A new flu spilling over from cows to people

Climate change solutions in Bangladesh

View this email online Goats and Soda editor's note Marc Silver/NPR One of the most enjoyable stories I've written for NPR was for The Salt, a blog devoted to food.  The topic: gefilte fish made from ... canned tuna. Gefilte is Yiddish for "stuffed." The fish dish is served at Jewish holidays like Passover, which begins at sunset this Wednesday. Why fish? For one thing, they're a symbol of fertility. Over the years, the dish morphed from fish skin stuffed with a combo of ground fish and filler ingredients (presumably to lessen the expense) to fish balls. Typically freshwater fish like carp and pike were used since they were available in Eastern Europe, a center of Jewish life back in the day. Then a colleague dropped a fish bombshell on me: Joe Palca happened to mention that his grandma made it with canned tuna! "I think it is hilarious ... and I'm in no way surprised," Jeffrey Yoskowitz told me. He's the author of The Gefilte Manifesto. It's a reminder that Jewish food "adapts to local ways and local ingredients." I tracked down recipes from the 1960s and made a batch. It wasn't ... terrible. But let's just say nothing can compare to my mother's gefilte fish, lovingly crafted from fish freshly ground by the fishmonger. Read the story here. To all our readers marking spring holidays I wish you a joyous celebration. We won't be sending out our newsletter next week because of the holiday season but will be back the following week. In the meantime, be on the lookout for a story about Passover ... and Ugandan Jews ... on our website this weekend. Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda solutions Fatima Tuj Johora for NPR  Facing floods: What the world can learn from Bangladesh's climate solutions The world's worst cyclones hit Bangladesh. Floods are devastating. Yet death tolls are falling. The country's climate disaster strategies offer lessons for all coastal communities. hidden viruses Chelsea Beck for NPR A new flu is spilling over from cows to people in the U.S. How worried should we be? Pigs and goats likely catch it too. It's been found in humans' noses in the Southwest — and in the air at airports and at chicken farms in Malaysia.  You asked about bats, pets, immunity and other hot viral topics! We've got answers In response to our series on spillover viruses, you had many questions: from the role of climate change to possible benefits. We turn the mic to you for a special edition of 'Hidden Viruses.' in the news Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images An outbreak of Marburg virus is reported in a second country in Africa. Climate change could be a factor Tanzania has reported cases of the infectious disease, which, according to the World Health Organization, has epidemic potential. The news has lent urgency to efforts to develop a vaccine — and raised concern that Earth's changing climate could be fueling outbreaks there and in Equatorial Guinea. 'Ghost villages' of the Himalayas foreshadow a changing India Parts of the Himalayas in India are seeing people abandon farming villages for cities that offer more jobs. Some observers say the government shoulders some responsibility for the exodus, as policies that devote resources to urban areas contribute to the transformation of a once-thriving farming region into a network of empty villages and devastated natural beauty. Newsletter continues after sponsor message links we like   The New York Times explains why, in Colombia and other parts of the world, counting births and deaths "is a lot harder than it sounds." "The Vatican repudiates 'Doctrine of Discovery,' which was used to justify colonialism," reports NPR. The Guardian pays homage to Ethiopian nun and musician Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, who died at age 99. Her compositions have been used in Oscar-nominated and Netflix films. In the documentary about her, The Honky Tonk Nun, she said: “We can’t always choose what life brings. But we can choose how to respond.” Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WBEZ (edit station). What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: goatsandsoda@npr.org 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