Afghan women banned from college

How dogs smell time; global stories you may have missed in 2022 [View this email online]( [NPR]( Goats and Soda editor's note Forest P. Hayes; Michael Kaloki We publish hundreds of stories in Goats and Soda each year. And of course we hope you'll read them all. But some stories -- well, we think of them as [hidden gems.]( They don't get a lot of page views, but when readers click on them, they stick with them. Here are [8 stories that we loved]( but that you might have missed. Topics range from a Kenyan ice sculptor who defied skeptics to a deeply moving chance encounter that our visuals editor PIerre Kattar had on the streets of Rome with an Afghan refugee. As the year comes to a close, we want to thank all our readers for their support and their comments. We always enjoy hearing from you -- even if you're not happy with us! Our newsletter is taking next week off but we'll be back the first week of 2023. Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda of time and dogs Laura Gao for NPR [Can dogs smell time? Just ask Donut the dog]( After decades of wondering, an NPR reporter finally figures out how her husband's family dog knew when the school bus would arrive every day. She did some digging — and now it all makes scents. coronavirus FAQs Malaka Gharib/ NPR [Popular COVID FAQs in 2022: Outdoor risks, boosters, 1-way masking, faint test lines]( Let's revisit some of 2022's still relevant queries. Like: Does one-way masking help? What's the risk of outdoor transmission? What's up with faint lines on tests? in the news Ahmad Jamshid/AP ['The Taliban took our last hope': College education is banned for women in Afghanistan]( This week, the Taliban announced that women could no longer attend university. One educator in Afghanistan calls it "gender apartheid." The highest grade girls will be able to attain now is grade 6. [Cyberattacks on hospitals thwart India's push to digitize health care]( Prime Minister Modi's ambitious plan to transition all Indians' health records online is running up against weak cybersecurity systems and a lack of data protection laws. [Fears of a 'dark COVID winter' in rural China grow as the holiday rush begins]( Health officials are concerned that people traveling home to their villages for the Lunar New Year could turn celebrations into superspreader events, catching ill-prepared rural systems off guard. top global tiktoks tiktok.com/Screenshots by NPR [Bad Bunny leads the fluffle -- along with lessons on eyebrow communication and ASMR in the kitchen!]( TikTok is more than just goofy dances and challenges. Here are some of the most widely viewed — and engaging — global TikToks of the year. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- links we like - A[motorcycle with a sidecar ambulance]( a hospital bed on wheels -- gets stuck in a riverbed but makes it out on a 9-mile journey to reach a pregnant woman soon to give birth. That's one of the stories in an Associated Press picture essay on India's intrepid sidecar ambulances. - [The largest photo library in Africa]( has opened in Accra, Ghana, with some 30,000 books. The Guardian reports on the Dikun Center and its founder, Ghanaian photographer and filmmaker Paul Ninson. - NPR explores the burning question:["Who created chicken tikka masala?"]( death of the Pakistani-Scottish chef who claimed he cooked up the dish is renewing the debate over its origins. --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [goatsandsoda@npr.org](mailto:goatsandsoda@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) 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 Health, Daily News, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Goats and Soda emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]