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September 3, 2019

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Entertainment September 3, 2019

The Sisters Of A-WA ‘Want To Bring Something New’ To Yemen’s Musical Traditions

A-WA’s latest album, Bayti Fi Rasi, is out now.

Rotem Lebel/Courtesy of the artist


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Rotem Lebel/Courtesy of the artist

A-WA is made up of three Israeli sisters, Tair, Liron and Tagel Haim. This melodic trio of Jewish women of Yemeni descent women emphasize mixing their culture’s traditions with forward-thinking modifications to sound, visuals and ethos. The sisters are known for eye-popping music videos that challenge gender stereotypes. Picture women in traditional robes that are neon pink while off-roading across a barren desert. The trio’s sound is just as distinctive. The sisters’ latest album, Bayti Fi Rasi (My Home Is In My Head), reworks traditional music from their ancestors’ home country of Yemen with hip-hop and electronic elements.

While A-WA was at NPR’s headquarters in Washington D.C. to perform a Tiny Desk concert, the members spoke with NPR’s Ari Shapiro about the messaging of the band’s music.

“The songs on this album are inspired by our great grandma,” Tahir, the eldest sister, says. “She was traveling from Yemen to Israel as a single mom and [“Hana Mash Hu Al Yaman”] talks about her arrival in Israel. They put all the Yemenite Jews back then in transition camps or a tent camp. … We talk about all the mixed emotions she felt.”

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With Bayti Fi Rasi being sung from the point of view of the sisters’ great grandmother, Rachel, in 1949, Tahir explains that this music upholds her legacy.

“She was a feminist before she even knew what a feminist is,” Tahir says. “She was so strong. Her journey was so courageous and she didn’t have any help from anyone. But thanks to her, we are a generation born in Israel and our future and our present are better. We have a better life.”

The ladies take what they have inherited from older generations — the harmonies, melodies and Yemenite traditions — and deliberately yank them into the 21st century by adding beats and production effects that their great grandmother would never have heard of.

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“For us, it’s not interesting to put the tradition as it is because we want to bring something new. We want to bring ourselves,” Tahir says. “We also have three voices as young women, so in the album, for instance, we sort of blended her voice — things that she couldn’t say back then — with our voices.”

With the current global refugee crisis, the Haim sisters hope that the story of their great grandmother will speak to people, especially women, who find themselves in these similar situations today.

“We felt that this issue is so relevant,” Tahir says.

“It’s a story about one woman, but it’s actually a story of so many other refugees around the world. So, for us, it’s a story that we wanted to tell for years,” Liron adds.

Audio editor Emily Kopp and web editor Sidney Madden contributed to this story.

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Business September 3, 2019

The Price Of Gold Is At A 6-Year High. But Is It Actually A Good Investment?

The price of gold is at its highest in six years. “Gold bugs” — that is, die-hard gold investors — swear by the commodity as a certain bet. But are they right?



MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

The price of gold is at its highest in more than six years. Gold bugs – that is, die-hard gold investors – swear by the commodity as a sure bet. But are they right? Stacey Vanek Smith and Darius Rafieyan of NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money report from New York.

STACEY VANEK SMITH, BYLINE: The world’s largest gold coin rolled through town all the way from Australia.

DARIUS RAFIEYAN, BYLINE: And it was put on display, like, on a literal pedestal in a little roped-off section in front of the New York Stock Exchange.

VANEK SMITH: This event was basically a gimmick, a big advertisement. It was there to promote investing in gold.

RAFIEYAN: Gold is having quite a moment right now – no question. The price of gold is at a six-year high, and investors from all over the world are jumping into gold.

VANEK SMITH: But why is the price so high right now? And is gold actually a good investment?

RAFIEYAN: The gold coin gimmick was admittedly pretty effective. A little crowd had gathered. They were taking selfies with the coin.

VANEK SMITH: But, you know, there was this one guy in the crowd who kind of stood out.

What does it – what do you feel when you look at it?

KAROL DIBYEC: Honestly, what I feel – I feel I want to steal it.

VANEK SMITH: (Laughter).

RAFIEYAN: Well, this very honest man is Karol Dibyec. He designs and installs kitchens. He lives in New Jersey. And Karol loves gold.

VANEK SMITH: Are you a gold bug?

DIBYEC: Yeah, I am (laughter).

VANEK SMITH: You are?

DIBYEC: (Laughter) Yeah.

VANEK SMITH: Gold bugs – so these are people who invest in gold, but these are not like the same people who invest in stocks and bonds.

RAFIEYAN: No, gold people are passionate about gold. They want to talk about it. They believe in it. For a lot of hardcore gold investors, gold is almost like a religion.

VANEK SMITH: Gold bugs believe that gold has this inherent value, that it is valuable everywhere. So if your country’s economy goes bust and your currency is suddenly worthless, you’re fine if your money is invested in gold.

RAFIEYAN: And this is why during times when people feel uncertain about the future or worried that the economy might go south, a lot of people start gravitating to gold.

VANEK SMITH: So is gold a good investment?

JOSH BROWN: No.

VANEK SMITH: (Laughter).

RAFIEYAN: Josh Brown is the CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, and he says that the real appeal of gold is more nostalgic than rational. He says gold did have this golden moment back in the ’70s and ’80s when the economy and inflation were spinning out of control, and gold was this stable safe haven from all the chaos.

VANEK SMITH: Josh says ever since then, gold has had this reputation for being safe and secure, a place you can put your wealth when the economy is looking shaky.

RAFIEYAN: But Josh says when you actually look at the numbers, the data, this doesn’t really track.

BROWN: Gold is below the level it traded at in the early 1980s – almost 44 years ago – on an inflation-adjusted basis. Everything outperformed it. I mean, stocks versus gold over the last four decades – it’s embarrassing. It’s not even worth discussing.

RAFIEYAN: And this moment right now could be gold’s last real hurrah. Josh’s gold is getting a little outdated. A lot of younger investors who want an independent, government-free store of wealth now tend to gravitate not to gold but to cryptocurrency, like bitcoin.

VANEK SMITH: And Josh says you hear a lot of the same arguments and that same kind of extreme zeal that you used to hear from gold bugs now from crypto investors.

RAFIEYAN: Cryptocurrency – it’s still a relatively small market. But Josh says he thinks more and more, it will play the role for a certain stripe of investor that gold once did.

Darius Rafieyan.

VANEK SMITH: Stacey Vanek Smith, NPR News.

Copyright © 2019 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Health September 3, 2019

When Employer Demands Clash With Health Care Obligations

NPR’s Steve Inskeep talks to Paul Spiegel, one of several doctors at Johns Hopkins University arguing that physicians who work in immigration detention centers could be violating the Hippocratic Oath.



STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Many people know a physician’s Hippocratic oath. It’s often summarized by the phrase first, do no harm. But what about when patients are detainees in U.S. immigration centers? A group of doctors is asking if it is ethical for doctors to agree to serve in those detention centers. Paul Spiegel of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health wrote about this in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

What is wrong with a physician thinking about going into an immigration detention facility to administer to children?

PAUL SPIEGEL: Nothing. In fact, I think it’s very important and a worthwhile endeavor to do so. The issue is rather more will a physician be able to fulfill his or her Hippocratic oath by having the independence to be able to provide the standard of care that is accepted and recommended.

INSKEEP: Why wouldn’t they have independence?

SPIEGEL: Well, there’s something called dual loyalty where the loyalty for the physician is first and foremost to the patient, but a physician, unless they’re working independently, is also working for an organization. And in this case, we have to look at, for the Department of Homeland Security, will they allow – will their decisions and the managers allow the clinicians to be able to provide the latest standard of care?

INSKEEP: Can you give me an example in which the concerns of the Department of Homeland Security would override a physician’s independent judgment of what’s best for a patient?

SPIEGEL: So we’ve seen in some detention facilities hygiene has been not acceptable in terms the provision of soap, water and sanitation. And the latest, of course, is concerns that some children have died from influenza. And then recently the Customs and Border Patrol has said that they will not provide influenza vaccines to people in their detention facilities.

INSKEEP: So there may be circumstances of very short-term detention under proper conditions that would seem fine to you, but there are many other circumstances you think doctors should have nothing to do with.

SPIEGEL: Correct, or doctors need to be able to speak out when they see something is not being handled properly. And so it’s why we’re also calling for an external committee to document what the standards are and then to be able to make their findings public.

INSKEEP: Suppose that an individual doctor is subscribing to your advice, wants to keep their Hippocratic Oath and the conditions just don’t exist. And the choice is either I as a doctor go in and do what help I can or I just stay away. Would you tell me to stay away?

SPIEGEL: Yes – very difficult situation. There needs to be some care. And so I don’t think we’re advocating to say unless health care professionals can fulfill their Hippocratic oath that they should all walk out and therefore no care should be delivered. We are hoping that Congress will ensure that there are changes so that doctors can work independently in those situation and ensure that the standards are being met.

INSKEEP: Did you as a physician lose any sleep while trying to think through this problem?

SPIEGEL: (Laughter) Because of my background of working in places in the Rwandan genocide and in Syria, it’s not something new for us to think through. But it’s been a little bit more disturbing to see these issues occur in the United States.

INSKEEP: Paul Spiegel of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Spiegel, thanks so much.

SPIEGEL: Thank you very much, Steve.

Copyright © 2019 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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Sports September 3, 2019

Tennis Action At The U.S. Open Continues To Thrill Crowds

The excitement is building in New York as the U.S. Open moves closer to the championship matches. ESPN analyst and six-time Grand Slam champion Rennae Stubbs has been watching courtside.



RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

OK. Now let’s check in on the U.S. Open in New York. ESPN analyst and six-time Grand Slam champion Rennae Stubbs has been sitting courtside. She knows a good tournament when she sees one.

RENNAE STUBBS: Oh, it’s been incredible. I think that the women have really been quite the story here at the U.S. Open obviously and Serena Williams still in the tournament.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

STUBBS: Serena Williams is back in a U.S. Open quarter final.

MARTIN: So Serena Williams is still in. Coco Gauff, though, the other U.S. star, is out. Her run at the U.S. Open ended yesterday. But Rennae Stubbs says it’s only the beginning for the athlete.

STUBBS: She’s 15 years of age. So when you think about that and you think that Serena’s at the tender age of – what is she? – 37 now, we’re going to see – hopefully see Coco Guaff around for a very long time.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Coco, Coco, Coco.

MARTIN: And then there is the player fans root against. Russia’s Daniil Medvedev has become the so-called villain of the tournament. His over-the-top showmanship has drawn plenty of boos.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #1: Basking in the boos.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: You guys being against me, you gave me so much energy to win. Thank you.

STUBBS: You know, he’s actually a really funny guy, and he’s a tremendous player. But I think he kind of thrives on this, loves the drama, and I think he’s a great character.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #2: What a performer this guy is.

STUBBS: It’s been a fantastic U.S. Open for everybody.

MARTIN: ESPN analyst and six-time Grand Slam champion Rennae Stubbs. The U.S. Open runs through next Sunday.

(SOUNDBITE OF LUSINE’S “LUCKY”)

Copyright © 2019 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

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