Mask Debate Gets Violent As Schools Reopen; More Regulation For Cryptocurrency; Big Beautiful Bug Pics

Plus, how a new type of documentary is bringing new attention and context to old celebrity controversies [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Korva Coleman and Christopher Dean Hopkins First Up [Families protest any potential mask mandates before the Hillsborough County School Board meeting last month in Tampa, Fla.]( Octavio Jones/Getty Images Here's what we're following today. The growing disagreement over whether masks should be worn in schools is growing so heated that some parents have turned violent. In Austin, Texas, a parent ripped a mask off a teacher’s face, while others yelled at another teacher who was wearing one, saying they couldn’t hear her. Law enforcement officers have been summoned to restrain angry protesters at school board meetings across the country. [Educators are pleading for the politics of mask-wearing to be kept out of schools](. A man who pulled his truck up next to the Library of Congress on Thursday, claiming to have a bomb, surrendered peacefully hours later. But the ease with which he gained such close access to the building, which is near Congress and the Supreme Court, [raises fresh questions about security just seven months after the rioting and deadly violence of the Jan. 6 insurrection](. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are getting more popular among amateur investors, especially younger ones, with the promise of lucrative returns. But they’re also popular with bad actors, because there are few rules governing how they’re being traded. Gary Gensler, the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, says it’s like the Wild West, and [his agency is moving to regulate them to protect investors, especially from theft](. Eleven days ago, Dr. Akbari was at her clinic in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif when she got a call that made her drop everything. It was a member of the Taliban who had been threatening her from afar for months because she had given a birth control shot to his 13-year-old bride. "This time, his voice was actually really soft," recalls Akbari. ["He said, 'We're entering the city. Soon we'll come and get you.' "]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Aurelien Meunier/International Paralympic Committee/Getty Images Today’s Listens [Protesters attend a #FreeBritney Rally at Stanley Mosk Courthouse on July 14 in Los Angeles.]( Emma McIntyre/Getty Images A new genre of documentaries that includes Surviving R. Kelly and Framing Britney Spears is leveraging celebrity and modern sensibilities to reassess past tales of fame and abuse — and to cast light on bigger, troubling issues. [Hear Eric Deggans' assessment of the trend](. As COVID-19 surges across the country, medical workers are under increasing strain. One of the hardest-hit states is Alabama, where doctors express frustration at a crisis they say was preventable. [Hear three of them tell their stories to Morning Edition](. A federal bankruptcy trial is underway against Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin and other highly addictive opioids blamed for the opioid crisis. Members of the Sackler family, which owns the company, are willing to pay $4.3 billion to settle it, but are demanding protection from future lawsuits — not only for themselves, but for hundreds of other people, companies, trusts and organizations they worked with. [Read the story]( or [listen to it](. --------------------------------------------------------------- The Picture Show [Horse Fly, Tabanidae]( Pablo Piedra Here’s a whole new fascinating view for people who are fascinated by bugs. Former military photographer Pablo Piedra is taking [macro photos — essentially extreme close-ups — of the native bugs of Costa Rica]( where he now lives, as a way to pass the time during the pandemic lockdowns. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before You Go [The Elysee Palace in Paris is bathed in purple light on Thursday as part of the WeThe15 campaign. Launched ahead of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, the movement calls for an end to discrimination against people with disabilities.]( Aurelien Meunier/International Paralympic Committee/Getty Images - More than 125 world landmarks were decked in purple light on Thursday night, to honor people with disabilities. The event, coming as the Paralympic Games prepare to open in Tokyo next week, [called for equal treatment for people with disabilities](. - Mike Richards, recently announced as the replacement for the late Alex Trebek as the new host of Jeopardy!, has resigned. [Richards, the show's executive producer, had scrutinized over how he was picked for the role]( earlier allegations of creating a hostile work environment, and crude comments he allegedly made about women on his podcast. - Actor and martial arts icon Sonny Chiba died of complications from COVID-19 at the age of 82. He was famed for [cult martial arts classics, such as The Street Fighter, and for his role in Kill Bill](. - Major League Baseball is set to end its 70 year trading card partnership with Topps. The news of a deal with Fanatics surprised fans and collectors, [and could be a huge blow for Topps as the company gets ready to go public](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]