A reality check on the coronavirus outbreak
We're due for another coronavirus reality check on what we know and how we know it. Dr. Michael Mina, an infectious disease specialist at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, speaks with The World's host Marco Werman about the latest understanding of how the virus spreads, how it incubates and how deadly COVID-19 is compared to other respiratory diseases. And, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ...
46m Feb 18, 2020
46m
Life goes on despite coronavirus quarantines
The biggest cluster of coronavirus cases outside of China is on a cruise ship called the Diamond Princess. The World's host Marco Werman speaks with one of the passengers on board and with an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto. Also, meet a Chinese American family that's now on lockdown in northwest China. Plus, climate change may get some attention in Tuesday's Democrat...
47m Feb 17, 2020
47m
How do you contain the coronavirus outbreak?
In China, health officials reported more than 5,000 new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus and 121 deaths on Friday. Those numbers are just from the last 24 hours. So, how do you contain an outbreak like this? And, officials in Egypt on Friday announced the first case of coronavirus in the country. It’s also the first confirmed case in the whole of Africa. Also, the legend of Selena Quintanilla...
49m Feb 14, 2020
49m
With new diagnosis methodology, COVID-19 cases grow
Officials in China's Hubei province are using a new methodology to diagnose people with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. That new methodology increased the estimated number of infected people to nearly 60,000, the vast majority of them in China. And, more than 700,000 Syrians have tried to flee fighting in Syria's north-west province since December. But with a closed Turkish bor...
47m Feb 13, 2020
47m
Penguins. They’re just like us
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News, Today’s number: 28. Researchers in Italy are listening more closely to penguins in an effort to understand how the flightless birds communicate. The study analyzed nearly 600 penguin “songs” from 28 adult African penguins and found that the structure of the songs closely imitates the structure of human language. Previous studies have found...
3m Feb 13, 2020
3m
Exposed encryption devices and what the CIA knew
For more than 50 years, the CIA used encryption devices to spy on its adversaries and allies. Just how much did the CIA know about the dirty deeds of military dictatorships in South America? And, Parents for Peace started out as a small support group for relatives of individuals who’ve joined extremist groups. Five years later, it has grown to include work on prevention. Plus, a Texas girl find...
47m Feb 12, 2020
47m
The impact of coronavirus on Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement
The coronavirus outbreak is doing what the Chinese government has not — put a stop to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. And, the Philippines has given notice that it intends to end the Visiting Forces Agreement, which lets the US rotate its armed forces through Philippine military bases. Plus, happy 80th birthday to the classic cartoon duo Tom and Jerry — who are still popular around the...
48m Feb 11, 2020
48m
Health officials work to contain the coronavirus outbreak
World Health Organization experts are now on the ground in China, helping to track the spread of the coronavirus and assisting Chinese officials who are designing strategies for treatment. And, dozens of people who have been deported from the US and returned to El Salvador have been murdered there. The Best Picture Oscar nod to "Parasite" is a big deal. It's the first time the award has gone to...
47m Feb 10, 2020
47m
Outrage in China over doctor's death
The Chinese doctor who tried to sound the alarm of an outbreak, but was silenced by Chinese police, has died after contracting the virus. Li Wenliang, 34, became a hero to many for standing up to authorities and word of his death has unleashed a surge of new emotion in China. And, the number of migrants in US detention facilities under the Trump administration peaked last summer, with more than...
47m Feb 07, 2020
47m
Countries in Africa raise concerns over coronavirus outbreak
The World Health Organization has identified more than a dozen countries in Africa that are at high risk of being affected by the potential spread of the coronavirus. And, US President Donald Trump is touting that more than 100 miles of new border wall have been built during his presidency. But the Trump administration has only built a barrier on one mile where none previously existed. Also, if...
46m Feb 06, 2020
46m
The coronavirus in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has suffered its first fatality from the coronavirus outbreak — a young man who had visited Hubei Province, the epicenter of the virus, over Chinese New Year. And, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó got a standing ovation from US lawmakers at the State of the Union Address. But are people in Venezuela cheering? Plus, a new study analyzed ecstatic display songs from 28 adult Afri...
46m Feb 05, 2020
46m
Feeling the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in Shanghai
Shanghai is not that close to the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, but the city is still feeling its impact. And, we debut our new series: "Every 30 Seconds." In the US, every 30 seconds, another Latino becomes eligible to vote. Up through the election, The World will profile young Latino voters across the nation, looking at issues that are resonating. Plus, Berlin-based Artist Simon Weck...
47m Feb 04, 2020
47m
4-year-old girl writes song, breaks hearts around the world
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 4. At the Rosenthal family home in England, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Musician Tom Rosenthal’s 4-year-old daughter, Fenn, recorded her first song this week. It’s been played more than 5 million times on Twitter, and it’s incredibly cute. But, fair warning: Fenn knows how to craft a narrative. Hear “Dinosaurs...
2m Feb 04, 2020
2m
The coronavirus outbreak is impacting global business
The coronavirus, first detected in central China more than a month ago, has now reached more than 20 other countries. The outbreak is disrupting business from global supply chains to the film industry to tourism. And, US President Donald Trump has added six more countries to his travel restrictions list — four out of the six are African countries. Some activists are calling this an "Africa ban....
47m Feb 03, 2020
47m
The debate over witnesses in Trump's impeachment trial
The US Senate heard arguments Friday over whether to consider hearing from witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. And, it's Brexit time. At midnight Friday (Brussels time), Britain officially ends its membership in the European Union. Plus, immigrants and refugees in Iowa discuss how they see both opportunities — and obstacles — to their participation in Iowa caucus and i...
47m Jan 31, 2020
47m
The global ripple effects of the coronavirus outbreak
People in China would normally be getting back to work, or school, now that the Lunar New Year holiday is coming to an end. But the coronavirus outbreak means that things are far from normal in the country right now. And, at midnight on Friday night after years of debate and turmoil, Britain will leave the European Union. What will that mean for foreign workers from EU countries who currently l...
47m Jan 30, 2020
47m
Quarantines go into effect to halt coronavirus outbreak
Flights are canceled, quarantines are going into effect and foreign governments are trying to evacuate their citizens as the health authorities around the world work to contain a deadly coronavirus outbreak first detected in China. And, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to London on Wednesday to urge UK officials to rethink the government's move in allowing Chinese tech giant Huawei li...
46m Jan 29, 2020
46m
Trump proposes Middle East peace plan
US President Donald Trump unveiled a peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians on Tuesday. A White House ceremony was attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said it was a "historic day." Palestinian leaders had rejected Trump's long-delayed plan even before its official release, saying his administration was biased toward Israel. And, Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed to defea...
46m Jan 28, 2020
46m
'Earth sandwich' made by two men on opposite ends of the world
From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 2. A man in New Zealand and another man in Spain created an “Earth sandwich” by placing slices of bread on precise points on either side of the planet. Nineteen-year-old Etienne Naude of Auckland, New Zealand, explains why he has been wanting to do this for years. The Number in the News is a daily flash briefing for your sm...
3m Jan 28, 2020
3m
Trump's defense continues after leak of Bolton's manuscript
President Donald Trump's former national security advisor, John Bolton, makes his presence felt at the Senate impeachment trial after a leak of his book manuscript suggests there was a quid pro quo with Ukraine. Also, we look back on the life of NBA star Kobe Bryant and his formative years growing up in Italy. Plus, what is life like today in Auschwitz on the 75th anniversary of the death camp'...
47m Jan 27, 2020
47m
House lawmakers conclude their opening argument against Trump
Lawmakers finish making their case in the US Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. We take a look back at the first week of the impeachment trial. And, health officials across China are stepping up their response to the outbreak of the coronavirus. Air and train travel have been suspended in several cities, and the government has closed the Forbidden City and parts of the Great Wa...
47m Jan 24, 2020
47m
Impeachment managers continue argument against Trump
Impeachment managers continue pressing their case Thursday in the US Senate, making arguments on the constitutional basis for removing President Donald Trump from office. Plus, it was a year ago when Juan Guaidó declared himself the rightful president of Venezuela amid the country's constitutional and financial crisis. Yet, the regime of Nicolás Maduro has persisted, despite mass protests and a...
47m Jan 23, 2020
47m
With rules set, the Senate hears opening arguments
The rules are set and the opening arguments began today in the impeachment trial of US President Donal Trump in the Senate. Also, did the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Bin Salman, hack into Amazon chief Jeff Bezos's smartphone? Two UN officials say that's exactly what happened. Saudi Arabia calls the allegation against its crown prince, "absurd." And, as world leaders prepare for a com...
47m Jan 22, 2020
47m
Day one of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump
It's day one of US President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate. Trump faces charges of abusing power and obstructing Congress. And, an Iranian student attending Northeastern University has been deported against a federal judge's orders from Boston's Logan Airport. Also, a man from New Zealand and another man in Spain have created an Earth sandwich. Literally — two pieces of bread, ...
46m Jan 21, 2020
46m
Mystery money bags left on sidewalks of small, English village
From The World and PRX, The Number in the News — Today’s number is 2,500. Residents of Blackhall Colliery, England, have been stumbling on bundles of cash since 2014. In total, more than $40,000 have been found. Now, police say the “culprits” have come forward.
3m Jan 21, 2020
3m
Stage set for Trump's Senate impeachment trial
The impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump begins Tuesday, and its implications ripple far beyond the United States. Former Ambassador Nicholas Burns talks with host Marco Werman about how the work of the State Department continues while foreign policy itself is at the center of the allegations against the president. And, an outbreak of a coronavirus is spreading with more than 200 conf...
46m Jan 20, 2020
46m
Iran's supreme leader and his rare sermon
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers on Friday and said in a sermon that the country has every right to flex its military muscle beyond its borders. Also, China released new data showing the country’s economy is slowing and birth rate figures are at their lowest rate in more than half a century. And, a bookseller in England is feeling the love after his tweet about not selli...
46m Jan 17, 2020
46m
Ukraine opens probe into alleged ambassador surveillance
Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs announced Thursday that it would open a criminal probe into possible surveillance of former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. Also, the death of a US citizen in an Egyptian prison raises serious questions. And, we have a profile of one of the biggest hip-hop stars in Europe — Alyona Alyona who raps from her home in Ukraine.
47m Jan 16, 2020
47m
Impeachment articles move to the Senate
The House of Representatives voted on a resolution today to name impeachment managers and transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate. Also, as Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his hours long federal state address today, he suddenly shifted to talk about changing the constitution. Plus, the potential perils when a cool microbrew goes global. Refugees from Myanmar say buying Fat Tire...
46m Jan 15, 2020
46m
European leaders send warning to Iran
European nations have formally accused Iran of breaking the 2015 nuclear agreement, a move that could lead to the reimposition of UN sanctions on Tehran. The World asks: Why now? And what could new sanctions look like? Also, for the past several months, Americans have been hearing about Ukraine in the news. But for many Ukrainians, impeachment is the last thing on their minds. And, Canada is ex...
46m Jan 14, 2020
46m
(Featured) Conspiracy Tyranny
If the rise of despots around the world seems bewildering, especially given unprecedented access to information in 2019 — therein may lie the very problem. A new kind of propaganda has taken hold — one that relies on too much information, instead of too little. In Part III of our mini-series on Russian disinformation from The World's partners at the podcast "Raw Data," we take a look at how Vla...
20m Jan 14, 2020
20m
Iranians take to the streets
Iranians have taken to the streets for a third day in a row over anger toward their own government, as well as toward the US. Also, Texas is a huge participant in the US refugee resettlement program, but not for much longer. Texas Governor Greg Abbott told the US State Department that the state will not accept any refugees this year. Plus, Haitian-American flutist, composer and vocalist Nathali...
46m Jan 13, 2020
46m
Evaluating video of the deadly Ukraine Airlines crash
The United States, Canada and Britain all are now saying a missile was the reason for the deadly crash of a Ukrainian passenger plane this week. Iran still denies this and is pointed toward an unknown mechanical issue with the aircraft. We hear more about the evidence in cellphone videos taken as the plane came down. And, how do airlines choose to fly or not when a hostile situation is developi...
47m Jan 10, 2020
47m
New theories on the Ukrainian Airlines crash
What led to the crash of Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 in Iran early Wednesday remains a mystery. But US officials now say the plane may have been mistakenly shot down by an Iranian missile. And, scholars disagree on whether the killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani was legal. But critics argue the Trump administration has failed to make a legal case for the killing rai...
47m Jan 09, 2020
47m
Trump addresses nation after Iran missile attack
US President Donald Trump addressed the nation today and said the US will continue to "evaluate options in response to Iranian aggression," but backed away from military confrontation. And, a Ukraine International Airlines flight leaving from Tehran to Kyiv crashed shortly after takeoff Wednesday morning. We get the latest from Kyiv. Also, Italian Vogue reimagines the cover photoshoot for its J...
46m Jan 08, 2020
46m
Iran fires rockets at Iraqi airbase hosting US forces
Iran said it launched a missile attack on US-led forces in Iraq in the early hours of Wednesday in retaliation for the US drone strike on an Iranian commander whose killing has raised fears of a wider war in the Middle East. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was asked Tuesday about claims that Iran was planning imminent attacks against Americans ahead of Qasem Soleimani's killing. American allies ...
47m Jan 07, 2020
47m
US allies watching closely following Soleimani killing
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was asked Tuesday about claims that Iran was planning imminent attacks against Americans ahead of Qasem Soleimani's killing. American allies in Europe are watching carefully and also criticizing the US airstrike. And, should we prepare for cyberattacks from Iran? That's the message coming from the US government, which expects retaliation from Iran. Also, a knitted...
47m Jan 07, 2020
47m
(Featured) Kinetic Effects
We know that Russia has been honing its tools of disinformation since the Cold War, but how did Soviet-era sabotage make the jump into the digital age? How have imposters on social media caused real-world tumult? In Part II of a miniseries on Russian interference from The World's partners at the podcast "Raw Data," we get into the mechanics of it all by taking a look at two specific instances w...
20m Jan 07, 2020
20m
Fallout from the US killing of Qasem Soleimani
What was the Trump administration's rationale for the targeted killing of Qasem Soleimani, the second most powerful figure in Iran? And, what's left of the international agreement that controlled Iran's nuclear program? The World's Shirin Jaafari has the latest. Also, an update on the Australian wildfires and the devastating impacts they're having on wildlife there. Plus, pop star Miley Cyrus h...
46m Jan 06, 2020
46m
US airstrike kills Iranian commander, escalating tensions
A drone strike authorized by US President Donald Trump killed Iran's top security and intelligence commander, Maj. Gen. Qasim Suleimani. Who was Suleimani, and why is this such a momentous, and controversial, move? Also, Iranians are in a state of shock, wondering how their country might respond and fearing where this might lead. And, we'll bring you the view from Iraq. Iraqis have been incense...
47m Jan 03, 2020
47m
Who are the Kataib Hezbollah?
The Iran-backed militia members that stormed the US Embassy in Iraq are known as Kataib Hezbollah, a group many of us had not heard of before this week. So, just who are they? Plus, long-time commissioner of the NBA, David Stern died on Wednesday. Stern is credited with transforming the league into a global brand. Part of his legacy: European superstars on American courts. We look at the hottes...
47m Jan 02, 2020
47m
Embassy attack testing US and Iraq relationship
The attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad is testing the diplomatic relationship between the United States and Iraq. Also on this special New Year's Day edition, we take a deep dive into the Arabic typewriter. It's a tale of two inventors: His whole life, Walid Waked had been told that his great-grandfather invented the Arabic typewriter. And then, one day, he learned that another family — the Ha...
48m Jan 01, 2020
48m
US embassy in Baghdad attacked
Protesters attacked the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday in reaction to US airstrikes there. What is the symbolism of protesters breaching the compound, the largest and most expensive embassy ever built? Also, LGBTQ rights have seen both progress and setbacks over the last 10 years. Some countries have surprised activists by writing protections into law, while other countries have enfor...
48m Dec 31, 2019
48m
(Featured) Dezinformatsiya
Russians posing as Americans, wild conspiracy theories about political figures, outright fabrications — these were all part of Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 US presidential elections. But it turns out this kind of disinformation has been around for decades, since the early days of the Soviet Union. It’s just gotten a lot more powerful, thanks to tech and social media. To understand w...
38m Dec 31, 2019
38m
The worsening wildfires in Australia
In Sydney, Australia, city officials are going ahead with New Year's fireworks, despite calls for the spectacle to be canceled amid record dry conditions and massive wildfires. And, the US military struck Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria Sunday, a reprisal for a rocket attack last week that killed an American contractor. Plus, an Israeli-Canadian doctor working in an indigenous community...
46m Dec 30, 2019
46m
New rule for resettling refugees
If US states and cities want to allow refugees to resettle in their communities, state and local officials have to sign off on it. The new rule stems from an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. On a related note, immigration is a subject that's become more and more prominent in children's books. And Marco Werman picks global musical trends of the past decade. The World is a public...
51m Dec 27, 2019
51m
The Kremlin cracks down on critics
The Kremlin cracks down on its critics. Meanwhile, in the former Soviet republic of Ukraine, there’s an effort playing out to hold accountable local politicians accused of wrongdoing. And Sandra the orangutan from Argentina was granted nonhuman "person" rights in 2014. Now, she has found a place to enjoy her personhood: the Center for Great Apes in Florida. It took an unprecedented act of inter...
48m Dec 26, 2019
48m
In Hong Kong, tear gas fills the air
In Hong Kong, clouds of white smoke and tear gas again fill the air as residents experience what they're calling a "white Christmas." Several clashes took place in shopping malls in prime tourist neighborhoods. Host Marco Werman speaks with one of the protest leaders about this latest escalation in the campaign against Hong Kong's government. Also, we'll check in with James Scott at the New So...
48m Dec 25, 2019
48m
North Korea's 'Christmas gift'
"We'll see what happens," said US President Donald Trump Tuesday when he was asked about North Korea's threats that it's planning a "Christmas gift" for the United States. Experts say the "gift" is likely to be some kind of weapons test. But what are the Trump administration's diplomatic options for dealing with North Korea? Also, some Tanzanian human rights activists and journalists will be sp...
48m Dec 24, 2019
48m
(Featured) Titan vs. Titan: AI & the race for global supremacy
There’s an epic struggle underway: a challenge to lead the world in artificial intelligence — AI. But this space race for the 21st century doesn’t seem to be getting enough attention from at least one of the world’s superpowers — the United States. In this featured episode from The World's partners at the podcast "Raw Data," futurist Amy Webb tells the story of the world’s leading AI companies,...
26m Dec 24, 2019
26m