Ousted Vaccine Expert Set To Testify; What It Takes To Sell Cars In A Pandemic

Plus, 14 hours and a Costco card — how a grocer in Alaska feeds his town during the pandemic. by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [Federal scientist Richard Bright is seen during a 2018 congressional hearing]( Toya Sarno Jordan/Bloomberg via Getty Images Richard Bright, the ousted government scientist turned whistleblower, will testify Thursday before a House panel. Bright is expected to tell lawmakers that the Trump administration was unprepared for the coronavirus, and that the U.S. could face “the darkest winter in modern history” if it doesn’t develop a national coordinated response to the pandemic. The House hearing is set to begin at 10 a.m. ET. [Watch it live here](. The one thing we know about presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s choice for a running mate is that she will be a woman. [But which woman]( Here are some pros and cons of 12 of the people Biden might pick. The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the state’s stay-at-home order Thursday, immediately clearing the way for businesses, bars and restaurants to reopen. The ruling means Gov. Tony Evers will be [severely limited in any future efforts]( to issue orders to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 3 million more people filed for unemployment benefits last week — [bringing the total to 36.5 million]( in the past eight weeks, the Labor Department said Thursday. The federal judge presiding over the Michael Flynn case has taken a step that indicates he may have reservations about the government's move to dismiss the case. Judge Emmet Sullivan has [appointed a retired judge]( to present arguments against the Justice Department's recent decision. The Georgia police department responsible for investigating the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in February has a troubled past involving scandals and corruption. Georgia’s attorney general has [ordered a probe into potential misconduct]( seeking to learn why it took two months to arrest two white men who admitted to police officers they shot the unarmed black man as he was jogging through a neighborhood. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listen ["The two most replicated, robust factors linked to suicide are economic change — downturn — and social disconnection," says Dr. Roger McIntyre, professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. And both factors, he notes, are major hallmarks of the COVID-19 pandemic.]( LA Johnson/NPR One of the nation’s most prominent pediatricians is calling for reopening schools as soon as possible because of the negative impact the shutdown is having on students' learning and mental health. ([Listening time, 3:54]( or [read the story]( Unemployment is mounting and the economy keeps falling deeper into a recession — or worse. But new car sales, surprisingly, have been climbing for six straight weeks. The numbers are still low compared to pre-coronavirus levels, but huge incentives have helped attract buyers despite the economic crisis. ([Listening time, 3:10]( or [read the story]( Think your grocery store runs are tough these days? Small business owner Toshua Parker definitely has you beat. The roughly 450 residents of the remote Alaskan city of Gustavus rely on Parker's Icy Strait Wholesale for the bulk of their provisions, from fresh produce to hardware to home appliances. With ferry service stalled, Parker and his staff have been hauling supplies via ship from Juneau, 50 miles away, scheduling each trip around the tides. ([Listening time, 2:05]( or [read the story]( --------------------------------------------------------------- The Picture Show [Community leader Christel Galindez Garcia (left), distributes cooked meals to people in need. On May 6, she also brought cupcakes to the home of Elia Gonzalez, whose daughter Angellia turned six that day.]( Erika P. Rodríguez for NPR A recent poll says one in five U.S. households can't afford enough to eat. But Puerto Rico has a higher poverty rate than any U.S. state, and there is [an alarming number of people on the island who go hungry](. According to a 2015 study, 22 percent of adults reported skipping meals or eating smaller portions because they didn't have money for food. That was before the island's bankruptcy and a string of natural disasters. Now, the coronavirus lockdown has closed businesses and the schools that provided two daily meals to a majority of Puerto Rico's schoolchildren. After weeks of public pressure, Puerto Rico's governor allowed some school cafeterias to provide meals for children during the pandemic. But many on the island say it's not enough. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [Nick Cordero, here in January on opening night of Rock of Ages in Hollywood, has emerged from a coma during a difficult fight with COVID-19, according to his wife.]( Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Rock of Ages - Broadway actor Nick Cordero has [awakened from a weeks-long coma]( that was part of his desperate fight with COVID-19, according to his wife, Amanda Kloots, who announced the news Tuesday on Instagram. - With meatpacking plant closures and reduced processing capacity, America's hog farmers expect [an unprecedented crisis]( the need to euthanize millions of pigs. - Country singer Ashley McBryde performed four songs from her latest album, Never Will, including one of our top 25 songs of 2019, as part of her [Tiny Desk (Home) concert](. — Suzette Lohmeyer contributed to this report. --------------------------------------------------------------- Follow [The New Normal]( on Instagram! 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