Tonight marks the end of an era: HBO's Succession is airing its series finale. For four seasons, Nicholas Brittell's theme song has lived rent-free in my mind, with its dissonant chords, dramatic strings and 808 beats. 🎧 He spoke to NPR's Michel Martin on Morning Edition this week about how he composed the show's iconic score. ➡️ Before the final episode airs, read NPR critic Eric Deggans' reflection on the show — and why he thinks Kendall will ultimately succeed Logan.
Jay Comfort flew to the U.S. from Switzerland last June to attend his daughter's wedding. He went home with a $42,000 medical bill thanks to acute appendicitis. Because the cost of care in Switzerland is substantially lower than what is charged in the U.S., his insurer offered a refund that was just a fraction of what Comfort owes the U.S. hospital.
In 2004, a U.S. general told the family of an Iraqi interpreter that insurgents killed their brother. The truth was more painful: He was mistakenly killed by Americans he had risked his life to help.
Joanna Weiss attended a sold-out Taylor Swift concert this past weekend. She writes about seeing her children's joy and gives a shoutout to not the Swifties but to their parents, who have heard the soundtrack of their kids' childhoods and supported them through nearly two decades. (via WBUR) |
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NPR Explains: These multi-part series on the biggest news stories will give you the context and analysis you need to understand how the world is changing.
Code Switch: Listen to journalists of color unapologetically tackle issues of race as it relates to culture, history and more with empathy and humor. 🎧 Japanese internment during World War II was a pivotal time in Japanese American history. Explore the lesser-known history of Japanese Americans living in Japan in this episode.
Throughline: Dive into the events that have shaped our world as we know it, and travel to the past to understand the future. 🎧 What is free speech? This latest episode explores how the answer to that question has changed throughout America's history, from the time of the Founding Fathers to the days of the Ku Klux Klan. |
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Li Haoshi, a Chinese comedian, recently told a Beijing audience that his dogs chased a squirrel and reminded him: “Fine style of work, capable of winning battles.”
But that's no joke. It's a Chinese Communist Party slogan about China’s National People’s Liberation Army. Li has been fined $2 million for mockery.
Chinese cultural officials say, “We will never allow any company or individual to wantonly slander the glorious image of the People’s Liberation Army ... and never allow serious subjects to be turned into entertainment.” That's, of course, what comedy is.
“I will take all the responsibility and call off all my performances to deeply reflect and reeducate myself,” Li posted on the social media platform Weibo.
He was not jailed — something all artists in China must worry about. But the massive fine may be exceptionally cunning. Why would club owners now risk booking a comedian?
Shows are reportedly being canceled across China as comedians pledge to “reeducate” themselves. That may not be a human rights crime, but Kelly Leonard, director of Chicago’s Second City Theater, told us, “Any comedian will tell you they need to read the room they are performing in. In this case, that room appears to be a country whose government has no sense of humor. If you can silence the comedians, you can silence anyone.”
This week we interviewed Rachel Louise Snyder on her own amazing life story. I interviewed an old friend, Dan Ronan, whose name is in a tragic news story. And we said thanks to Tina Turner. |
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This newsletter was edited by Carol Ritchie. |
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