A New Reason To Mask Up; The Zip Zap Circus Of Cape Town; How Broke Is Your State?

Plus, a new generation of Grateful Dead fans.

by Jill Hudson and Suzette Lohmeyer Ross Gordon Stories and podcasts you may have missed...  From entry-level jobs to paid internships, the prospects for new college graduates have plummeted during the pandemic. For those lucky grads, like Golden Daka and Danielle Kaplan, who have landed positions, it has often been a strange journey. The now-familiar Zoom and Skype interviews are just one dimension to the virtual experience.  Analysis: Democrats are haunted by the ghosts of 2016. Hillary Clinton led in many polls over Donald Trump throughout that election cycle, and while the national polls were pretty dead-on when it came to the popular vote, some key battleground state polls got it wrong. But there are plenty of reasons why 2020 is not 2016.  Thousands of foreign workers who entered the U.S. on temporary work visas received $1,200 checks in error during the first round of stimulus payment and spent the money in their own nations. One tax preparation firm told NPR that it has clients from 129 countries, including Brazil, Canada, China, India, Nigeria and South Korea, who mistakenly received stimulus checks.  Wondering how your state is doing in this economy? Some states have faced record-breaking deficits because of the coronavirus pandemic. NPR asked local reporters across the country to tell us what could be on the chopping block in your state. Here's a breakdown.  The devastating blast in Beirut on Tuesday brings to a head the deep paralysis, official corruption and unaccountability that Lebanese demonstrators had been protesting in huge numbers for months before the coronavirus pandemic shut them down. Here are some of the factors that shed light on the catastrophe. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Listen Up! Oleh_Slobodeniuk/Getty Images We need water to live. But with rising seas and so many lacking clean water — water is in crisis and so are we. This hour, TED speakers explore ideas around restoring our relationship with water. Click here to listen.  Wearing a mask might be even more important than we thought. Growing evidence suggests that a mask could protect you from developing a serious case of COVID-19 — by cutting down on the amount of virus that takes root in your body. (Listen to this episode of Short Wave here) Sunday marks 25 years since the death of the Grateful Dead's leader, Jerry Garcia. But his music lives on as his songs resonate with new generations of Deadheads. How To, For You Malaka Gharib/NPR Rudeness used to be annoying, but it’s now potentially dangerous. So what are the rules about telling strangers to step back? How do you high-tail it out of a gathering that has one too many unmasked guests? Here are a few etiquette tips on getting through the pandemic as gracefully and safely as possible, including a printable guide! (Click here to listen or read the story) If your friendships are going to last a long time, you simply have to accept that things will always change and the changes that happen won't always be comfortable. But never fear: NPR's Life Kit has advice from experts to help you navigate the shifts you might feel in your friendship world. (Listen to the Life Kit episode here or read the tips here) Our Picture Show Pick Aurélie Marrier d'Unienville/ Tommy Trenchard for NPR Phelelani Ndakrokra prefers not to talk about his past. But what the 23-year-old acrobat will say is that if he hadn't joined the Zip Zap circus 10 years ago, he would probably either be dead or in prison by now. A Cape Town, South Africa, institution that has been wowing audiences since 1992, the Zip Zap circus is what's known as a "social circus." It aims to give youngsters from some of Cape Town's roughest neighborhoods a path to a different future. Music Notes Joelle Avelino for NPR With hip-hop, geography plays such a large part in how artists express themselves, and none quite so much as Southern emcees. NPR Music has launched its canon of Southern Rap this week, and to celebrate, they’ve selected five stellar hip-hop performances from their Tiny Desk concerts from Big Boi to Megan Thee Stallion. Take a listen.  What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: bestofnpr@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy