Puerto Rico "Se Levanta," Maybe

Amidst the wreckage of Hurricane Maria, a phrase has taken root: "Puerto Rico Se Levanta". It means "Puerto Rico rises up" and it aims to capture the survival spirit of those rebuilding the island. But the sentiment also threatens to obscure the severity of Puerto Rico's devastation, the scale of which is difficult to comprehend thanks, in part, to a lack of reliable information. For instance, the Puerto Rican governor has reported only 64 casualties from the storm and its aftermath, but The New York Times estimates 1,052. And no one knows how many people still lack access to potable water or power.

Thankfully, there are a few journalistic outfits on the ground that are attuned to what the actual recovery looks like. WNYC producer Alana Casanova visits WAPA radio, a station that broadcast during the hurricane as the main means of communication for residents without electricity or cell service. And Bob talks to Omaya Sosa Pascual, an investigative journalist and co-founder of the Center for Investigative Journalism, who has been reporting on the real death count since just after the hurricane.