Global Scan
November 21, 2014
Russia is proud of being out in front of other countries. But on one measure, it might not be quite so proud. It has more police per citizen than any other country tracked by the UN. Meanwhile, the Loch Ness monster is back in the news after 18 months without a peep. And a 100-year-old woman has a long-held dream come true and it gives her shivers. All that and more in today's Global Scan.
Matzah.jpg
Lifestyle & Belief
When Jews lived in the Soviet Union, they had to hide their matzah in suitcases
PRI's The World
April 16, 2014
In the years after World War II, it became illegal to make Passover matzah in Soviet synagogues. So local Jews instead started baking matzah at home, in secret.
EHU Media Hub.jpg
Development & Education
When Belarus closed its last liberal arts school, the university went into exile
PRI's The World
July 14, 2015
The European Humanities University is a Belarussian liberal arts school. But it's now operating in Lithuania.
SMITH-Elk-1.png
Science, Tech & Environment
Wildlife in Chernobyl is thriving 30 years after the nuclear accident
Living on Earth
May 16, 2016
In the absence of a human population, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has become a de facto nature reserve.
Fukushima-1.jpg
Science, Tech & Environment
Fukushima likely not as bad as Chernobyl, but what does that mean?
PRI's The World
April 08, 2011
Nearly a month into the crisis at the Fukushima-Daichi nuclear power plant, perhaps the only thing anyone can be sure of is that we still can’t be sure of anything. And won’t be able to be for weeks, months, or maybe even years.
russia-police.jpg
Global Scan
When it comes to police, Russia gets the gold
November 21, 2014
Russia is proud of being out in front of other countries. But on one measure, it might not be quite so proud. It has more police per citizen than any other country tracked by the UN. Meanwhile, the Loch Ness monster is back in the news after 18 months without a peep. And a 100-year-old woman has a long-held dream come true and it gives her shivers. All that and more in today's Global Scan.
Kastyuki_Map.jpg
Arts, Culture & Media
Roots Redux: Using Crowdsourcing to Find Kashuki
PRI's The World
April 19, 2012
I recently aired a story about using DNA to trace my roots. Now here's a story about how our listeners helped me find my grandmother's village.
RTR4OII1.jpg
Conflict & Justice
War rages on in Ukraine despite talk of peace
PRI's The World
February 09, 2015
World leaders might be talking about peace talks for Ukraine, but for civilians caught in the middle, the fighting is worse than ever. Stories from both sides of no-man’s land.
Arts, Culture & Media
40 Years Ago, Soviet Gymnast Olga Korbut Dazzled the World
PRI's The World
July 24, 2012
Forty years ago in Munich, Olga Korbut changed the way Americans watched the Olympics. And the tiny pig-tailed athlete inspired girls around the world to take up gymnastics.
International Bagpipe Day 2015
Arts, Culture & Media
Break out the kilts — or don't — it's International Bagpipe Day!
PRI's The World
March 10, 2015
If the mere mention of the word bagpipe causes your mind to wander off to the windswept Scottish Highlands, hang on! There's a group of passionate bagpipe campaigners on a quest to show there's more to the pipes than playing on the heath in a kilt.
Politics
Belarus Generals Sacked over Swedish Teddy Bear Stunt
PRI's The World
August 01, 2012
The president of Belarus has sacked his air force and border security chiefs because a Swedish plane managed to drop teddy bears into the country with signs calling for freedom of expression.