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Protests and marches have erupted across the country in broad support of the Black Lives Matter movement, even in alabaster-white cities with negligible black populations. And several major polls show that white support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which was underwater at the time of the Ferguson protests in 2014, has spiked in recent weeks. But why now? (Listen here or read the story)
Alternating school days, socially distanced desks and scheduled online learning — the upcoming school year may end up looking like one giant, uncontrolled “Let’s hope this works!” experiment. But American education has a long history of innovation under duress. Here are a few ideas that seem newly relevant given the constraints of 2020 and beyond. (Listen here or read the story)
Wealthier Americans aren’t spending money as freely as they did before the pandemic, and it’s affecting the economy. Even though retail sales bounced back in a big way in May after a deep drop in March and April, rich folks are keeping a tight grip on their pocketbooks, while less affluent people are spending more freely as they emerge from pandemic restrictions. And because consumer spending fuels much of the U.S. economy, financial researchers say this trend could limit the recovery. (Listen here or read the story)
Florida scientist Rebekah Jones was tasked with building a data portal about the state's COVID-19 cases — until it became clear what the results would show. "When I went to show them what the report card would say for each county, among other things, they asked me to delete the report card because it showed that no counties, pretty much, were ready for reopening," she says. Now, she has created a dashboard of her own, and it shows a Florida that isn’t ready to reopen.
Some religious Jewish settlers are mounting unexpected, vocal opposition as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to execute one of the provisions of President Trump's plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank. (Listen here or read the story)
A flashpoint in the debates over police reform has been the push to ban chokeholds nationwide. But an NPR review of bans on neck restraints in some of the nation's largest police departments found them largely ineffective and subject to lax enforcement. And when chokeholds specifically were banned, a variation on the neck restraint was often permitted instead. (Listen here or read the story) |
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If you're white, you may not think of yourself as racist. But Robin DiAngelo, the bestselling author of White Fragility, says white people need to pivot their thinking about how they fit into racist systems. Being anti-racist requires a more nuanced and informed understanding of how white people benefit from these structures. (Listen here or read the story)
Last week, the Supreme Court extended a life-support line to some 650,000 so-called "Dreamers" by allowing them to remain safe from deportation. The consensus among immigration experts is that there's not enough time for President Trump to try to abolish the program before January. NPR's Nina Totenberg talks about the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. (Listen here or read the transcript)
Another historic Supreme Court ruling announced last week is being hailed as a victory for LGBTQ activists. On Monday, the court ruled that all LGBTQ people are protected under Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If an employer fires a worker because they’re attracted to someone of the same sex, “that is clearly a firing based on sex,” wrote Justice Neil Gorsuch, who authored the majority opinion. Until this ruling, nearly half of U.S. states had no legal protection for LGBTQ workers. (Listen here or read the transcript)
Across the country, states are loosening the restrictions that had been put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 — with varying results. New cases are decreasing in some states, including New York, Michigan and Colorado, while case numbers and hospitalizations have swelled in others, including Texas, Arizona and Florida. NPR’s Terry Gross talks to an expert about how to assess the current risk. (Listen here or read the story) |
Wednesday Holmes/ @hellomynameiswednesday for NPR |
Many of the seemingly harmless elements of a workplace (think paperwork, dress codes and restroom access) can be an obstacle for trans employees. Even when employers and coworkers want to be inclusive of their trans colleagues, they often aren't sure where to start. Here are four ways that you can make your office — digital or otherwise — more welcoming and equitable. (Listen here or read the story) |
On a brisk February morning, an effervescent Alicia Keys arrived at NPR HQ wearing a canary yellow faux fur coat. During our ride to the fourth floor, the superstar performer joked with NPR's Abby O'Neill about how she had never been invited to play at the Tiny Desk. That, of course, wasn't exactly true. We worked on and off for years to make this moment happen, and we can say wholeheartedly that it was worth the wait. Keys' compassionate spirit is the key to her songwriting, rooted in introspection and mindfulness.
After reading the new book by former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton, it's no secret why President Trump wanted to stop it from being published, says NPR's Ron Elving. Bolton portrays the president as self-involved and single-minded about pursuing and preserving his own starkly personal interests. Here is Elving's review of The Room Where It Happened.
Patterson Hood co-founded his band, The Drive-By Truckers, in the mid-'90s. Twenty-four years later, he looks back on that decision. “What kind of a*****e would name his band Drive-By Truckers? A valid question, if you ask me. I'm the person responsible for it.” |
Moo-ve over, docs. It turns out cows may play an important role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A South Dakota biotech company uses cows that have been given genes from the human immune system that make antibodies, then injects them with what essentially amounts to a coronavirus vaccine in order to force them to fight off what the body sees as an infection. Assuming the tests show that the antibodies can prevent disease, the company says it hopes to start testing the product on humans later this summer. (Listen here or read the story)
Locusts have been around since at least the time of the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, but East Africa is now facing a devastating invasion of biblical scope. Some regions have seen swarms of tens of billions of flying bugs that range anywhere from a square third of a mile to 100 square miles or more. Here are five things you need to know about the current crisis and why the tiny invaders are such a big deal. |
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