Dec 30 Watch 2:55 Author David Leavitt on crossword puzzles, grief and ritual Sometimes it's the little things that get us through the hard times, and for many people crossword puzzles can serve as an escape. Author David Leavitt shares his humble opinion on the importance of this daily memento. Continue watching
Dec 30 20 mementos that carried you through 2020 By Joshua Barajas In your own words, here are the stories behind 20 mementos that got you through 2020. Continue reading
Dec 30 ‘Gilligan’s Island’ star Dawn Wells dies, COVID-19 cited By Associated Press "There is so much more to Dawn Wells" than the "Gilligan's Island" character that brought her fame, her publicist said in a statement. Besides TV, film and stage acting credits, her other real-life roles included teacher and motivational speaker, they… Continue reading
Dec 30 The icy backstory to that ‘clink clink’ you’ll hear when raising a toast to the end of 2020 By Tulasi Srinivas, The Conversation The history of ice in drinks goes back to antiquity. But it only really got going when a Bostonian started exporting ice to the British in colonial India. Continue reading
Dec 30 PHOTO ESSAY: ‘Even more trapped than we were before.’ Syrian students document life in a refugee camp amid the pandemic By Austin Meyer, Hailey Sadler Since March 21, Za’atari, the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp, has been under strict lockdown. While the majority of the globe has been under various stages of lockdown as governments attempt to stem the spread of the virus, the enforced… Continue reading
Dec 29 Watch 8:08 Booksellers look back at the best titles of 2020 By Jeffrey Brown, Rhana Natour In a year of isolation and pain, book sales are up as many turn to reading for a distraction, understanding and pleasure. Jeffrey Brown talks to two booksellers for our look at the year in books. Continue watching
Dec 29 Maryland may repeal state song, a Confederate call to arms By Brian Witte, Associated Press "Maryland, My Maryland" was written in 1861 as a call to arms for the Confederacy. It refers to President Abraham Lincoln as a despot and urges defiance to the "Northern scum."… Continue reading
Dec 29 French designer Pierre Cardin is dead at 98 By Associated Press France’s Academy of Fine Arts says Pierre Cardin, the French designer whose Space Age style was among the iconic looks of 20th-century fashion, has died at 98. Continue reading
Dec 28 Watch 6:52 Two critics on the shows and movies that got us through 2020 By Jeffrey Brown Even though most theaters remain closed, a regular lockdown conversation starter begins with “so what have you been watching?” Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times and Ann Hornaday from the Washington Post help Jeffrey Brown sort out the year’s… Continue watching
Dec 28 ‘Trick Mirror’ is our January book club pick By Courtney Vinopal Our January pick for Now Read This, the PBS NewsHour’s book club with The New York Times, is Jia Tolentino’s “Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion.”… Continue reading