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In some Alaska villages, hunting and fishing season starts with a “throwing party”

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In some Alaska villages, hunting and fishing season starts with a “throwing party”

For generations, Yup’ik women have gathered for “throwing parties” in the coastal villages of Western Alaska to celebrate firsts (like the first seal caught by a young family member). In late April, a group of women gathered for a throwing party in the village of Mertarvik to help Mildred Tom celebrate her daughter’s graduation and the recent accomplishments of her grandchildren.

 

Emily Schwing for NPR


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Emily Schwing for NPR

Traditionally, throughout many Indigenous coastal communities in Western Alaska, when a young family member hunts their first seal of the season, their family hosts a party to distribute that fresh catch to women and elders in their community. They’re known as “throwing parties,” “seal parties,” or — in Yugtun, the predominant Indigenous language spoken in Western Alaska’s Yup’ik region — “uqiquq.” Over the years, the tradition has expanded to celebrate all kinds of firsts: graduations, the birth of a child or grandchild, a wedding — and the wide array of gifts has also expanded beyond subsistence food to include candy, kitchen and household utensils and little toys and trinkets.

The villages of Western Alaska are roadless, reachable only by airplane and people here rely heavily on birds, fish and marine mammals for food. The season for subsistence hunting and fishing kicks off in the springtime, with the arrival of migratory birds and returning fish runs, and that’s cause for celebration.

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Mildred Tom recently hosted a throwing party in Mertarvik, 12 miles from the Bering Sea coast. After months of ordering and stockpiling gifts in her house, she puts the word out on a Sunday afternoon. Women in the community slowly gather in her front yard.

Tom wanted to celebrate her daughter’s graduation and a few of her grandchildren’s more recent achievements. “This is for all my kids and my grandkids,” says Tom. “For all their first catches… everything, mosquitoes, flies, you name it,” she laughs.

Once the elders find their place in the middle of the crowd, Tom, her daughter Teddy Ann Bell and her niece, Amy Kassaiuli dig their hands down into a blue plastic box on the front porch.

“One two, three,” they count in unison and then lean way out over the porch railing to fling fistfuls of goodies into the air. It all rains down on the crowd of women below. According to elders in Mertarvik, these women’s gatherings have been happening in Alaska’s Yup’ik region in the spring and fall for generations.

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Women enjoy a seal party, 1981
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Before anyone in Western Alaska could order things online, women used to toss out pieces of the first spring catch: chunks of seal meat, some dried fish, strips of hand-smoked salmon. What Mildred Tom’s family gives away is more modern: a rainbow-colored array of candy, little toys, kazoos, socks, gloves and other treats and trinkets. But, she says, some things just aren’t fit to throw at the elders.

“Those wooden spoons, you know I asked my son ‘if I threw this wooden spoon would somebody get hurt?’ and he’s like ‘yeah! …You better not throw them mom.” So, she stuffs canvas tote bags with larger items to hand out: not just the wooden spoons, but also measuring cups and mixing bowls.

While Tom hosted this party to celebrate her family, she also says it was simply something her community needed.

Tom is one of about 200 people who live in Mertarvik. In the years since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tom says there have been far fewer gatherings in her community. So, she found this one particularly energizing. “Since COVID, we haven’t gotten used to having visitors or visiting around,” she says.

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After about an hour, all of the gifts are distributed and younger daughters and nieces comb through the slushy snow for any missed bounty. Then everyone heads home with something special, including renewed bonds that will last until the next throwing party, which will likely come in the fall.

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'Wait Wait' for August 31, 2024: Live in Minnesota with Nate Berkus

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'Wait Wait' for August 31, 2024: Live in Minnesota with Nate Berkus

Nate Berkus speaks onstage during the Celebrity Cruises newest and most luxurious ship, Celebrity Beyond, makes north American debut in NYC on October 25, 2022 in Bayonne, New Jersey. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Celebrity Cruises)

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This week’s show was recorded at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis with host Peter Sagal, judge and scorekeeper Bill Kurtis, Not My Job guest Nate Berkus and panelists Joyelle Nicole Johnson, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Josh Gondelman. Click the audio link above to hear the whole show.

Who’s Bill This Time

Beware of Babies; Coffee Conundrum; Even Killer Whales Need Practice

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Panel Questions

The Buddy System Fails

Bluff The Listener

Our panelists tell three stories about someone saying “I told you so,” only one of which is true.

Not My Job: We quiz celebrity designer Nate Berkus on tattoos

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Interior Designer Nate Berkus plays our game called “Try Some Exterior Decorating.” Three questions about tattoos.

Panel Questions

A Suspicious Promotion; Chicken Fried Television; Out Of Office/Out of Patience

Limericks

Bill Kurtis reads three news-related limericks: Pizza Face; Eau de Crayola; Caffeinated Commerce

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Lightning Fill In The Blank

All the news we couldn’t fit anywhere else

Predictions

Our panelists predict what surprising thing Starbucks will add to its menu next.

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How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tony Gonzalez

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How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Tony Gonzalez

When NFL Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez was growing up in Torrance, he remembers spending Sundays watching the Los Angeles Raiders on television. After all, “they had Bo Jackson,” Gonzalez says of the famous running back. (The Rams, led by quarterback Jim Everett, were a close second.)

Like Jackson, the 48-year-old grew up to be a multisport athlete, playing basketball and football at Huntington Beach High School and UC Berkeley and later playing 17 seasons in the NFL as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons.

He may have retired from playing football, but Gonzalez is back on television as an analyst for Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football,” a job that requires considerable travel during the NFL football season.

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In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

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During the offseason, however, Gonzalez cherishes his time at home with his family. Now that he, his wife, October, and their three kids have returned to Los Angeles after living in Texas, Gonzalez is happy to be back in L.A. (Gonzalez also has a son from a previous relationship with Lauren Sanchez, Amazon founder Jeff Bezo’s fiancée.) “When I left, I thought, ‘Why did I ever leave California?’” Gonzalez says. “I missed my family — my mother and my brother who live here. I also missed the ocean.”

When the NFL season kicks off on Sept. 5, Gonzalez will have to forfeit his Sundays — a day he describes as his “sacred day” — because he will watch football all day to prepare for his halftime and postgame analysis for “Thursday Night Football.” Until then, Gonzalez can be found cruising the tree-lined streets of Montana Avenue in Santa Monica on foot and bicycle as he enjoys a car-free day.

Accustomed to doing play-by-plays, Gonzalez offers the following commentary on his perfect Sunday in L.A. when he’s not on the road.

This interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

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7 a.m.: Meditate before starting the day
The first thing I do when I wake up is meditate. I pray, sit there, think and close my eyes. I don’t get out of bed; I take time to be alone and get my thoughts right. It’s a sacred moment for me and lasts about 10 minutes.

9 a.m.: Grab a coffee at Sweet Lady Jane while walking the dogs
Midmorning, I’ll take my two dogs, Chica and Bronx, a standard black poodle and labradoodle, for a walk. During our walk, I’ll stop at Sweet Lady Jane off Montana Avenue in Santa Monica for coffee. Montana is where I will concentrate my day. I’m used to traveling for “Thursday Night Football” and am always on a plane. So Sunday is my sacred day. If I need to go somewhere, I’m walking; I’m walking everywhere. I’m not getting in the car.

10 a.m.: Shop local at the Santa Monica Farmers Market
After coffee and cake, my next stop is the Santa Monica Farmers Market, where I’ll do a little shopping. I like the local farmers’ eggs, cheese and meats, and they have the best yogurt I have ever tasted. I love going up and down the aisles and trying new things. It’s such a cool spot.

11 a.m.: Enjoy the ocean views at Palisades Park
If I don’t go home, I’ll walk over to Palisades Park, north of the Santa Monica Pier. I’ll pick a street, say Marguerita or Montana, and walk until it ends. After sampling some things at the Farmers Market, I’ll walk over to the cliffs overlooking the water. It’s so peaceful and beautiful there; it’s like you’re in a different country. That’s California at its best. You can sit on a bench and look out over the water. Anytime people come in from out of town, we’ll take them there and have a picnic. The ocean is one of the reasons I wanted to move back to Los Angeles.

Noon: Afternoon workout
Jogging to Palisades Park from where I live is a good workout. It’s about a mile from my house. I love walking to the ocean from my home and seeing the water. So after I take in the ocean views, I’ll walk or jog back to the house and take a shower.

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1 p.m.: Take a bike ride over to Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery
After showering, I’ll bike to Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery. Their sandwiches are the best. I usually customize my sandwich and order turkey, roast beef, avocado, provolone, tomatoes, pickles, onions and mayonnaise. And the bread is outstanding. That’s what makes a good sandwich — the bread.

3 p.m.: Grab a craft beer at Father’s Office gastropub
Later in the afternoon, I might head to Father’s Office, Sang Yoon’s gastropub in Santa Monica, where they have a great beer selection. It’s an excellent place to grab a beer on Montana Avenue, which is my favorite area. Father’s is small, but they have a nice outdoor area and terrific burgers. I might grab a beer and then head back to the house to relax.

7 p.m.: Enjoy an Italian meal at La Condo Portofino
At the end of the day, I’ll have dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, La Condo Portofino on Montana Avenue. It’s an unassuming Italian place near 11th Street and located next to a cleaners, which I love. They have some of the best Italian food in L.A., and the staff is so nice. After the COVID-19 pandemic, they expanded and created seating in the parking lot. So now you can sit outside if you prefer and finish the day with a nice plate of pasta, a veal chop and a glass of wine.

10 p.m.: Read a book, catch up on TV and appreciate the day
After dinner, I’ll go home and read a book or try to find something to watch on Amazon Prime before I go to bed. That is my perfect day. The billion-dollar stadiums around the NFL are all centered around the fan experience. At home, this is my ultimate experience. In fact, I want to go do this right now.

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Court orders a new hearing for Adnan Syed in 'Serial' case. Here's what to know

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Court orders a new hearing for Adnan Syed in 'Serial' case. Here's what to know

Adnan Syed, standing with his mother Shamim Rahman, talks with reporters outside Maryland’s Supreme Court in Annapolis, Md., on Oct. 5, 2023.

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Susan Walsh/AP

Less than two years after Adnan Syed was released from prison, Maryland’s top court has ordered a redo on the very hearing that freed him.

On Friday, the Maryland Supreme Court upheld an appellate court’s decision from 2023 to reinstate Syed’s conviction. That ruling was based on the argument that the murder victim’s family did not receive adequate notice about the hearing that led to Syed’s release.

Now, the case will head to a new lower court judge, who will determine the fate of Syed’s conviction. The Maryland Supreme Court said Syed can remain free in the meantime.

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The 43-year-old spent 23 years in prison for the murder of his former high school girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. His case drew national attention after being the main focus of the Serial podcast’s first season. The episodes raised doubts about some of the case’s evidence and led to calls for a new trial. Syed was originally facing life in prison until a Baltimore judge vacated his conviction in 2022.

Syed went on to work for Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative. But his case is far from settled. Here’s what to know.

A recap of Syed’s criminal case

In 1999, Baltimore high school student Hae Min Lee’s body was discovered in a city park, a few weeks after she had gone missing. Her autopsy determined that she had been strangled to death.

Syed, who had previously dated Lee, was charged with her murder and in 2000, he was sentenced to life in prison. At the time, he was 18 years old.

Syed had long maintained that he was innocent but his case received renewed attention in 2014 after it was chronicled in the debut season of the Serial podcast. Over the course of 12 episodes, Serial probed at the details in Syed’s case and exposed flaws in the legal system. One poignant question from the podcast was about the reliability of cellphone tower evidence.

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Syed’s lawyers raised similar concerns and in 2016, Syed was granted a new trial. The state appealed the ruling and his case went through various courts. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case.

Things took a turn in 2022 after a year-long investigation resulted in new information about two possible, alternative suspects. In September of that year, Syed was released from prison and prosecutors later decided to drop all cases against him.

Why Syed’s murder conviction got reinstated

In 2023, Lee’s family urged the Appellate Court of Maryland for a redo of the hearing that won Syed his freedom. The family argued that Lee’s brother, who lived in California, received about three days notice about the hearing and therefore, was unable to attend in person — violating Maryland victims’ rights, the Associated Press reported at the time.

“We’re not on a campaign to have Adnan Syed put back in jail,” attorney David Sanford, representing Lee’s family, said in 2023. “This is about respecting victims and their representatives.”

The appellate court ruled in favor of Lee’s family and reinstated Syed’s murder conviction. The court also a ordered a new hearing in the case. That ruling was upheld by Maryland’s highest court on Friday.

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“In an effort to remedy what they perceived to be an injustice to Mr. Syed, the prosecutor and the circuit court worked an injustice against Mr. Lee,” Maryland’s Supreme Court wrote in an opinion on Friday.

What’s next

Baltimore’s state attorney’s office said it was reviewing the high court’s decision and had no further details about next steps forward.

In a statement, Lee’s family’s attorney, Sanford, applauded the court for reaffirming crime victims’ rights and giving the family the chance to be heard properly in court.

“If there is compelling evidence to support vacating the conviction of Adnan Syed, we will be the first to agree,” Sanford said.

Syed’s attorney, Erica Suter, said she disagreed with the court’s decision, adding that it will put an emotional toll on both Lee and Syed’s family.

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“Though this latest ruling is a roadblock in the way of Adnan’s exoneration, we have faith that justice will prevail, and will work tirelessly to clear his name once and for all,” Suter said in a statement.

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