Category: International

The people of Northern Gaza are starving. That’s according to an official declaration by a United Nations-backed group of experts, who comprise the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification or IPC. They say that famine has officially reached Gaza city and could soon reach other areas of the territory.

Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has says there is no famine in Gaza, and that food shortages are the result of Hamas seizing aid shipments.Jean-Martin Bauer is the director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis for the World Food Program. He explains how the ICP came to this conclusion and what the declaration means for the people facing starvation. 

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This episode was produced by Michael Levitt, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, leaving more than 1300 people dead and becoming the most expensive hurricane in history with overall economic losses estimated at $125 billion. 

It was also a harbinger of what would happen to hurricanes in the years to follow, as climate change would make them an increasingly powerful and a regular threat.

NPR Alejandra Borunda explains how the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina spurred a better understanding of these intensifying storms and a improved storm preparedness.

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This episode was produced by  Michael Levitt. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Patrick Jarenwattananon and Sadie Babits. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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President Trump says the administration’s takeover of DC is making life safer. But many of the city’s residents and business owners are questioning the administration’s moves?  So what exactly is the goal of the federal takeover in DC?
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This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and Megan Lim, with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Courtney Dorning.

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Anna Corrigan grew up in Dublin, Ireland. She thought she was an only child, until she was in her 50s and discovered a family secret. Corrigan found documents showing her mother had spent time in one of Ireland’s so-called mother and baby homes — places where single women went to give birth. And that she had given birth to two sons there. Two brothers that Corrigan never knew she had.

It’s part of a sad history in Ireland that is now being unearthed, literally. Scientists believe that nearly 800 babies and children are buried in a mass grave behind one former mother and baby home in Tuam, Ireland.

NPR’s Lauren Frayer reports on the work that forensic scientists are now doing to bring those remains to light.

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This episode was produced by Emma Klein and Michael Levitt. It was edited by William Troop and Nick Spicer. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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In the last few days, President Donald Trump has met separately with the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, in an attempt to break the deadlock and end the war. 

Today’s meeting at the White House between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy seemed to go much better than last time, when Zelenskyy left early after a heated argument in the Oval Office. In fact, Zelenskyy hailed today’s meeting as “the best one” yet. 

Even so, the next steps to ending the war are unclear. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy still haven’t met face-to-face to negotiate, and it’s not certain whether they will be able to find common ground. 

NPR White House Correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben gives an update on the day’s events, and former national security advisor Susan Rice gives her perspective on the likelihood of a deal.

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This episode was produced by Megan Lim and Mia Venkat.

It was edited by Christopher Intagliata, Andrew Sussman, Tara Neill and Nadia Lancy.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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President Trump turned to the Heritage Foundation help pick his appointee to lead a traditionally non-partisan agency. NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with political science professor E.J. Fagan, author of “The Thinkers: The Rise of Partisan Think Tanks and the Polarization of American Politics” to understand why Trump’s close relationship with the conservative think tank matters.

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This episode was produced by Jordan-Marie Smith. It was edited by Tinbete Ermyas. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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Paris has increasingly found itself on the frontline of the climate crisis and covering the city and the rest of France now means regularly reporting on deadly climate events. NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with Eleanor Beardsley about how climate has become core to the Paris beat.

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This episode was produced by Noah Caldwell and Jonaki Mehta. It was edited by Adam Raney. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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This summer, the island of Puerto Rico has been under the thrall of Bad Bunny.

His 30-concert residency at a stadium in San Juan is a homecoming for the global superstar.

It’s also a homecoming for many thousands of people who left home – but are flocking back for the shows.

NPR’s Adrian Florido reports on how the concerts are resonating with Puerto Ricans on and off the island.

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink, Elena Burnett, Liz Baker and Marc Rivers. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon and Gigi Douban. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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American Presidents have been trying to manage Russian President Vladimir Putin since the beginning of this century.

There was George W. Bush, who met with Putin 28 times.

Barack Obama and Putin sat down together 9 times.

Joe Biden met with Putin only once.

Past presidents had hoped to strike deals and push Russia toward a more democratic society.

Instead, Russia started wars and tried to expand its borders.

Soon, President Trump heads here to Alaska for his seventh meeting with Putin – and like his predecessors – he’s trying to get something out of Putin.

This time he’s hoping to finally end the war in Ukraine.

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”The global trading system as we have known it is dead.”

Those are the words of former US Trade Representative Michael Froman.

He’s now President of the Council on Foreign Relations.

If the era of global free trade is over, the question is…what comes next? 

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This episode was produced by Kathryn Fink and Tyler Bartlam.

It was edited by Courtney Dorning.

Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.

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