MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Arts & Culture Stories from NPR

• A man spent $57,789 in coronavirus relief aid on a Pokemon card, the feds say
  Authorities didn't say which Pokemon card Vinath Oudomsine allegedly bought with the federal funds, but rare Pokemon cards have sold for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
• The shoes from Michael Jordan's rookie season sold for a record $1.47 million
  Michael Jordan's earliest known game-worn and autographed shoes sold for nearly $1.5 million at an auction in Las Vegas. They are the most valuable sneakers ever offered at an auction.
• Jonathan Majors drew on his rural roots to play a cowboy in 'The Harder They Fall'
  Majors was nominated for an Emmy for his role in the HBO series Lovecraft Country. Now he stars as an outlaw seeking revenge in The Harder They Fall, a western featuring an all-Black cast.
• Alec Baldwin was practicing for a scene when gun went off, affidavits show
  Affidavits released by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office offer the most complete accounting so far of the shooting that killed 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
• Ed Sheeran tests positive for the coronavirus, which may mean he won't perform on SNL
  The singer said he'll do as many planned interviews and performances from home as possible, but it's unclear what that means for his just-announced gig as Saturday Night Live musical guest on Nov. 6.
• A photographer marries the worlds above and below the water in a single frame
  Photographer David Doubilet first dove below the surface at age 8 and has spent a lifetime making underwater images. He talks to NPR about his new book: Two Worlds: Above and Below the Sea.
• Top film school honors Halyna Hutchins with a scholarship for female cinematographers
  The American Film Institute created a scholarship in honor of Halyna Hutchins, who was killed by a prop gun on the set of "Rust." The fund will support aspiring female cinematographers.
• Decades after polio, Martha is among the last to still rely on an iron lung to breathe
  Martha Lillard had just turned 5 years old when polio incapacitated her. She still uses a form of the ventilator that saved her life as a child — though now she worries about replacement parts.
• In this new political thriller, a familiar pantsuited figure saves democracy
  Co-written by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny, State of Terror centers on a female secretary of state as she races against time to out-maneuver international terrorists and homegrown traitors.
• In 'Going There,' Katie Couric lays out her life in intimate detail
  An unexpected and interesting aspect of the book is the way it brims with experiences of the body, including Couric's years struggling with bulimia and the warping effects of having her looks managed.