Rethinking Screen Time; States Need Tracers - Now; How Fitbit Got Its Start

Plus, many homeowners are worried about how they will pay the mortgage. by Jill Hudson and Suzette Lohmeyer [Mortgage story image]( Terry Allen/500px/Getty Images/500px Plus Here are a few stories and podcasts you may have missed. More than 3.4 million homeowners are temporarily skipping their mortgage payments because they've lost income during the pandemic. But many lenders say that if people skip payments — as Congress says they can under the CARES Act — [the consequences will be punishing]( including balloon payments at the end of the three months that many will find impossible to pay. It's lights out for this bat study. The U.S. government has abruptly cut off funding for a research project that [sent teams to China to trap bats, collect samples of their blood]( saliva and feces, then check those samples for new coronaviruses. Many experts thought the project could help prevent the next major coronavirus outbreak. If communities want to reopen safely, public health experts say states need plenty of contact tracers at the ready to help identify, track and isolate both the person with COVID-19 and and those who were exposed. NPR surveyed all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to ask them [how many contact tracers they currently have]( — and how many they were planning to add, if any. [Seinfeld image]( Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Jerry Seinfeld says he has "adjusted pretty comfortably" to his new life in quarantine. "I think there's something to be said for not socializing. [It's kind of a rest for your face and your fake emotions]( and your repeating the same stories." He talked with NPR about comedy during a pandemic and his new Netflix standup special, 23 Hours to Kill. "Humor is an essential survival quantity." Essential low-wage workers say save the praise and pony up better working conditions and benefits. The coronavirus is shining a spotlight on how low-paying workers such as grocery store clerks are treated, and organizers are seizing this moment of leverage — the fleeting window when the world sees their so-called [unskilled labor as hero work]( — to demand paid sick leave, better pay and benefits. --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen Up! [Fitbit image]( Karina Perez for NPR On this episode of How I Built This with Guy Raz: How the Nintendo Wii inspired James Park to build a device — and then a company — that would have a huge and lasting effect on the fitness industry. Fitbit dominated the wearables market until the Apple Watch came along, forcing Park and co-founder Eric Friedman to reimagine the brand. ([Listening time, 1:05:08]( Spring is in the air — and black bears are coming out of hibernation to breathe some of it. But there's a lot more going on during their seasonlong naps. Large carnivore biologist Rae Wynn-Grant talks cool seasonal science facts with Short Wave's Maddie Sofia. ([Listening time, 13:21]( Compared to the citizens of China and Italy, some Americans think of social distancing rules as a "giant garden party," says New York Times reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr., who studied the Chinese model of using widespread testing and a strict quarantine to stop a fast-moving pandemic in its tracks. "We're reluctant to follow China, but they did it," he says. "They did it brutally, but brilliantly." ([Listening time, 37:20]( or [read the story]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- How To, For You [Screen time image]( Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR By the time our weekly Zoom happy hour rolls around, most of us are burned out from staring at, talking to and working out in front of our screens. This episode of the Life Kit podcast has tips on managing the inevitable screen time during a lockdown. ([Listening time, 12:29]( or [read the story]( Many of us have thought about writing a book, but what stops us from actually doing it? Here's how you can get your best ideas out of your head and onto the page or computer screen. ([Listening time, 22:35]( or [read the story]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Music To Your Ears [Best albums April image]( Daniella Murillo/Courtesy of the artist The NPR Music team did something different for April. Instead of debating which albums would make their monthly list, each staff member was guaranteed their No. 1 pick. We don't always share our list-making process, but the results seen below reveal the [music held closest to the chest, what gets repeat listens]( during quarantine. A little something beautiful: When a few names on the New Orleans deceased list hit close to home, Brass-a-Holics bandleader Winston "Trombone" Turner felt they needed to be honored like they would ordinarily have been — with music. So Turner called a few friends to record a performance of "I'll Fly Away" in City Park — a song played at almost every traditional New Orleans funeral. [Here’s the video](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Our Picture Show Pick [Patagonia image]( Andria Hautamaki for NPR "As the rest of the world adjusts to home offices and considers buying an additional computer monitor," says photographer Andria Hautamaki, "I plan which horse I will ride an hour to my 'Internet spot' to write emails and upload this photo essay. These [words you're reading were sent from the Patagonian wilderness]( at the edge of a forest tinged with the golden hues of autumn." --------------------------------------------------------------- Sign Up For The New Normal [The New Normal image]( So much has changed quickly and we're all feeling a little unmoored. We hope our new newsletter, [The New Normal]( can help you work through what's happening now and get through whatever is next. We're all in this together. If you are interested in seeing what it is all about, [please subscribe here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [bestofnpr@npr.org](mailto:bestofnpr@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! 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