Gas stoves leak methane; illicit Electoral College votes; free N95s and where to get them

Plus, the danger posed by Googleplex's perks [View this email online]( [Best of NPR]( January 30, 2022 This week, we looked the [new version of omicron]( [leaky gas stoves]( and the designer's [regrets over Google's posh headquarters](. Plus, NPR's Scott Simon has a few recommendations. --------------------------------------------------------------- Scott’s Weekly Weigh-in [A hamster sits in a cage after being adopted by volunteers stopping an owner from surrendering it to the government Jan. 20 in Hong Kong. ]( Louise Delmotte/Getty Images Pets are an important part of our lives. We hold on to them, as they hold on to us. So I was moved by the ways in which [some Hong Kongers help each]( other evade a government instruction to bring in all hamsters bought after Dec. 22 to be euthanized to avoid spreading COVID (scientists dispute that people can get COVID from animals). I loved Kenneth Branagh’s film, [Belfast]( a major contender for the Oscars. The story is set in Belfast during the Troubles and features Belfast-born actor Jamie Dornan. [He spoke with us]( about his role as a father who does not want to choose sides. One line that hit me, as the son of a mother from Belfast: “We Irish are made for leaving” — which my mother used to say, and of which she was actually proud. Dornan, who left Belfast when he was 19, agrees, and feels pride at how Irish people have nourished so many places around the world. One lucky day this week, I interviewed Dornan, [Olga Tokarczuk]( the Nobel Laureate whose The Books of Jacob was just released, and then storied conductor [Marin Alsop]( about the [new documentary]( on her life and work. Another week to count my blessings. [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 [Carol Ritchie]( Stories you may have missed [Brothers Chase Miller (left), 10, and Carson Miller, 11, in November 2021. The two brothers have a rare genetic disorder and are immunocompromised. ]( Danny Miller One population gets overlooked by an "everyone will get COVID" mentality — the roughly 7 million Americans who are immunocompromised, who live with a much higher risk of COVID-19 and must constantly be on their guard. [These are some of their stories](. A second version of the omicron variant is putting scientists on alert. Officially called omicron BA.2, the new omicron sibling could be more contagious than the original. [Here’s what we know so far](. We had two more important COVID-19 stories this week. ➡️ Free N95 masks are arriving at pharmacies and grocery stores, courtesy of the Biden administration. [Here’s how to get yours](. ➡️ Home COVID tests seem to be less accurate in detecting the omicron variant. One possible reason: [Omicron might be showing up first in the mouth and throat]( while at-home rapid tests require a nose swab. Republicans in seven states tried to send in illegitimate Electoral College votes for Donald Trump during the 2020 election. Their efforts didn't work. Now they could face legal ramifications as [federal prosecutors investigate their actions](. A toddler burned his hand on the stove. His parents took him to the ER. But after a long wait for a doctor who never showed, they went home and the burn healed on its own. [Then the hospital billed them $1,012](. Architect Clive Wilkinson’s most famous work may be Googleplex, the tech giant's posh California headquarters. But it may also be his biggest regret: Wilkinson now thinks Google's luxurious on-site perks have [made workers too dependent on the company]( — a situation he calls "dangerous." Your natural gas cooking stove may leak climate-warming methane, even when it is turned off. A new study found that [80% of methane emissions from stoves]( happen when they're off, coming from loose couplings and fittings between the stoves and gas pipes. --------------------------------------------------------------- Joy break [A Wordle puzzle reading "GUESS SHORT WORDS TODAY"]( Screenshot/Arielle Retting Do you start your Wordle with the same word every day, or do you launch each game with fresh eyes? [Your Wordle strategy says a lot]( about you. "And I say, Hey! HEY!" Arthur the world-famous aardvark is about to begin [his 25th — and last — season on PBS Kids]( and creator Marc Brown has a new book to mark the end of an era. "You gotta zoom, zoom, zoom-a zoom" — and we don’t mean the conferencing app. Zoom, another PBS favorite, is marking its 50th anniversary. To celebrate, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting has made [more than 100 episodes available to stream online]( for the first time. The Bidens have finally adopted a cat, a grey tabby named Willow. She interrupted a campaign speech in 2020, and [Jill Biden was smitten](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( 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. 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