Johns Hopkins' closes its COVID tracker; Rebecca Black is back; workers make extraordinary earthquake rescues

Plus, the FBI gives an update on the Chinese spy balloon. [View this email online]( [NPR]( by Suzanne Nuyen The Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl this weekend, which means Philadelphia is once again greasing it's poles. The tradition has turned into [somewhat of a dare]( for fans. Here's what we're following today: 🥇 First up Samuel Corum/Getty Images It's the end of an era. The [Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center]( is shutting down next month. Its COVID tracking maps were an invaluable resource during the uncertain early days of the pandemic. As hopes fade of finding any more survivors of Monday's devastating earthquake, videos of [extraordinary rescues in Syria]( are helping to lift spirits. Karam Kellieh, a resident and photojournalist, has been documenting these moments. Russia appears to be draining an enormous reservoir in Ukraine, and the results could be disastrous. Satellite data shows water levels plummeting at the massive Kakhovka Reservoir, which supplies drinking water, irrigates vast tracts of farmland and [cools Europe's largest nuclear plant](. 🎧 Listen to hear about [the risks]( if levels continue to drop. U.S. Navy crews are still working to fish parts of the alleged Chinese spy balloon shot down this past weekend over the Atlantic. China insists it was an "[unmanned civilian airship]( 🎧 Listen to what the [FBI and State Department have learned]( about it so far. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- 🎧 Today's listen [A new study finds that orca mothers still feed their adult sons. It's a bond that may come with costs, researchers say.]( David K. Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research / NMFS research permit #21238 Talk about failure to launch. A new study shows orca moms spent precious resources feeding their fully grown male offspring, which limits how many more young they produce. 🎧 Listen to scientists [explain this peculiar maternal strategy]( or [read the story.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🎵 Weekend picks [Rebecca Black, whose debut album Let Her Burn is out Feb. 9.]( Sarah Pardini/Courtesy of the artist Check out what [our critics]( are watching, reading and listening to this weekend: Movies: [All That Breathes]( the Oscar-nominated documentary, is on HBO and HBO Max. The film reminds us of the wonder of life and the virtues of compassion as it follows brothers in Delhi who run a homemade infirmary nursing injured black kites — birds of prey widely considered a scavenging nuisance — back to health. TV: I'm not crying, you're crying. [Dear Edward]( follows a 12-year-old boy who is the sole survivor of a plane crash that kills, among many others, his entire family. Don't watch unless you want your heartstrings tugged. Books: Salman Rushdie submitted the final edits for his 15th novel, [Victory City]( before he was stabbed onstage in August 2022. The novel, which tells the story of a sorceress and poet who dreams a civilization into existence from magic seeds, is a triumph. Music: It's Friday (🎵 Friday, gotta get down on Friday🎵) and the 12-year anniversary of the music video that brought Rebecca Black into the public eye. But the 25-year-old has left the meme far behind her, and her debut album [Let Her Burn]( has dropped. --------------------------------------------------------------- 🛑 Before you go [Sascha Fonseca captured this image during a three-year bait-free camera-trap project in Leh, Ladakh, India, high in the Indian Himalayas. Because of their remote habitat, they are one of the most difficult large cats to photograph in the wild.]( Sascha Fonseca/Wildlife Photographer of the Year - German photographer Sascha Fonseca set out bait-free camera traps three years ago to capture the ever-elusive snow leopard in the Indian Himalayas. The results won him the 58th annual [Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award](. - Three amateur codebreakers have made what historians are calling the most important new findings about Mary, Queen of Scots in 100 years. They [found and decoded over 50 long-lost letters]( the monarch wrote during her time in captivity. - Kaya, the German Shepherd who inspired the PAWS Act that has helped countless veterans, has died. She was an ambassador for service dogs and [veterans' mental health]( across the U.S. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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]