas Emergency Rooms Are Filling Up

COVID-19 cases are at an all-time high in the U.S. And for the first time in almost two months, The White House Coronavirus Task Force had a televised briefing.

In Texas on Thursday, 6,000 new cases of the coronavirus were reported. An ER doctor in Houston says beds are filling up and they are running out of places to send patients.

Some states are closing down bars and restaurants, again, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. But NPR's Scott Horsley explains that customer traffic has already been dropping for days.

Even now, it can still be tough to get a coronavirus test especially, as NPR's Kirk Siegler reports, in tribal communities.

Plus, with many movie theatres closed, the films topping the box office are a bit ... retro.

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Short Wave - A COVID-19 Vaccine: What You Need To Know

Approximately 200 COVID-19 vaccines are being actively developed, a process that health officials are expediting to help end the pandemic. Today on the show, NPR science correspondent Joe Palca walks us through the latest in vaccine development — from how a coronavirus vaccine would work to the challenges of distributing it to the world.

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Consider This from NPR - Mask Debate Heats Up; Creating A Vaccine For A Mutating Virus

Just two months ago, the Northeast was the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. On Wednesday, there were just 581 new reported cases of the coronavirus in New York and now visitors from other states are expected to quarantine after they arrive.

More Governors across the country are touting the benefits of masks but not all are willing to make wearing them a state policy.

NPR's Jon Hamilton reports that scientists are closely tracking mutations in the coronavirus to ensure the changes don't complicate a future vaccine.

Plus, COVID-19 has presented particular challenges for women and reproductive health. Many say that the pandemic is causing them to rethink their plans to have children.

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Short Wave - Minneapolis’ Bold Plan To Tackle Racial Inequity And Climate Change

Racial discrimination shaped the map of Minneapolis. Then city zoning locked many of those patterns into place. Maddie talks with NPR climate reporter Lauren Sommer about Minneapolis' bold plan to tackle housing disparities — and climate change. The new rules went into effect earlier this year. Community groups are calling on the city to follow through.

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Consider This from NPR - The Pandemic Isn’t Over: Nearly 10 Million Coronavirus Cases Worldwide

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, started Wednesday's coronavirus briefing on a somber note: By next week there will be a total of 10 million cases globally. A reminder, says Ghebreyesus, that the pandemic isn't over, despite places around the world reopening.

There's been a lot of news about coronavirus spikes in states like Texas and Florida. But not in Georgia. Why? Georgia Public Broadcasting reporter Grant Blankenship has more.

And we talk to a public health official in Washington State scrambling to identify hotspots in her community.

America can't fully get back to work without childcare, and many children are suffering without social opportunities. But how to reopen schools, camps and daycares safely? NPR's Anya Kamenetz talks to childcare centers that have stayed open on how they've been trying to keep kids and staff safe.

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Short Wave - The Science Behind That Fresh Rain Smell

Scientists have known for decades that one of the main causes of the smell of fresh rain is geosmin: a chemical compound produced by soil-dwelling bacteria. But why do the bacteria make it in the first place? It was a bacteria-based mystery... until now! Maddie gets some answers from reporter Emily Vaughn, former Short Wave intern.

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Consider This from NPR - Fauci Fact-Checks Trump On Testing

Wearing a face mask, with hand sanitizer and Lysol wipes close at hand, Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before the House Tuesday, to explain why the U.S. still struggles to get a handle on the coronavirus.

On Saturday, the U.S. reported 32,411 new cases in just that one day.

Fauci also countered President Trump's claim that more testing is "a double-edged sword" to blame for the rise in coronavirus cases across the country. Instead, Fauci says testing is essential if we want to get control of the virus.

And NPR's Lauren Frayer takes us to India, where the health care system is collapsing under the heavy demand caused by COVID-19.

Plus — for the past three months, just about everyone who can work from home has. And for the most part, things seem to be working. So, as NPR's Uri Berliner reports, more and more employers are looking to make the move permanent.

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Short Wave - Tech Companies Are Limiting Police Use of Facial Recognition. Here’s Why

Earlier this month, IBM said it was getting out of the facial recognition business. Then Amazon and Microsoft announced prohibitions on law enforcement using their facial recognition tech. There's growing evidence these algorithmic systems are riddled with gender and racial bias. Today on the show, Short Wave speaks with AI policy researcher Mutale Nkonde about algorithmic bias — how facial recognition software can discriminate and reflect the biases of society.

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Consider This from NPR - Florida Passes 100,000 Cases; More Young People Are Testing Positive

Florida passed a grim milestone: 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The latest numbers include a lot of people in their 20s and 30s. Some officials are putting a pause on reopening.

The Trump administration has started shipping out supplies needed to ensure sufficient testing. But those supplies haven't always been very helpful and in some cases they've been hazardous. NPR's Rob Stein has the details.

Iowa is home to some 10,000 refugees from Myanmar. The coronavirus has been especially hard on them, with estimates saying as many as 70% have contracted the virus. As Iowa Public Radio's Kate Payne reports, many in the Burmese community work at local meatpacking plants, where social distancing is a constant challenge.

Preparing to visit family in long-term care facilities? NPR's Allison Aubrey has some tips to keep everyone safe.

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