The World

A family separated

Immigrant families separated at the border have been in the news a lot lately. But it's not the first time the US government has torn children apart from their parents. Reporter Vanessa Rancaño has the story of a Native American family in California who had a daughter taken away decades ago and sent by the government to a boarding school under a federal assimilation policy.

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Immigration work site raid

Ten years ago, helicopters swooped down on the small town of Postville, Iowa. It was one of the biggest immigration raids, part of George W. Bush's Operation Endgame. Marco Werman speaks with reporter Almudena Toral, who produced a Univision documentary about the raid's aftermath a decade on.

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The Iraqi spy who infiltrated ISIS

Capt. Harith al-Sudani, a member of the Iraqi counterterrorism unit known as the Falcon Intelligence Cell, had a stunning record. While undercover, he passed along information that foiled 30 vehicle-bomb attacks and 18 suicide bombers before he died. The World's Carol Hills talks to The New York Times Baghdad Bureau Chief Margaret Coker about Sudani and the Falcon Intelligence Cell.

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Bridge collapse in Italy

Reports say at least 35 people have died in Genoa, Italy, though the numbers could be higher. Host Carol Hills speaks with correspondent Megan Williams in Italy who was on her way to the scene of the tragedy in Genoa. Williams talks about the history of the bridge and the reason for its collapse.

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Activists weigh in on new human rights chief pick

Michelle Bachelet has been selected as the next UN human rights chief. Bachelet was, until recently, president of Chile — the first woman in that post. She also was also the founding director of UN Women, for women's rights. And she, herself, has been a victim of human rights abuses in her country, having been tortured under the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship. Host Carol Hills speaks with an acquaintance of Bachelet, Ariel Dorfman, who spent much of his life in Chile. He is now a professor emeritus of literature at Duke University, and author of “Death and the Maiden,” and “Darwin's Ghosts.”

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Don’t toss that coffee cup

American-style to-go coffee cups have taken Germany by storm. But they're also filling up the country's trash bins. Now, there's an effort in Munich to replace throwaway cups with cups you borrow and return. From our Livable Planet desk, Valerie Hamilton has the story.

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An orca and her baby

You've probably seen this story on the internet — an orca whale gives birth but the baby dies a couple of hours later. The mom refuses to let the corpse sink and instead nudges the baby through the water for an unprecedented 17 days. The grieving mother struck a chord around the world. Host Carol Hills speaks with killer whale biologist Deborah Giles.

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Opening doors in Sweden with a microchip under your skin

Thousands of people in Sweden have paid a company to implant microchips under their skin. Those chips can be used to open things, like your front door, and buy things like train tickets with just a wave of the hand. Reporter Maddy Savage in Stockholm speaks to a couple of people with microchips firmly implanted in their hands.