Brazil

Amid Recession, Brazil Struggles With The Huge Costs Of The Olympics

5:25pm January 14, 2016

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Brazil was riding high when it was awarded the 2016 Olympics seven years ago. But the country is now in economic turmoil and facing a rash of problems as it prepares for the games in August.

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Rio lifeguards Gustavo Melich (from left), Commander Fernando Santos and Maj. Felipe Puell on Copacabana Beach. The lifeguards say they are always busy, but never more so than on New Year's Eve.

World News

For Rio's Lifeguards, New Year's Means Hordes Of Drunken Swimmers

2:50pm December 30, 2015

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

Some 2 million revelers celebrate New Year's Eve on Copacabana Beach every year, and excessive drinking doesn't improve their ability to swim.

The museum was inaugurated by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff this month as part of a revitalization program for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Health & Safety

What Brazil's Museum Of Tomorrow Means To Locals Today

6:55pm December 26, 2015

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

The museum is meant to revitalize Rio de Janeiro and inspire environmental stewardship. To critics it's an eyesore that alienates the local community.

Health inspectors collect samples of mosquito larvae from standing water in a garden in a middle-class neighborhood in the north of Rio de Janeiro. They are searching for places where the Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds — that's the one that carries Zika

Health & Safety

Why Brazil Doesn't Want Women In The Northeast To Become Pregnant

8:03pm December 11, 2015

by Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

In Brazil, health authorities suspect the mosquito-borne Zika virus is tied to a severe birth defect. They've urged women in certain regions to avoid getting pregnant.

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World News

Brazil's Congress Moves Toward Impeachment Of President

8:22pm December 02, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

Dilma Rousseff is accused of manipulating government finances to benefit her re-election effort. The proceedings come at a time of widening political scandals and a sharp economic downturn.

Deforestation in Rondonia has increased by 41 percent.

In Brazil, Deforestation Is Up, And So Is The Risk Of Tree Extinction

1:06pm November 27, 2015

by Hannah Bloch

Brazil's Environment Ministry announced that deforestation in the country has increased by 16 percent. A separate study warned that more than half the Amazon's tree species may be threatened.

Francisco Carlos Fonseca is the manager of Marina ConfianÃ§a, a resort located on the banks of the Cantareira reservoir system. Behind him is a boat ramp that once led to a lake that he says used to be more than 100 feet deep.

As Brazil's Largest City Struggles With Drought, Residents Are Leaving

7:21pm November 22, 2015

In Sao Paulo, home to 20 million people, water shortages have become part of daily life. Some residents are leaving for lusher regions. Ecologists say Amazon deforestation may be affecting rainfall.

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The Aedes mosquito can spread Zika virus in addition to Dengue fever and Chikungunya virus. The virus was first spotted in the Americas in 2014.

Health & Safety

Zika Virus 101: One More Mosquito-Borne Disease To Worry About

5:20pm November 18, 2015

by Rina Shaikh-Lesko

It's spread quickly in South America and was reported in Mexico this week. It's not fatal, but there's concern about a potential impact on babies born to infected moms.

Kamala in front of the hut where she sleeps when she has her period. Kamala told us, "I'm afraid of snakes and men."

What Our Reporters Learned From The World's Teenage Girls: #15Girls

7:03am November 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

The girls we met shook up our ideas about everything: menstruation, child brides, soccer, school, whether parents favor boys over girls.

Girls start the day with a prayer at the Veerni Institute in Jodhpur, India. It's a boarding school where nearly half the students are child brides.

Health & Safety

Child Brides, Syrian Refugees: These Groups May Be Able To Help: #15Girls

3:35pm November 13, 2015

by Malaka Gharib

You wanted to know what you could do to make life better for the teen girls in our series. We have a list of groups you might consider contacting.