global

Growing number of governments using counterterrorism to justify targeting dissidents abroad

Justice

A growing number of countries repressing dissidents beyond their own borders includes a NATO ally of the US: Turkey. A Washington Post report finds that the tactics and language justifying these actions are pulled from the post-9/11 counterterrorism playbook. Host Marco Werman speaks with Fionnuala Ni Aolain, a former UN special rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism.

How climate change is strengthening hurricanes, and what communities can do

New book is a catalog of ‘living wonders’

Books

A rise in water-related conflicts around the world

Conflict & Justice

After the gold: A look at how some Olympic champions are being welcomed home

Summer Olympics 2024

A look at the impact of pollution on rivers and efforts to keep them clean

Summer Olympics 2024

The organizers of the Olympic Games in Paris spent $1.5 billion to clean up the River Seine. The World’s host, Carolyn Beeler, speaks with naturalist and author Sy Montgomery about other efforts to keep rivers clean around the planet.

A new study finds that scientists may be able to detect dementia sooner and faster

Health & Medicine

Dementia is a catch-all term for certain diseases affecting the memory of tens of millions of people. A new study finds that it might be possible now to detect dementia early and within minutes. The World’s host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Charles Marshall, the lead researcher for the study.

New book explores the world of unbuilt architecture

In the world of architecture, there are many plans that never actually get built. A new book, “Atlas of Never Built Architecture,” by Greg Goldin and Sam Lubell, is a compendium of buildings, city plans and other structures that were designed, but never actually got off the ground.

US Air Force fighter aircraft F-35 performs aerobatic maneuvers on the second day of the Aero India 2023 at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, Feb. 14, 2023.

Military spending around the world reached record highs last year, new data shows

Military

New research shows that military spending grew for an eighth consecutive year in 2022 to an all-time high of $2,240 billion. Europe saw a sharp increase over the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, China has expanded its reach, while the US wants to maintain its military superiority as the world’s largest military.