A personal essay from filmmaker Josh Seftel, made from his video chats with his energetic mother, discussing everything from social distancing and dealing with loneliness, to the fashion of masks and dating one of the Cuomo brothers. Source

Smartphones and digital downloads have helped make audio recordings of books a billion-dollar industry, with more than 45,000 new audiobooks recorded last year alone Source

Smartphones and digital downloads have helped make audio recordings of books a billion-dollar industry, with more than 45,000 new audiobooks recorded last year alone. Correspondent David Pogue talks with actors Laurence Fishburne, Jesse Eisenberg and Scott Brick, and thriller writer Brad Meltzer, about this expanding chapter in book publishing. Source

Musicians may be off of stages right now, but they are still creating music inspired by an uncertain world, which will remain a marker of a time that has changed everything Source

Spring is usually a time when bands start touring and music festivals pop up all around the globe – but not this year. And yet, the music hasn’t stopped, as the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired artists from The Rolling Stones to Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber to release new songs – music that will remain a marker of a time that has changed everything. Correspondent Lee Cowan talks with Jon Bon Jovi and Jewel about the inspiration for their latest releases. Source

Once the bars closed, technology helped bring the cocktail hour to a whole new level of socializing while also social distancing Source

Originating during the Black Death of the Middle Ages, face coverings to protect against the transmission of disease are not just prophylactic, they’re now couture Source

Originating during the Black Death of the Middle Ages, face coverings to protect against the transmission of disease are not just medical requirements; they’re now a fashion statement. Mark Phillips talks with medical historian Mark Honigsbaum (“The Pandemic Century”) about the purpose and style of facemasks. Source

Two NASA astronauts​ lifted off aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, ushering in a new era for the U.S. space program. Source

Hosted by Jane Pauley. In our cover story, Mo Rocca explores whether the “New Normal” may ever go back to the old one. Plus: Lee Cowan talks with Jon Bon Jovi and Jewel about how COVID-19 is coloring today’s music, while Anna Werner sizes up how TV commercials are changing their messaging because of the pandemic; David Pogue gets a read on the rise in audiobooks; Mark Phillips looks at the history of facemasks, from tool in the fight against disease transmission to fashion statement; Jim Gaffigan reports on Week 11 of quarantine; with gyms closed, Nancy Giles works up a sweat with her in-home Peloton exercise equipment; and Luke Burbank samples a new pandemic tradition, the virtual cocktail hour. Cheers! Source