Pastime Favorites

Deborah Treisman reads and discusses “Good People,” by David Foster Wallace, which appeared in a 2007 issue of the magazine. David Foster Wallace, who died in 2008, was the author of three short-story collections and three novels, including “Infinite Jest,” and “The Pale King,” which was published posthumously, in 2011, and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. 

Workers at Amazon, Instacart, and Whole Foods have gone on strike demanding safe work conditions. Amazon has already fired one organizer and continues to pump out misinformation and propaganda as Jeff Bezos continues to rake in billions of dollars. We hear from the fired Amazon manager Christian Smalls and talk to Jacobin magazine reporter Meagan Day about her reporting on the conditions of some essential workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, Joe Biden’s campaign against Medicare for All, and the shortage of supplies in hospitals.Emergency Room nurse John Pearson, from Highland Hospital in Oakland, explains why his colleagues had to start a GoFundMe campaign for vital medical equipment. He talks about the lack of supplies to deal with the coming surge of coronavirus cases and why he believes that this crisis demands the implementation of a single-payer healthcare system. He also talks about the California health care workers petition to Governor Gavin Newsom.Intercepted listeners share their stories of struggle during the pandemic — we hear from people losing jobs, facing mounting debt, working in unsafe conditions, and worrying about what the future holds for the most vulnerable people.As Congress pats itself on the back for the bipartisan $2.2 trillion “stimulus” package Trump signed into law, journalist David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, breaks down the corporate interests and powerful people who stand to gain the most from the looting of taxpayer funds. Dayen analyzes the portions of the bill aimed at bailing out struggling families, workers, small business owners, and explains why he believes Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders were wrong to vote in favor of the bailout.And if you or someone you know needs emotional support or is contemplating suicide, resources include the Crisis Text Line, the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the Trevor Project, or the International Association for Suicide Prevention. ...moreCopy Link

President Trump issues sobering coronavirus warning. Models show it will get worse before it gets better. Dozens of sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt are sick after being infected with COVID-19. Renters face first of the month.

Scientists are racing to make a vaccine for the coronavirus, collaborating across borders in what is usually a secretive and competitive field. But their cooperation has been complicated by national leaders trying to buy first claim on any breakthrough. Today, we explore how the fight to own a future coronavirus vaccine is revealing the boundaries of international solidarity.Guest: Katrin Bennhold, Berlin bureau chief for The New York Times, spoke with Lidia Oostvogels, who researches infectious diseases with the German biotech company CureVac. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading: The United States says it will share any vaccine breakthroughs with the world. So why did President Trump reportedly try to purchase a German biotech company that is trying to develop a shot for the coronavirus?The latest updates from top U.S. government scientists project that the coronavirus could kill 100,000 to 240,000 Americans — even with strict social distancing....moreCopy Link

The stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting smells.Throughout history, humans have gone to great lengths to indulge their sense of smell. We explore the contemporary scent industry to see how modern creatives are utilizing works of olfactory art everywhere from Disney World to high-end museums. Featuring Disney Imagineer Gary Powell and New York Time’s perfume critic Chandler Burr.Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the studios of Defacto Sound, and hosted by Dallas Taylor. Follow the show on Twitter, Facebook, & Reddit.Become a monthly contributor at 20k.org/donate. If you know what this week's mystery sound is, tell us at mystery.20k.org. Check out Chandler’s exhibits at chandlerburr.com.Consolidate your credit card debt today and get an additional interest rate discount at lightstream.com/20k.Get 25% off your first kit at cleancult.com/20k.Episode transcript, music, and credits can be found here: https://www.20k.org/episodes/twentypartsperthousand...moreCopy Link

Josh has a warning: don't get too close, but don't stay too far away either. Featuring Josh Gondelman.

Part rally, part media-bashing, part critical updates on the coronavirus crisis, President Trump's daily press briefings are muddying the message. (Transcript here.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If I believe that we are all inherently worthy just by being human, how can I feel that way when I feel I’m doing ‘nothing?’” — Anna Bondoc from Los AngelesSo many of us are raised to believe that hard work is what makes us valuable; many of our professions and even our identities as helpers are on hold. How does self-worth interact with just being when we feel we're doing nothing? Krista reflects on the problem with the phrase “just being” — and how settling inside ourselves right now, and kindness towards ourselves, are gifts to the world we want to make beyond this crisis.Living the Questions is an occasional On Being segment where Krista muses on questions from our listening community. Submit your own at ltq@onbeing.org.Krista Tippett created and leads the On Being Project, hosts the On Being radio show and podcast, and curates the Civil Conversations Project. She received the National Humanities Medal at the White House in 2014. She speaks widely and writes books including Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living. Read her full bio here.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org...moreCopy Link

Tomorrow, tens of millions of Americans will be kicked off of their health insurance and be unable to pay their rent. And the nation has done virtually nothing about it. Shaun breaks down what makes this moment so devastating and ends with an action step.

In this essay, Haseeb Qureshi of Dragonfly Capital explains why he thinks the focus on decentralization can be overhyped. He looks at why decentralization can be important but then makes it clear, by dissecting when it is important and when it’s not, and to whom it does and doesn’t matter, that it isn’t the be-all end-all goal for every endeavor. He talks about which questions we should be asking beyond just, “is it decentralized,” and also explains why that question doesn’t even make sense.  Thank you to our sponsors!  CipherTrace: https://ciphertrace.com Crypto.com: https://crypto.com/ Kraken: https://www.kraken.com...moreCopy Link

Two young girls, abandoned by the world, are drawn together.   Content advisory: archaic/derogatory language

This week, we call people across the world.

PSG had a team to drool over, Milan were permanent fixtures in the final. But 94/95 was arguably Louis Van Gaal’s finest season as a manager, leading his Ajax starlets to Champions League glory. Although Jari Litmanen was robbed of the Ballon D’Or. It’s the whole story of the campaign. From Gothenburg to Gary Walsh.In the modern day, there’s contract reshuffles at Barca, Bayern and Juve. And Benzema’s got beef with Olivier Giroud.RUNNING ORDER• PART 1: Headlines from around Europe and favourite commentaries (01m 00s) • PART 2a: 94/95 Champions League review part 1 (12m 00s)• PART 2b: 94/95 Champions League review part 2 (22m 00s)...moreCopy Link

Ken Grossman was experimenting with beer before he was old enough to buy it. As a high school student in the late 1960s, he bought his first home brewing kit and mixed the ingredients in a bucket, hiding his early batches from his mother. About ten years later, before most Americans knew what craft beer was, Ken decided to build a brewery in Chico, California. With $50,000, a few piles of scrap metal and some hand-me-down dairy tanks, Ken and his partner built Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and crafted a beer with a distinctive, hoppy bitterness. Today, as the third largest craft brewer in the U.S., Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – like so many other businesses – faces unprecedented challenges due to the Coronavirus crisis....moreCopy Link

Nathaniel Rateliff is a singer and songwriter from Colorado. He’s released four solo albums, and two with his band, the Night Sweats. Those two Night Sweats albums were produced by Richard Swift, who passed away in 2018. In a statement, his family said that he "suffered from alcohol addiction, and it’s ultimately what took his life." Nathaniel Rateliff’s new solo album, And It’s Still Alright, was supposed to be produced by Richard Swift as well, but Richard died before they could work together again. In this episode, Nathaniel breaks down the title track, which was inspired by his own complicated relationship with alcohol, and by his friendship with Richard Swift. songexploder.net/nathaniel-rateliff...moreCopy Link

Our other show, This is Love, is coming back on April 1. All new stories, about animals and the wild, and what happens when we take time to look around us. Criminal is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. If you haven't already, please review us on Apple Podcasts! It's an important way to help new listeners discover the show: iTunes.com/CriminalShow. Say hello on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our newsletter, The Accomplice. If you'd like to introduce friends or family members to podcasts, we created a How to Listen guide based on frequently asked questions. Artwork by Julienne Alexander. ...moreCopy Link

We're putting together episodes about this virus and we want to hear from you. You can send us a voice memo or an email to embedded@npr.org.

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge is the founding fa/mo/ther of Industrial music, a performance artist, and a very, very, very devoted husband. Originally broadcast 2013.