Hopes of finding earthquake survivors fade; you might need to wait to file taxes; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on LeBron James

Plus, how researchers are using a bug bazooka to prevent the next pandemic. [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen Good morning. Southwest is [owning up to its holiday meltdown mistakes]( today as the airline's top execs appear before a Senate committee. Here's what we're following today: First up [Syrians warm up by a fire at a make-shift shelter for people who were left homeless, near the rebel-held town of Jindayris on Feb. 8, 2023.]( Rami al Sayed/AFP via Getty Images The window to find people alive from this week's devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria is closing. Rescue crews have been [braving freezing temperatures]( to pull people from the rubble for 72 hours, and the death toll has surpassed 16,000. 🌀 Earthquakes happen all over the world, and unlike other natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes, they're almost impossible to predict and strike with a moment's notice. But there are some steps you can take now to [prepare yourself](. Super Bowl Sunday is almost here, and this year it's a matchup of heavyweights. Brush up on [five storylines to follow]( throughout the game, and impress your game-day watch party friends with your knowledge. Tax season is here, but the IRS wants people in at least 19 states to wait to file. Some states gave their residents [inflation relief payments]( last year, which have a hodgepodge of rules and eligibility requirements. The IRS wants time to figure out which rules apply to them. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Picture show [Wielding the "insectazooka," Cecilia González prepares to collect mosquitoes from a house in the village of Los Encuentros, Guatemala.]( Luis Echeverria for NPR The next killer virus could be hiding in a mosquito's blood. In Guatemala, researchers are relying on the "[insectazooka]( to suck up the itchy pests and analyze the pathogens in their latest meals in hopes of preventing the next pandemic. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s listen [An exterior view shows the entrance to the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper in Las Vegas, Nev. Jeff German worked here until his killing in Sept. 2022.]( Ethan Miller/Getty Images Jeff German, an investigative reporter at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was stabbed to death in September. Soon after, the Washington Post reached out asking how it could help. 🎧 Listen to [how a Post reporter finished German's unfinished investigation]( into a Ponzi scheme, or [read the story](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Before you go [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (left) hands LeBron James a basketball celebrating James' all-time NBA scoring record Tuesday night in Los Angeles.]( Ronald Martinez/Getty Images - After LeBron James broke his all-time NBA scoring record yesterday, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar penned a letter reflecting on their strained relationship. Abdul-Jabbar blamed himself for the contentious relationship, citing his own [introversion and a significant age gap](. - RIP Flamingo the pigeon 😢 Supporters hoped the beloved young bird [would survive being dyed bright pink]( but he died roughly a week after a rescuer found him in Manhattan's Madison Square Park. - These woodpeckers are nuts! A California exterminator got more than he bargained for when he found [700 pounds of acorns]( stashed in a client's walls by the naughty birds. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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]