The saga behind a battery you’ve never heard of

Plus, how to cut your screen time (for real). [View this email online]( [Best of NPR]( August 7, 2022 This week, we look at how the U.S. may have lost The Next Big Thing — a green battery technology — to China. Plus, an unprecedented volcanic eruption may leave its mark for years. --------------------------------------------------------------- Scott’s weekly weigh-in A good weekend to you. I think one of the aims of journalism, as practiced at NPR, is to report stories that might shake some of our common assumptions. I interviewed a thoughtful person this week. Misheika Gaddis lives in Aurora, Colo. She is a single mother of an 8-year-old boy, and will soon have another child. She is Black, and says the sound of gunshots is unrelenting in her neighborhood at night. She tells her son, Adam, not to look out of their windows. Misheika Gaddis recently bought a gun. More than 5 million Americans reportedly became first-time gun owners last year — and the kinds of people buying those firearms are increasingly diverse. We have been finding new gun owners from all over the country, and all backgrounds, to better understand why they’ve taken this step. We will introduce you to several over the next few weeks. Misheika Gaddis [tells us bluntly that she takes no pleasure in her purchase](. But she says, “This is the best decision for myself and my family.” I enjoyed our meeting and being able to share some tough questions with her. They are a family that may not fit any preconceptions. Family is much at the center of the majestic new novel, Properties of Thirst, by author Marianne Wiggins, who can write with the sting of a whip, and suffered a stroke when she was just three chapters short of completing her extraordinary new work. There is a whole other masterpiece in hearing how Marianne’s daughter, Lara Porzak, helped guide her story to the end. Their hard-wrought love [shines through in this interview](. [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 Andrea Starr/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory The U.S. gave away a cutting-edge battery technology … to China. The U.S. spent $15 million worth of taxpayer money on research that led to a breakthrough discovery: a green battery the size of a refrigerator that held enough energy to power a house for decades. "It was beyond promise," one engineer said. [Then the Energy Department handed it off to China.]( Here's how Alex Jones mainstreamed conspiracy theories in America. A jury ordered the InfoWars host to pay $49.3 million in damages this week for defaming the parents of a slain Sandy Hook first grader. Name any traumatic event in the last decade and Jones has probably peddled harmful lies about it. While he’s not the first person to grift off conspiracy theories, he has popularized a deeply pernicious vocabulary of doubt — [and made it a lucrative business.]( We parsed through the myths — and facts — about monkeypox’s spread. The outbreak has swelled to over 7,000 cases in the U.S. and has now been declared a public health emergency, which allows for a more robust federal response. We lay out, in simple terms, what the latest data says about transmission — [and what precautions at-risk communities should take.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Editor's pick NPR The queen of indie songwriting stopped by the Tiny Desk. Regina Spektor put on a special performance full of charm and conviction — including two songs from her new album, Home, before and after, which NPR’s Bob Boilen calls “her most astonishing record to date.” [Watch it here.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Before you go... Tonga Geological Services - A volcanic eruption in Tonga that sent a plume of water — enough to fill 58,000 Olympic swimming pools — into the stratosphere [has shocked scientists.]( - The Republican governors of Arizona and Texas are still sending buses full of migrants to D.C. — [with no plans for what’s next.]( - The way Obama, Trump and Biden announced the deaths of terrorist leaders [reveals a lot about their own leadership.]( - If you feel like you're online too much, it might be time to adopt "digital minimalism." [These tips — and quiz — can help.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 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! 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