When Jessyka Bagdon set out to move her tap dancing classes online, big questions started popping up right away: What about kids who don't own their own tap shoes? How to tap dance at home without ruining the floor? And then came the really big challenge: Online programs like Zoom are designed for meetings, not dance classes. "They're made to pick up voices," she explains, not the clickety clack of tap-dancing shoes. "So how do we make the system not filter out our tap sounds as background noise?" So Blagdon, an instructor at 'Knock on Wood Tap Studio' in Washington, D.C., set about problem-solving. No tap shoes? Turns out Mary Jane flats work well. Saving the floor? A piece of plywood does the trick.And that muffled sound over Zoom? Blagdon says fiddling around with some computer settings can help. In the nation's capital, like the rest of the country, kids cooped up at home for weeks now are craving both physical activity and the mental and creative challenges that extracurricular

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: There is mixed reaction today to new federal rules on how schools from kindergarten all the way through college must respond to cases of sexual assault and harassment. The Trump administration says their sweeping changes to Obama era guidelines will make the process fairer and help better protect accused students. But many others object both to the changes and to the timing. To talk about more details, we're joined now by NPR correspondent Tovia Smith. Hey, Tovia. TOVIA SMITH, BYLINE: Hi. CHANG: So first tell us what are some of these changes that have just been announced? SMITH: So these are largely meant to address what DeVos calls the kangaroo courts that have been handling or, in her view, mishandling these cases, and most of the changes aim to beef up protections for the accused students. So for example, at the college level, schools must now allow live cross-examination of students by the other student's lawyer or

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: It is graduation season and Trent Johnson Jr. was ready to strut across the stage for his medical degree when he got some news. TRENT JOHNSON JR: I got an email, and it said, graduation canceled. And my heart just, like, sank. I went into my bedroom, and I cried - like, boohoo-type cried. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: He's a 29-year-old student at the Ohio State University, and he says his mom called to cheer him up. JOHNSON: And she said to me, this does not negate the fact that you've worked so hard to get here. We are going to do everything in our power to make this day special for you. CHANG: His parents ordered decorations online. But they didn't arrive in time, so they made do with what they had. JOHNSON: We actually used two tablecloths to make that backdrop. And we used balloons, and we, like, taped them to the background. SHAPIRO: After pulling over a few potted plants, the stage was set, and Johnson strolled towards it in full

Copyright 2020 West Virginia Public Broadcasting. To see more, visit West Virginia Public Broadcasting . ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: The coronavirus shutdown is a major challenge for the nation's child welfare system. Reports of suspected abuse have actually fallen, but care providers say that social distancing restrictions mean even more stress for at-risk kids and families. Emily Corio with West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports. EMILY CORIO, BYLINE: The coronavirus pandemic comes at a time when West Virginia's child welfare system already faces devastating effects from the opioid epidemic. The number of children in state care has swelled in recent years, and the need for foster families has grown. Delvin Johnson is managing as best he can at the Davis Child Emergency Shelter. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) DELVIN JOHNSON: Do we have any beds for a 13-year-old male? UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: I'm not sure, DJ. Let me go check. CORIO: But the beds have been full since the governor closed

New federal regulations on how schools – from kindergarten all the way through college — must respond to cases of sexual assault and harassment are drawing swift and mixed reactions. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced what she called historic changes Wednesday to Obama-era guidelines that she said will make the process fairer and better protect accused students. While some welcome the changes to Title IX as long overdue, survivors' advocates are panning the new rules as a throwback to the days when sexual assault was seldom reported or punished, and schools are protesting they can't possibly implement them by summer, as required. Among the most significant changes are new regulations aimed at beefing up protections for accused college students, by mandating live hearings by adjudicators who are neither the Title IX coordinator nor the investigator, and real-time cross examination of each student by the other student's lawyer or representative. "Cross examination is an important

May 7 is the date that Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, declared it was safe to open up schools. The state has had fewer than 500 reported cases of the coronavirus as of this week. But according to the state's Office of Public Instruction, just a few school districts in small towns have taken the governor up on the offer. That gap — between a state executive proclaiming schools OK to open and the reality of tiny groups of students gathering in just a few schools — shows the logistical challenges educators and state officials around the country face in any decision to reopen. Willow Creek School in Three Forks, Mont., is opening its doors and expects a few dozen of its 56 students to show up. Troy, a northwestern Montana town, is holding limited and voluntary "study hall" visits, focusing on special education students, as well as some outdoor activities. The town of Glasgow says it will open its schools on a limited basis to students without devices. Libby, a town of fewer than 3

Amid all the disappointments and cancellations for high school seniors this year because of COVID-19, many schools around the nation are scrambling to salvage at least some sort of graduation for the class of 2020. Many are considering holding ceremonies online or staging some sort of drive-by celebration. "To not have [graduation] just doesn't seem right to us," says Ken Freeston, schools superintendent in North Salem, N.Y. North Salem High School Principal Vince DiGrandi agrees. "Absolutely, they've earned it," he says. Along with the school's senior class advisers, they started brainstorming last month for ways to get seniors some pomp, despite the circumstance. But the idea of standing 6 feet apart on a football field, or parading graduates past the school for a social-distanced salute didn't cut it. Eventually, they came up with another, more novel idea — to hold graduation at a venue about an hour north of the school. Within a day, they drove up to visit, fell in love with the

No field trips. No game rooms. No teddy bears. These are some of the CDC's guidelines for reopening schools, childcare centers and day camps safely in places where coronavirus cases are on the decline. The guidance, which also covers restaurants, churches and other public places, was obtained by The Associated Press , which reports that the White House tried to keep it from coming to light. The New York Times quoted Mark Meadows, the chief of staff, as being concerned that the guidelines were "overly prescriptive." The CDC does not have authority to enforce its guidance, which is intended for public information only; the actual policy decisions are up to state and local governments. Schools are closed through the end of the school year throughout much of the country, with the exception of Montana, which welcomed a handful of students back this week. Child care protocols are different in different states. But millions of parents need child care so they can work, and socialization and

A for-profit college received millions of dollars from the federal government to help low-income students whose lives have been upended by the coronavirus outbreak, but that same school, Florida Career College (FCC), is also accused of defrauding students. A federal class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of students in April calls FCC "a sham" and alleges that, long before the pandemic, the college was targeting economically vulnerable people of color. The plaintiffs say the vocational school enticed them with false promises of career training and job placement — but spent little on instruction while charging exorbitant prices and pushing students into loans they cannot repay. The lawsuit comes as thousands of colleges across the country are receiving federal emergency relief in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Through the CARES Act, FCC has been allotted $17 million. The law requires that at least half of that money goes directly to students, but makes few stipulations for the rest

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: More than 50 million children here in the U.S. will be out of school for the remainder of the academic year due to the coronavirus. In Europe, however, a different story. This coming Monday, France is set to join a small number of European countries attempting a partial reopening of schools. This week, French president Emmanuel Macron visited a primary school northwest of Paris that has remained open for the children of essential health workers. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: (Speaking French). PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: (Speaking French). UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: (Speaking French). MACRON: (Speaking French). KELLY: That little girl there telling the president her mother works as a nurse in a coronavirus unit. Well, Macron's education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, was there at the school as well. He is overseeing the reopening of schools next week, and he joins us via Skype now from Paris. Bonjour.

Primary schools in France are reopening next week. There will, of course, be social distancing measures in place. Class sizes will be limited to 15 and no games at recess. It's a gradual three-week process beginning with preschoolers. The government says the reopening is voluntary and students won't be forced to return. Still, many parents and administrators are against the plan. More than 300 mayors in the Paris region signed an open letter to President Macron, urging a delay in reopening and saying the timeline is " untenable and unrealistic ." They said schools needed more time to implement the required sanitary measures. Jean-Michel Blanquer, France's minister of education, talked with Mary Louise Kelly on All Things Considered about bringing students back to class for the first time since mid-March. Here are selected excerpts: Do you think they will come? Do you think you will have 15 students in classrooms come next week? Yes, because we are asking the parents during the last

NPR's education reporter talks about what graduating seniors are going through right now as the colleges are closed due to the pandemic and answers their questions.

NPR's education reporter talks about what graduating seniors are going through right now as the colleges are closed due to the pandemic and answers their questions.

September 1937: In Venedig werden Erich Maria Remarque und Marlene Dietrich ein Paar. Aber eigentlich trösten sich hier zwei Weltstars im Karriereknick. Drei Jahre lang bleibt er ihr Liebhaber, dann hat er genug.

„Der Landesvorstand erwartet, dass Boris Palmer unsere Partei verlässt“, teilte der Vorstand der Südwest-Grünen mit. Zuletzt sorgte der Tübinger OB mit einer Wortwahl zum Umgang mit älteren Corona-Patienten für Empörung.

Offiziell ist es wieder erlaubt, dass Enkelkinder Oma und Opa treffen, sofern sie nicht im Pflegeheim leben. Doch sollte man der Sehnsucht nach einem Wiedersehen nachgeben? Immunologen, Wissenschaftler und Ärzte geben Ratschläge.

Fußballprofi Sören Bertram hat den DFB schwer kritisiert. Der Spieler von Drittligist Magdeburg fürchtet bei einer Fortsetzung der Saison um seine Gesundheit. Die Spieler seien nicht befragt worden, das Konzept greife nicht. Er fordert den Abbruch der Saison.

CDU und CSU befinden sich weiter im Aufwind. Laut einer aktuellen Forsa-Umfrage steht die Union erstmals seit Jahren wieder bei 40 Prozent. Der Koalitionspartner muss hingegen weitere Prozentpunkte einbüßen.

Nach den Bundesligen soll auch die Dritte Liga den Spielbetrieb wieder aufnehmen. Beim DFB ist man sich über Terminplan und Rahmen einig. Die Klubs wurden informiert. Auch die Politik habe bereits zugestimmt.

Er war der Architekt des Rock ’n’ Roll. Ein homosexueller Schwarzer aus den Südstaaten Amerikas befreite die Jugend der Welt und fand am Ende zu Gott. Little Richards Leben ist die Geschichte einer Erlösung. Nun ist er gestorben.

Little Richard gilt als Wegbereiter des Rock 'n' Roll, erlangte in den 50ern mit Hits wie „Tutti Frutti“ weltweite Bekanntheit. Nun ist der amerikanische Musiker im Alter von 87 Jahren verstorben.

Innerhalb der Grünen-Partei rumort es - auch wegen eines Streits um neuerliche Aussagen Boris Palmers. Ein Parteiausschluss, wie von einigen gefordert, scheint dem Tübinger Oberbürgermeister aber nicht zu drohen.

Nach Boris Palmers umstrittenen Äußerungen über Corona-Patienten rät ihm sein grüner Landesverband zum Parteiaustritt. Sollte Palmer rausfliegen, befürchten aber selbst Gegner des Tübinger Bürgermeisters diskursive Totenruhe bei den Grünen

Am Samstagabend haben sich am Alexanderplatz über Tausend Menschen zu einer unangemeldeten Demonstration gegen die Corona-Maßnahmen versammelt. Anja Dierschke von der Berliner Polizei informiert über die Entwicklungen vor Ort.

Früher gab es pro Dorf ein paar einsame Sonderlinge. Heute sind sie dank sozialer Medien vernetzt. Sie reden von „querdenken“. In Wahrheit suchen sie einfache Antworten auf komplexe Fragen – und sind schnell dabei, für alles einen Schuldigen zu finden.

Die deutsche EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen befindet sich in einer Zwickmühle, seit das Bundesverfassungsgericht sich gegen den Europäischen Gerichtshof gestellt hat. Aber sie hat eine klare Meinung zum Disput über die Staatsanleihenkäufe der EZB.

Der 75. Jahrestag des Sieges über den Hitlerfaschismus ist in der weißrussischen Hauptstadt Minsk mit einer großen Militärparade gefeiert gefeiert worden. Auf den Tribünen stehen Weltkriegsveteranen dicht an dicht ohne Maske.

I'm crowdsourcing a photo collection of all the COVID-19 closure signs that have popped up all over our communities. I'd love to include photos from your city!

[Hello MF, long time reader, first time poster!]

Over just a few days, my neighbourhood was blanketed in signs announcing closures and operational changes due to COVID-19. I was especially struck by the range of emotions in these signs — so many expressed messages of hope, optimism, and solidarity. I'm trying to document as many of these signs as possible before they disappear.


I'm also cross-posting photos on twitter and instagram

[Link]

I made a new website for my art practice, and, while my last show and newest work is textile-based, I thought MetaFilter might like my 2015 exhibition Screen Wall, featuring concrete breeze blocks I designed by (mis)using Photoshop's Content-Aware Fill.

I used Content-Aware Fill to create a large field of wonky-warpy screen wall block motifs and wrote a small PHP script to cut it into block-sized designs, which I traced in Illustrator and had water-jet cut from EVA, supplying both the mould materials and foam-rubber positives that visitors to the show could (and did) play with.

The show also included rubbings and photograms made using laser-cut bamboo tiles and an animation (strobe warning) consisting of 2000 image frames made using Audacity in place of an image editor.

Today the most of the blocks are in the gallery director's front yard (he also did the masonry), seen here, but I kept enough to make a rain barrel stand someday.

(Alternate secure link if that's an issue or if the domain isn't resolving for you yet)

[Link]

Identify each TV show by a single frame taken from their opening titles. All those years spent on the sofa watching mindless entertainment can finally pay off, if only in Internet glory.

I wrote this to give my friends (mostly longtime pub-quizzers) something to puzzle over. None of the shows are obscure (I tried to provide a healthy mixture of old and new shows) but this is harder than it seems.

[Link]

Inspired by this post my favorite pastime recently, when I'm feeling down or bored, has been getting GPT-2 to complete William Carlos Williams poems. I've made a tumblr where I have been posting some of my favorite completions of his classic, "This Is Just To Say."

[Link]

Fifteen Monsters All In A Row is a short text adventure/twine game (which should work in any browser), where you have to confront fifteen monsters (in a row), which I made for/with my five year old niece and two year old nephew, who designed the monsters, and wrote some of the stories. The game contains 15 monsters (all in a row), several secret monsters (occasionally in a row), multiple solutions to every problem (almost), some exciting stories (occasionally), at least two jokes, and even a super secret special ending.

A couple of years ago (this was designed in 2018, and made in 2019, and then bugfixed and released in 2020), my niece (then 5) and my nephew (who was 2), wanted to design a computer game, so we designed a computer game (the original design document can be seen if you click credits, then design document, on the opening page of the game file, and their original monster art and designs are the ones used in the game itself).

Then I spent so long getting round to actually making it that now she's 7, and he's 4, but it's finished now so here it is.

Fifteen Monsters All In A Row: Game
Fifteen Monsters All In A Row: Introduction/Explanation
Estimated Playthrough Time: 10 minutes
Estimated Replayability Factor: Infinite

[Link]

Enchanting singer and instrumentalist Leah Senior has just shared her charming new track "Evergreen," via Flightless Records, label of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. This joyful tune comes after a long wait from Senior, whose last full length album, Pretty Faces, came in 2017. "Evergreen" also comes with an exciting announcement, the release of a new album The Passing […]

The post Leah Senior shares baroque "Evergreen" music video appeared first on EARMILK.

Float Therapy is the moniker of 19-year-old musician Padraig Wilson. In fact, he also happens to write and record all the instruments himself. Float Therapy is a relatively new artist with a whole lot to say and he only recently released his first single "Gaffer Tape"- an intense, solid anthem that takes inspiration from the […]

The post Float Therapy unintentionally pays homage to Weekend at Bernie's in "Gaffer Tape" [Video] appeared first on EARMILK.

Sweden's Ellen Krauss fills those small compartments of the heart that have been empty for too long with an indie-pop tonic titled "No Talk," which attempts to rebalance the way the organ operates, how it reacts to fear. "No Talk" is a groovy, super-smooth number that erupts at the choruses with the vibrant vocals of […]

The post Ellen Krauss reconfigures fear in new single "No Talk" appeared first on EARMILK.

We can all take a moment to appreciate the smaller moments in life, especially when everything can feel so large and uncertain to comprehend and a little bit of hope can go a long way.  Enter South London-based duo PELA who join the streaming sphere today with their new single "You Got Me" which has been […]

The post SPELA have an appreciation of little moments in life on "You Got Me" appeared first on EARMILK.

What does the quarantine mean for people who are homeless? We hear how one soup kitchen is adjusting to the shelter-in-place order. Then, we begin a series that looks at how other countries are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, starting with Australia. And, from our project Uncuffed, how to make a wet burrito if you’re stuck in a prison cell.

How are seniors are coping in this time of isolation? We'll hear how non-profits and an army of volunteers in the Bay Area are working to relieve the anxiety. Then, we continue checking in with reporters around the globe on the coronavirus. Today, we're going to India. And, Oakland pianist and MC, Kev Choice shares the spiritual dimension of his music.

We'll hear from San Francisco supervisors on the challenges the city is facing moving some unhoused residents into hotels to shelter from the pandemic. Then, we go to Europe and get the latest on the coronavirus situation there. And, religious communities can’t gather in person, but they’re still meeting up online.

First, an update on how the City of Oakland is handling the coronavirus pandemic. Then, a teen in Los Gatos creates a space where her peers can safely reveal some of their deepest personal struggles. And, from the Uncuffed team at San Quentin , we’ll hear how a man who grew up in Cambodia and ended up incarcerated in the U.S. Plus, a reading from a Bay Area author for our series " New Arrivals ."

We look at the results of a cutting-edge community testing program in the Mission and what it says about race, inequality, and housing. Then, we go across town to find Shakespeare in Golden Gate Park . And, we dive into more contemporary literature in our series, " New Arrivals ."

As a child, Nancy felt terrible fear when she learned about God’s “eternal hellfire.” As an adult, she rebelled against the tragic distortion of being burned forever for her sins. But despite seeking happiness in the world, she only ended up in relationships that led to heartbreak. But God had a beautiful plan for her life that she was soon to discover.

Lily was in a dilemma. After discovering the Sabbath truth while listening to Pastor Doug on Bible Answers Live, she approached her work supervisor to request Saturdays off. He flatly refused. But through the prayers of giving people like you, God performed a miracle. Thank you for changing Lily’s life!

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: This country's top uniformed military officer is wrestling with a special problem of the pandemic. The military has to protect its people, but unlike schools and businesses, it can never shut down. MARK MILLEY: We still have to defend the nation and sail ships and fly planes and so on. How are we, as a military, going to operate in this environment and, if not this environment, some other pandemic environment? MARTIN: General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talked through the challenges with our co-host, Steve Inskeep. STEVE INSKEEP, BYLINE: General Milley is a four-decade veteran of U.S. operations around the world. He's also a history buff who knew we would play this interview today, May 8, the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. That war is on his mind as Milley considers the scale of the pandemic today. MILLEY: We, the United States, have lost over 70,000 killed in the last 90 to 120

As Minnesota Gov. Walz weighs his decision on when to let nonessential businesses reopen, he's facing a lot of pressure from a frustrated workforce, especially from small business owners who are trying to stay afloat during the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak. "The frustrations that they have are real. These are businesses that, they may have been in families for generations or they built up," the Democratic governor says in an interview with Morning Edition . The state is under a stay-at-home order until at least May 18 . In reopening the economy, he says, businesses will face another challenge: consumer confidence. Walz worries that — even with stay-at-home orders lifted — many consumers will be skittish about reengaging with businesses until they feel safe. Walz says many businesses should remain closed until the state ramps up its testing capacity. Achieving that goal will help contain the virus's spread, as well as bolster the public's confidence, he says.

Updated at 11:43 a.m. ET The Labor Department delivered a historically bad employment report Friday, showing 20.5 million jobs lost last month as the nation locked down against the coronavirus. The jobless rate soared to 14.7% — the highest level since the Great Depression. The highest monthly job loss before this was 2 million in 1945, as the nation began to demobilize after World War II. The worst monthly job loss during the Great Recession was 800,000 in March 2009. Loading... Don't see the graphic above? Click here. Unemployment was 4.4% in March as the coronavirus began to take hold in the U.S. It approached 25% during the Great Depression and remained elevated until World War II. Loading... Don't see the graphic above? Click here. The carnage was felt across industries in April. With most travel shut down, leisure and hospitality jobs fell by 7.6 million. The retail and health care sectors each dropped by 2.1 million. Manufacturing lost 1.3 million and government jobs fell by 980

Why is the government seeking to drop charges against Michael Flynn even though he pleaded guilty — in two admissions in court — to committing the crime at issue? The short answers: The Justice Department is giving him a break. And Flynn has played his cards well. The long answer: It's a long story. The deal Flynn admitted to lying to the FBI about conversations he had had with Russia's then-ambassador to the United States as he and the rest of President-elect Donald Trump's camp waited in the wings early in 2017. That case appeared clear. But the former Army lieutenant general also had been involved with other enterprises that might have resulted in more charges — including undisclosed foreign lobbying — and his deal with prosecutors swept that off the table. It also apparently avoided prospective charges for Flynn's son. Flynn and his attorneys considered the deal to be the least bad way out of the jam. "My guilty plea and agreement to cooperate with the special counsel's office

Updated at 4:02 p.m. ET The White House on Friday confirmed a second case of coronavirus this week, now in Vice President Pence's office, as both the president and his No. 2 have recently begun traveling again. Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller tested positive for the virus on Friday, after having tested negative Thursday. President Trump told reporters Friday that Miller hasn't come into contact with him but has "spent some time" with the vice president. "She is a wonderful young woman, Katie," he said. "She tested very good for a long period of time. And then all of a sudden today she tested positive." "So, she tested positive out of the blue," he continued. "This is why the whole concept of tests aren't necessarily, right, the tests are perfect but something can happen between a test where it's good and then something happens and then all of a sudden, she was tested very recently and tested negative." The discovery caused Pence's departure to Iowa on Friday morning to be delayed by

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Adjusting to life on the virtual campaign trail has been a challenge for both Joe Biden and President Trump. It's been a particular struggle, though, for the former vice president. Here he is kicking off a virtual campaign rally this week with supporters in Florida. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) JOE BIDEN: Just me? Am I on? UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Yes. BIDEN: Good evening. Thanks so much for tuning in. KELLY: Ouch. Joining us now is NPR political correspondent Asma Khalid. She covers the Biden campaign. Hey, Asma. ASMA KHALID, BYLINE: Hi there. KELLY: So clearly some technical difficulties for the former vice president there. What is his strategy for campaigning when he can't go out and campaign? KHALID: Well, you're right. I mean, he's been hunkered down at his house in Delaware. So we should point out he has not been able to physically go out and campaign because of the virus. This week, the campaign announced this new

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Nurses and doctors have been at the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. And yet even as health care workers fight back against the virus, the health care industry is crumbling around them. Today we learned that of the more than 20 million jobs that vanished last month, nearly 1 1/2 million were in health care. AILSA CHANG, HOST: And despite this dismal news for American workers, we heard a more optimistic message from the president today, who spoke about his belief that the country may soon turn an economic corner. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So we're looking at the transition to greatness, and I think it's starting right now. CHANG: Meanwhile, the virus is inching closer and closer to the president, with another White House aide testing positive today for COVID-19. All right. To talk more about all of this, we're joined now by NPR chief economics correspondent Scott Horsley, science