Ukrainians and their pets; an exodus in Russia; the power of ‘The Godfather’

Plus, how 10 people are linked in a life-saving kidney swap.

View this email online March 13, 2022 This week, we look at the corporate exodus in Russia, how “The Godfather” saved American moviegoing, and really big spiders. Plus, NPR’s Scott Simon brings us a story of hope. Scott’s Weekly Weigh-in Credit: John Armato A good weekend to you, as the world watches Ukraine with sorrow. I am off our show this week, but am here to report a story that might hold hope in these times.   In 2010, I met the opera star Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick at Cleveland Clinic, where she received her first bilateral lung transplant. When I spoke to her about her 2017 memoir, The Encore, she told me about the nurses and doctors there: “Watching that human team work together to do the work of angels and magicians and saints is something that is truly miraculous.”   I’ve thought of this during COVID, as medical staff have been overwhelmed.   Charity left us in 2019. I found it tragic to speak at her funeral. I always thought she’d sing at mine.   Charity introduced me to the existence of live organ donors. This week, after almost two years since my first contact with Houston Methodist Hospital, and many delays, we were able to report on an extraordinary 10-person kidney “swap.”   Our team, including producers Samantha Balaban and Gabriel Dunatov, editor D. Parvaz, and photographer Go Nakamura, spent hours with patients and their families, and medical teams in operating theaters, to bring you inside this most intimate and inspiring of events.   Next week, we will report on the first meeting of donors and recipients. We are grateful to Houston Methodist for bringing us into this extraordinary event and to families for letting us into their lives. As Jarrod, the husband of Lisa Jolivet, who donated her kidney to a stranger to help her mother, told us, “This is the ultimate act of selflessness. And that’s not a word you hear a lot.” It was good to hear it this week. Scott Simon 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. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Stories you might have missed Credit: Jake Scores of Ukrainians have been seen cradling their pets as they flee the country — dogs, birds, yes, even a turtle. Hundreds of thousands of pets are estimated to have crossed into neighboring countries with their owners since the war began. One evacuee told NPR his pug, Puzo, has been an endless source of relief during a turbulent journey out of Kharkiv. The corporate exodus from Russia marks a return to Soviet Union-era economic isolation, experts say. The collapse of the ruble is already fueling widespread inflation, and unemployment is likely to surge. "I think Russians are just horrified at losing connection to this world that they have been living in for the last 30 years," a professor who studies Russian economics told NPR. Russia’s attack on a Ukrainian nuclear plant was far more dangerous than first believed. An NPR analysis of hours of security footage and photos of the assault on the Zaporizhzhia plant reveals Russian forces repeatedly fired heavy weapons in the direction of the complex’s massive reactor buildings, which housed dangerous nuclear fuel. Attorney General Merrick Garland says the DOJ is “not avoiding cases” that are controversial or political. In an exclusive interview with NPR, Garland said the Jan. 6 investigation has been “the most urgent” in the Justice Department’s history — and added that it won’t end until “we hold everyone accountable who committed criminal acts.” Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs became the winningest coach in NBA regular-season history, notching his 1,336th victory on Friday in a game against the Utah Jazz. Along the way, he’s earned several accolades and built a reputation of being unafraid to speak candidly about inequality in America. The Godfather premiered 50 years ago — and rewrote the rules for Mafia flicks. The film industry was struggling through the 1960s and movie attendance reached a nadir in 1971, leading to low-budget indies and shuttered movie palaces. Then came Francis Ford Coppola. NPR film critic Bob Mondello traces how The Godfather saved American moviegoing. Before you go Credit: Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic A boy fled Ukraine — alone — with a relative’s phone number scrawled on his hand. He’s being praised for his fearlessness. The University of Virginia swim team solicited help from an unlikely source to give it an edge at the NCAA championships: a mathematician. Libraries have become a safe haven for Ukrainians during Russia’s onslaught. But they’re doing far more than just providing shelter. We’re all too familiar with the word “pandemic.” But now we’re starting to hear “endemic.” Have we entered a new phase of COVID? An expert explains. Iraq is warming twice as fast as the global average, studies show. One phenomenon in Baghdad could make the heat even worse. No, you don’t need to freak out about the joro spider’s possible spread up the East Coast. In fact, they may be helpful in some ways. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Enjoying this newsletter? 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