Reactions To The Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict; The Internet's Favorite Thanksgiving Dinner Family; Head Lice Makes A Comeback

Plus, how deep breathing helps kids ease 'Gaza trauma.' [View this email online]( [Best of NPR]( November 21, 2021 This week, we looked at [head lice on the comeback trail]( and an update on [the booming truffle industry](. Plus, NPR's Scott Simon has a few recommendations for weekend reading. --------------------------------------------------------------- Scott’s Weekly Weigh-in [Lowland gorillas Jamila (L) and Suwedi cuddle in their enclosure at the zoo in Duisburg, western Germany.]( Roland Weihrauch/DPA/AFP via Getty Images A good weekend to you. We are closely following [reaction to the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse]( in Kenosha, with reporters on the scene. This week’s essay, just before Thanksgiving gatherings, lets us know that hugs aren’t just for humans, but abound [among other animals, too]( (which doesn’t mean that a bonobo wants a hug from you). One of the many pleasures of interviewing a volume (pun intended) of authors is the range of voices. This week that range includes a Nobel Laureate, Mario Vargas Llosa, on his Harsh Times, a novel drawn from [the real history of Guatemala and the U.S](. And then Huda Fahmy, a creator of comics, has drawn from her own life as a Muslim high school student in Michigan for Huda F Are You?. [Hear what her mother thinks of that title](. The world’s largest topiary chicken, 64 feet from beak to feet, has been going up in Fitzgerald, Georgia. Mayor Jim Puckett hoped to attract tourists. But he was defeated recently, in an election in which the dollars and sense of the monumental fowl was at issue. Mayor Puckett defended his public art project to our producer, Gabriel Dunatov. “I'm doing an interview with NPR right now because of this silly chicken,” he said. Really, Mr. Mayor, you don’t need a 64-foot chicken to get on NPR. [But it helps](. There are approximately 325 million people in the United States, and all of them have podcasts. Or so it seems. NPR has dozens of outstanding podcasts. But there are others—no names mentioned! —that think podcasts are, you know, just opening a mic, and like, talking, whether anyone is, you know, really listening. (Then add music.) This week Kim Quindlen, a comic in Chicago, posted [her telling and hilarious impersonation of a podcast question](. As she says, “You have to take in everything in the zeitgeist.” Scott Simon Scott Simon is one of NPR's most renowned news anchors. He is the host of [Weekend Edition Saturday]( and one of the hosts of the morning news podcast Up First. Be sure to listen to him every Saturday on your local NPR station, and follow him [on Twitter](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- by Jill Hudson --------------------------------------------------------------- Stories You May Have Missed --------------------------------------------------------------- [Teenager Sama Ahel was taught deep breathing to cope following the Gaza-Israel conflict in May.]( Fatima Shbair for NPR Many Gazans are still coping with the trauma of the war with Israel in May, and it's very difficult to treat them, says psychologist Ismael Ahel. "We can't just deal with the first trauma or the second trauma. It's a complexity of trauma." [And children are deeply affected](. A texting mix-up sparked a Thanksgiving dinner tradition will continue this year. The story began when Wanda Dench texted Jamal Hinton about coming over for Thanksgiving, thinking it was her grandson. Their shared dinners have [brought joy to the internet ever since](. Pandemic or no, kids are still getting — and spreading — head lice. [Read more here](. A once-remote patch of rainforest is now packed with migrants trying to reach the U.S. [Click here to read more](. Colleges are hoping science can help limit suicide contagion and [help heal students on their campuses](. Back in 2016, the Planet Money team profiled a baby-faced connoisseur who sold truffles out of his trunk to some of the fanciest restaurants in New York. In this episode, they tag along in a race against time to sell $20,000 worth of truffles before their value depreciates. ([Planet Money]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 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]