To Mask Or Not To Mask; ​​​​​​​Why Sweat Is A Human Superpower; MTV Turns 40

Plus, Las Vegas is experiencing a wedding boom. [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Jill Hudson Stories You May Have Missed --------------------------------------------------------------- Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week began recommending face coverings for vaccinated people in certain situations. [NPR created a questionnaire to help]( you decide whether to doff or don. Overshadowed by nearby Venice, the lesser-known city of Trieste is one of Italy's great destinations and once the stomping ground of great writers like James Joyce. [NPR's Sylvia Poggioli filed a report](. [Sunisa Lee of the U.S. poses with her gold medal after winning the women's all-around final at the Tokyo Olympics on Thursday.]( Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images It's already been a historic Olympic Games and it's not over yet. The ongoing pandemic has changed so much, but the athletes in Tokyo are blazing trails and making history. Here are [all the firsts]( that happened in the first week of competition. Click here to follow our [Tokyo Olympics live blog](. Fifty years ago today, George Harrison put together an all-star concert at New York's Madison Square Garden to help Bengali refugees in India. The Concert for Bangladesh had a lasting impact on every all-star charity event that has happened since. [Read more about it here.]( NPR Comparing MTV to the moon landing may have come off as hubristic at the time, but the channel would go on to change music and popular culture forever. To celebrate MTV's 40th birthday, here are [the first 100 videos]( shown on the channel. Last week, four police officers testified in a highly emotional hearing about the physical and verbal assaults they faced responding to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. [Here's a rundown of their harrowing recounts](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Podcasts of the Week --------------------------------------------------------------- Cavan Images/Getty Images Sweat is an "evolutionary marvel," says author Sarah Everts. Her new book delves into the science of perspiration and how this trait has enabled humans to thrive. ([Short Wave]( In 1983, Ronald Reagan ordered the U.S. military to invade the island of Grenada. Almost four decades later, many Americans don't remember why — or that it even happened. ([Throughline]( Mario Tama/Getty Images The wedding industry lost tens of billions of dollars in 2020. Now the numbers are roaring back, especially in Las Vegas. ([The Indicator From Planet Money]( [Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) and Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) 2001 film Shrek.]( Dreamworks Animation Shrek started with the story of a crabby green ogre who just wants a bunch of fairy tale characters to stay out of his swamp. The beloved film has also spawned a multibillion-dollar franchise, become a cultural milestone and above all, remained relevant — even 20 years later. ([Pop Culture Happy Hour]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]