The story behind D.C.’s pandas; a ‘Bridgerton’ debate; what the Moskva loss means

Plus, three faiths overlap on a single weekend. [View this email online]( [Best of NPR]( April 17, 2022 This week, we look at 50 years of pandas at the National Zoo, how India received this season of “Bridgerton,” and the significance of a Russian warship’s sinking. Plus, Scott Simon reflects on the confluence of Passover, Easter and Ramadan. --------------------------------------------------------------- Scott’s weekly weigh-in Dita Alangkara/AP A good day to you on a weekend this year that includes Passover, Easter Sunday, and the continuation of Ramadan. I grew up in a mixed-faith family in which various religious holidays seemed to merge. My Irish mother dyed Easter eggs to search for in our one-bedroom North Side Chicago apartment. They were emblazoned with the words Mazel Tov. “Why not?” she’d ask. Well, yes, why not? We see an outpouring of faiths this weekend, and in this week’s essay, [I asked some religious figures about this confluence.]( Liana Finck, the artist and New Yorker cartoonist, grew up in a religious household. She has questioned faith as an adult, but says, “studying the Torah at Hebrew day school, I thought of it mostly as a portrait of one childlike, and therefore relatable, character full of feelings and desires: God.” In her graphic novel, [Let There Be Light]( Finck reimagines the Book of Genesis with God as a woman, wearing a Burger King-style crown. And the wry wit she brings to this ancient and enduring story still has the power to move us, even as we smile. I’ve been fortunate to know the great photographer David Hume Kennerly through campaigns and wars, and who is so eloquent with images. He speaks forcefully with us about the vivid photographs coming out of Ukraine, and [why regular citizens brandishing cell phones cannot replace gifted professionals]( dedicated to bringing these stories to light in an image. And finally: I have ambivalent thoughts about smart speakers — especially when they’re smarter than me, like when a daughter asks, “When was the Treaty of Utrecht?” and her speaker barks, “1713!” before I can even ask, “YouTube?” But there’s something undeniably charming in [watching this parrot “converse” with a smart speaker.]( “Polly wants to listen to NPR! Especially on weekends!” [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 --------------------------------------------------------------- Stories you might have missed JerSean Golatt for NPR A Texas teacher found a simple solution to help his students learn math: Rap. Thomas Mayfield was used to hearing a common refrain from his fifth graders in his Fort Worth classroom: I’m not good at adding. I don’t know how to regroup. To help quell their arithmetic anxieties, he brought rap into the classroom — with verses about decimal point places strung over the pounding beat of Luniz and Michael Marshall’s “I Got 5 On It.” The result? "State scores rose. Student growth rose. Productivity, it went up,” he tells NPR. [The success inspired a motto for other teachers.]( Russia is careening toward a historic debt default. The country is on the verge of defaulting on its foreign debt for the first time since the Bolshevik Revolution more than a century ago. The event risks ossifying Russia’s position as a pariah in the global economic arena. Our business correspondent [walks us through the likely implications.]( North American birds are experiencing a cataclysmic decline — but they can thrive, with our help. A 2019 study found that there were 3 billion fewer breeding birds than in the 1970s, with major losses among common birds: sparrows, blackbirds and finches. Birds can serve as an indicator species — meaning they help scientists understand how healthy an ecosystem is. That makes the current losses all the more troubling. Here are [8 simple ways we can look out for our feathered friends.]( These Indian half sisters are the star roles in Bridgerton. They're also the subject of heated discussion in India. The representation of Kate and Edwina Sharma in Netflix’s 19th-century English drama has won plaudits, especially for the casting of dark-skinned actors and the distinctive sartorial choices. But some viewers are baffled by the show’s many cultural gaffes. [And the criticism doesn’t stop there.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- We are breaking down the events in Ukraine, multiple times a day, in your podcast feed — with on-the-ground reporting from our correspondents and interviews with politicians and officials. Listen to NPR’s [State of Ukraine.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- From our member station [STATION]( Skip Brown/Smithsonian National Zoo It's been 50 years since the National Zoo got its first giant pandas. The back story is more intriguing than you'd expect. The fluffy black-and-white bears have earned revered celebrity status in the nation's capital among adoring fans who know their names, celebrate their birthdays and even attend panda-themed events. “It’s peaceful, pure joy and panda happiness,” one local said recently. "These guys kinda saved me [during the pandemic]." [The history of their arrival in the U.S. began with a banquet in China in 1972.]( — WAMU, Washington, D.C. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before you go… Vasily Maximov/AFP via Getty Images - A key warship in Russia’s fleet was sunk by Ukrainian missiles, a U.S. official confirmed. [Here’s why its loss is so significant.]( - BeReal is the latest photo-sharing social media obsession among Gen Zers — [but the app comes with a twist.]( - Two new omicron variants are spreading in New York. One has a mutation that [appears to help it evade the immune system.]( - Forecasters worry the U.S. economy may be headed toward a recession. [The Fed now faces a tricky balancing act.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]