Investigations

Internal Documents Show FEMA Is Relearning The Same Lessons About Emergencies

4:12pm April 10, 2020

by Laura Sullivan

Leaked internal briefings to the White House show FEMA is struggling with problems of staffing, contracting and supplies in the COVID-19 pandemic despite years of promises of changing processes.

Glenn Fine, then the acting Inspector General at the Department of Defense, testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on December 6, 2017. Fine was the defense department's acting inspector general until April 6, 2020, when President Trump rep

In Another Pushback Against Oversight, Trump Removes Pandemic Inspector General

8:07pm April 07, 2020

by Tim Mak

President Trump removed the head of a group charged with overseeing the Coronavirus package passed by Congress. Trump has bristled at the oversight actions of several inspectors general.

A Pier 39 employee wears protective gear while cleaning a sidewalk in San Francisco, Calif., on March 16, the day the county announced a local shelter-in-place order. On March 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a shelter-in-place order for the ent

Want To See What Your City's Pandemic Plan Says? Good Luck.

6:14pm April 02, 2020

NPR reached out to the public health departments serving some of the largest cities in the U.S. Most did not have their most current pandemic response plan posted publicly and many were out of date.

Health & Safety

Questions About Pregnancy And Giving Birth During The Epidemic

10:50am April 02, 2020

by Sacha Pfeiffer

Emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen and NPR investigations correspondent Sacha Pfeiffer answer listener questions about pregnancy and birth during the COVID-19 epidemic with NPR's Michel Martin.

Wellness Matrix Group has claimed to sell an at-home coronavirus test that is "FDA Approved." But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says, "the FDA has not authorized any test that is available to purchase for testing yourself at home for COVID-19."

Health & Safety

Exclusive: California Company Under Scrutiny For 'At-Home' Coronavirus Test Claims

6:00am April 02, 2020

by Tom Dreisbach

The Wellness Matrix Group has offered customers an "at-home kit" for coronavirus testing that is "FDA Approved." But the agency has not approved any such tests, and customers say they feel scammed.

Health & Safety

Hospital Workers: Tell Us Your Coronavirus Experience

11:58am April 01, 2020

by Meg Anderson

NPR is seeking health care providers working in hospitals to document their personal experiences working during the coronavirus pandemic.

How To Spot Scams Targeting Fear Of The Coronavirus

10:22pm March 31, 2020

by Tom Dreisbach

An NPR investigative reporter answers listener questions about how to spot scams predicated on the coronavirus.

A wall of plastic trash at Garten Services in Salem, Ore., is headed to the landfill. The vast majority of plastic can't be or won't be recycled.

Plastic Wars: Industry Spent Millions Selling Recycling — To Sell More Plastic

4:22pm March 31, 2020

by Laura Sullivan

An investigation from NPR and the PBS show Frontline found oil and gas companies had serious doubts that plastic recycling was viable, but promoted it to keep profits high and plastic bans at bay.

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As hospitals consider how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting care, maternity wards across the country are changing policies on deliveries and visitors.

Pregnant Women Worry About Pandemic's Impact On Labor, Delivery And Babies

1:34pm March 30, 2020

by Sacha Pfeiffer

As pregnant women and their doctors consider how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting pregnancy and care, maternity wards across the country are reconsidering policies on deliveries and visitors.

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