More or Less - Is Greenland as big as Africa?

The vast island of Greenland has found itself at the centre of a geopolitical crisis. But a little bit of geography can help us see the situation in a new light.

YouTuber and map expert Jay Foreman explains how Mercator maps - the maps that the vast majority of us use to understand the world - contain necessary but massive distortions and hugely exaggerate the size of the Arctic island.

So, why is making a flat map of a round globe so difficult? Why did we end up with a problematic map in the first place? And are there any alternatives?

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Nathan Gower Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Programme Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Engineer: James Beard

It Could Happen Here - It Could Happen Here Weekly 216

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file. 

- The Campaign to Free Albeiro From ICE

- The Alleged Far-Left Bombing Plot

- Why the Federal Reserve Crisis Matters

- Executive Disorder: ICE in Minneapolis, Greenland, DAVOS, Iran & Syria

You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today!

http://apple.co/coolerzone

Sources/Links:

The Campaign to Free Albeiro From ICE

Albeiro's Family's Crowd Fund

Change.org Campaign

Instagram Campaign Post #1

Instagram Campaign Post #2

Instagram Campaign Post #3

Elly Belle on Instagram

Elly Belle Website

The Alleged Far-Left Bombing Plot

https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/grand-jury-charges-four-members-anti-government-group-terrorism-felonies-stemming-new

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/member-anti-capitalist-and-anti-government-group-arrested-and-charged-threatening-ice

https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/turtle-island-indictment.pdf

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26378204-tilf-complaint-signed-redacted/

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26379390-08918333876/ 

https://www.instagram.com/turtleislandliberationfrontla/

Why the Federal Reserve Crisis Matters

https://fortune.com/2025/08/09/trump-fed-pick-stephen-miran-existential-threat-central-bank-independence/
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/supreme-court-weighs-trumps-firing-feds-lisa-cook-by-social-media-2026-01-20/
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/FEDFUNDS
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/20/powell-could-stay-at-fed-even-after-being-removed-as-chair.html
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RPONTSYD#
https://apnews.com/article/jerome-powell-federal-reserve-trump-af06d80b28be9c8a5de9c3b2fe33fa3d
https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/the-fed-explained.htm
https://www.cfr.org/articles/mar-lago-accord-not-recipe-success
https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/staff_reports/sr1047.html
https://fortune.com/2025/08/08/what-to-know-about-stephen-miran-the-tariff-proponent-trump-just-nominated-to-join-the-feds-board-of-governors/
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0sg0782h
https://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/goldvault.html
https://libcom.org/article/debt-first-5000-years-david-graeber
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/greenspanput.asp
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-fed-chair-search-becoming-163021470.html
https://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/more-about-what-we-do
https://www.stlouisfed.org/in-plain-english/who-owns-the-federal-reserve-banks
https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/about_14986.htm
https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/powell20260111a.htm
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/19/politics/supreme-court-shield-federal-reserve-from-donald-trump

Executive Disorder: ICE in Minneapolis, Greenland, DAVOS, Iran & Syria

Fundraiser: https://heyvasor.com/en/2026/01/19/urgent-call-for-humanitarian-aid-for-rojava/  

https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2011965846739173833

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/alleged-latin-kings-gang-member-arrested-federal-charges-after-stealing-rifle-fbi

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/20/us/ice-shooting-minneapolis-charges.html

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/15/dhs-releases-more-details-about-three-violent-criminal-illegal-aliens-who-violently

https://www.facebook.com/MinnesotaNationalGuard/photos/members-of-the-minnesota-national-guard-are-on-standby-ready-to-assist-local-law/1285981430233367/ 

https://x.com/MnDPS_DPS/status/2012614253090619619?s=20 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/active-duty-soldiers-standby-possible-deployment-minneapolis/

https://www.citieschurch.com/leadership

https://x.com/AGPamBondi/status/2013093526867689835

https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/senate-bill/636

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AjH7MbFrd/

https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2013283898935882195?s=20 

https://www.justice.gov/pardon/clemency-grants-president-donald-j-trump-2025-present 

https://x.com/PressSec/status/2014020416860573726?s=20

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115911344443637897

https://www.forsvaret.dk/en/news/2026/exercise-arctic-endurance-continues-to-develop/

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/foreign-secretary-statement-to-the-house-on-greenland-and-wider-arctic-security

https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/2012608782593827232

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7ynwzn8pqo

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115925848634299232 

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115926107400617491 

https://www.regjeringen.no/en/whats-new/statement-from-the-prime-minister/id3146486/ 

https://hengaw.net/en/news/2026/01/article-167 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r4957rq8ro 

https://apnews.com/article/ice-arrests-warrants-minneapolis-trump

https://gordyaen.substack.com/p/voices-from-inside-east-kurdistaniran?r=33a5nb&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=post-publish&triedRedirect=true 

https://www.reuters.com/business/davos/bessent-says-deutsche-bank-ceo-called-distance-bank-analysts-greenland-report-2026-01-21/

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2675/oj/eng

https://www.wilmerhale.com/en/insights/client-alerts/20240401-the-eu-anti-coercion-regulation-a-new-tool-against-economic-pressure

https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/enforcement-and-protection/protecting-against-coercion/qa-regarding-anti-coercion-instrument_en

https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2026/01/20/eu-anti-coercion-instrument-trump-greenland-tariffs/

https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/knowledge/publications/0c873dd6/eu-anti-coercion-instrument-key-takeaways-for-businesses

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/eu-trade-deal-trump-greenland-tariff-rcna255199

https://www.politico.eu/article/the-eu-magical-mystery-trade-weapon-other-options-donald-trump/

https://www.wsj.com/business/the-100-billion-of-u-s-goods-at-risk-of-tariffs-in-trumps-greenland-push-d7fbda31

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/21/trump-tariffs-nato-greenland-davos.html

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260119-what-is-eu-anti-coercion-instrument-could-use-against-us-over-trump-greenland-tariffs

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/18/greenland-eu-trump-trade-bazooka/88245951007/

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-greenland-anti-coercion-instrument-macron-bessent-eu-b2903967.html

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/1/20/trumps-greenland-tariffs-whats-europes-bazooka-option-to-hit-back

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g5345ylk0o

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Global News Podcast - Afghanistan war veterans demand apology from US

Anger is mounting over President Trump's comments about NATO troops' role in the Afghanistan war. Non-American veterans have demanded an apology, saying they fought alongside US soldiers on the front line. Also: the United States, Russia and Ukraine hold their first trilateral peace talks; the UN Human Rights Council approves an inquiry into Iran's protest crackdown; Alex Honnold postpones his controversial free solo skyscraper climb; and are you a grumbletonian -- consult the old dictionary of London slang.

PBS News Hour - World - Trump backs down from Greenland, but how much damage has been done?

A framework for a deal, or an off-ramp? President Trump backs down after his aggressive efforts to acquire Greenland enraged and insulted allies. What's in the agreement, and how much damage to America's most important relationships has already been done? Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses that with Carla Sands, Sherri Goodman, Eric Edelman and Matthias Matthijs. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Planet Money - A trip to the magic mushroom megachurch

Book tour dates and ticket info here.

Just as every market has its first movers, every religion has its martyrs — the people willing to risk everything for what they believe. Pastor Dave Hodges just might be a little bit of both. He’s the spiritual leader of the Zide Door Church of Entheogenic Plants, in Oakland, California which places psilocybin mushrooms at the center of their religious practice.

Today on the show, like its 130,000+ members, we’re going to take a trip through the psychedelic mushroom megachurch. We’ll meet one of the lawyers trying to keep psychedelic religious leaders like Pastor Dave from running afoul of the law, and get a peek into how the government decides whether a belief system counts as sincere religion.

This episode was reported with support from the Ferris-UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship. 

Subscribe to Planet Money+

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This episode was hosted by Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and edited by Eric Mennel. It was fact checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Kwesi Lee with help from Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money’s executive producer. 

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PBS News Hour - Science - Why Earth’s melting glaciers matter more than we think

Ice in the Arctic and Antarctica plays a critical role in maintaining life on Earth, and it is melting faster than previously thought. This is threatening our planet with potentially massive sea-level rise, weather disruptions and further global warming. Horizons moderator William Brangham explores the fate of ice on Earth with science correspondent Miles O'Brien and glaciologist Erin Pettit. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

PBS News Hour - World - News Wrap: Starmer calls Trump’s comments on NATO troops in Afghanistan ‘insulting’

In our news wrap Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called President Trump's comments about NATO troops serving in Afghanistan "insulting" and "appalling," the FBI arrested a former Olympic snowboarder and alleged drug kingpin Ryan Wedding and the city of Philadelphia is suing the Trump administration over the removal of a slavery exhibit at the Independence National Historical Park. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

PBS News Hour - World - National security experts argue U.S. TikTok deal falls short

President Trump announced a deal to keep TikTok available in the U.S. The agreement caps a six-year legal and geopolitical fight after Congress passed a law requiring TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company or face a ban. The administration says the deal protects American users from Chinese influence, but many national security experts argue it falls short. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Marketplace All-in-One - Your car company also wants to be your bank

The FDIC has approved proposals by GM and Ford to launch their own banking units. That means the automakers will be able to provide their own auto loans to customers. In this episode, a confluence of market conditions drove Ford and GM into banking. Plus: The Super Bowl of livestock shows highlights high cattle prices, changes to online search behavior affects digital ad revenue, and “Marketplace” host Amy Scott talks to Jordyn Holman at the New York Times and David Gura at Bloomberg about the week’s economic headlines.


Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.


Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.