A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Montana, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. 

Blinken postpones China trip amid surveillance concerns

Full Episode

A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Montana, on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. 

Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette/AP

On Friday, the US postponed a planned trip by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing. This comes amid controversy over a Chinese surveillance balloon currently floating over the western US. And, Canada’s western province of British Columbia is starting a three-year pilot program to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of heroin, meth, ecstasy, or crack cocaine. The program is part of an effort to fight a drug overdose crisis which has affected thousands in the province. Also, as violence erupts once again between Israelis and the Palestinians, can Arab nations that signed the Abraham Accords play a role in lowering tensions? Plus, an award for the best song for social change. 

In This Episode

China and US surveillance
The new reception center at a cruise terminal on the Brooklyn waterfront will house 1,000 migrant men until May 1, when cruise ships will be back.
New York City struggles to accommodate new migrants
Special Coverage
people at barbershop
A spike in ringworm cases in Spain leads to a surprising culprit: the barbershop
Special Coverage
British Columbia starts pilot program decriminalizing possession of opioids and other drugs
Why everyone loves beyran, southeastern Turkey’s favorite breakfast
Can Arab nations in the Abraham Accords play a role in lowering tensions between the Israelis and the Palestinians?
Kremlin snooping puts messaging app’s security in question
Spy balloons go back more than 200 years
Looking for a luxury apartment in Milan? Get in line.
Global education deficit during pandemic