In the spring of 1940, the German war machine rolled over the nations of Western Europe so quickly that it surprised everyone, including the Germans.
With France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and Denmark conquered, there was only one more country left to fall: Great Britain.
To topple this final domino, the German high command prepared for the invasion of the island.
In a few days, we’ll mark exactly one year since the World Health Organization declared the spreading coronavirus outbreak an official pandemic. It was also this month, one year ago, when the first ‘stay at home” order was issued in the U.S.
So today, we discuss whether the worst of this pandemic is finally behind us, what to know about the new variants popping up, and what our guest expert says would be the biggest mistake once we finally get back to “normal” life.
You’ll hear from both an epidemiologist and a sociologist about the past, present and future of the COVID-19 pandemic – one year in.
Tim Harford explores the chances of becoming a saint, inspired by a throw away comment by the detective on the TV drama ?Death in Paradise.?
Plus, a listener has a question about the recent Europa League Draw for the final knockout round. He spotted that none of the teams face a rival from their own country. What were the chances of that happening?
Cory Doctorow joins us again for an excellent, wide-ranging discussion about his critique of surveillance capitalism, the mind control fallacy that captures critics, how monopoly jurisprudence is trapped in the 80s, sectarian schisms in science fiction, the difficulty of imagining revolutionary moments, and much more.
Links to Cory’s work:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/doctorow
• Books: https://craphound.com/
• Blog: https://pluralistic.net/
Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! http://patreon.com/thismachinekills
Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (twitter.com/braunestahl).
The last days of the Trump Administration saw an attack on the Capitol and an historic second impeachment for a sitting President. For Republicans who voted to bring that President to trial, what now? Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler offers her thoughts.
The domestic politics of global supply chains are full of unfortunate incentives even now, when the stakes are historically high. Scott Lincicome comments.
Reset breaks down the biggest local news stories of the week with a couple of great journalists. Host Sasha-Ann Simons is joined this week by Paris Schutz of WTTW-11 and Mary Ann Ahern of NBC-5
For more Reset interviews, subscribe to this podcast and please leave us a rating. That helps other listeners find us.
For more about the program, go to the WBEZ website or follow us on Twitter at @WBEZreset
Colombian President Iván Duque won praise from the United Nations, Pope Francis and the Biden administration with his recent announcement that Colombia would welcome Venezuelan refugees with open arms — providing protected status, work permits and legal residency for up to 10 years.
President Duque tells NPR why he's hopeful the move will spur the U.S. toward more aggressive support of Venezuelan migrants, some of whom are currently protected by a deferred deportation order signed by President Trump on his final day in office.
Reporter John Otis explains what Colombia's new policy means to Venezuelans already living there.
The sudden agony of stubbing a toe or burning a finger can make even the most polite among us swear our heads off. It’s like a reflex, a quick-release valve for the shock. But why do expletives give us such a sense of relief? Why does it sometimes feel so good to swear?
We set out to explore the science of swearing, prompted by a question from our listener Gadi. Psychological studies have shown bad language can relieve pain, or even make us stronger; we test out these theories for ourselves, and try to figure out why certain words are charged with such physical power.
We don’t just use strong words in shock or anger, either. They can help us to bond with others, to express joy, solidarity, or creativity. And although people curse all over the world, it’s not quite the same everywhere. We hear what people like to swear about in different countries, and whether swearing in a second language can ever be quite so satisfying.
Presented by Anand Jagatia
Produced by Cathy Edwards for the BBC World Service
What are Treasury bonds? Why does it matter how they’re doing? Does the Federal Reserve actually print money? What’s the difference between quantitative easing and yield curve control?
Bitcoin undeniably operates in a macro environment. In this 101-style episode, guest Kevin Kelly, cofounder of Delphi Digital, gives listeners a whistle-stop tour of a set of key concepts to understanding bitcoin macro, including bond markets, the Federal Reserve and money printing.
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