Vladimir Putin's nightmare; the effects of the Texas abortion law; the coronavirus' origin

The difference between Putin and Zelenskyy

View this email online March 6, 2022 This week, we look at the nightmare Vladimir Putin has made for himself, pandemic evidence from the Wuhan market and the effects of the Texas abortion law. Plus, NPR's Scott Simon has a few recommendations. Scott’s Weekly Weigh-in Keystone/Getty Images A good weekend to you. We’re in a time when the news from Ukraine dominates and influences how we see lesser (and sometimes seemingly insignificant) events. This week’s essay is about how the sale of two old ticket stubs, from Jackie Robinson’s first MLB game and Michael Jordan’s NBA debut, made me reflect on what people value. Many democratic governments are moving to freeze and/or seize some of the glittering possessions of Putin-allied Russian oligarchs, who stash billions in condos, yachts and sports teams in the West. Tom Burgis of the Financial Times explains how this injection of wealth has often delighted the real estate companies who sell them New York, London, or Paris townhouses, and the arts organizations who receive their funding.  Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, told us how literature has fueled her imagination and nourished her soul in difficult times and places. Her new book, Read Dangerously, describes how Salmon Rusdhie, Margaret Atwood, James Baldwin and other great novelists showed her that “Fiction arouses our curiosity, and it is this curiosity, this restlessness, this desire to know, that makes both reading and writing so dangerous.” I was honored to spend most of the week with a crew in the operating rooms of Houston Methodist Hospital. We will report next week on the achievement of a 10-person organ transplant chain. This video helped perk up the week: a seal hitching a ride on a kayak. Just flop down and let humans do the paddling!   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 by Carol Ritchie Stories you might have missed Efrem Lukatsky/AP We've been flooded with horrifying news from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. To help you the most up-to-date information on the war, we've compiled the latest news and analysis on one page. You can also listen and subscribe to the new State of Ukraine podcast to hear quick snippets and explainers from inside the country and around the world. Here are a few of the most remarkable stories on the war from the week. Russian President Vladimir Putin is creating a nightmare, not just for the Ukrainian people but for himself as well, an expert in U.S.-Russia relations says. He is "destroying the very thing that he wished either to take or to create in Ukraine," Michael Kimmage tells NPR's Terry Gross. Russian police have arrested thousands who protested in the streets against the war, including five children, ages 7 to 11, jailed for carrying flowers and handmade signs reading "No to War" to Ukraine's embassy in Moscow.  Europe has welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open arms. Many have noted it's a far cry from the cold shoulder refugees from the Middle East and Africa have received.   Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images Striking new evidence points to the animals at the Wuhan seafood market as the point where the coronavirus originated — foreshadowed by photos from 2014 of raccoon dogs and birds. A top virus sleuth gives the details. Doctors' worst fears about Texas' new abortion law are coming true. The law bans almost all abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, and many are feeling frustration and disbelief as they navigate the new legal environment. Podcasts of the week Misha Japaridze/AP The two leaders at the heart of the current conflict, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia's Vladimir Putin, could not be more different. NPR's Throughline takes you deep into their backgrounds. ➡️ Visit the place where Zelenskyy first honed his political skills, a comedy competition that is played throughout the post-Soviet world. ➡️ Learn how a former KGB officer made his way to the top seat through political prowess and good fortune to become Russia's "tsar." Figure skating has always been about flair and drama, but what happens on the ice is nothing compared to what goes on behind the scenes. Listen to the story of a Black, Seminole figure skater who managed to navigate the sport's complicated racial and social dynamics on this episode of Code Switch. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WBEZ (edit station). Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. 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