Speed of Life

Because of the selfless dedication of nurses like Erica — and countless other folks across the country — we’re going to beat this virus. I called to thank her and discuss what we can do to help. pic.twitter.com/XRfNDgwNkX — President Biden (@POTUS) February 27, 2021

This video shows the first 360-degree view of the landing site of NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars, as captured by the rover’s color Navigation Cameras, or Navcams. The Navcams are on the remote sensing mast (or “head”) of the rover.  Perseverance possesses the most cameras of any Mars rover to date, with 19 on the rover. Perseverance landed on Mars’ Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021. These images were obtained on February 20, 2021.  A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith. Please note: Not all browsers support viewing 360 videos. YouTube supports their playback on computers using Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera browsers. For best experience on a mobile device, play this video in the You...

American painter William Tolman Carlton’s  Watch Meeting—Dec. 31st 1862—Waiting for the Hour  depicts a group of enslaved men, women, and children waiting for President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation the following day. Originally placed in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House, President Obama had it moved to the exterior of the Oval Office in 2013. In recognition of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, White House curator Bill Allman explained the painting and shared why President Obama selected it to hang near the Oval Office:

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future.  Introducing NPR Music's Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing  you performances from across the country and the world.  It's the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting  — just a different space. Miley Cyrus has always understood that music is theater.  So it's no surprise that, visiting the imaginative space  that is the Tiny Desk, she transforms it into something  both fantastical and true to her topsy-turvy Mileyness. Cyrus ruled preteen hearts on the small screen before  mastering pop stardom's big stages, and throughout  her career she's played with sound and image  in unexpected and even controversial ways.  And she's never balanced pop's glorious artifice  with her own soulful authenticity more self-assuredly  than she does on her latest album,  the rock and roll manifesto Plastic Hearts. The songs Cyrus offers are as direct and affecti...

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