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United States
Intensive Care Unit Bed Shortages
The latest federal data shows that more than a third of Americans are living in areas where hospitals are running critically short of intensive care beds as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. This map by The New York Times shows the share of intensive care unit beds occupied across the U.S. in what has been the country’s deadliest week since the beginning of the pandemic. As the nation’s hospital crisis intensifies, some of the worst-hit areas include El Paso, Texas where just 13 of 400 intensive care beds remain open; Fargo, North Dakota where there are just three intensive care beds unoccupied; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the hospitals are operating at 100% capacity. Many areas of the Midwest, South, and Southwest, accounting for one in ten Americans, have hospitals where intensive care beds are completely full or there are less than 5% of beds available. Figures by the COVID Tracking Project show that the number of people being hospitalized with COVID-19 has doubled since the beginning of November.
This map depicts the share of intensive care unit beds currently occupied across the United States. Click on the map to learn more.
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India
Protests lead to Nationwide Strike
Hundreds of thousands of farmers are protesting across India in opposition to recently passed pro-market agricultural policies. Protests concentrated in the outskirts of New Delhi began nearly two weeks ago and led to a nationwide general strike on Tuesday. Many Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, argue farming reforms will eliminate middlemen in the market and increase efficiency in the heavily agricultural country. Farmers and opposition leaders worry the elimination of national subsidies will drive prices and income down. Over 60% of Indians are dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, though the industry only comprises 16% of GDP.
This map depicts locations of protests across the country, concentrated in the northern part of the country around the capital, New Delhi. Click on the map to learn more.
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Australia
Restitution for Indigenous Land
A parliamentary inquiry into the legal destruction of the 46,000-year old Juukan Gorge rock shelter in May has held 13 public hearings and received over 140 submissions from miners, heritage specialists, and Aboriginal and civil society groups. The inquiry panel released an interim report determining the mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd should pay restitution to Indigenous Australians impacted by the ancient rock shelters’ destruction. The report also recommends Rio Tinto fully reconstruct the rock shelters, while laying out broader industry guidelines that would establish consent within the community prior to an area being considered for mining. The Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) people whose lands were impacted hope the inquiry’s findings induce a “fundamental reset” of the mining sector. The inquiry is said to have sparked more transparency within the industry, including miners being able to review the processes.
This map depicts the site in which the Juukan Gorge ancient rock shelters were impacted. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Receiving approximately 460 inches (11,684 millimeters) of rain each year, the wettest spot in the United States can be found at the top of which mountain?
A: Mount Wai’ale’ale
Located on the island of Kaua’i in Hawaii, Mount Wai’ale’ale is not actually a mountain but rather a shield volcano standing at 5148 feet (1569 m). The dome of Mount Wai’ale’ale is the second-highest peak on the island. Precipitation on Mount Wai’ale’ale supplies the water for Kaua’i’s only navigable rivers including the Waimea, Wailua, Makaweli, and Hanapepe, and the famous 800-foot (245-m) cascade of Waipo‘o Falls.
Source
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Q: At a length of 1,740 miles (2,800 km), which river is the longest in southwest Asia?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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