Europe and North America

Vira Ustyanska, a 34-year-old artist, fled her home in Zaporizhia, Ukraine, soon after the war started. She now lives in San Diego, California, with a host family waiting for the war to end.

Finding home in California after fleeing war in Ukraine

Amid war and displacement, Ukrainian artist Vira Ustyanska and her daughter find home in San Diego, California, as they wait for the war to end.

Finding home in California after fleeing war in Ukraine
“Tear down the walls of ignorance and narrow-mindedness,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told graduates at the 368th commencement ceremony at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, May 30, 2019.

From 'mein Mädchen' to 'leader of the free world,' Angela Merkel is winding down her political career

From 'mein Mädchen' to 'leader of the free world,' Angela Merkel is winding down her political career
A photo of the document written by Attorney General Barr about the submission of the Special Counsel's report.

'Secrecy is subjective' when government censors redact documents

'Secrecy is subjective' when government censors redact documents
A group of dairy cows stand in a caged area inside a farm

Can this radical approach to dairies save US farms?

Can this radical approach to dairies save US farms?
Actress Meryl Streep (L) and the director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Ai-jen Poo, at the 75th Golden Globe Awards.

Millions say #MeToo. But not everyone is heard equally.

Millions say #MeToo. But not everyone is heard equally.
Two black and white illustrations featuring a dancing Josephine Baker, arms raised.

Bio shows how Josephine Baker 'shattered notions' of black artistry

Josephine Baker was a superstar on the French stage. But she was also a member of the French resistance in World War II and an American civil rights activist. A new graphic biography chronicles her many identities.

Bio shows how Josephine Baker 'shattered notions' of black artistry
The work of Rainer Weiss and colleagues fundamentally alters our understanding of the universe.

Meet the Nobel Laureate who detected ripples in the fabric of space and time

Weiss and colleagues dreamed up the idea behind a massive antenna so sensitive it detects faint, invisible ripples in space from 1.3 billion years ago - offering evidence of Einstein's theory of general relativity.

Meet the Nobel Laureate who detected ripples in the fabric of space and time
Myrta Kalampoka says investing in her olive trees saved her family from the Greek economic crisis. Now she hopes their olive oil can rescue them from an ongoing drop in tourism to Lesbos.

Hear how investing in olive trees saved one Lesbos family from economic crisis

First came Greece's economic crisis, then the refugee crisis on Lesbos. Myrta Kalampoka almost had sell her family's olive trees. Then she had an idea.

Hear how investing in olive trees saved one Lesbos family from economic crisis
Latin rockers Locos por Juana

The World's music features this month: Music for dogs, DJ Panko and Locos por Juana

We feature a unique selection of music on The World. Here are a few highlights from this month's broadcasts.

The World's music features this month: Music for dogs, DJ Panko and Locos por Juana
Supporters of Austrian far right Freedom Party (FPOe) presidential candidate Norbert Hofer hold images of his face in Vienna, Austria.

The European Union may be fragile, but it's not cracking up just yet

Italian voters gave a thumbs down to constitutional reform that would have strengthened a pro-EU leader. But voters in Austria reject a far-right candidate.

The European Union may be fragile, but it's not cracking up just yet
The meme "Pepe the Frog" has become a symbol for the alt-right on the internet.

The 'alt-right' and white outrage around the world: An explainer

The US alt-right is a mishmash of people dissatisfied with the Republican establishment and focused on the prosperity of white people.

The 'alt-right' and white outrage around the world: An explainer
Christian Ray Flores became a rock star in post-Soviet Russia in the '90s: "No one knew exactly how to make music like that but I did because I grew up overseas."

The guy who supplied the soundtrack for Boris Yeltsin's Rock the Vote

When the Soviet Union collapsed, Christian Ray Flores was in the right place at the right time. With his outsider status, he became a rock star in Russia.

The guy who supplied the soundtrack for Boris Yeltsin's Rock the Vote
Il Sogno Del Marinaio

This veteran punk rocker wants to always be in 'student mode'

Veteran punk rocker Mike Watt played bass for LA-based bands like the Minutemen and Firehose. Now, he's playing with two young Italian musicians who Watt says keeps him "student mode." Their music starts with roots in punk and delves into improvisational Italian sounds.

This veteran punk rocker wants to always be in 'student mode'
An engraving of William Wells Brown in London. This was published in his book, "Three Years in Europe." No photo of Brown has ever been found.

William Wells Brown may be the most famous 19th century African American writer you've never heard of

William Wells Brown was one of the most prominent African American writers in the 19th century. But many people now don't know who he is.

William Wells Brown may be the most famous 19th century African American writer you've never heard of
People put up a poster of Gavrilo Princip, the 19-year-old Bosnian Serb who gunned down Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 and lit the fuse for World War One. The banner says "We Are All Gavrilo."

Why are world maps being rewritten? Consult a book on World War I

In the Middle East, Africa and even possibly the United States, the world created by World War I is starting to unravel. Now resurrecting that century-old history may be the best guide to understanding modern wars.

Why are world maps being rewritten? Consult a book on World War I