A big Amazon outage; why Americans aren't healthier; Olivia Rodrigo on Tiny Desk

Plus, tensions are reaching a breaking point between Russia and Ukraine. [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen First up Damian Dovarganes/AP Here's what we're following today: Amazon web services, the cloud computing branch of Amazon, suffered an outage yesterday that had massive effects across the internet. Since other companies rely on the service for computing and storage capabilities, [users couldn't access]( everything from Netflix, Venmo, Disney+, Ring, Roku and Duolingo to NPR's own news apps. Ukrainian and Western officials are worried about a possible invasion by Russia. U.S. intelligence officials determined that Russia is planning to [deploy an estimated 175,000 troops]( and almost half of them are already stationed near Ukraine's border. In a two-hour-long call with Putin, President Biden warned that the U.S. was prepared to [make Moscow pay]( if an invasion should occur. Building a home is more expensive than ever. That's largely due to [the rising cost of lumber,]( which is needed to build new houses and meet buyers' demands. And the problem won't be letting up, since Biden's Commerce Department announced it was doubling duties on softwood lumber imported from Canada. The statue of Robert E. Lee from downtown Charlottesville, Va., will be melted down and used for a public arts project. Conversations surrounding the removal of the statue were at the center of the far-right rally in 2017, where [a woman died]( after a man drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters. The trial of Kim Potter, the Minnesota police officer who killed Black motorist Duante Wright, begins today. The defense is claiming she mistakenly grabbed her gun instead of her taser, but prosecutors argue she had ample training to [avoid such a mistake.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s listen Graeme Jennings/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Americans' health hasn't improved much in the 12 years that Dr. Francis Collins has been director of the National Institutes of Health. We're sicker and don't live as long as people in other rich countries. In the last weeks before he steps down from his role, [listen to Dr. Collins talk about why the NIH hasn't made more gains]( or [read the story.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Before you go NPR - Olivia Rodrigo is back at the DMV to perform "drivers license" and other hits for [NPR's Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts.]( - Music writer, cultural critic and journalist Greg Tate has died at 64. He was a longtime staff writer at The Village Voice and [a leading figure in cultural criticism](. - Do you suffer from being chronically late to everything? Rashelle Isip, a professional organizer and productivity consultant, is [here to help](. - In his new memoir, comedy and film giant Mel Brooks says he wouldn't take back any of the edgy jokes he's told over the years. [His regrets lie in the ones he didn't tell](. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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]