Author: NPR

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Consider This from NPR - How A Pact Made In Prison May Have Saved An American’s Life

Kevin Dawes, an American from California, traveled to Syria in 2012 with hopes of a launching a career as a foreign correspondent. But shortly after crossing the border he was arrested and jailed for three-and-a-half years. And he hasn't shared his story publicly until now.

NPR correspondent Deborah Amos interviewed Dawes about his nightmarish experience in a Syrian prison, how he's seeking to bring the government to court, and how he hopes to help do the same for the family of a British doctor he met in the cell next to his.

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Short Wave - The Winter Twindemic: Flu And COVID

The U.S. is approaching 800,000 COVID-19 deaths as the Omicron variant spreads and the Delta variant continues to circulate. Hospital admissions are up more than 20 percent over the last two weeks. But — as NPR health correspondent Allison Aubrey tells Emily — there's new survey data pointing to relaxed attitudes across the country, even amid the surges. Allison explains what all of this means for the coming weeks — especially with flu season getting started.

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NPR's Book of the Day - Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan on the highs and lows of success

Legendary rapper and integral member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon, is out with a new memoir called From Staircase to Stage. Born Corey Woods in Staten Island, Raekwon takes a look back at hating school, watching his neighborhood decline during the crack-cocaine epidemic, and then finding success with the Wu-Tang Clan. Raekwon told NPR's Steve Inskeep that success came with both big highs and deep lows.
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Consider This from NPR - Hunting A Rapid COVID Test For The Holidays? Good Luck With That

Almost two years into the pandemic, at-home rapid tests can still be difficult to find in the U.S. If you do find them, they're often expensive. Other countries are faring better, like the U.K. and South Korea, which provide free tests each day to anyone who wants them.

Why is the U.S. different? NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports.

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NPR's Book of the Day - A tech giant does its best Big Brother impersonation in ‘The Every’

Author Dave Eggars has written a new book, The Every, satirizing technology and it's ever-expanding hold on us. While publishing and distributing the book, which also happens to be about a tech giant overextending its reach, he tried to keep it out of the hands of one of today's tech giants. It proved to be a difficult task, Eggars told NPR's Audie Cornish, "...[it's] like taking not just the back roads but taking the dirt roads off the back roads off the highway."
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Short Wave - Concussions: How A Mild Brain Injury Can Alter Our Perception Of Sound

Headaches, nausea, dizziness, and confusion are among the most common symptoms of a concussion. But researchers say a blow to the head can also make it hard to understand speech in a noisy room. Emily Kwong chats with science correspondent Jon Hamilton about concussions and how understanding its effects on our perception of sound might help improve treatment.

For more of Jon's reporting, check out "After a concussion, the brain may no longer make sense of sounds."

You can follow Emilly on Twitter @EmilyKwong1234 and Jon @NPRJonHamilton. Email Short Wave at ShortWave@NPR.org.

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Consider This from NPR - What We Learned When Elizabeth Holmes Took The Stand In Her Fraud Trial

After seven days of testimony directly from Elizabeth Holmes, her defense announced it had rested its case this week in a federal fraud trail that began in September.

Holmes, a former Silicon Valley luminary, was CEO of the blood-testing startup Theranos. She told jurors she was not responsible, as prosecutors allege, for fleecing investors of millions of dollars and delivering flawed results to patients.

And as NPR tech reporter Bobby Allyn explains, Holmes detailed a story of abuse that could sway the outcome of the trial.

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Consider This from NPR - Why ‘Abortion Or Adoption’ Is Not An Equal Choice

During oral arguments last week in a major Supreme Court case, Justice Amy Coney Barrett brought up the idea of adoption as an alternative to abortion. But many people who choose not to have a child do not consider adoption and abortion equal and opposite choices, sociologist Gretchen Sisson tells NPR.

Plus, one woman shares her experience of relinquishing her rights as a parent.

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Short Wave - What’s Driving The Political Divide Over Vaccinations

An NPR analysis shows that since the vaccine rollout, counties that voted heavily for Donald Trump have had nearly three times the COVID mortality rates of those that voted for Joe Biden. That difference appears to be driven by a partisan divide in vaccination rates. As NPR correspondent Geoff Brumfield reports, political polarization and misinformation are driving a significant share of the deaths in the pandemic.

Read more of Geoff's reporting on vaccine misinformation:
- Inside the growing alliance between anti-vaccine activists and pro-Trump Republicans: https://n.pr/31ylGNK
- Pro-Trump counties now have far higher COVID death rates. Misinformation is to blame: https://n.pr/3dzPzzy

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