Rebecca Hersher

More Americans are breathing unhealthy air, even though overall air pollution has decreased in recent decades. In the tug-of-war between air regulations and climate change, global warming is winning.

Pulmonologists at some New York City hospitals are changing the ways they work to keep up with critically ill COVID-19 patients. They are changing who does what — and training lots of people.

The number of patients being treated on a Navy hospital ship and inside a convention center has more than doubled in the last two days, after both facilities switched to treating people with COVID-19.

Pulmonologists in New York hospitals are now supervising doctors from other specialties as they try to keep ICUs staffed, and are deploying equipment in new ways. But COVID-19 is a demoralizing foe.

Two temporary hospital facilities are open in New York City inside a major convention center and aboard a Navy hospital ship. But so far, both have far fewer patients than they can handle.

More than 14,000 people have now been hospitalized in New York City for COVID-19. But two large overflow facilities have been operating far below their capacity.

Many states are projected to have excessive demand for ventilator machines in the coming weeks, but no state government has formally asked hospitals to prepare for difficult and complex crisis triage.

Early on, Bay Area cities adopted social distancing restrictions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. Health officials are optimistic about what they see so far — unlike in New York City.

On-site testing was delayed for weeks at a Brooklyn hospital that has been designated COVID-19 only. Rapid on-site testing can help hospitals prevent the virus from spreading inside their facilities.

Surging coronavirus infections mean that local officials in the hardest-hit cities are forced to take on new responsibilities that go far beyond their normal day jobs.

Despite a statewide effort to procure and distribute coronavirus testing supplies to hospitals in New York, some facilities still don't have what they need to test patients quickly on-site.

NPR national and science correspondents answer listener questions about why the coronavirus outbreak has been especially bad in New York City and the surrounding region.

What are the hospital and systems capacities in the three states hardest hit by the coronavirus? We go to our reporters in New York, California and Washington state.

Spring begins at 11:50 p.m. ET on March 19 this year. It is the earliest nationwide vernal equinox since 1896. Why, you ask? Get ready for orbital mechanics and a lot of information about calendars.

A criminal case in Houston alleges that employees at a chemical company should have prepared for the record flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey.

After deadly 2009 wildfires, authorities offered to buy property to encourage people to move. Few accepted. The questions raised by Australia's experience are freshly urgent after its latest fires.

Australia's 2009 Black Saturday bush fire was catastrophic. In its aftermath, Australia tried something new to help those who couldn't bear to live where they had before. Was it a success?

Students, business owners, sanitation workers and doctors are all struggling to cope with the daily frustrations of living in a city of 7 million that's afraid of an outbreak of COVID-19.

Hong Kong's chief executive is encouraging people to stay home. Is the coronavirus spreading in Hong Kong, or is the appeal preventative?

China is the epicenter of the outbreak of the Coronavirus, which has now claimed more lives than the SARS outbreak of 2002 and 2003. The World Health Organization continues efforts to track the virus.