This week, we look at the trend of “quiet quitting” — and why some say it’s a misnomer. Plus, a dispatch from Tijuana, where cartels have unleashed a flurry of violence.
Scott’s weekly weigh-in
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A good weekend to you. You can shrug off most scams. But this week I saw what seems to be a spread of sham violinists (ersatz Itzhak Perlmans) playing on streets to bring in money — but just “finger-syncing” to someone else’s recording.
And it was an honor to speak with Frank Oz, the master puppeteer and filmmaker, about an extraordinary artifact of history. His father, Isadore Oznowicz, and his mother, Frances, were Holocaust refugees from Belgium who also worked as puppeteers. Frank grew up with a Hitler marionette his parents designed in their attic. In our conversation, he helps us understand how his parents used that string-pulled Führer as an act of defiance in dangerous times.
We were also honored to speak with Abdulrazak Gurnah about his first novel published in the U.S. since winning the 2021 Nobel Prize. His majestic books help fill in the past about German colonialism in Africa.
And we got to enjoy a student-teacher reunion. Jamil Jan Kochai, who grew up in an Afghan refugee family in Sacramento, credits his second grade teacher, Susan Lung, with believing in his mind and heart. He is now a successful novelist, on tour with his new book, The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories, and Mrs. Lung recently came to one of his readings. Their mutual esteem is beautiful to hear.
And I must quote my own great teacher, Jeanne Reckitt, at Chicago’s Senn High, who once read one of my sentences and said, “That’s fine. That’s correct. Now let’s go for interesting.” So right.
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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The idea of “quiet quitting” is sweeping TikTok. It may be impacting your workplace. The phrase refers to the choice to do only your assigned work — and nothing more. But some experts say it’s actually a misnomer for simply setting healthy office boundaries and refusing to be exploited for free extra labor.
Liz Cheney wants to make sure Donald Trump is never president again — one step at a time. The Wyoming congresswoman lost her bid for reelection this week, but that hasn’t stopped her from plowing ahead with her mission to derail Trump’s political ambitions. The plan includes a new PAC and a possible 2024 run. Here’s a closer look at her three-prong approach.
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Drug cartels are flexing their power in Tijuana, unleashing a spree of violence as officials struggle to calm the city’s nerves. Here’s a dispatch from the ground.
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