Sunday, April 12, 2020

How To See Andrea Bocelli's Easter Sunday Concert; Why Are More Men Than Women Dying From Coronavirus?

Plus, the story of S'well.
by Jill Hudson and Suzette Lohmeyer

Stories And Podcasts You May Have Missed 

A man wearing a protective mask in Dubai on March 23.
Karim Sahib /AFP via Getty Images

As the coronavirus sweeps the globe, one pattern remains consistent: Men seem to be harder hit by the virus than women and are more likely to have severe illness or die. At least in the United States, however, it seems that men are less likely to seek out testing for the virus when they feel sick.

Many Americans are wondering when a COVID-19 outbreak will hit their part of the country. Here’s how to understand when your state might peak

The Trump administration is asking some of the country's largest corporations to expand the supply and distribution of medical equipment to those fighting the coronavirus. But instead of going to hospitals most in need, the equipment is going first to the companies' regular customers.

Zoom has been great for holding work meetings and keeping up with friends. But the app has been attacked by hackers who hijack video calls to post hate speech and offensive images such as pornography. It's a phenomenon so alarming that the FBI has issued a warning about using the app.

Tiny bits of twisted plant fibers found on an ancient stone tool suggest that Neanderthals made and used sophisticated cords like string and rope. The discovery adds to growing evidence that our closest extinct human relatives weren't as dumb as scientists have long assumed.

Will Joe Biden be able to win over progressives now that Bernie Sanders is out of the presidential race? Some of Sanders' most ardent supporters say they're still leery of the former vice president’s relatively centrist stance on health care and college debt. 

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The Weekly Good

A solidarity basket with a note reading "Those who can, put something in, those who can't, help yourself" is hung in the historic center of Naples.
Salvatore Laporta/KONTROLAB/LightRocket via Getty

For centuries, housewives in the Italian city of Naples lowered baskets from their windows to exchange money for goods. Now one Neapolitan couple is reviving the old custom to prepare meals for the homeless. They put a card on their baskets that reads: Chi può metta, chi non può prenda. "Those who can, put something in, those who can't, help yourself."  Photos and videos of homeless people retrieving packages from the "solidarity baskets" appeared last week in the Italian media. (Listening time, 3:20 or read the story)

As the coronavirus forces people to keep their distance, a humanities program in Oregon called "Dear Stranger" brings residents together in an old-fashioned way: letter writing. (Listening time, 6:17 or read the story)

Listen Up!

In 2009, Sarah Kauss had a well-paying job in real estate development, but she was itching to do something more.
Maren Bruin for NPR

Entrepreneur Sarah Kauss got an idea while swigging warm water from a metal thermos on a hike in Tucson: Why not design a water bottle that was functional but also beautiful? Just six years after launch, S'well has reportedly made $100 million. On this episode of How I Built This, Kauss discusses her latest passion,  eliminating plastic waste around the world. (Listening time, 67:00)

They call it the seven-day crash. Patients with coronavirus often have mild symptoms at first, then maybe even begin to feel better. But about a week in, a crash sometimes happens. Doctors are beginning to suspect that the body's own immune system is to blame. (Listening time, 12:54)

On Sunday, opera star Andrea Bocelli will livestream an Easter Sunday concert from Milan's famed Duomo cathedral. Morning Edition's David Greene interviews the Italian tenor. (Listening time, 7:14 or read the transcript)

How To, For You

Good news: There are ways to start or continue therapy right where you are. Some are even free.
Clare Schneider/NPR

Between telecommuting, home schooling, unemployment woes, toilet paper shortages and an ever-present sense of doom, mental health care is more important than ever. The good folks at Life Kit have a few suggestions for starting or continuing therapy right where you are. Some are even free. (Listening time, 12:08 or read the story)

Normally, personal finance experts tell their clients to avoid credit cards — and their high interest rates — like the plague. But financial planners say now is the time for a bit of unconventional budgeting. Here’s a guide for handling rent, student loans, electricity bills and more.  

Picture This

Iole Liguore, 11, plays the violin on her terrace while Italy is under a coronavirus lockdown.
Nadia Shira Cohen

Three photographers document what life looks like as cities across Italy have shut down. Their images show social isolation in small spaces and the new daily routines under lockdown.

Music Notes

Watch hip-hop producer 9th Wonder break down the three beats he composed that all went into a single song from Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer-winning album, DAMN.
Credit: NPR

Watch hip-hop producer 9th Wonder break down the three beats he composed that went into a single song from Kendrick Lamar's Pulitzer-winning album, DAMN. It's cool, trust us. 

John Prine, who died Tuesday from complications of COVID-19, was a foundational figure, guiding light and embodying spirit of Americana music. Here is Prine's 2019 performance of "Angel from Montgomery" alongside Bonnie Raitt; it was one of the late Americana pioneer's iconic, genre-defining moments. 

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