A good weekend to you. To (almost) quote Robert Frost, "Something there is that doesn't love a paywall." I note in this week’s essay that while I have a strong personal interest in seeing good journalists paid fairly, the proliferation of paywalls in all media is creating a division between haves and have-nots for information.
(Of course, NPR gives everyone a way to hear news, opinions and stories to inform, move, and delight — no paywall to climb or access code to forget. Support for your local station — at the "donate" link below — to keep this happening is always welcome.)
In other news: "Stella!" Marlon Brando’s brawny, torn-T-shirted cry in Tennessee William's A Streetcar Named Desire also heralded a famed acting technique: The Method. We had a fine time speaking with Isaac Butler about his new book, The Method, and the great actors who have practiced and/or ridiculed that acting philosophy.
We also spoke with Shawn Harrington, who was one of the high school basketball stars in 1994's Hoop Dreams. He became a high school coach, but suffered a paralyzing injury after being shot at a stoplight in 2014. This week, Harrington returned to coaching and he sounds delighted. I’ll bet those who play for him are, too.
And if any of this moves you to seek out classic films this weekend, I recently discovered Die Trapp Familie, a 1956 German film about the singing Von Trapps (except it’s no musical). It’s worth watching clips to see all the similarities in dress and settings that apparently inspired American filmmakers for The Sound of Music. Edelweiss to all!
Scott Simon is one of NPR's most renowned news anchors. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and one of the hosts of the morning news podcast Up First. Be sure to listen to him every Saturday on your local NPR station, and follow him on Twitter.
The 2022 Olympics kicked off Friday with the lighting of a snowflake-shaped "cauldron" at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium — and China made a major political statement with one of the athletes they chose to do the lighting.
Teachers across the country feel exhausted, overwhelmed, disrespected and unloved, leaving more than half considering leaving the profession sooner than they planned. The nation's largest teachers union polled its members and found a whopping 90% say that burnout is a serious problem.
Americans are looking for backup power. Extreme weather, aging electrical grids and more time at home during the pandemic have driven a boom in home generators. Experts and owners have advice on what kind to buy and how to use them.
The standoff between Ukraine and Russia is about more than just those two countries. It's about global security and an attempt to "rewrite rules on which the world is based," says Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs. And, he adds, that's precisely why Americans should care.
The Black experience is embedded in "everything we think of as 'American history,'" says Sara Clarke Kaplan, executive director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University. Here's why we celebrate Black History Month in February.
Cuba has one of the highest COVID vaccination rates in the world — with over 85% fully vaccinated and kids as young as 2 getting immunized. And it's doing it with homegrown vaccines — including one under trial in the form of a nasal spray — developed by the nation's robust biotech industry.
Podcasts of the week
Sol Cotti for NPR
It's OK to not be passionate about your job. In fact, says author and sociologist Erin A. Cech, prioritizing passion over fair compensation or job security can lead to burnout or worse. (Life Kit)
When her husband of 25 years left her, science writer Florence Williams says her body felt like it had been plugged into a faulty electrical socket. Wondering why she felt so rotten, Williams went on a mission to understand the science behind our bodies and heartbreak. Here's what she found. (Fresh Air)
We love it when science and pop culture intersect. That's why the folks at Short Wave invited the crew at Pop Culture Happy Hour to review Station Eleven, a TV series about a deadly virus and the community that can arise from trauma. (Short Wave)
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