George Floyd Anniversary; Blinken Travels To Middle East; Eating Cicadas Is A Thing Now

Plus, what life is like for one Yemeni family after the U.S. travel ban.

View this email online by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up Jiwon Choi Here's what we're following today. One year ago, George Floyd took his last breath under the knee of a white police officer. Floyd's murder sparked days of unrest in the Twin Cities and mass protests across the world over the treatment of Black people and racial minorities. Click here to watch a video from Minneapolis public radio station, MPR News.  Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders where he seeks to negotiate a lasting truce. Listen here.  Belarus is facing sanctions after grounding a flight to catch a dissident journalist. Here are three reasons why the brazen arrest of Roman Protasevich by the Belarusian government is troubling.  Newsletter continues after sponsor message Today's Listens Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images With Twitter taken away from him, former President Donald Trump has been largely out of the spotlight. But Trump continues to have great influence with Republican elected leaders, and he continues to push election falsehoods. Read about it or listen to the report. The population of the Florida panther once dwindled to below two dozen, but has since rebounded to more than 200. Listen to an interview with photographer Carlton Ward Jr., who has made it his mission to photograph their progress. You can read the story, as well.   Grant Spanier/Geffen Records When this year began, Olivia Rodrigo hadn't even released a single as a recording artist. But by mid-January, she was setting streaming records and sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100. "Drivers License" was an instant sensation and one of this year's biggest songs. And now, Olivia Rodrigo has her first full-length album, called Sour. (Pop Culture Happy Hour) Dawnie Walton was working as the deputy managing editor at Essence in 2015 when she decided to leave her job to become a novelist. Her debut novel, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, centers on a fictional interracial rock duo from the 1970s. Listen here or read highlights from the interview with Fresh Air's Terry Gross.   Reem al Saeedi Yemenis who won the diversity visa lottery were stopped by the Trump administration's travel ban. Now they've had to start applying all over again. "Our lives have been destroyed by what has happened," Anwar Alsaeedi, 43, tells NPR by phone from Yemen's capital, Sanaa. "I really have no hope that my family can recover from this here. There's nothing in Yemen now." Listen here or read the story. The Picture Show Rob Schmitz/NPR Croatia is the most tourism-dependent country in Europe, and one of the first to open its borders to vaccinated Americans. Lawmakers are bypassing the European Union as it mires itself in debate over the ethics and implications of "vaccination passports." But opening up quickly is crucial to reviving its pandemic-battered economy. Read the story or listen to Rob Schmitz's report.  50 Years Of NPR Justin Sullivan/Getty Images We are marking a milestone, 50 years of NPR, with a look back at stories from the archive. In 1987, NPR's Patricia Neighmond first profiled Archie Harrison, a young man living with HIV. What followed was a year of highs and lows, of recovery and acceptance.  Before You Go Matt Kasson Some people say they have a good reason to eat cicadas (it's good for the environment, apparently). That's a hard pass for us, but y'all go ahead. Every year, Saturday Night Live showcases some of the biggest stars in pop, rock, hip-hop and more. At the end of each season, we rank them with cold-hearted precision. A Florida high school is in hot water after digitally editing 80 female students' yearbook pictures — many of them clumsily — to cover more of their chests.  Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from Vermont Public Radio (edit 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