The earliest epidemics date back to Neolithic times, and, in the millennia since, viral outbreaks have repeatedly shaped the course of human history, influencing behavior and creating and destroying cultural norms. In the weeks since COVID-19 became a worldwide emergency, people are showing resilience, humor, and creative ways of communicating as governments and businesses struggle to respond. Robin Wright joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss differing responses to infectious diseases across time and cultures, and the global political ramifications of COVID-19.

Since the coronavirus became a public-health emergency in the United States, coverage of the 2020 Presidential election has been scarce. With little media attention and public events an impossibility, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have taken their campaigns online. Meanwhile, state election officials across the country are struggling to find the best time and means to hold their primaries. Eric Lach joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss electoral reforms, such as voting by mail, and how the Democratic Party is trying to exploit President Trump’s bungling response to the pandemic.

Bill McKibben and Elizabeth Kolbert join David Remnick to talk about the twin crises of our time: the coronavirus pandemic and the climate emergency. What can one teach us about the other? During the COVID-19 national emergency, the Trump Administration has loosened auto-emissions standards, and has proposed easing the controls on mercury released by power plants, among other actions. With protesters no longer able to gather, construction on the controversial Keystone Pipeline has resumed. Still, McKibben and Kolbert believe that the pandemic could remind the public to take scientific fact more seriously, and possibly might change our values for the better. “When we get out of detention,” McKibben says, “I hope that it will be a reminder to us of how much social distancing we’ve been doing already these last few decades,” by focussing on technology and the virtual world. In the pleasure of human contact, he hopes, “we might begin to replace some of the consumption that drives every environmental challenge we face."

Three months ago, Kai Wright, the host of WNYC’s the United States of Anxiety, joined David Remnick for a special episode about the effects of mass incarceration and the movement to end it. Now, as the coronavirus pandemic puts inmates in acute and disproportionate danger, that effort may be gaining new traction. Wright and Remnick reconvene to examine the COVID-19 crisis in prison and its political effects. David Remnick also speaks with Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, who has signed an executive order to release certain at-risk inmates from states prisons—the sort of measure that would once have been deeply unpopular and risky. “I haven’t really spent any time on the politics,” Governor Murphy says. “In all the steps we’ve taken, we’re trying to make the call as best we can, based on the facts, based on the data, based on the science.” And Kai Wright interviews Udi Ofer, the head of the A.C.L.U.’s Justice Division, who notes that “the communities that the C.D.C. has told us are most vulnerable to COVID-19 are exactly the communities that are housed in our nation’s jails and prisons,” including a disproportionately older population among inmates. Given the lack of social distancing and, in many cases, substandard hygienic conditions, Ofer says that reducing the inmate population “literally is a life-and-death situation.”

Friday on Political Rewind , the primary has been postponed to June 9 so officials can protect poll workers and voters during the coronavirus pandemic. But political campaigns for state and congressional positions on the ballot have not stopped. So how are candidates campaigning under these challenging circumstances?

Many aspects of daily life have been dramatically changed due to COVID-19, and public transportation is certainly no exception. Although services like the Ann Arbor Area Transportion Authority (AAATA) promote a cleaner environment, they still have financial obligations and public health matters to consider. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," AAATA CEO Matt Carpenter explains how his organization and other forms of public transit in Michigan are adapting to the pandemic in a conversation with WEMU's David Fair.

The Centers for Disease Control continues to recommend wearing gloves and masks while in public. More and more people are following recommended guidelines. However, getting rid of those personal protective equipment (PPE) items is often being done improperly. In this week's "Issues of the Environment," WEMU's David Fair talks with Washtenaw County Public Works manager Theo Eggermont about proper disposal to protect public health and the environment.

Updated at 5:02 p.m. ET It was supposed to be a day of parades, a vast party that would transcend borders and bring generations together, not unlike the spontaneous euphoria that swept through victorious European allies when Nazi Germany finally surrendered. But instead of a mega-event, leaders in London, Paris, Moscow and other capitals, observed the 75th anniversary of V-E Day at a diminished level Friday due to the COVID-19 pandemic. French President Emmanuel Macron led a small ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, looking out over an empty Champs-Élysées. A 93-year-old veteran of World War II observes a moment of silence at the Cenotaph war memorial in London, where British residents — like much of Europe — marked a subdued 75th anniversary of V-E Day. Daniel Leal-Olivas / AFP via Getty Images Because of health risks the disease poses to older people, many veterans of the war were forced to avoid travel and keep their distance at public gatherings. "The veterans are of course getting

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

There's a venting thread, but maybe you want to share a surprising good thing that has happened despite the terrible situation in the world right now.

Let's create a space to recognise the small good things that are happening.

It's OK to acknowledge the negative here too- this thread is designed to be a space to share the good stuff that is happening despite the negative.

(I felt that posting positives in the Fucking Fuck thread was not fair to that thread.)

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

In this time of fear and uncertainty, people are going back to the land — more or less. Gardening might just be overtaking sourdough baking, TV binging and playing Animal Crossing as our favorite pandemic coping mechanism So here I am in my back yard, where I've got this lovely four foot by eight food raised garden bed — brand new this year, because yes, I'm one of those people who are trying their hand at gardening. I've got tomatoes, I've got cucumbers, I've got radishes, I've got beets sprouting up, I've got what I think might be a zucchini and a spaghetti squash, but the markers washed away in a storm. And I had some watermelon seedlings, but they died in the last cold snap. So that's why I'm out here today — driving in stakes and draping plastic wrap for the next cold snap. I have to be extra careful now, because I couldn't actually replace my watermelon seedlings — garden centers and hardware stores have been picked clean. Jennifer Atkinson is a senior lecturer in environmental

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

In this time of fear and uncertainty, people are going back to the land — more or less. Gardening might just be overtaking sourdough baking, TV binging and playing Animal Crossing as our favorite pandemic coping mechanism So here I am in my back yard, where I've got this lovely four foot by eight food raised garden bed — brand new this year, because yes, I'm one of those people who are trying their hand at gardening. I've got tomatoes, I've got cucumbers, I've got radishes, I've got beets sprouting up, I've got what I think might be a zucchini and a spaghetti squash, but the markers washed away in a storm. And I had some watermelon seedlings, but they died in the last cold snap. So that's why I'm out here today — driving in stakes and draping plastic wrap for the next cold snap. I have to be extra careful now, because I couldn't actually replace my watermelon seedlings — garden centers and hardware stores have been picked clean. Jennifer Atkinson is a senior lecturer in environmental

Copyright 2020 KUNR Public Radio. To see more, visit KUNR Public Radio . AILSA CHANG, HOST: They make cars. They make cocktails. They clean hotel rooms, and they clean your teeth. They are the more than 20 million people who lost their jobs in April. New numbers out today bumped the jobless rate up to 14.7%. That's the worst rate since 1940, and no industry went untouched. For more on where the economic knife cut deepest, we are now joined by some of the reporters who cover these industries. NPR's Alina Selyukh covers retail and restaurants. Camila Domonoske covers the auto industry and oil and gas for NPR. And Will Stone has been covering health care for NPR from Seattle. Welcome to all three of you. ALINA SELYUKH, BYLINE: Hi. CAMILA DOMONOSKE, BYLINE: Hello. WILL STONE, BYLINE: Hi. CHANG: Alina, let's start with you. The lockdowns, I mean, they forced so many restaurants, so many bars, travel destinations to shut down. We know about that. But today we got a read on just how bad those

Copyright 2020 West Virginia Public Broadcasting. To see more, visit West Virginia Public Broadcasting . ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: The coronavirus shutdown is a major challenge for the nation's child welfare system. Reports of suspected abuse have actually fallen, but care providers say that social distancing restrictions mean even more stress for at-risk kids and families. Emily Corio with West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports. EMILY CORIO, BYLINE: The coronavirus pandemic comes at a time when West Virginia's child welfare system already faces devastating effects from the opioid epidemic. The number of children in state care has swelled in recent years, and the need for foster families has grown. Delvin Johnson is managing as best he can at the Davis Child Emergency Shelter. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) DELVIN JOHNSON: Do we have any beds for a 13-year-old male? UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: I'm not sure, DJ. Let me go check. CORIO: But the beds have been full since the governor closed

NPR's education reporter talks about what graduating seniors are going through right now as the colleges are closed due to the pandemic and answers their questions.

NPR's education reporter talks about what graduating seniors are going through right now as the colleges are closed due to the pandemic and answers their questions.

I'm crowdsourcing a photo collection of all the COVID-19 closure signs that have popped up all over our communities. I'd love to include photos from your city!

[Hello MF, long time reader, first time poster!]

Over just a few days, my neighbourhood was blanketed in signs announcing closures and operational changes due to COVID-19. I was especially struck by the range of emotions in these signs — so many expressed messages of hope, optimism, and solidarity. I'm trying to document as many of these signs as possible before they disappear.


I'm also cross-posting photos on twitter and instagram

[Link]

Domestic workers are losing jobs they rely on to the pandemic, and the jobs they’ve kept could jeopardize their health. We hear how workers are using lessons from past disasters to advocate for their communities. Then, in a story from Uncuffed , an ex-marine in prison faces his own mortality. Plus, we’re bringing Bay Area author readings to you in a new series called "New Arrivals."

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit NOEL KING, HOST: The U.S. and China have a complicated relationship - nothing new there. But during the coronavirus, it's getting worse and may even be at its lowest point since the Tiananmen Square crackdown more than 30 years ago. NPR's Michele Kelemen tells us what the diplomats have been saying, and it is not that diplomatic. MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: U.S. and Chinese officials have been trading barbs on Twitter. And when China's ambassador wrote an op-ed accusing the U.S. of playing the blame game, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came back with this. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) MIKE POMPEO: And I can't wait for my daily column in the China Daily news. KELEMEN: Beyond this tit for tat, relations seem to be deteriorating at all levels. The FBI, for example, has been warning universities about the dangers of working with China, especially in the scientific field. That was going on well before the pandemic, says Georgetown University's James

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Nurses and doctors have been at the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. And yet even as health care workers fight back against the virus, the health care industry is crumbling around them. Today we learned that of the more than 20 million jobs that vanished last month, nearly 1 1/2 million were in health care. AILSA CHANG, HOST: And despite this dismal news for American workers, we heard a more optimistic message from the president today, who spoke about his belief that the country may soon turn an economic corner. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So we're looking at the transition to greatness, and I think it's starting right now. CHANG: Meanwhile, the virus is inching closer and closer to the president, with another White House aide testing positive today for COVID-19. All right. To talk more about all of this, we're joined now by NPR chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley, science

In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke take audience questions about how much is too much when it comes to social media, and how to get anything done when trying to homeschool your children and work your normal job, during a live virtual Views and Brews.

Sequential this week ran a video this week showing us how the makers of the Pro 3, Prophets, and more are keeping productive during the pandemic. We wished Dave Smith a happy birthday recently; here's what everyone else is up to.

The post Synth maker Sequential checks in on how they’re running in the pandemic appeared first on CDM Create Digital Music.

Defying government restrictions—and sometimes proven laws of health—religious adherents are taking risks during the global coronavirus pandemic.

At a time when only six percent of Americans hold a biblical worldview, will the coronavirus pandemic spark spiritual revival?

I recently finished Margaret Renkl's Late Migrations. It was the perfect book for right now, accommodating my fractured attention span, frequent insomnia, and deep grief and despair at the state of the world. Almost every chapter was less than 3 pages, and most involve nature intertwined with family memories. What other books are like this?

I try to keep a bedside book I can read before I fall asleep or when I'm dealing with insomnia. Not only do I really like the format of chapters that are less than a few pages long, it helps if the chapters don't have a lot of continuity so that if I read one at 3 AM and forget it the next day, I can pick up at the next chapter without having to go back and reread.

I love the voice of women nature writers like Terry Tempest Williams, Rachel Carson, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Rebecca Solnit (her earlier works) but most of their books seem to have chapters longer than what my brain can handle right now.

Recommendations don't have to be light - explorations into grief and pain are okay. I prefer something with more modern language (for example, while I love Moby Dick and am rereading it right now as my non-bedside book, the language is a little too antiquated and "extra" for what I need in a bedside book).

Other books I've found which scratch this itch are things like a compilation of thirty years of a naturalists column from a local newspaper.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Israel next week for a brief visit amid the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, a trip that’s expected to focus on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to annex portions of the West Bank, the State Department said Friday. Pompeo will make the lightning trip to […]

Living through a pandemic will inevitably take a toll on our minds and bodies. Here are some tips for treating your mind and body well under quarantine.

In some ways, we’ve been social distancing for years as more aspects of our social lives go digital. So now, we may be uniquely equipped (if not conditioned) to adapt our lives to stay-at-home orders.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, many local plant nurseries say there’s been a run on seeds as people all over Seattle take to gardening to grow food and provide solace during an uncertain time.

Be cautious handling — and mixing — cleaning supplies, read labels and follow directions. Many of the accidental, and potentially dangerous, recent exposures reported to the Washington Poison Center have been from ordinary household cleaning supplies or the combination of them.

Many physician practices, like other businesses, are questioning how they'll survive the coronavirus outbreak, according to the Washington State Medical Association.

Though there isn’t a diet that has been scientifically proven to sustain or improve your mental health, research suggests eating certain foods can correlate with improved mental well-being.

CHATSWORTH, Ga. (AP) — Storms that killed more than 30 people in the Southeast, piling fresh misery atop a pandemic, spread across the eastern United States on Monday, leaving more than 1 million homes and businesses without power amid floods and mudslides. In Alabama, people seeking shelter from tornadoes huddled in community shelters, protective masks […]

Dear readers: You’re adjusting to new realities introduced by the novel coronavirus, and Weekend Plus is, too. Starting today and in the coming weeks, you’ll find fewer restaurant and entertainment listings in this section and more emphasis on things you can enjoy at home, including: • Recipes and takeout food • Family activities • Recommended […]

A "virus" decimated in-game cities. Player behavior may prove instructive for researchers projecting the spread of covid-19.

Nearly every sporting event, major and minor, has been canceled, moved or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Here’s a look at where things stand with many of the top sports.

The closures include streets in Lake City beginning Friday and in Aurora-Licton Springs, Ballard and Delridge/Highland Park.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska will receive $50 million in federal coronavirus aid for fisheries, the U.S. Department of Commerce has announced, about half what state officials had expected. Alaska is home to large stocks of pollock, an inexpensive fish used in fast-food sandwiches and fish sticks, and landed 58% of the nation’s seafood by […]

The four players sure seemed thrilled to be playing some tennis with some prize money (amount undisclosed) at stake amid the coronavirus pandemic — even if the court was near the backyard swimming pool at someone’s mansion and there were zero ATP rankings points on the line, zero locker rooms, zero spectators, zero ball kids […]

The company’s first-quarter earnings report will provide a view of how the pandemic has accelerated trends already working in its favor, and the extent to which coronavirus restrictions on businesses and consumers have boosted Amazon’s sales.

The onset of the coronavirus and the subsequent classification of many of these workers as "essential" have heightened some existing tensions. Workers have accused companies of being slow to provide protective gear and implement precautions, something that may put them in danger.

NEW YORK (AP) — Struggling fashion brand J.Crew has filed for bankruptcy protection, the first major retailer to do so since the coronavirus pandemic forced most stores across the United States to close their doors. More retail bankruptcies are expected in coming weeks, with Neiman Marcus and J.C. Penney also facing problems. Gap Inc. has […]

J. Crew announced that its parent company, Chinos Holdings, had filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

Kroger-owned QFC and Fred Meyer will discontinue their $2-an-hour "Hero Bonus'' premiums paid to workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Ohio-based Kroger has set May 16 as the program's final date while other large grocery retailers ponder the future of similar bonuses.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, many local plant nurseries say there’s been a run on seeds as people all over Seattle take to gardening to grow food and provide solace during an uncertain time.