Full episode - June 04, 2020
Things That Go Boom Season 3 logo with an illustration that includes a magnifying glass, a rocket, a coin, and the US Capitol building.

(Special) While we were sleeping

If the US can’t build better airports or trains than China — or even take care of itself in times of major crisis like the coronavirus pandemic or current civil strife — how exactly is it supposed to “beat” China in this global competition we’re in? A co-production of PRX and Inkstick Media, and in partnership with The World, Things That Go Boom host Laicie Heeley looks back to see how China’s ascent snuck up on the US. Is a zero-sum mentality is sleep-walking the US and China to war?
Full story - June 04, 2020
US President Donald Trump is shown sitting at a wooden table next to then Defense Secretary James Mattis with the US flag behind them.

Mattis, Obama speak out; The anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown; Arctic oil spill

Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis broke his silence Wednesday, denouncing President Donald Trump’s call for a military response to the civil unrest. And, Thursday marks the 31st anniversary of China's bloody Tiananmen Square democracy crackdown. Also, in another echo of 1989, a huge fuel leak into a river within the Arctic Circle has lead Russian President Vladimir Putin to call for a state of emergency.
Full story - June 03, 2020
Sudanese protesters march during a demonstration to commemorate 40 days since the sit-in massacre in Khartoum North, Sudan, on July 13, 2019.

Sudanese women seek justice one year after pro-democracy crackdown

Sudan's women were also the target on June 3, 2019, when Sudanese security forces raided a protest camp of pro-democracy activists. Now, a year on, many are concerned that those responsible for the attack are not being held accountable. 
Full story - June 03, 2020
Internally displaced girls in Somalia queue before at a school beside an IDP camp in Dollow, Somalia, April 4, 2017.

Despite recent historic gains in ending FGM, Somalia sees dramatic increase

Activists have been fighting to stop FGM for years. During the COVID-19 lockdowns worldwide, they saw both progress and backsliding.
Full episode - June 03, 2020
A man is shown sitting on the roof of his car through the sunroof and hold a young child in his lap while raising his fist.

Facing the threat of coronavirus and state violence

Black Americans are facing two existential threats: the coronavirus pandemic and state violence. And, a recent exchange of cyberattacks between Iran and Israel, which included an attack on critical civilian infrastructure, is threatening to change the unofficial, but implicit agreement on the rules of engagement between these regional rivals. Also, a new collection from music producer and DJ, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, uses bird recordings collected during the coronavirus quarantine.
Full story - June 03, 2020
People wearing protective face masks hold up signs during a protest

Concerns of structural racism ‘deeply existential,’ UN special rapporteur says

Tendayi Achiume, United Nations special rapporteur on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance speaks with The World's Marco Werman about the impact of George Floyd's death and protests against systemic racism around the world. 
Full story - June 03, 2020
A crowd of people with the camera focused on a woman in a face mask

COVID-19 deaths rise in Brazil; Iceland quashes virus; World leaders respond to systemic racism

Brazil recorded yet another day of record-high deaths due to the novel coronavirus, as leadership continues to shrug off the crisis. In Mexico, tens of thousands of people are returning to work in the auto factories along the US-Mexico border. World leaders, including the pope, have called out systemic racism in response to George Floyd's killing.
Full story - June 02, 2020
Adela Diaz, who will be a first-time voter in 2020, at home in Phoenix, Arizona.

Health disparities are top of mind for Latina student voter

Long before the pandemic, Adela Diaz, an Arizona college freshman, was aware of disparities in health care access and outcomes for minorities in the US. The pandemic has widened the gap, she says.
Full story - June 02, 2020
A close of a woman with a face mask reading "I can't breathe Black Lives Matter"

Systems of oppression in health care long made ‘invisible,’ Harvard prof says

Fault lines of inequality have existed for generations, says Dr. Michelle Morse, co-founder of the Campaign Against Racism.
Full episode - June 02, 2020
A man recites spoken word poetry at a makeshift memorial honoring George Floyd at the spot where he was taken into custody, in Minneapolis, June 1, 2020.

The intersection of racism and health amid the corornavirus

Today, The World explores the intersection of racism and health in this critical moment around the globe. And, as protests against police brutality continue across the world, many people are using social media to monitor events in real time, raising concerns about misinformation, conspiracy theories and outright false stories. Also, when Italy was hit hard by COVID-19 in February, researchers started looking into patients' brains. What they found was that there are neurological symptoms to the coronavirus.

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