Rob Schmitz is NPR's international correspondent based in Berlin, where he covers the human stories of a vast region reckoning with its past while it tries to guide the world toward a brighter future. From his base in the heart of Europe, Schmitz has covered Germany's levelheaded management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of right-wing nationalist politics in Poland and creeping Chinese government influence inside the Czech Republic.
The U.S.-Iran talks that were set to happen in Switzerland have been canceled. And, the Department of Homeland Security has plans to give some local police access to ICE facial recognition technology.
Who are the winners and losers of the war with Iran? NPR's Leila Fadel talks with Richard Haass, President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations for his assessment.
In Savings and Trust, historian Justene Hill Edwards tells the story of the Freedman's Bank, which was created for formerly enslaved people following the Civil War. Originally broadcast Nov. 7, 2024.