This week, we look at 50 years of pandas at the National Zoo, how India received this season of “Bridgerton,” and the significance of a Russian warship’s sinking. Plus, Scott Simon reflects on the confluence of Passover, Easter and Ramadan.
Scott’s weekly weigh-in
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A good day to you on a weekend this year that includes Passover, Easter Sunday, and the continuation of Ramadan. I grew up in a mixed-faith family in which various religious holidays seemed to merge. My Irish mother dyed Easter eggs to search for in our one-bedroom North Side Chicago apartment. They were emblazoned with the words Mazel Tov. “Why not?” she’d ask. Well, yes, why not? We see an outpouring of faiths this weekend, and in this week’s essay, I asked some religious figures about this confluence.
Liana Finck, the artist and New Yorker cartoonist, grew up in a religious household. She has questioned faith as an adult, but says, “studying the Torah at Hebrew day school, I thought of it mostly as a portrait of one childlike, and therefore relatable, character full of feelings and desires: God.” In her graphic novel, Let There Be Light, Finck reimagines the Book of Genesis with God as a woman, wearing a Burger King-style crown. And the wry wit she brings to this ancient and enduring story still has the power to move us, even as we smile.
I’ve been fortunate to know the great photographer David Hume Kennerly through campaigns and wars, and who is so eloquent with images. He speaks forcefully with us about the vivid photographs coming out of Ukraine, and why regular citizens brandishing cell phones cannot replace gifted professionals dedicated to bringing these stories to light in an image.
And finally: I have ambivalent thoughts about smart speakers — especially when they’re smarter than me, like when a daughter asks, “When was the Treaty of Utrecht?” and her speaker barks, “1713!” before I can even ask, “YouTube?” But there’s something undeniably charming in watching this parrot “converse” with a smart speaker. “Polly wants to listen to NPR! Especially on weekends!”
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.
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These Indian half sisters are the star roles in Bridgerton. They're also the subject of heated discussion in India. The representation of Kate and Edwina Sharma in Netflix’s 19th-century English drama has won plaudits, especially for the casting of dark-skinned actors and the distinctive sartorial choices. But some viewers are baffled by the show’s many cultural gaffes. And the criticism doesn’t stop there.
We are breaking down the events in Ukraine, multiple times a day, in your podcast feed — with on-the-ground reporting from our correspondents and interviews with politicians and officials. Listen to NPR’s State of Ukraine.
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Skip Brown/Smithsonian National Zoo
It's been 50 years since the National Zoo got its first giant pandas. The back story is more intriguing than you'd expect. The fluffy black-and-white bears have earned revered celebrity status in the nation's capital among adoring fans who know their names, celebrate their birthdays and even attend panda-themed events. “It’s peaceful, pure joy and panda happiness,” one local said recently. "These guys kinda saved me [during the pandemic]." The history of their arrival in the U.S. began with a banquet in China in 1972. — WAMU, Washington, D.C.
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