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Waking up Atlanta from 5 to 10 a 90 point one w.a.p. . Coming up on the b.b.c. World Service well white waves the sounds of community radio I marry a mother in us and for World Radio Day I'm taking you on a trip across 5 continents to visit some of the most inventive and 500 small radio stations on earth we are broadcasting from where of greed need your example so we don't have cable coming from the sea to go we're too far from the rain forest of Cameroon to the Danube Delta from Tamil Nadu to the tin mines of Bolivia and the Navajo reservation in the United States these stations give voice to the voiceless lift spirits and change life. He'd. Done shows there listening to the studio we will introduce mines we do decent order and to carry in order to continue fighting for democracy. Tune into those worldwide waves after the news. Live from n.p.r. News I'm Shay's Stevens the u.s. Supply of Kobe 1000 vaccines is increasing again N.P.R.'s Tamara Keith reports on the number of doses now heading to pharmacies across the nation the White House says it is able to double the number of vaccine doses going to local pharmacies this week from 1000000 to 2000000 and press secretary gent Psaki said states will get 13500000 doses this is a 57 percent increase from the amount States received when the president was inaugurated so since then obviously we have announced a couple of increases over the course of time asked whether President Biden now nearly a month into his administration owns the pandemic Psaki said yes he does that's why it's the issue he wakes up every morning and is focused on because addressing it is what's on the minds of the American people and he's the president it's his responsibility to focus on it though she added that the Trump administration left them with supply problems and localities fending for themselves Tamara Keith n.p.r. News the White House President Joe Biden says his administration is not only ramping up back scene supplies but the number of people to administer the drugs is also being increased It's one thing of the vaccine which we didn't have a we came into office but vaccinate or how do you get the vaccine in the someone's arm so you need the paraffin a need the needle you need the mechanisms to be able to get it and you have to have people who can inject in people's mind told a c.n.n. Town hall that everyone in the nation will have access to Cove in 1000 Maxine's by the end of July the president says he hopes to have most k. Through 8th grade students back in class within weeks New Orleans is much quieter than usual this Mardi Gras season from member station w w n o Bobby Jean mystic reports that the pandemic and frigid weather have shut down parades and bars in the city police are stationed at nearly every corner of the Claiborne underpass it's usually one of the main gathering spots on Mardi Gras to day it's completely empty. In an effort to prevent large crowds the city shut down bars and some roads including Bourbon Street in the French Quarter but pockets of people dressed in brightly colored costumes are popping up in neighborhoods across the city one group in the trim a was entertained by a brass band playing from a balcony uptown St Charles Avenue is jammed with cars with drivers and passengers hoping for a glimpse of the floats made by residents for n.p.r. News I'm Bobby Jean music in New Orleans the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is lobbying to get its members moved vaccination priority lists the u.f.c. W. Estimates that nearly 22000 members have been infected or exposed to cohabit 19 including $132.00 who died of the disease at the nation's beef and poultry plants this is n.p.r. News. Millions of Texans remain without power following a massive storm that plunged most of the state into record cold a new storm is now threatening areas from the southern plains to New England it's expected to bring more frigid air Stow and freezing rain through Thursday the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee is suing President Trump Democrat Bennie Thompson alleges Trump's conspired with far right extremists to try to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the November election Thompson's case was filed under reconstruction era law known as the coup Klux Klan Act It comes days after the u.s. Senate acquitted the former president of inciting insurrection but NASA rover perseverance is scheduled to land on Mars Thursday as N.P.R.'s Joe Palca reports there are no signs of any possible glitches for the next stage of the mission for the past 7 months the rover known as perseverance has been tucked inside its crew's module as it traveled from Earth to Mars in preparation for a landing NASA has been doing final checks on the rover systems making sure everything is ready for touchdown deputy project manager Jennifer truss per game a status report I can tell you that perseverance is operating perfectly right now all systems are go for landing once on Mars the rover will be studying rocks hoping to find signs that there might once have been life on what is now a cold dry planet Joe Palca n.p.r. News in pre-market trading u.s. Futures are mixed markets across Asia are also mixed lower in Tokyo this is n.p.r. News support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations other contributors include Iraq audio and online auto parts store shipping parts directly to customers worldwide everything from complex sensors to new carpet more Iraq auto dot com and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The only one known. To this is radio it's the crackle of connection the company in your kitchen the music that takes you home and. Really you have to take everything I think is an amazing technology because you already have. It we don't reach people and. It's a mission there life is never. The . Radio and parking and I'm always talking to somebody out there that is going to same thing I'm going through and if I can just get that person out of the loneliness or get depression that they're feeling that and I mean I've done my job for the day . We may live in a digital age but only half the world is online radio technology and travel through thin air. I'm Maria Margaret and us and you're listening to the b.b.c. World Service one of the globe's biggest networks but for World Radio Day We're taking a tour of some of the smallest radio stations on earth stations that give voice to communities and keep languages alive. 8 Stations to combat climate change and loneliness stations that speak truth to power and change lives. First station comes to you from an adobe house in the Far East of Canada it's early in the morning. To see. King of the day for the opening of the. Let's go. Back to. What it should. Be reported. After Dr Sydney shut up don't bother to look at my name is. I am an audience and I'm also community leader. I find you I do use for the developing world for the African most forest communities to improve their lives because I grew up as a war child and use what a being he says is the founder and animating spirit of radio in the rain forest village of the town you can imagine and it deep ran forest and where people don't have running water and. All over and you can see why I knew every day monkeys clamping I don't do trees you can see totals you know walk into the houses houses I'm a different not breaks the push is green like the shirt of the Cameron football team and the sky he said. In due time is the village also where did you know fans are on the houses and so at some time when I have a need to read you I just grab a motorcycle so I can go faster because I can walk to do review. I will no make it on time anybody I see on my i Pod I just go and read them for about I mean I know how to meet the minutes each person is ordered and you he will let you go I have to ask you all these questions. Of your friends and the how to job so you have to answer to all these questions as part of the greeting indeed let you google you have a big smile on your face when you talk about it I think you love the place. Yes it is big is because my time memory so that's why I'm smiling because when I talk about it you can order it over to read you I. See those images in my head. When I. Was talking on his I think it was like Ok I'm done with that was. My moment. As we have I think is of 7. Because I came from a Muslim really just background my father did you know why don't we make art in the city and so my Marty took me to do the listed occupation. But she told me if you want to make art you have to farm for me so I see a child I found a good Quezon I run to get water every day go to the bush to get wood before I go to school. And then that's what brought me up as a person. In the 1990 s. He said was jailed and tortured in Cameroon for his powerful political cartoons and campaigns against government censorship he escaped to France but his mother's village still clung to him in Paris his art students held a bake sale to buy a wheelchair for a young Polish survivor in the time that 1st wheelchair like to Morley and eventually took community based charity hoping to National for teacup people that's brought clean water and health care to thousands of people in the rain forest so you was just like a shift into my life to be called by a charity work to do it but actually I just wanted to be like anybody else would do was a call to do this because you know for a good guy girl you know. When I was 9 years old I remember seeing a disease taking people garlic piece chicken die and then go and die and then you start people getting sick so you can better you treat people it be. Going to. Break it to his he says latest project it's been on since August 27th teen and it's funded by donations and the money isa raises through his art and body painting ceremony so why add a radio station to everything else that you're ready doing. Because you actually take over your own life nobody can come and save you but read you is the easiest color you can be alone for anybody who never been to school to just have a tiny cell phone with them cheap you need to do a decent to do a review because there isn't one cell phone for tree Africans today we don't actually have to set up a network for a week I run out you only have to broadcast from the village and then people I respect already since the mission ended know what to do or not not to do so it was a perfect thing to do you know. We're broadcasting from so a lot and it's off to greed in the media of the jungle so we don't have cable coming from the sea to go we're too far. No on the roof of the radio station and we're broadcasting anytime we can the Senate panel means things like in the radio house at night to see kids can go to do the homework school results in the time have improved. We reach now about 70 that use didn't reach Yes 7 he needs it but we don't want that far because we still have a lot of to improve. We already have one my dad transmitted doesn't go down fast we broke I see for about 35 kilometers around our. And also a good important thing to see is that we broadcast in 7 languages. A month. About my goodness and. Remember. That by that this will be broadcast in French. Car broke us meaning leash which is also pigeon English broadcast t.v. Junkie we're broadcasting house out in my lawn in bank and. Do play minimal you need to learn to git. A team if you will have a point and then you'll be in legal money using your pocket money most any minute you will. That's it you cock. It. Does the president. Does this does it and why radio temple why didn't any real temple be is because they did not a taboo in our society and I can give you an example one tribe next to my community is using brass Ione So when 2 girls come back from school they're put. On by the fire would be so would be heated up and my sides of the chest. So he doesn't grow and she can be abstract men so we observed out Margaret was I doing these but we're going to have a radio station and invite all because we need to discuss this issue until it is not a necessity to do that you do want to be God doesn't meet you nation and National Guard trauma as you know grew I said no one person so it is just a good platform that people can come and go in 1st and sharing ideas with society rules and being. Why who. Was. Just. Getting to. Listen to someone who does too Actually it was about enough and. Yes it was I don't know and that and charm because people do have to order people to love them and so I didn't doubt kind of. Explaining that you know you can. You can actually make a sham to somebody but if you don't know what order ingredients make. Ours being kind to the lowers. The more. You try them with no work you know so these are all time will come where the society but I was kind of the light. Manger. Down. On my teeth I was young he needs nothing from me. I do love you just as she took a fast dance in radio in January 29th she presents to Reddit had the morning show from 5 to 6 every weekday and at 730 she comes to teach 74 children because a school she has 2 children of her own age 5 and 8 as well as a cornfield and the money to. He said. When she walked through the kitchen people say that was good but you said this morning it helps to get out now she's made a lot of listeners happy. To see the money to put on p.c. Views. Now. She says the radio has educated people and they're really happy to have it here in daytime especially as other villages and. There are women who work on the technical side that made it to those well I asked a set it was hard for them to get involved yes it was difficult because some Muslim woman who was married to the husband you know the one over the radio but because I am sitting on the keyboard so whenever. I have a meeting with all these calls and they know that I am frothy Woody so they just say Ok if my wife Don't come back home if you don't get food. Then I explained you know if you wife get an education it just means that you found a good to be educated you know what I mean because you don't have a wife does you know if you could meet your children will not do well in school. And doors have been also said that I just don't want to meet my food every day you know I want to make sure still. So before they come to do it you're going have to make sure that. If you need when they come back from the front. She didn't take baths there today I didn't reduce the she just I walked in on the on chance maybe they could teach that has been stick cook. We are nor did. It meet Donald into town. Sometimes community radio is about making change sometimes it's about preserving things that might be lost their community stations in remote European villages too like this one on the shore of the Danube Delta. Your cheeks when to go to get an organ all. The fishing village of stone to yacht he sits at the mouth of a branch of the River Danube where it flows into the Black Sea it's in Romania but it's $700.00 inhabitants or a mix of ethnicities most of them I Ukrainians who wholly who've been there since the 13th hundreds. Hello be the case all. I was. The coldest. To think about so you speak Ukrainian Yes I speak my mother gauge me and my God I'm not there I don't get judged who are only at home my language I was saying were many and. Consider going to this could be it my language isn't written on the spoken so do you feel you're helping to preserve the language with the station yes definitely yes. Or Berry or true. You are horribly. Your or your whole cool big issue your pillow agave My name is me Double I'm I'm from sun to go out again I want to hear as the nurses as a community are in their arse I am born here. And. I volunteer you Farai your c.v. And they like it. Russia that they need a philosophy a book. About the mug. Shot. But I do to fix fountain Joerg it is part of the grassroots wavelets project funded by the European Commission it has a sister station in another village in Romania the seed for it blew in from the capital Bucharest a long day's drive away but it's definitely taken root So how did you get involved with the radio they found me. Good already someone did when they came to ask me where I want to collaborate with the local radio you're on these dock I said yes Benji wants you dead eyed when you because I can see that they're a very useful tool in my community it was Leon I got a human rights activist with a media watchdog in Bucharest who helped to set up an idea to pick and found Mira basically we chose these 2 villages by accede to hunting whoa hey you know it was just because for example a foreigner in the case of sun to go to get some of us who really loved that place we go to the seaside there is a really remote area it's a very interesting Garia. We were not expecting it to work that well when we came for is this come together to get everybody was sold. And enthusiastic about the project now is not going to work is not going to happen and someone pointed us to me Ah so you interview people. In your day job and for the radio when is the moment. Bend around do you the canal is in sync then if you are cool one of our radios is a guy and are you people in the community is bestial the all or once. There are scores again. That 79 year old Mary singing was her childhood friend Kondrat who's 82 they're both widowed and the songs tell the story of the Hughes and the hard hungry years after the 2nd World War and you can browse through the net in order to know if you want them. To Jimmy Story and watch that or because I want to show the young people who we are I wonder. What he's doing and he specially I want them not to forget that we are a fishing village I got them I was on the issue it was the people in this yard he said placing the fire and that's me I'm making traditional fish soup chartable with her cousin get to and share in the recipe on where it takes fresh vegetables and 2 or 3 kinds of fish smoked on the fire for flavor and it's eaten with lots of garlic I do to fix also reports on the issues facing fishermen as climate change and the Danube conservation authorities put limits on their catch to do your Any mine when there's age and they're going to use it might they squished them and I think it's been 10 years we could fish part of the climate changing and that's why some fish species are is the beery. Problem and needed to get out of that something that you don't reduce costs. Doc mines not to be popular sorry I. Don't want you to get that out there she there's also the problem of house wandering see through the streets I thought you know how to take orders on her farm and we left the village to go back to Bucharest and I don't think I made it back to Bucharest and me I was already sending me recordings she had. The cheek was somewhere and she started interviewing people in there and speaking in a language is that I don't know in Spanish in French treat tourists. My 1st impressions of Georgia this morning was just such a peaceful little place piece of heaven set apart from the world we've been into the church in his head the magnificent singing which we don't get in the street. There one scene that and we've been down the Delta this morning all around the reeds in the in the pelicans and the calmer ends and everything and it was just so overwhelming it's just the most beautiful. Peaceful places to extraneous sounds from the. Audience. You. Should. Oh Ok. The European funding has come to an end but media and their fellow volunteers determined to stay on the air is don't go many did used in what John Nasta said that. Going to look out on your t.v. Said enough which you got to call me. It belongs to the community it is and what a voice I wanted a deal to become the voice of the dead not only the voice of each. I marry a mother in this and you're listening to World Wide Waves on the b.b.c. World Service Stay with us after the news is we tune into the 10 minds of Bolivia the fishing islands of Tamil Nadu and the voice of the Navajo Nation. Distribution of the b.b.c. World Service in the u.s. Has made possible by American Public Media producer and distributor of award winning public radio content engaging audiences creating meaningful experiences and fostering conversations a.p.m. American Public Media with support from g.e.p. Helping businesses transform supply chains with strategies services and cloud native software including g.e.p. Smart and g.e.p. Next digital procurement and supply chain platforms g.e.p. Dot com. 'd 'd listen the w a b e o n s choice for n.p.r. And Kevin Rinker right away they're mostly sunny today also windy highs near 49 a low of 39 overnight thunderstorms tomorrow with highs in the low fifty's and then a mix of sun and cloud on Friday with a high in your 42 this is w.a.b.o. . The next city lie this year's line up for the virtual hit letter rich film festival we'll hear from a.j. Had her board president Max Leventhal and Executive Director Kenny Black these films explore the intersection of Jewish life with so many other communities Lois Wright says join us at 11 am. B.b.c. News with Danielle yet Scott many thousands of people have again gathered in Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon in some of the biggest protests yet against the military coup at the start of the month today's demonstrations are likely to test the resolve and to be DNS of Myanmar's army. The latest figures published by the European Union show that China over took the United States last year to become the blocs biggest trading partner the data show that the blocks trade with China was worth 709000000000 dollars last year. President Biden has said there will be repercussions for China over human rights abuses and has promised that the United States will speak up about the issue Mr Biden said Beijing was trying very hard to become the world leader but it would be difficult for it to gain global confidence if it was breaching basic human rights. The UN's top human rights body has said it will raise the detention of the ruler of Dubai his daughter Princess Latifa with the author in the United Arab Emirates in secretly recorded video she's accused her father Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of holding her hostage the British foreign secretary Dominic Robb described the videos as deeply troubling. A u.s. Court has sentenced a Nigerian businessman to 10 years in jail for running a cyber fraud scheme that stole at least $11000000.00 from its victims open one Ok also known as Invictus be used phishing emails to capture people's logon details and take their funds he was once on the Forbes list of the most influential African business people under 30 snap coronavirus lockdowns in Melbourne Australia and New Zealand's largest city or plans are to come to an end in the next few hours in Melbourne spectators on Thursday will be allowed to return for the final 4 days of the Australian Open tennis tournament capacity on the main courts will be capped at 50 percent that's the latest b.b.c. Nice. Welcome back to World Wide Waves on the b.b.c. World Service this is Maria taking on a tour of some of the world's remote community radio stations Eastland you'll g.c.s.e. Point in. Time . The. One I'm a little bit off look at them it was worse who says out of most in. There we were. All strangers to the studio you know we used to go all out into the indigenous communities we all into the mines with reduced in order to carry to give lift sure someone will show up one 1st evolves in order to continue fighting for democracy félix thought this is the director of the Catholic ideal people dosey which serves the minus of the sick love entertainment and high in the belief in Andy's at their peak in the 1950 s. And sixty's there were almost 30 minus radio stations in Bolivia most of them organized and funded by the miners themselves. Asked to link. Or form all the Angeles militia rule you know or of the current experience you know to tell some years or goal for a way. There actually struggles or poor people here in our community does it proudly carries on that tradition of resistance forged during decades of dictatorship and military coups the needs here a still fast. Numb days money and. The appeal go see it possibly fit into that but I mean the name is an idea I mean I have worked here. For 37 yes you know. I have worked in the women's department the Department of men and with the Department of Youth I have also been on a banjo at least a preacher over the radio and I had being reported on the ground right now because I am working with a woman in 9 years of the town fair or if. There's a live. In the media is done globally deeper meaning to exploit that woman cheaply exploited so fierce is the lower wages 2nd is the lack of opportunity and search is in my cheese not on the violence that still permeates much of the could. There is young women who Tellez this choice in tears all this week much courage but many feel these hard when they tell us they complain and talk to them on the station that they scurry and in their minds do you feel that some women are free that if they tell their stories they'll be some sort of bad consequences for them and you can see it most. Of course we experience that and we have had the women testified to the fact that if they speak to us even of all something like sexual assault in their workplace they could be fired and they could lose they only need many of then never lend to rethink or right many of then are fluent in the original language of a mad at and Kycia rather than the Spanish so they have a lot at risk when it comes to telling us these stories in. Building being Shand friend because they had teeth send their minds. In $1052.00 a popular revolution in Bolivia legalized labor unions the radical miners unions quickly set up radio stations like level still Minetta and idea National to Hernani broadcasting music political education news and drama serials or novellas to the workers. That you feel dosa had a different beginning it was set up by Catholic missionaries in 1959 to compete with the union stations combating alcoholism silicosis and above all complicit below sea any sort of. The minus unions hated it and resented its modern equipment they dynamited its antenna towers and burned in effigy of its director but peeled us a stayed on air and in 1967 as check of our is curious and to Bolivia something happened to changed everything. Don't tell exclude you describe for us what happened on the night of some one. Of the sea they go across the all that are held orders they can pay a legacy ability or usually do go over man in no $1.00 workers' unions to we are part of doing a radio so they decided to all called by the mines as a class a demo that I sold it plans calls or Parisian Pinguin the military swept down from the mines to the to. Below shooting people as they went more than 20 were killed but I do appear Dorsett denounce the massacre and began advocating for the minus the term America then with your. Own moment of change on a more craftily orient to the station to a more oriented a station don't really exceed you were small boy at the time do you have personal memories of that event you'll be asked here I think that all we know so all our lives buried near to their miners union and buried plus the mineral another time it was this festivals so they were sitting in our home fires in their class and the children were jumping over the bonfires until quite late at night until midnight we pop art style you know and there's the last thing called the lemony and. The last lump it will mean you saw my father live there clear of miners he working underground he had gone to war that night when the shooting started to my mother was worried because the shooting was very loud. It was not just bullets also bazooka it was shaking the roof which were thuds the roof at the time the mama My mother called me and my brothers from all rooms to the main room with us in our circle on pull couch cushions body of blankets all around us to try and protect the ass from any bullets lubber lasted up to the last movie The element in this shooting did in a stop until 9 in the morning so when the shooting started. And remember stepping out of the door in the ground there in front of the house there was a foreigner who was there and there was shared. Bullets leader all over grown and I saw with my all this the foreigner got out all night and he listed at that time America not the one that had the deals they cut electricity to the village saw there were no way to listen to the. Down was how we lived for several days. When it was finally over. Hard to call these take them to a cemetery. Is the worst automatic. March to cemetery or this will last. I love Point radio Filosa became leader. With the struggles of the workers. They went into deal workplaces went into their homes and went into the indigenous communities to really be able to cross their story the face of crisis because the faces of the workers appeared dosis changes mission made it a target for Bolivia's military government it was attacked and destroyed more than once but has always rebuilt and returned by $985.00 the market for tin had collapsed many of Bolivia's mines have closed as have their radio stations. Is one of the few that remain is the scene there in the me now going into. The city in the way they enter denying the miners tell me they end with Christ in they mouth no no we if they would enter. Or leave again. This is that I say this. Is. Good to little Carlos a family 90 points. From the 10 mines of Bolivia we crossed the Pacific Ocean to the sparkling waters of Tamil Nadu and a very different kind of hard work he all people learned we cannot see that people . Poor here because of course we have the c. And c. Gives a lot of money but the thing is when there is a rich that is. So. Rich owns a board the world works for the board. Cut down a safe mean sound to the city and town to the stations based in the village of Brahma Swara on in the fertile Gulf of menow which is also a bicycle is a part of its mission is to balance the needs of the fishermen with the needs of the ocean through programs like some look around political friendship to see. You know how to make up your people love very straightforward and very silly depending. To Smallville age the new one looked edition of machine I don't know gravity angle. Is the station manager she used to work in commercial radio on the mainland and 1st came to the island to do a puja ceremony for her late grandfather and one of the temples here then she started coming up weekends to train the Katana say stuff and then she moved early and I didn't even know to differentiate between a man going to learn outside and but now we're going to do You did a lot of. That 80 s. And what does do go a lot of news just I'm seeing So this is giving me it's a dent in keeping me lively. And going to come on to these into the now not only. Not send via. The dollar signs programs include shark day world turtle day how to be a good person and interview with a tender coconut seller there are also English lessons I listen to radio radio that speak at that listen not get it I don't listen to radio. Marti devoting anybody to. I go to the market. The station reaches about 50000 people and 30 feel it is a lot of fishermen listen while mending and that's all from their posts on transistor radios my thanks for having done the happy husband and wife a happy go to the new artist I like the college c We did a flood a day or 2 or 2 nights an hour and then they come back so when they go there they take the lead you along with them and I'll leave you it's been kilometers and 700 nautical miles on the sea uttering just 20 that much so when we go beyond that a limited what they do is they connect the wire. So they can it do Koppel y.-o. And then they extended. Their fishermen right so they can fish for a radio signal as well as fish and to use this may be young and of a day when after listening to the shore after knowing about the importance of. The Their needs and their lives the sea turtles under the sea they cut their nets and you go into the sea so this is not only gives or. Even. Gives up the specs and for all work more than this is what it is we need this or that. And I would immediately take. A look at not put it in a not imagine. What would be the climate change is already affecting Panama and Gaia tree says the sea level round the island has risen enough to cover the local cricket grounds and as the fishermen interviewed in the program explains fish stocks have fallen too early or they used to get a lot of predicted fish that is big fishes but now big fish is a mark of in the near by the sure big fish is gone inside to see a little bit and our own. They used to fish very little buying now they're fishing for 24 oz to get the same amount of fish Sol This isn't a drastic change not the one gulf Crawford what they used to beat from the sea it has reduced and our people worried about this just people are bloody this people have a belief that after 2000 forced tsunami that is a lot more change in the sea people are not able to understand it doesn't claim a change Donna say also supports women in the community who work on the sidelines of the fishing industry collecting Sea We don't making seashell jewelry or trying fish. Because nobody seems. To come out. Some goals here still the victims of child marriage they're often abandoned by their husbands who leave them to work abroad in partnership with Unicef has launched a program to express to inform and support them nowadays I come across a lot of women who are afflicted in their life believe that wouldn't it make because soft being a victim of this child marriage so when it talk to a girl who is coming in asking for a job coming and asking. What have you studied No I have not studied matted at the age of 15 so they stopped me from going to school some girls come to the station because they say listening to the radio makes them happy guy a tree invites them in for a couple of hours a day to help with their reading. Work here. She told me that she completed her beginning she began very fond of us and we also like that and she also liked the job then one day she told me that man I like being I'm not a degree when I got mad in the Mid it was doing me. Ok here it is then as it is Ok I'll get no problem but no she leaves Well now she's not allowed to come to you to look at Melissa division since she knows a good thing she knows how to talk she has a You Tube channel. And she said. Hey do you. See me in a. Stations a bit different for one thing it's commercial for another it has a huge range that's because it binds a marginalized and widely scattered nation within the United States happy nice birthday. Family love you so much happy birthday to you. Who was my 1st language I was raised by my grandparents who spoke nothing but Navajo language so I didn't know how to speak English when I went to school and I was kind of made fun of a lot of followers in school because of my language. Is the lead d.j. For the voice of the Navajo nation is based on the Navajo reservation that spreads if it does its high plains and the 4 sacred mountains across 27000 square miles in the American Southwest never hope people spend a lot of time driving and keep some company with a mix of traditional Navajo music country hits and local heroes of the Navajo country music scene like the state line band. Yeah. But. As far as the Navajos we've made an interpretation of what Katie in the stands for and Kay is. You know is fire and Navajo and then team is 4 to which it is water and then in is for our Mother Earth the most song and the other end is horse Misty which is air so they're kind of like the elements of the Navajo Nation. Who. Did that people we get out at the crack of dawn you know and we go outside when everything is so calm didn't it means the people it's what the Navajo call themselves and that's when our ancestors told us that that's when the Holy People are out and they're traveling from the east to the west and when you're out there you're at knowledge and them as they are to you and you to them and you ask for blessings and that's when you'll get the most blessing is what we're told so we don't sleep late we get out and in the traditional way and we sleep past when the sun rises they say it only brings poverty these are some of the messages I talk about like in the morning when I get up I tell everybody Hey Get up Get up get you know it's a new day you know people less you know be happy smiling you woke up you know pretty The Those are my morning sir. Old good times are not. Days that I know but say they are one band those state line on to day lives by Navajo traditions broadcast help to keep old people company and teach the younger ones I'm still not far from my roots as you know to a lot of Navajo people especially our elders out there and are listening every day day really relate to me I think the elderly's really really enjoy what I have to share on the radio because I bring up a lot of my upbringing in teaching is my my grandparents the do's and don'ts of life you know a lot of taboos out there with a Navajo tradition for going on 15 years and I love it I talk about leaving but because of the love for my people and the communication I have through the airwaves it's something I've grown to love we speak our language 247 on the radio for my south when I do my show I go back and forth between Navajo in English I think about the younger generation and I also think about the people that don't understand and that whole language. 18 and am 60 options in a very ugly under one toe or yours a and so on I'm not a on top we do have a president and the white president of the United States to get the Nikkei he thought they knew not in our kitchen Dichato object at a young they can and they did you not. Just Joe Biden. Not something I got Kaamelott Harris on them. They got the mickey even the coronavirus pandemic has devastated the type of a whole nation more than one in 350 people here have died President Biden has declared it a major disaster and authorized emergency federal aid Katyn and broadcast information about infection control and vaccines in Navajo and English then told workers. In yonder Conyers as she got her 2nd shot you know side effects onto our 2nd shot. Really fine so far McGurn are back again they are just not just some information I don't I've been sharing information about herbs that we've been using for for hope that I didn't know most of those who've died the keepers of the language the stories and the sacred ceremonies are elderly's you know there's a big difference between us and you know the white people or the Mexican people nothing is written in black and white Christianity is they have their Bibles for our is it's everything is passed down verbal e. And you know we've lost a lot of good medicine people we've lost a lot of good spiritual leaders healers through this pandemic and it's something that we can't get back I myself lost little sister I'm the oldest of 7 family and she was the turn when she contracted the virus and it took her we just lost another one yesterday and this is all to the virus and it's hard. To Navajo people we've gotten used to. A certain kind of way of doing funerals gatherings been there for for each other and families been there comforting each other but with this pandemic it took that away from us all we can do is call each other and some to same it is just it's her. It's a nightmare for us. But with radio through all this. I tried it take away from my people the morning to grieve in the loneliness that they feel in their homes by trying to be happy trying to. Ease their mind when jokes my laughter because I know I know what each household is going through with losing a loved one and the care I have for my people that's what keeps me on the radio. One of my clients sisters text means she says his sister your sister is that. She'd made it. Because every flag you see in front of the White House represents somebody that was taken by Kobe and brought some relief. Or remembered you know. It was remembered. When he won. My spiritual strength back knowing despatch She was remembered to have. The. Idea to fix trying to. Say and Katie and then I just 5 of the thousands of community radio stations broadcasting around the world they connect people safe stories change lives lift spirits see if there's one here and if there isn't one don't stop when you've been listening to worldwide waves on the b.b.c. World Service I'm Maria the producer was David happy world rated day she. You're listening to $90.00 w a b e Elena's choice for n.p.r. . If you'd like to support the extensive news coverage of events across Atlanta and around the world consider donating a vehicle you no longer need it's tax deductible and we need your help learn more. Or flash cars. On the next closer look many Hispanic communities in Gainesville Georgia were severely impacted by the coronavirus nearly a year later we get an update on efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus and with the focus now on the x. Nations plus a new podcast explores the argument for and against reparations for black Americans join us today to want your $90.00. Coming up after the news on the b.b.c. World Service it's hard to talk with me Stephen Sackur thousands of Indian farmers are keeping up their long running protest against the Modi government's fall law reform that protest camps on the outskirts of Delhi have become a symbol of defiance but India's populist prime minister has faced down a host of opponents in the past will this time be any different when my guest is your gun very god of leader of the Swaraj party and a prominent backer of the farmer's cause so almost may not understand. All but broke what impression that seeping dop is that Mr Modi is up to something big something bad so the fall at the behest of some awkward houses that cannot possibly contribute to his overall image that's your gun dragged down of talk after the news . Line from n.p.r. News I'm she's Stevens President Biden made his 1st town hall appearance since taking office during a c.n.n. Event last night in the walky and P.R.'s a lot of wise reports that Biden is promising to have most of the nation's elementary school students back in class within a matter of weeks the president made it clear Tuesday evening that the coronavirus crisis remains a top priority for his administration Biden urged all Americans to take advantage of the vaccine when it's made available to them and said his team will work to get doses to under-served communities so the clear notion news if you're eligible if there's available get a vaccine Biden also focused on his plans for safely reopening schools the president said that his goal was to have the majority of k. Through schools reopened by the end of his 1st 100 days in office he said that reopening high schools and colleges would be more difficult because of how the virus can travel between young adults along a wise n.p.r. News Washington millions of Texans are spending another night in the dark and bitter cold from a storm blamed for at least 20 temps a new system is moving into the southern plains the running more misery across the state to 6 tax Public Media's Sarah self Walbridge reports on how one cattle ranch is getting by cows are hearty animals that can withstand freezing temperatures and Kristen Brown and her family who ranch near Channing are handling the spring calf birthing season despite the weather it's just pretty amazing to watch it wouldn't have that kind of way to get up and Anderson even when it was freezing temperatures have been below freezing in the Panhandle since Friday and aren't expected to warm up until this weekend Brown says they're doing what they can to keep cows and horses safe that means long workdays for ranchers their rounds include breaking ice on top of water tanks and feeding animals extra to keep up their energy for and. Our News I'm Sarah brick in Canada there are growing concerns about a 3rd wave of covert 1010 actions in the coming weeks as Dan carbon shock reports those fears are being stoked by the spread of highly contagious variants of the disease although Kovan 1000 case cows are falling in the number of vaccinations are increasing health officials say the spread of the new variants of the corona virus is threatening to derail any progress and is outpacing the speed of the vaccinations across the country there are more than 560 cases of the more transmissible strains including into remote native communities in northern Manitoba and over the past weekend Alberta confirmed 50 new cases of the b 117 variant one of the 3 new strains that have emerged some officials describe it as a race against time getting enough high risk people vaccinated to prevent a 3rd wave for n.p.r. News I'm Dan Carsen shop in Toronto in pre-market trading u.s. Futures are lower and this is n.p.r. News. An appeals court says many of the discipline records on New York City police officers can be made public the ruling came over the objection of the police union which claims the decision will endanger officers tarnish reputations and impede future job prospects Mayor Bill de Blasio says the city looks forward to releasing the data former president Donald Trump is lashing out at his one time political ally Mitch McConnell As N.P.R.'s Winsor Johnston reports Trump is responding to the Senate minority leader's comments after Saturday's verdict in the 2nd impeachment trial McConnell voted to acquit Trump but in strongly worded remarks shortly afterward he condemned the former president saying that he was morally responsible for the deadly riots that true I are from Trump who in a statement called McConnell a dour sullen and unsmiling political hack adding that of Republican senators stay with him they will not win again Trump also blamed McConnell for a pair of losses in the Georgia Senate race which ultimately cost Republicans the majority in the Senate Windsor Johnston n.p.r. News Washington the u.n. Expert on human rights in Myanmar is warning of major violence as demonstrations resume across the country despite threats of a crackdown Tom Andrews says he's urged any nation with influence over me and Morris military rulers to dissuade them from using force in the end goon Some protesters were using cars today to block roads claiming that the vehicles had stalled on Chase Stevens this is n.p.r. News support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations other contributors include the George Lucas Educational Foundation creator of Edutopia for 30 years committed to advancing educational innovations and research that improves pre-K. To 12 learning more it edges hope dork. Welcome to talk on the b.b.c. World Service with me Stephen Sackur my guest today is in the thick of a political and economic battle in India which says much about the state of the nation in the era of Prime Minister Narendra Modi you're going to get Dov is the leader of a small anti Modi political party who has gained national prominence by becoming a staunch backer of the 10s of thousands of Indian farmers attempting to block the government's Farm law reforms now the battle began last summer when the government rushed through changes to the long established system of state run crop purchasing which offered farmers guaranteed prices even in times of oversupply the new system invited the private sector to move into the market the claim was it would be good for farmers but they saw it as a pathway to lower prices and a corporate takeover of their industry protests began tens of thousands headed for Delhi many by tractor and last month there were ugly clashes with police in the center of Delhi's government district the legal changes are for the moment stuck in the courts but Mr Modi shows no sign of backing down nor do the farmers So could this be the struggle that defines what to Modi's India becomes well you're going to get i've joins me now from his home just outside Delhi welcome to home talk thank you you are on the Coordinating Committee of the main group behind the farmers' protests we have been watching them for the last weeks and months but it does seem as though right now they may be losing momentum is that right not quite in an extraordinary movement given this a skate and you have become upset and. Remember we are looking at the. About $100000.00 people followers can be absent the national capital to chip in remember it's nearly 3 months so to speak the common cold and yes the mainstream media would like to imagine that we don't exist anymore but all you have to do is to send your correspondents pharmacy there with a result which is matched in numbers which the country has not seen in situations which are impossible between the Indian winter which admi does nothing on go to the British winter but if you have to stay out like we did then it has demonstrated it fairly and you should resolve which continues to be that the government has said that it suspending the implementation of the 3 farm laws that you are so upset about while the committee looks at the detail and perhaps considers adaptation and change why are you not prepared to give that committee a chance tell all of the farmers to go home and defuse the tension the government has not stated to the Supreme Court s strangely without assigning any reason without assigning even a term limit to say All right let's for this might be a good saw the government is needed offer it we mine it for the Hoff provided the our committees and so on and so forth but the trouble is I don't understand the logic of one and a half you know this region is you know 3 years as we don't know what would happen if you're in the heart of one thing that could happen for sure is that farmers will do what we so that doesn't What the fuck up and the reason they are unwilling the farm associations are unwilling to work with mind that including any amendments which is what the government wants is because we think the basic instinct of these 3 loss is empty pharma you get treatment law provided the overall 'd in date is rock provided there are problems in the way it's worded you can tweak it a lot. It meant it for why did you have a problem to one site provision one edition of provision but if the meat intake just a lot since it is something you object to how can you make create an intimate me or what is anti farm are about the desire to make farming more prosperous you know better than I The Prime Minister Modi back in 2016 promised to double farmers incomes over the following 6 years well he hasn't achieved that yet but he says this reform is absolutely crucial to delivering on his promise to make farmers substantially better off I'm glad you remembered that promise of Double Eagle foremost I think I mean as you know in reality the girl has been less than 2 personage it was promised that it would be doubled in 6 years the fact is the government is yet to offer even if thought statistics about what increases. But I missed the Adopt a lot of the point is that Modi and his team say that there's no way to deliver greater significant greater prosperity to the farming industry without introducing the market much more thorough only and completely to agricultural economics that's precisely why they want to get away from this state run purchasing system and allow private sector companies to move into the purchase of agricultural produce then told they would want to keep percentage and the world to be the simple fact is that Indian Creek. And gets to be largely. The State for choosing quantum that is actually less than any of the government's own aides what the farmers need is better marketing infrastructure they have been in marketing it the government doesn't respond to what the farmers need is a bit of protection against risk mitigation the government has to do something about it they don't respond to it yeah they do they do the government has said that it guarantees that the step that that the price support. To ensure a minimum price guarantee for farmers will be maintained in this new system that they want to introduce that's $1.00 of those beautifully designed lines that up at me edges all the time what the government does is that it officially and balances in many months of practice not good and I would imagine once the government says here isn't minimum support price the farmers should get the government to do something about letting them have it the truth is and this is an officially admitted truths that had been analysed that up and mingles to sleep $23.00 crops are given this n s p minimum support price which is a kind of formal assurance of throat price but we actually not more than $2.00 or 3 are actually procured poetry is the government of India officially admits that only 6 per cent farmers benefit from this probably should like to focus in don't what kind of got Indies that and actually Steve that's exactly what we are asking for we are simply saying don't give us the gift that you want to give us give us the gift that we want to be in. It minimum support programs just give it to us that's all I'm hanging on your ship to be in the bizarre position of protecting and defending the status quo and the status quo for the last generational so has been really bad for many many farmers and we know that not least because more than 10000 a year commit suicide living in absolute poverty in rural misery why you intend on defending a system which clearly doesn't work that's not fair on the Farmers Union Steve because we define has associations that truly have been demanding it is Joe asked to chair we actually proposed to all goals so we don't just appalls in 2819 we place before the union plan and 2 pieces of for all the money exactly the kind of reforms that we need. Schools seem to clinch it needs with all it needs truck sure it's all because Indian followers need an economic crisis ecological crisis which is turning into an existential crisis so yes we need something to be done but this is not the something people if this is not just something that is built to benefit them this is something which not a single. Evill thought but is more Isn't this really about where India is going about the very soul of India today because neurons are Modi's whole proposition is the country needs fundamental economic reform and to quote the b j p general secretary and we've had on this show Ramadan he said recently fear of the market is inherent in the psyche of many societies that were exposed to socialistic protectionist practices for far too long that's a mindset that Modi and his team are determined to get rid of and I say perhaps it's a mindset that you and some others at the head of this farmer's movement are still defending that could be an impression from outside and I'd be to be a pity if the soul of India would completely. I really thought the ruling party was . Trying something better too and got the sort of India s from the so not well to be fair that was mine and I was my interpretation of what how deep this argument is he didn't use that phrase but it does seem to me that as I said at the very beginning Modi versus the farmers is it and that important moment for India and I'm just trying to get a sense of of the vision you have for the India that you are currently fighting for we have been saying. That we want we need them steel if you quality socialistic in that case you are being a union a socialistic that is a Jewess is socialistic I do love laws any country in the wall that does log off supposed to its agriculture at the moment and I just want to piece it on record and always East. He has shown that Indian state as negatives of subsidy might works we have offered negative subsidy to our farmers over the last 2 decades or so so the idea that is some socialistic stede offering great things for the armors Well this is a myth this is economics aren't yet what we need or it's we need protected markets we need some minimal extra prices and after that we want it to flow right well let's get to tactics then and where you go from where you are today because it seems to me something very important happened on January 26th which I believe in India is Republic Day but more to the point this year was a day which saw really serious clashes between police in Delhi right in the center of Delhi the Red Fort governmental area of Delhi and a host of protestors who did appear according to the pictures I saw to be intent on violence now how damaging was that because it was seen all over India by many many millions of people how damaging was it to your cause this doesn't make for good pictures at all let's begin the day this was the day when nearly $3.00 240-0000 tractors marched into the capital according to the programme we had not and we said this would be celebration of being get off the line every single of those protesters was Indian national that which is what we have it there was this day Drouet the hoop was broken the police say 6 was broken because these are disciplined every every day and so far quite to things other than that that the police and allowed them to call different groups and the most amazing thing no one else because the symbols from lucky to have been thrashed this is the this is the place place where the problem is India addresses the nation form on the 15th else all this so basically place the police is. The question that everyone wants to ask is always in. And on that Republic did on a day when everybody expected something to happen one trips possibly thousands of people but not inside that the secret police Oh is it that in the presence of police and you can see them sitting on the chips is it all b.b.c. Just about it dollar or so but police sitting watching and learning all this to have well I'm sorry but I'm a little confused about what point you're making because Indian government officials have drawn parallels with what happened in the assault the mob assault on the u.s. Capital they said that what happened on January 26th in Delhi was equally on acceptable and I don't know if you are being misquoted but I saw a quote from you on the Press Trust of India website you are saying I feel ashamed of the way things proceeded and I take responsibility for it so was that a misquote or do you feel a sense of shame this is completely unacceptable for this to happen on direct or on there is an acceptable so you do feel a sense of shame I'm sorry I just want to get very clear here because again Indians across the country are going to be listening to your words that was shameful was it so how do you ensure that it never ever happens again and what do you do with the extremists in your midst I'm saying quite clearly what at the end was shameful everything the it would be what happened and we follow His unions have said we did not approve of things we did not know all these but we are willing to take moderate responsivity because what happened was wrong we are also saying what the police peace looking to test and what actually have a public documentation of who was allowed why would the and out the way they way why is it that someone was a local Crist's system someone didn't know what if it is properly bikies was and not to be there and get help quitely said lots of questions that me. To be on source some of the questions are yes I am astonished to get up some of the questions are being laid at your door I understand there's a police investigation and that you have been named as one of one of the as one of those that the police want to investigate what what is happening with that when the police has come up with they generate chalk treat same all that be does need to be investigated they seem fine. Let's find out let's let's get to specifics and this is up to the police times feed this is astounded at the need for the last couple of years you have to protest the police use this fist the media to defame the protest is then they sent this in well words protected by the police this is what happened twice already and then there are all kinds of cases John cheated so criminalising look the same is not something new this is the pet used once again you call it the criminalize ation of dissent again you are very well aware that the government and some of its media backers have quite specifically said that the farmers' movement has been taken over by those seeking to to achieve their objective of a collar stom that is a Sikh separatist movement and also those who have from outside the country are seeking to pursue an Islamist agenda as best you know it is either that the colors stop on political objective or the Islamist agenda part of what motivates some people currently sitting in your protest camps not think it will predict this that those who are sitting in these camps are people whose sons and in some cases doggedness are certain the country on the border remember the fall as a whole from the State of the job and and who goes is it yes those These are areas that conjugal mixing the boasting that you get are me and we have witnessed in the course of all this that just soldiers who died dependents so to call them and this is not something that began with the greatest. Subject right from the beginning the government is the intent on finding ways of hiring the movement it began by saying that not far as the beat in chains then to said these are agents of political parties then this is a kind of stunt then to separate things but farmers will rent a stake in a baby killer stick and says you're interested in what I had to say on the 14th of January it was a declination by someone to say you know go in flight listen in Flag on India Gate on 26 military watch you and I went public and said these are enemies of the movement and we will be legally condemned farmers movement and given a cost associated by cost of someone who is defragged other than the Indian tricolor in there for I refer to this is maybe a nexus tensional moment for India at right now it still looks as though Prime Minister Modi commands the support of a clear majority of the Indian people including people who have watched the standoff with the farmers movement if you look at opinion polling his approval ratings are still high it still looks as though the b j p is in a very strong position to do well in regional elections in April how can you explain the popularity continuing of neurons or Modi In fact previous book there was the technical stuff I would resist the temptation of getting to polling and suchlike but I would simply say look the larger question also is that 80 is besides the point in this particular instance we're speaking of while at the Classic the largest segment we need to follow some India who are saying Mr Moore you've given us a gift that we never want it why don't you give us what we want and this to all these seems to be saying no not that I have gifted you bet except it and Michael's sense as it fall will scatter as someone who used to have something to do with. Istead all look at last Jules 3 months ever since this education has soared it farmers may not understand to get a t. So slow but the broad impression that see being dumped is that Mr Modi is up to something big something bad for the followers at the behest of some corporate callouses that cannot possibly contribute to his overall image damaging his image is not what we're all checked in we just want this to be settled that Colby want to be able to say when the government listen to us that's what I'm focused on my focus is not really on how do damage Mr Murthy in the coming elections now more than that but the problem is that as you've just outlined it you're saying that the farmers have some real leverage and power in this country but the truth is farming is now responsible for only 15 percent of Indian g.d.p. If one looks at the s. And P's latest predictions for the Indian economy next year it's even post pandemic it's predicted it may grow by up to 10 percent Modi is delivering for millions and millions of Indian people and I wonder whether you are overestimating the path of the farming movement to change the dynamic just to include numbers. Democracy why g.d.p. Numbers the other number that make those this simple not so farming employees but won't 48 percent of Indian working population is really in place about 57 percent of the operation that's a number I would imagine a quality should be concerned about whether it was to hold these Does it really not that Fareed that question the question of 10 percent growth depends on what the previous year was in agriculture and ups not because of this Dorothy not despite his too lofty that's a different thing or to get that but I really do not see. You would get so say Clinton who seems to know what he has delivered on the economy but as well a case of a final thought that this isn't just about economics it's about it's about the entire Modi mission which involves a commitment to Hindu nationalism I would say many Indians would say more importantly you are from a family where your own father was so keen on the sect of the secular principle in your country that he actually originally named you Selene even though you are from a Hindu family he wanted you to have a Muslim name as a symbol of that Unitarian approach do you believe that Mr Modi is changing India in a way that would make any such gesture in the future almost unthinkable to most Indian people the country is profoundly and it seems permanently changing in the Modi era. That's the larger attendance the still you refer to is about my father who actually watched his own father being butchered by the ball and then he turned Ugandan said no I'm not the Muslims I'm going to name my son I'm going to give my son in Muslim need not that's what about me that's what my father that's about to spend to India that's about what my gonna be there suppressed it's a right it's a fascinating story but it's a story of an India that no longer exist. That's what people like me why really above. When we look at the bigger picture it's the idea of India that's been trampled upon what we are witnessing is nothing short of dismantling of the Indian grew up the brick by brick and Zed for me is the biggest Jennings the country's face and that's where I see elate need playing a role and yet if I may say so just to finish up the truth is not under Modi it wins elections and your Saraj very secular party doesn't win any seats regionally or nationally that's my point that the India of today. So that you media my own party may not be the best measure that resistance that he also talks but I am absolutely clear India is a lot in nation one priest of one religion India is in. The idea of diversity of democracy of development for the last that I do yet share our truck this evil lightly may perish we may have to pay some cost you cannot defend your republic and not be a cost but India the idea of India Shen trump the idea of India is much bigger than it's got imprudence a possible independent descendants or grammar we have to remember I do feel. Thank you very much indeed for joining me on the. Distribution of the b.b.c. World Service in the u.s. Has made possible by American Public Media producer in distributor of public radio content. American Public Media with support from Fidelity wealth management providing perspective on a client's entire financial picture investment minimum supply fidelity brokerage services l.l.c. . Lana's choice for n.p.r. And. I know why they're mostly sunny today also windy highs near 49 a low of 39 overnight thunderstorms tomorrow with highs in the low fifty's and then a mix of sun and cloud on Friday with on your 42. The Florida hip hop violin that really like subverting expectations is the number one reason I play the Latin is because I'm not supposed to now these classically trained musicians are searching for new outlets to share their art that's one of the things I missed the most is just being able to perform for a live audience and be able to feel together make a new song for us on the next Morning Edition from n.p.r. News weekday mornings at 5 a 90 point one. B.b.c. News with Daniele yell of yes gas many thousands of people have gathered again in Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon in some of the biggest protests yet against the military coup at the start of the month today's demonstrations are likely to test the resolve and obedience of Myanmar's army. The latest figures published by the European Union show that China over took the United States last year to become the block's biggest trading partner the data show that the block's trade with China was worth 709000000000 dollars last year. President Biden has said there will be repercussions for China over human rights abuses he said Beijing was trying very hard to become the world leader but it would be difficult for it to gain global confidence if it was breaching basic human rights. The man portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood movie about the Rwandan genocide Hotel Rwanda has appeared in court for the start of his trial full recess a beginner is facing terrorism charges with 20 others he's a critic of President Paul Kagame. Reports from north central Nigeria say gunmen have stormed a boys' boarding school and abducted an unknown number of students a local official at the secondary school in Asia state told the b.b.c. That the gunmen attacked the institution in the early hours of Wednesday kidnappings for ransom are rampant across Nigeria Italy's new prime minister Mario Draghi is setting out his policy program in Parliament before a vote of confidence the former head of the European Central Bank is detailing his plans for combating the corona virus pandemic and the 1st batch of coronavirus vaccines has been delivered to the Gaza Strip Israel has approved the shipment of a 1000 shots off to blocking a delivery earlier this week the Palestinian authorities in the occupied West Bank said they dispatched 2000 on Sunday intended for health workers in Gaza b.b.c. News. Welcome to business day from the b.b.c. Today the worldwide crisis in Samy conduct is that really could affect us all the new chips and your Apple i Phone or in your new MacBook everybody relies on Taiwan to produce the chips but what do you do when the chips are down and what does it mean for Taiwan the island territory claimed by China Taiwan is perceived as a neutral player friendly to the west but they don't want to take sides you know they don't want to lose access to customers in mainland China that's all to come in business daily from the b.b.c. . Disruption is an overused in technology normally it refers to new innovations challenging business as usual but covert 19 has seen one old style disruption like no other frankly semiconductors computer chips to you and me there simply aren't enough of them around the world at the moment not enough at least for the electronics and all kinds of other products that demand them turns out they really are quite important to us all when we hear chips or semiconductors we think of your computer or your laptop your smartphone but it goes far beyond that I would say buy today it's hard to imagine an industry or a part of your life that doesn't rely on semiconductors at some point so in your car are dozens 200 off semiconductors our traffic management system our energy system our banking sector hospitals they're all rely on semiconductors for their most Monday and basic tasks that c.n. Peter Klein hands he's project director for the geopolitics of technology at the think tank in Berlin the largest foundry steer some c. In Taiwan t.s.m. C. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Doesn't design chips but they are a contract manufacturer for everybody else in the world so the new chips and your Apple i Phone or in your new MacBook they are all produced by t s m c And at the moment she is the only company who can do this level of advanced chips so we have to see at the top with 55 percent market share below that we have some song with something like 20 percent market share then we have you m c another Taiwanese company and then we have Global Foundries in the u.s. And in China so you have a strong dominance in Taiwan especially with Ts m. C. And then the 4 leading edge chip so for the newest generation that you need in your smartphone in data centers you have a number 2 with Samsung and there's really nobody else for these advanced chips in the world who can produce them it's all of this we have some things so crucial to so much of modern manufacturing a big crucial chunk of which is all on a very small island just off China why did Taiwan and the Khan so important in the global supply chain Well it's really a division of labor right I mean we talk about an industry that for the past 50 years followed a paradigm sometimes called Morse law that says that you have to double the complexity of your chip every 18 months that's severe ovation chip companies realized that many factoring is extremely expensive and that the interesting part in terms of value addition is the chip design and that's why we have so many chip design companies in the u.s. And all over the world who all just focus on the design of the chip and then looked for a contract manufacturer to produce those chips and t.m.c. Was at the right time in the right place and I think one shouldn't underestimate the effort. That went into this because chip manufacturing is much more than just putting it extremely expensive equipment in the hall and then churning our chips you need really close connections to your suppliers so chemicals equipment and silicon wafers that is really hard to copy everybody relies on Taiwan to produce the chips Yeah Peter Klein Hans Well if anything the rise of innovations like smart consumer tech the internet of things has made the computer chip supply chain even more important in recent years the B.B.C.'s Lara Lewington got rare exclusive insight into t.s.m. Sees high tech semiconductor factory or fab in Taiwan a couple of years ago it mislead also may save 3 the life of a cat yellow to protect the frog on the machinery is moving all around the world what it is in the air we're not allowed to tell because this is clearly a sleek cutting edge technology so we need to make it presently we have to protect our customer information. Whichever way we can. Basically we do not allow cameras to free one inside our. Because. They may pick up customer information. The next driver is what we call ubiquitous computing it is competition everywhere at any time all the devices are connected billions and billions of. That are smart they can compute at any time and communicate and like and that will be the future enabled by semiconductors. T.s.m. Cs Head of Corporate Communications in 2019 Dr Elizabeth sun So what is the latest disruption all about really well it seems to have occurred after a sudden and unexpected surge in demand after last year's slump because of the pandemic that's the demand for all kinds of consumer electronics and because the B.B.C.'s Theo Leggett says that car companies especially struggling with their chip supply the rate at which the industry has recovered and particularly demand from China has recovered has taken car companies a little bit by surprise if you think back to last March last April the industry was thrown into a very sudden crisis with the onset of covert around the world with the onset of lock downs car factories had to shut down car dealerships were not open factories couldn't get the parts they couldn't manufacture the cars they couldn't sell the cars so demand for semiconductors at that point fell right back and the ordering systems for the car makers didn't anticipate that the recovery would come as quickly as it has and it is a fact that in China where the doesn't seem to have been the kind of 2nd wave that we're seeing in your. And elsewhere the industry has recovered quite quickly so there is demand for cars and the availability of semiconductors isn't there to meet a very rapid increase in demand and also one thing that we're seeing quite generally now is that the new cars that are being bought more of them are electric cars as well and these really are mobile computers on wheels so one estimate from last week suggesting that production of global cotton the global cost is going to be down by 670000 vehicles I mean guess that number will be changing all the time there are just factories closing in the u.s. Is that panic in the sector I wouldn't say this panic at the moment but there is definitely unease it's not the kind of thing we saw back in March or April last year when whole swathes of the industry were put out of action for weeks on end these are short term glitches where supply chains aren't working which will be overcome eventually but the problem is the resilience in time for semiconductors you order them you get them later this is gamed geopolitical complection hasn't it I notice angular Merkel's been called on by the German carmakers to to weigh in and call on the Taiwanese to ramp up production I imagine the u.s. Is doing something similar I mean there are a lot of people banging on the door specifically of Taiwan's that Satan producing most of the chips that are most crucially required for most of these car makers Yes the pressure is definitely on and what carmakers don't want to see is themselves suffering a shortage when other people are not so there's almost I guess you could call it kind of semiconductor nationalism in evidence here that money factories will be lobbying their own political leaders to say we need the supplies that are available it isn't just car makers competing with one another or competing with other come makers from different countries that also competing with other industries particularly consumer elect. The B.B.C.'s the legate Well as mentioned both General Motors and Ford in the u.s. Have been forced to idle factories as a result of the lack of computer chips out there hear all their respective see Mary barrow of g.m. And before her Jim folly of Ford you know we have about a 26 week supply chain from wafers until we get our control modules to go no vehicles and we're just seeing you know management moving the chips that we do have to the most profit would be a good this is an industry issue of course we're working every single day to look for opportunities of how do we minimize the impact this is the short term Michelle will work through well she may be putting a brave face on things but even the Biden administration has said that it is urgently investigating what can be done to accelerate the supply for this important industry it all comes at a time when the People's Republic of China is also making increasingly hostile noises about Taiwan which despite having been effectively independent for more than 70 years is a territory that China has claimed as its own last month Beijing warned that any further attempt by the island state to assert its independence could mean war so how does the computer chip crisis play into all this I asked Shelly rigor she is a professor of East Asian politics at Davidson university in the u.s. And the author of a book why Taiwan matters Taiwan is perceived as a worst sort of neutral player and at best as a friendly to the west player within the supply chain and so that puts Taiwan on the map for sure but it's also tricky both for Taiwan and for t.s.m. See specifically as a company they don't want to take sides you know they don't want to lose access to customers in mainland China already the p.r.c. Is paying these incredible bounties and premiums to engineers to move to. To the mainland and work for Chinese indigenous semiconductor companies so it's getting harder for ts mc and other Taiwanese semi firms to get the talent that they need then there are other you know more nefarious ways that we can imagine the s.m.c. Losing its technical edge so you know not only do they not want to lose the business with p.r.c. Companies but they are they would like to be able to supply this demand so that this demand is not supplied by someone else because that someone else will be a competitor how much is this king into the tension that we're hearing about from China do you think that the semiconductor industry is a part of the calculation I don't actually think that that is the major driver of the changing security threat that we see in the Taiwan Strait I think the p.r.c. Is mainly driven by political motivations they're trying to ensure that Taiwan does not get the idea that it would be safe to kind of finalize once and for all the separation between the 2 sides in some kind of formal statement of independence that is the fundamental mandate of all of the p.r.c. Is policy toward Taiwan is to make sure that Taiwan does not declare independence so I think it's more about those political considerations than it is about trying to get ts mc and just one last comment on that you know it's not clear that even if the p.r.c. Did invade Taiwan and they were able to walk into the Ts mc the Cillit is that they would be able to operate them because the level of complexity is just so far beyond anything that's available in the p.r.c. They did a new generation of engine. Carrying talent to even just open the factory so here we are I mean we have a new administration in the White House we have any crease in the hostel what it seems in Beijing is this sudden crunch around the semiconductor supply Cloverlea is that an opportunity or a challenge for Taiwan How do you see this playing out for the country itself I think it is an opportunity for Taiwan to remind governments that have historically kind of thought we don't have to get involved in this political or geo political conflict that they are involved they're involved at the economic level even if they don't want to engage at the political level I don't think it affects us Taiwan relations much because the us has been moving in the same direction for a really long time that is to say the us has determined for decades that maintaining Taiwan as a separate political entity is the policy of the us maybe for some other countries that are discovering for the 1st time the risks involved in not taking a more robust position on this issue it may actually cause them to be a little more willing to challenge China around the Taiwan situation Professor Shelley rigor So what happens now Taiwan's economy minister and t s m c have pledged to maintain this semiconductor production as best they can prioritizing the supply they say to friendly states in the us across party group of senators says the shortage could threaten the in time a us post pandemic recovery they've called for the reef shoring of us semiconductor manufacturing on national security grounds it is an idea that makes sense to again Peter Klein Hans Germany's s n v think tank. I think both governments and industry realize slowly how complex and how dependent the semiconductor value chain is and that in some areas because of geographical risks because of geopolitical risks it really makes sense to diversify there are huge discussions in Europe about how to ramp up chip production within Europe in some areas it's easier than in others so I think in certain areas governments have to live that with the fact that they will continue to be highly dependent on foreign technology providers and I think that 1st and foremost it's not a bad thing I mean our economies work well by being highly dependent on foreign resources and foreign technologies it becomes a problem if governments use it as choke points and pressure points in a geopolitical game I mean Ok let's just return then to the original problem which is there is a momentary or a temporary supply shock in the delivery of these chips to the places that want them how quickly is the system able to normalize this is just a question of 2 or 3 months 3 or 4 months or what it definitely not 2 or 3 or 3 or 4 months the lead time for many semiconductors is something around 6 months so from the time that you order the chip until you hold it in your hands what I hear so far from the industry and what I read is it will at least extend until summer but then if you listen to other especially automotive semiconductor companies some of them also say that the chips shortage in Automotive is just the beginning simply because of covert there has been a huge demand in consumer electronics laptops in tablets but also in cloud infrastructure there's a demand search for everything so they expect that through our 2021 maybe not just in the automotive sector but also in other areas we will have Shoreditch probably. Nothing as severe as what happened over the past couple of weeks but there will be shortages again Peter Klein hands of s. And the whole thing is crossed for as rapid a return to normal as possible for the chip industry for all our sakes that's just about it for this edition of Business Daily The producer was Edwin lane more Same time tomorrow you join us then. Now witness the street with me for Hahn a high theft all this week we're looking back at events in black history and today I'm bringing you the story of a woman who played unsung role in countless medical breakthroughs ever more than half a century. Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman who had cells taken from her body without her consent or knowledge in 1951 when she was suffering from cancer those cells would go on to revolutionize medical science and we had to Lex was born in 1020 in Virginia by 951 she was the mother of 5 children and living in Baltimore her cells have gone on to become one of the most important tools in medicine and for decades have family have been fighting for a say in how those cells a human stem. Acid you're working on how cells and he said Yeah he says Our cells are still on law and I just I was truly amazed. They were saying that they were blocking it out altogether saying Look like I said so it was a very special different and of what turned out to be to Henrietta Lacks last went to Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951 at the time it was the only hospital and they had treated black patients Dr Howard Jones was a gynecologist that and treated Henrietta when she arrived with unexplained bleeding and abdominal pain he is speaking to the b.b.c. In 1997 she had the heads of your menstrual spotting them bleeding which is a sign of cancer but it could be some of the other things too but all the examination of the cervix by the way with the suitable instrument I was extremely impressed and I can see that lesions because it's. It wasn't up like an ordinary cancer this was different this didn't look like cancer it was purple their blood very easily on touching the human did not respond well to treatment and Henrietta Lacks died of 7 cats and dogs have been 151 she was just that he won without her knowledge of that of her family some of the cells from Lex's team of a cat by the council unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital by research at George Guy he found that they could be grown in Definitely before this cells cultures for liberty studies would only suffice for a few days he gave the cell line the name he left off of the 1st 2 initials of Henrietta Lacks is fast and last name so John Button is a professor of genetics and you call so university I talked to him in 2017 Dr Guy was dedicated scientist who was trying to develop cells that would grow indefinitely and he was using cells from tumors because the critical feature of a cancer cell is that it's overcome the builtin controls which would normally cause it to stop growing once it had been instructed to do so and what happened with the healer cells was that they set them off in culture and then within a matter of hours they were growing prolifically and this was quite stunning and why is that so important for the fact that they could keep reproducing How has that benefited medical science Well there are many situations where we need to be able to study tissues or pathogens in the laboratory the most classic example of course being the making of the polio vaccine that in order to develop that vaccine it was necessary to grow the polio virus and not require human cells and these healer cells proved the perfect base for that experiment so that it allowed the polio researchers to actually grow the virus and develop the vaccine that would save millions he says cells became world famous for the fest time anything could be tested on living humans. Ells not only did they lead to the development of the polio vaccine in countless medical treatments they will also use by cosmetic companies who forced millions of heal itself to test for possible side effects in the new products ultimately billions of dollars worth of products were tested using healers cells all of this was done without the knowledge of Henrietta Lacks is family in the 19 forty's and fifty's and indeed for many years thereafter it was considered normal that to she was for example a conscious cell or concert tumour which had been removed by surgeons was was a bond and this is the technical legal to buy the patient and so it was not considered necessary to ask permission to use tissue samples in a research setting once the person is undergone the operation and it wasn't until the ninety's that it became clear that it was necessary to actually opted a person's permission if they're to she was to be you should research beyond the immediate care of their illness in 1993 the lax family learnt for the 1st time that Henrietta cells was still a life a team of geneticists set out to track down the remaining members of the lax family and found full of his children still living in Baltimore he have a all talking to the b.b.c. In 1997 they wanted to do this genetic research to find out whether any to kids carried her there saying Jane that she carried out whatever so they want to blood so they came and they asked permission to draw blood from her children guard him a nurse came to the house all of which they did not tell us they do you know they took a blood test from page one of my mother's Q And they towed they just tested here with my mother hey with hereditarily acid you're working on her cells and he said Yeah he said Our cells are still alive and I just I was truly amazed and he said I've been working on it for years and it's like. We never knew this and there's another thing they got me upset when. Is there anything else then how do you know when they lack some they found out what was being done with them of the cells they decided to approach lawyers to see if they were entitled to any money from the biotech industry at the time that was struggling to access basic health care my research I found out that they sell them for sale all over the world and I just want to find out who is making money all. Kind of angry about it and made about it in a way because it was some days no one knew about we just want to make them aware who she was the reason why I think being not trying to like is because she dragged out beginning I will be around she's in my female I think they would have been knowledge and they know they would know who she is right now Henrietta's family had no luck regarding compensation their mother had died. But they could fight for control of them of the cells so they decided to start a campaign to recognize Henrietta's contribution to medical science some of the coming of the judgments most House colleagues in Atlanta is one of the oldest black universities in America on the 45th anniversary of Henry s. Alexa's death it on its head and her family. The city of Atlanta acknowledges the contributions of Henry out of La for advancing the medical and scientific f.h. For cancer polio and many other diseases and on behalf of b.c. She's about management hereby proclaim October 11th and Henry had day in our city shining Williams camp. How much has Henrietta Lacks done for the science in head death although it was an unwitting contribution to Henrietta gave her life for medical science and her contribution has been enormous because the cells that cost. Her life has proved to be the best all literally tens of thousands of medical research papers around the world and by one count 52960000 research articles reaching into every corner of biological science had been published using these cells so it's rather like saying exactly how important was the test tube it was just part of the process a crucial element of Biological Sciences in the 2nd half of the 20th century. As a result of the campaign by her family Henrietta Lacks has become a scientific heroine the story was made famous by 2010 bestseller The most Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot and in August 23rd team the Lacks family were granted some control of a scientist access to Henrietta Lacks a sales d.n.a. Code that's it for this edition of witness history with me for Han Hi there on the b.b.c. World Service. Listening to 90 point one w a b e Atlanta where a.t.l. Meets n.p.r. . A monthly sustaining donation to w.a.b. Means your gift is constantly powering all you love about w.a.b. But has this moment donation gone through please update your credit card details at w a b e dot org slash update Twitter is under pressure in India to block accounts that the government there claims incite violence the tech company did sell then reversed course and is now stuck in between defending free speech and keeping its employees out of Indian prisons. But there's no push for media companies actually getting that story on the next All Things Considered from n.p.r. News this afternoon at 4 I'm 90 point one. Good morning the Texas power grid is run by what's called the Electric Reliability Council reliability is not the 1st word many Texans are using as rolling blackouts continue on Morning Edition from n.p.r. News. Coming up we talk to correspondent who's been reporting from his blacked out home and I'm Steve Inskeep we also hear the new secretary of state who says the path to diplomacy is open for the United States and Iran. To the Republican Party hold more tightly to Donald Trump we hear the state party chair in North Carolina which Senator for a vote to convict and farmers struggle to keep their livestock alive in a brutal storm it is Wednesday February 17th Michael Jordan is 58 years old today. News is next. Live from n.p.r. News in Washington I'm Dave Mattingly President Biden says he wants the majority of elementary and middle schools in the u.s. Reopened for in class instruction 5 days a week within his 1st 100 days in office that's a change from what the White House has said previously regarding the coronavirus and schools check with member station w u w m reports on Biden's comments last night in Wisconsin Biden's press secretary recently said the president's goal was to have the majority of schools open at least one day a week within Biden's 1st 100 days as president but Biden says that was a mistake in communication he says he's aiming to have most k. Through 8th grade schools open 5 days a week because they are the easiest to open the most needed to be opened in terms of the impact on children and families having to stay home Biden says there's a relatively low transmission rate of the coronavirus among younger children he also called for teachers and other school employees to be moved up the priority list for the covert 19 vaccine for n.p.r. News I'm Chuck Bock in Milwaukee former president Donald Trump has issued a statement highly critical of the Senate's top Republican Mitch McConnell It comes days after the Senate voted to acquit Trump of inciting insurrection at the u.s. Capitol last month in Trump's 2nd impeachment trial Trump describes the veteran Kentucky Republican x. Majority leader as an un smiling political hack who Trump says the g.o.p. Should abandon as their leader McConnell was one of 43 Republican senators who voted to acquit Trump but not before accusing Trump of being practically and morally responsible for provoking the violent attack of January 6 McConnell believes the Senate had no jurisdiction to try an ex-president millions of homes and businesses in Texas remain without power this morning amid sup. Freezing temperatures and another round of wintry weather the National Weather Service says Winter storm warnings across the eastern half of the state with more snow and ice moving through such a corner with Houston Public Media has more it remains unclear when the lights will come on across the state but the state's electrical grid regulator hopes to get things back up and running for all tanks and as soon as possible bill Magnus's c.e.o. Of Urquhart the Electric Reliability Council of tanks this certainly you know over the next couple days I think we've seen you know really good signs of progress you know we still have but you know much on Tuesday governor Greg Abbott called for state lawmakers to investigate or contra spawns to the storm making the probe an emergency item for the Texas legislature this year Magna says are caught is happy to cooperate in will hopefully be very involved in the investigation I'm Saussure Cordner in Houston this is n.p.r. News from Washington. A government watchdog is criticizing former leaders of the federal agency that oversees Voice of America and other federally funded international broadcasters the watchdog says the agency likely committed wrongdoing when it hired a private law firm to investigate top executives as N.P.R.'s David Folkenflik reports whistleblowers say the investigation was part of a broader campaign to politicize the agency back in August then President Trump's appointee as head of the u.s. Agency for global media sought to fire top executives the c.e.o. Michael Pack couldn't so he suspended them and then as n.p.r. 1st reported he paid the law firm of McGuire Woods more than $2000000.00 to investigate them the executives argued they were targeted because they objected to PACs efforts to violate his journalistic independence and to force out foreign employees a finding of probable wrongdoing is pretty rare yet just 2 months ago the same watchdog the Office of Special Counsel found probable wrongdoing by Pak in pursuing his agenda David Folkenflik n.p.r. News Japan launched its 1st covert 19 mass vaccination campaign today frontline health care workers are the 1st to receive doses of fires facts seen stock markets in Asia ended the day on the downside following yesterday's mixed day on Wall Street that Al closed at a record high as natural gas prices jumped more than 7 percent they finished the day at their highest level since last November and alist say extreme cold in the southern u.s. Especially Texas is driving energy prices higher right now. Hi I'm Dave Mattingly n.p.r. News in Washington support for n.p.r. Comes from Heather stirred Haganah and Paul g. Hague supporting African Wildlife Foundation working to ensure the future of Africa's wildlife and wild lands learn more at a w.f. Dot org And Americans for the Arts at Americans for the Arts dot org. You're starting your day in the know with a b. And a Morning Edition. Joined at the 80 and a.t.l. P.p.a. For a behind the scenes look at Finding Your Roots season 7 uncovering the mysteries of the famous family histories with series producer Sabian Streeter hosted by Morning Edition host Lisa Raye am Thursday Feb 25th at 6 pm For more information and to our is b.p. Go to w 8 dot org slash taking. On the next city lie this year's line up for the virtual hit latter the rich film festival we'll hear from a.j. Have theft board president Knox Leventhal and Executive Director Kenny Black these films explore the intersection of Jewish life with so many other communities I'm Lois Wright says join us at 11 am. It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm Steve Inskeep and on it will King good morning this situation for people in Texas is still perilous today millions of people don't have electricity and many haven't for up to 3 days it's freezing outside there's no water for many people grocery stores are running out of food and in a big winter storm many elements of the state's electrical grid have failed to leave plus ios from Texas Public Radio is on the line with us from San Antonio Hi Joe. Hi Steve I know your powers been on and off do you have electricity at this moment no actually I haven't had power for about 48 hours now oh my goodness and so how are you adapting what are you doing Are you Ok I'm under like 3 blankets right now I have a sweater I have jacket I have a robe I'm wearing 2 layers of pajama pants right now so it's it's an all layered affair but I can hear you shivering a little bit and I know that this is happening for millions of people across Texas talk to us about how things got so bad. So we have to go back a couple of days because this is been a slow motion crisis. On Sunday and Monday it was snowing in Texas and that is really rare the cold weather caused 2 things to happen power plants started to fail and 2nd the cold caused the demand for electricity to spike and that reduction in power combined with the jump the demand cause the near collapse of the state's energy grid now the grid is run by an organization called the Electric Reliability Council of Texas and they're the ones who in emergency situations like this force local utilities in the cities to start rolling blackouts to keep from overwhelming the grid Ok so the Electric Reliability Council of Texas not a group that anyone had most people had heard of before 72 hours ago they say the grid is about to collapse we have to cut power to some people it's worth asking in a big prosperous state like Texas why weren't the out in front of this well so everyone had known for several days that Texas was going to be walloped by this winter storm but it really doesn't seem that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas also known as Earth cut made sufficient preparations or warn the public how bad it might get and you know as you mention oh well you know the earth cut went from being one of the most obscure organizations in the state to becoming one of the most heavily criticized they receive so much disdain from the general public right now. It's like for some people it feels like they may have appeared out of nowhere but this organization has been around for a long time and even around 10 years ago there was a similar rolling blackout crisis with that one only lasted a few hours Ok so the general public ordinary people are very upset what about state leaders what are they saying to him about this group about fixing this problem they want answers members of the state legislature. Or want answers members of Congress want answers and people are not happy with Governor Abbott the governor didn't really say anything public until several hours into the crisis and right now Abbott has actually asked for an investigation of and he's even made a reform of an emergency item for the legislature and he himself has said that it has not been very reliable right now just real quick when have you and others been told that you might get power back it's really going to depend on the weather I will go up to sprees I woke up to freezing rain today so it could be several days before things get back to normal freezing rain in San Antonio. Texas Public Radio thank you Joe Thank you Rick President Biden is on the road this week pushing his 1.9 trillion dollars covert relief package and trying to instill confidence in his administration's vaccine strategy last night Biden was in Wisconsin for a c.n.n. Town hall with host Anderson Cooper when is every American who wants going to be able to get a vaccine by the end of July this year n.p.r. National political correspondent Mara Liasson is with us now good morning Mara good morning in this town hall last night did President Biden answer the questions that people are most sort of worked up about including the vaccine Yes he did one of the big topics was school openings they've been very controversial a potential vulnerability for the White House because Republicans are trying to say the Biden administration has not been aggressive enough on something that to many Americans is the most important signal of getting back to normal in addition to all the other reasons why it's important for kids and parents to get schools open and one of the reasons that this is a potential vulnerability for the White House is because the president's press secretary had set a remarkably low bar of what Biden meant by school openings she said he wants half of them having in. Person instruction one day a week by the end of his 1st 100 days but last night Biden said that was a mistake in communication he wants to see k. Through 8 classes back 5 days a week here's what he said it will be close to that at the end of the 1st 100 days you'd have a significant percentage of them being able to open my right my guess is they're going to probably be pushing to open all for all summer to continue like it's different semester do you think that when he does a week or just I think many of them 5 days a week the goal the 5 days a week so much more ambitious goal but as Biden pointed out education is a state and local He controlled thing he can set goals set guidelines but it's not up to him getting the schools open will require money Joe Biden has said he wants $1.00 trillion dollars Critics say that's just too much money it's going to overheat the economy is he and his administration are they still saying no it's $1.00 trillion that's what we need well he's still pushing for the big package he said last night that he feels his package is broadly popular he cited polls that show Republicans and even trump voters like it if not Republican members of Congress and Washington he defended the price tag he said there's a consensus among economists about spending more rather than less both Bidens Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and the Fed chair Jerome Powell seem confident that a bigger package is better and if it does spark inflation they can handle it it's unclear if it's going to get any Republican support despite those bipartisan talks Senate majority minority leader Mitch McConnell told the Wall Street Journal that the 1st step to unifying Republicans who of course are very badly divided is to unify around opposing Biden's relief package that's the same thing McConnell and the Republicans did in 2009 when Obama asked for bipartisan support for his stimulus as McConnell is trying to hold his party together he's now in I guess what you could call a fight with former President Trump what what's happening there you could call it a. I don't put out a lengthy statement yesterday he blasted McConnell That's of course after McConnell blamed him for the January 6th riot the statement said quote Mitch is a dour sullen and unsmiling political hack and if Republican senators are going to stay with him they will not win again the statement went on to threaten that Trump would wear quote necessary and appropriate back primary rivals It's unclear exactly what that means but Donald Trump once again proving that he's not just the most important factor in Republican politics but also potentially the biggest source of division and chaos in the Republican Party and now he's aiming his anger at Mitch McConnell and Pierce Mara Liasson thanks for this far you're welcome were the u.s. And the Taliban made a crucial agreement last year if the Taleban were to meet certain conditions the u.s. Said it would withdraw the remaining 2500 American troops out of Afghanistan by May 1st NATO secretary general Yan Stoltenberg says the Taleban have not met those conditions yet u.s. Defense secretary Lloyd Austin will begin talks with NATO today on how to move forward n.p.r. Pentagon Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman has been following this one Good morning Tom you know well what were the conditions that the Taliban agreed to well the 2 main conditions were break with Al Qaida in a commitment not to attack cities neither of which they have lived up to a recent Treasury Department reports is gaining strength in Afghanistan and the Taliban continue to threaten cities all we heard yesterday from a defense official is violence must go down but not much more about the way ahead now there is a sense with people I talk with in the military and on Capitol Hill that the u.s. And NATO will not pull all troops out by the end of April because again the Taliban is just not holding up to their side of the agreement but no final decision right now Ok Biden is relatively new in office and that does matter but before he was sworn in. Congress ordered a study about withdrawal of American troops and the wisdom of it what did they conclude well retired Marine General Joe Dunford who commanded troops in Afghanistan and served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs took part in that study ordered by Congress and it suggested extending that withdrawal date to give the peace process between the Taliban and the Afghan government enough time and he painted a bleak picture if all troops leave let's listen here's what we know if we walk away. We'll leave behind. A war if we take advantage of the opportunity right we have right now in there is the least the prospect of g.b. Not in state even as we recognize how difficult it will be you know Dunford said there's a real Harbor to need to work with regional powers including China India as well as Pakistan and maybe even Iran to come up with a good settlement and one that could include a continued international assistance and he said that a continued military presence by the u.s. And NATO can help all that along including of course continuing to train and assist the Afghan army the u.s. Can't the General Dunford said just simply hand a victory to the Taliban and you know he said we'll leave behind chaos if not civil war if we leave what are the specific worries how might the Taliban react if react if u.s. And NATO forces stay. It is physically this specific worries are that you know the Taliban have not attacked u.s. Forces now but if they say Americans are very negative on the agreement they could start attacking Americans once again lead just back to open warfare now the hope is the Taliban will be eventually be willing to do here to a peace deal because they want international recognition international aid but then again we could just be returning to more warfare 20 years of it now and that just continues n.p.r. Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman Tom thanks for this you're welcome. This is n.p.r. News. It's 519 and you're listening to Morning Edition with me Lisa Ray I'm on 90 point one. At land you can listen to us anywhere with the app and by telling your smart speaker to play. County just removed a Confederate monument from its historic courthouse grounds should the state pick up the momentum Go ahead have it really on a calm but necessary conversation about blowing off the face of stone what really create a backlash I'm gonna so hair and more in the new political breakfast podcast listen and subscribe where ever you get your podcast. On the next closer look many Hispanic communities in Gainesville Georgia were severely impacted by the coronavirus nearly a year later we get an update on efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus and with the focus now Nations plus a new podcast explores the arguments for and against reparations for black Americans join us today at $1.00. Support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from the Melville charitable trust committed to ensuring all people have a safe stable and affordable home that allows them to thrive more at Melville Trust dot org from the Andrew w. 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News I'm Noel King and I'm Steve Inskeep after last week's impeachment trial some Republicans want to move the party beyond Donald Trump Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the ex-President was responsible for the attack on the capital Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse voted to convict but he told us yesterday some Republicans are moving in the other direction there is a move but county and state levels across the country to have the Republican Party focus even more on the personality of Donald Trump but I don't think that's healthy in North Carolina the state Republican Party voted to censure Senator Richard Burr who also voted to convict state party chairman Michael Wadley joins us to talk about it what did Senator Byrd do wrong Well look I think the party was definitely concerned with the senator's vote to convict in the impeachment particularly after he had said and voted that it was unconstitutional. That I can understand although the Senate voted on the constitutionality and found it by majority vote to be constitutional So he certainly was allowed to proceed on that basis wasn't Well look I mean he certainly was and I think the key for for the Republican Party and for the hundreds of activists and party leaders that I've talked to was pretty universal displeasure disagreement with with that particular vote you know as a member of the Senate you have the absolute right to vote your conscience how you feel but at the same time we felt that it was important to put out a statement saying that we disagreed with those actions did you agree with him on substance that the president was responsible for provoking the riot on January 6th I think that what we saw on January 6th was absolutely horrific it was beyond the pale but at the end of the day the people who attacked the Capitol bear the blame and the fault in the responsibility for attacking the Capitol does the president bear any responsibility for lying to them for months about the results of the election including on the day of the riot Well I think the president certainly felt and still feels that there was massive voter irregularities across the country and we certainly saw evidence of voting irregularities of election accounting irregularities in in number of places around the country Ok there's several parts of that I want to follow up on 1st is the facts about the election and I think you know them all 50 states certified the results of the election Republican and Democratic officials more than 60 court rulings did not change the result of the election many of the judges did look at evidence so it would be false to say the courts did not look at the evidence they were recounts in key states like Georgia so any claim of meaningful fraud here would seem to be obviously fraudulent Do you agree with that look I was a member of the Electoral College and I cast my vote probably for Donald Trump here in North Carolina but you know the Electoral College did. Vote and they elected Joe Biden and that's the way that the constitution lays it out for us here in you know the United States so yes I know her. Do you agree with Mitch McConnell statement that the people have spoken that this was the voice of the people electing Joe Biden Yes And I think that that was represented by the Electoral College you say that you think the president somehow believed what he was saying but he made these false statements for months do you not think that had anything to do with people's decision to go and attack the capital saying as they did it that they were doing it for Trump because they believed what he told them Look I believe that the actions of those people who attacked the capital lie on those people who attacked the Capitol What do you say to people who will listen to this and see it as simply an act of fealty to Mr Trump personal fealty to Mr Trump Well look I you know I think we as a Republican Party we saw the election here in North Carolina where North Carolina delivered 2750000 votes for the president we saw that you know the Electoral College and the various states that submitted their slates to Electoral College said that that was not enough and that Joe Biden won the election yeah but I'm asking about your vote of censure for Richard Burr you know the concerns that were raised by the Republicans that I talked to all across North Carolina were that they they disagree with that vote particularly in light of the fact that the senator had already said and voted that this was an unconstitutional proceeding Can you imagine anything that would cause the party to criticize former President Trump can you imagine anything he could possibly do. And I don't even really get the sense of the question that we're talking about No I mean I mean I think for me that look I mean if the president were to act in an illegal manner I think that would probably be something that that we would want to address we follow. Up on that statement and if you listen closely you can faintly hear what the spokesman suggesting in answer so if there were criminal charges against the former president that might change your mind. It's very you know I can't speculate on that. What would you say if you had a chance to talk to Mitch McConnell the Senate Republican leader who said there's no question none the President Trump is practically and morally responsible because of his false statements and conspiracy theories and shouting all that into the largest megaphone on planet Earth as Mitch McConnell put it well you know I think honestly if I were going to have a conversation with Mitch McConnell I would focus on the fact that we have an election in 2022 in North Carolina is going to have a vacant seat and I know that he's looking at vacant seats in Ohio and Pennsylvania and that we're going to have a map that's going to be pretty tough and I would also focus on the fact that we need the Senate right now to be focused on the American families and being able to get them back to work their kids back to school in the economy back on its feet I suppose Trump could be a factor in that 2022 election right if he supports one candidate or another in North Carolina Oh absolutely yes any candidate that's going to go into you know an election cycle is going to have to embrace the America 1st agenda that he put on the table in order to be successful in a primary or frankly to be successful in a general does that mean that the party needs to stand behind former President Trump no matter what no I don't believe it does I think that the party you know stands behind what the president did for North Carolina throughout his term but you know there is no fealty test here Mr Whitely thanks very much for your time no problem we appreciate you guys and let us know when we can talk again Michael Wadley is the Republican Party Chairman of North Carolina the party censured Senator Richard Burr for his vote to convict Donald Trump last weekend Senator Burr is retiring in 2022 and the possible Republican candidates discussed for the seat include Trump's daughter in law. This is n.p.r. News. You're listening to 90 point one. I'm Lisa Ram thanks for joining me for Winz day's Morning Edition. Support for w a b e comes from Cherian Rhodes 4 generations of rug specialist sewing cleaning and restoring fine oriental rugs for Atlanta families and businesses celebrating 90 years in Decatur and Alpharetta Cherian dot com. I'm Tanya Moseley the music you're hearing is the debut album of a baby girl created by her parents before she was even born. The album sounds of the unborn That's next time on here in. Today at noon a $90.00. Live from n.p.r. News in Washington I'm Dave Mattingly President Biden says getting protective gear such as face masks to every school in the u.s. Is a key to getting schools reopened for in class instruction making sure everybody is worried protective gear is available to students as well as to teachers the. Janitors many people who work in the cafeteria the bus drivers Biden was speaking last night at a c.n.n. Town hall style event in Wisconsin the president says by the end of April he wants the majority of elementary and middle schools nationwide to be reopened for in class instruction 5 days a week not one day as previously stated by the White House the extreme cold that's been gripping Texas and other Southern States continues to leave millions of homes and businesses without power N.P.R.'s Kamila dominance says the frigid temperatures are also disrupting energy markets and likely to boost gasoline prices across the u.s. Businesses across the oil and gas industry have been feeling the m packets of this storm which could affect the supply of natural gas for heating homes and for generating electricity and also reduce the supply of crude oil which could push gasoline prices up AAA says the cost of regular gasoline nationwide has gone up $0.06 a gallon on average over the past week this is n.p.r. News from Washington. Mexico says it's been forced to impose rolling blackouts because of the extreme cold in Texas the coldest disrupting supplies of natural gas across the border forcing hundreds of factories in Mexico to close temporarily there are large demonstrations in me and more today thousands of protesters are on the streets across the country demanding the release of Alstad president Suchi she was among those arrested and charged after the military seize power earlier this month a un human rights expert fears there could be clashes the former Trump Plaza Casino along the boardwalk in Atlantic City New Jersey is scheduled to be leveled today Kenneth burns with member station w.h.y. Why says the one time entertainment hub has been closed for 7 years former President Trump has largely cut ties with a Linux city except for the rights to use his name on the Trump Plaza Casino and Hotel the plaza became one of the city's lowest performing casinos and was over $500000000.00 in debt by the early 1993 when it entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy it's shut down in 2014 Atlanta City Mayor Marty small calls the building an eyesore and the implosion is being billed as a historic event the demolition will be live streamed and the city is inviting people arriving in the 1st $4500.00 cars to watch the implosion from a nearby field at Teddy's must pay a $10.00 parking fee and it here to social distancing rules for n.p.r. News I'm Kenneth Burns I'm Dave Mattingly in Washington. Giving you a deeper perspective on the news This is Morning Edition. The next. Fresh air the hidden costs of racism for everybody we speak with Heather McGhee former president of the progressive think tank De Moss she says racial discrimination in housing employment and voting rights in America has harmed white people as well as African-Americans She's written a new book called The some of us join us this afternoon at 2 a 90.18. Support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from the estate of Samir Negi whose bequest helps to ensure access to vital public radio programming and lifelong learning for all communities from the Walton Family Foundation working to solve social and environmental problems to improve lives today and benefit future generations more information at Walton Family Foundation dot org. And from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at r w j f dot org. It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm Noel King and I'm Steve Inskeep President Biden's top diplomat is outlining his approach to the world Anthony Blinken is a different figure with a different tone and different approach than his predecessor Mike Pompei o followed the president who served by criticizing u.s. Allies and quarrelling with reporters he famously walked away from a hard question posed by our colleague Mary Louise Kelly who returned to the State Department yesterday to meet Blinken and she's with us now good morning good morning Steve How different was this conversation. It in tone was a different world there was no math quiz this time in substance it was remarkably similar I think perhaps because of the myriad challenges that the u.s. Faces around the world remain remarkably similar I caught myself once or twice asking Blinken the exact same question I had put to Pompei o a year ago on Iran for example if u.s. Policy remains as it does that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon I said So how do you stop them same question as a year ago very different answer of course from this administration because Blinken wants to return to the nuclear deal that pump aoe and President Trump walked away from now he did say he wants an agreement that in his words would be longer and stronger than the original He said look we get it there's a long way to go but he was optimistic Here's what he said the 1st step would be around returning to compliance and President Biden's been clear that if they do we would do the same the path to diplomacy is open right now Iran is still a ways away from from being in compliance so we'll have to see what it does and there was one interesting moment after that following on that you know his comment the path to diplomacy is open I said Ok is direct diplomacy with Iran perhaps on the table and he paused and then when pressed he did not rule that out so still open to the idea of directly talking with Iran but what is the secretary saying about possibly the biggest long term concerns the United States which would be China. Well this was interesting because Blinken has said that the term team was right to be tough on China and I said Ok fine but what evidence do we have that that has actually worked that China has changed its behavior as a result of the tougher approach from that u.s. And I want to play you a longer chunk of that part of our conversation there's a difference Mary Louise between getting tough on China and doing it effectively and getting results and so yes I think that President Trump was right to to take a tougher line on some of. The agreed just things that China has done and is doing but I think the way that we want about doing it did not produce results being engaged leaning in showing up around the world is a source of strength when we pull back from that when we abdicate our responsibility when we're not engaged in helping to write the rules and shape the norms that govern relations among nations then guess what happens China fills in and takes our place that puts us in a position of weakness not strength we're in a position of strength when we actually stand up for our values when we don't say it's Ok for China to create concentration camps for weekers unchanging or to trample on democracy in Hong Kong and of course we're acting from a position of strength when we're actually investing in our own people in our own technology so that we can be as competitive as possible the good news about all of those things is that they're actually within our control these are things we can do these are decisions we can make and if we do them that sets the foundation for gauging China whether it's in an adversarial aspect a competitive one or a cooperative one from a position of strength not weakness to follow you just mentioned the weekers in Shinji you have called the treatment of weaker in China genocide you've also talked about human rights being at the very center of the said ministrations foreign policy and I'm trying to reconcile those 2 things how does the u.s. Do business with a government engaging in genocide. This is been a challenge an approach for American administrations going back decades and decades and we have to be able to find ways to do both you'll know that human rights groups are pushing for a boycott for example of the 2022 Winter Olympics I know that's not your call but should the u.s. Participate in an Olympic Games being hosted by a government if you believe they're engaging in genocide Well 1st and foremost I think there are things that we can and should be doing for example to make sure that any products or technologies that we make Cannot are not being used to repress people including in changing Similarly we ought to be able to make sure that we're not importing things that are made with forced labor those are all things that we can that we can take action on. So you hear there Steve the the very tricky balancing act that they are trying to strike how do you push China on the human rights front and other areas while you continue to do business with them how does that complicate the effort to promote human rights and democracy when there has been this attack on democracy here it complicates things and Lincoln was pretty candid about it he said that his ability to I think his line was to wave the banner of democracy and human rights that it has been tarnished by the attack on the u.s. Capitol he said when he's calling counterparts around the world that they will sometimes put in a dig about that blink in this argument is we are not denying what happened here we are confronting it that in his view this distinguishes the u.s. And he said Look u.s. Democracy it can be painful it can be ugly it is also strong it is resilient N.P.R.'s Mary Louise Kelly host of All Things Considered talking about an interview with Anthony Blinken secretary of state thanks so much You're welcome. Ranchers in parts of the South and Midwest are trying to keep their livestock from freezing to death Here's Seth Godin from member station k.o.s.u. The freezing temperatures have frozen water tubs on this farm near Oklahoma City the ice is several inches that. Glazer uses an ax to break through it to make sure his cattle have access to water in this video recorded by the Oklahoma farm bureau glazier said he doesn't remember weather like this it's hard to prefer the best I could I tried to get all the. All the hey arranged work to get even if the roads get bad and it is historic in the middle of the country these are record cold temperatures for farmers and ranchers like Mokoena cook that makes work difficult it's physically draining it mentally draining emotionally I mean October last year the day it's it's terrible when we do absolutely everything we possibly can to keep the channel warm a bit to keep them alive he's been up since 3 am making sure calves that are born don't freeze a death he says hey is betting to keep them warm and opens up heated barns other ranchers have been putting calves in front seats of their pickup trucks or placing them in hot tubs at home to keep them alive even then cook says there's only so much he can do and you know these snowstorms are coming in the winter coming as the temperatures drop and you did absolutely everything you possibly can do to keep these cattle safe and sometimes it's not enough it's so cold some ranchers have icicles in their beards and on their noses but they keep going it's not just life that's at stake it's money cattle are worth around $1500.00 apiece and frostbite or other weather related injuries make them worth less when they sell them for n.p.r. News I'm set the Dean in Oklahoma City. This is n.p.r. News. This says Asian view from any h.k. While Japan I'm. Here's a quick look at what's being making news here in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. Coronavirus vaccinations are getting started in Japan about 40000 health care workers will be inoculated in the 1st phase 100 facilities they began vaccinating doctors nurses and other staff on Wednesday a nurse at a Tokyo hospital said she was happy to get her shot. I think it'll be great if I can work without feeling anxious for myself or society so I'm relieved that I'm vaccinated and can be part of this 1st step the government will analyze data from the 1st 20000 people to be inoculated to gauge the vaccines efficacy and check for side effects the 1st round of inoculations will eventually be expanded to include about 3700000 medical workers. China's ambassador to Myanmar says the political party led by our stood leader Austan Suchi and the military should talk to each other Chen high posted a video of an interview he did with the local media on the embassy's website on shoes day he said he supported the un Security Council's recent statement calling for the immediate release of Aaronson Suchi and other detainees the United Nations has condemned the killing of human rights and media workers in Afghanistan a new report outlines this chilling trend and urges the government to do more to stop it the u.n. Assistant mission in Afghanistan says $65.00 civilians were killed between January 28th scene and last month those killed include Japanese doctor and 8 worker. He was shot dead in Jalalabad in December 29th teen. Well broadcasting from n h k into. Support for w a b e comes from City National Bank the Bank who makes it their business to be person City National Bank with a new branch and bucket is here to get to know you and your goals and help you achieve them more at c.n.n. Dot com slash book and from Leapfrog offering i t business support and remote working solution since 1998 core offerings include cloud and security management and i t strategic planning you can find us at Leap Frog services dot com support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from the estate of Samir Negi whose bequest helps ensure access for all to quality public radio reporting and stories that encourage lifelong learning. From the Walton Family Foundation working to solve social and environmental problems to improve lives today and benefit future generations more information at Walton Family Foundation dot org And from the John d. And Catherine team MacArthur Foundation at mac found dot org. It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm Steve Inskeep and I'm Noel King good morning around half a 1000000 undocumented immigrants live in the greater Houston area and most of the negative health and economic consequences of Kovac have hit them the hardest and yet in those communities there is deep mistrust about getting the vaccine Elizabeth travel from Houston Public Media has that story 2 months into the National Vaccine rollout 60 year old Houston resident. Says she feels like her community has already been left behind at the moment the event of all the money will be among the last to get the vaccine she says but a 7 says she doesn't have a doctor and like more than 2 thirds of undocumented Texans she doesn't have health insurance when I ask but I said that if she's gotten information about the vaccine you know most of them have been will not mean for Muslims all of them will not but a set us as hers and other immigrant family she knows don't have any information nobody has knocked on their door about a nearby clinic or mention the vaccine side effects almost 70 percent of undocumented workers in the u.s. Hold essential jobs if families like but face several barriers to getting the vaccine misinformation mistrust and they're less likely to have health coverage but a set says the limited information she's heard has been on t.v. Her takeaway only important people with money have gotten the vaccine but the vaccine is free and community health workers like Venus gymnasts are trying to get the word out Janessa says people still have their doubts like when providers ask for insurance then they get nervous because it up this was free Janessa is it but I thought a in Houston she says she's helped train thousands of community health workers in Texas to get Colvin 1000 information to Spanish speaking communities. She's also set up by lingual hotlines here and in 4 other states she says she's heard terrible stories like scam artists calling families in Spanish saying just give us a charge card to have this money so we hope we can only hold it for 20 minutes you want to get back to. That pressure she says people also worry getting a vaccine could create an immigration problem the trumpet ministrations public charge rule made it easier to deny the says to people likely to use public assistance the rule is now under review Kaiser Family Foundation Samantha Arteaga says getting a vaccine won't count as a public charge or impact immigration status but clarifying that information directly with immigrant family is going to be really important for helping address these fears and concerns local politicians are trying to dispel these myths on Houston's Telemundo station congresswoman Sylvia Garcia told viewers the vaccine is safe. Yes Harris County launched a $1000000.00 bilingual media campaign to promote the vaccine safety including this radio ad I'm not going to have to sort out any better than that but the Mint does allude that but it's hard to measure whether these efforts are working most states don't track racial ethnic or immigration status related to vaccines those that do report that communities of color are less likely to get the vaccine and in Texas early polling data reveal has the tents to getting the vaccine especially within black and brown communities 30 percent of the state's Latinos say they likely won't get the vaccine citing concerns about safety and side effects for n.p.r. News I'm Elizabeth trove all in Houston this is n.p.r. News. You can get the latest from the a.b.c. News room anytime a w a b Rolling out of vaccine fighting a new virus variant what the new normal looks like and when it will get here a year into living with the corona virus there's still so much to discuss I'm Sam Whitehead and you'll find those conversations on w e b e's pandemic podcast called Did you wash your hands I'm still talking with newsmakers researchers and journalists about how cool that 1000 is shaping our world. Did you wash your hands listen unsubscribed your pocket. Twitter is under pressure in India to block accounts that the government there claims incite violence the tech company gets so then reversed course and is now stuck in between defending free speech and keeping its employees out of Indian prison. I've actually getting that story on the next All Things Considered from n.p.r. News this afternoon at 490 point one a. Mario Draghi is the man with the plan to pull Italy out of its covert induced economic crisis live from London this is the Marketplace Morning Report from the b.b.c. World Service and Victoria Craig good morning 2 weeks after accepting the job as Italy's prime minister Mario Draghi today unveiled how his new government will tackle the pandemic which is caused nearly 450000 job losses and one of the biggest economic contractions in the eurozone the former European Central Bank chief who was sworn in on Saturday prioritise taking care of those suffering now and those who have lost jobs or been forced to close businesses. Here Mark the main duty to which we are called all of us and to me 1st of all as prime minister is to fight the pandemic with all means and to safeguard the lives of our fellow citizens the government will make reforms but it will also deal with the emergency during the 2008 financial crisis as you see the president Mr druggy vowed to do whatever it takes to save the euro from collapse and today the B.B.C.'s Mark Lowen says the prime minister hearken back to that pledge he said the words. Which means we will take it upon ourselves to do everything he outlined a very broad and very ambitious policy agenda to reform public administration to reform taxation to try to achieve gender parity to invest in the south of Italy he talked specifically in terms of the vaccination program we should be vaccinating he said not just in vaccination centers but also in more locations the European Union has allocated $240000000000.00 in economic recovery funds to Italy how does Mario Draghi plan to distribute that he talked about how it's means needs to spend that in a responsible way very much focused towards digitalize ation and environmental transformation these plans are sometimes only as good as the. Support that they receive So does it look like Parliament will back him in some of these reforms that he has outlined today he's likely to get a law of shm authority of M.P.'s both in the Upper and Lower House to approve him in a confidence votes and I thought it was very interesting that he placed a lot of emphasis on his government being pro European on pro Euro Zone this matter that I you said is a government that is making a very very pro European pro NATO pro transatlantic alliance that was kind of warning I think 2 elements within the coalition that you know if they start being sort of European they're out an ambitious agenda there in Italy the B.B.C.'s Mark Lowen for us in Rome thanks so much for your time and pleasure it's worth checking the numbers now Italy's benchmark share index is down 4 tenths of a percent today amid a broad decline in European shares in China with travel still restricted for a lunar new year families have turned to their local movie theaters for entertainment that's helped boost shares of companies like Imax China and Alibaba which rose 4 tents for percent and one percent respectively and Hong Kong today well sausage distribution of Marketplace Morning Report from the b.b.c. World Service is supported by u.k. Jean Paul to make Cronos group offers h r solutions to connect modern workforces u.k. Gita our purpose is people and by Charles Schwab understands that wealth management is personal that's why Schwab offers flexible personalized financial planning crafted for their investors individual goals learn more at Schwab dot com sausage rolls or flaky pastry wrapped around a sausage link are a snacking staple in this country in fact pork is a staple of many diets here British people buy nearly $7000000000.00 worth of it every year but a perfect storm is brewing with an ongoing Breck's that paperwork backlog for exports and the pandemic which is causing a storage of workers that's meant 100000 animals in the u.k. Have been unable to enter the food chain as the B.B.C.'s Lindy Smith told me these animals. On the farm and it's causing a real problem because the farmers can't stop the meat in they're just getting bigger and bigger and bigger if the animals exceed a certain weight or a certain size then often the farmers just simply don't get paid for them and that's because they don't fit into the braces in the op a trois and the cuts of the meat don't fit into the pockets that the supermarket wants this is on and that imports from the European Union are actually going up here in the u.k. Which might sound a little bit counterintuitive considering we just had breakfast in a lot of people thought this might give more advantage to British producers in the u.k. It's absolutely driving many of the farmers absolutely crazy because the supermarkets want their shelves their fridges to simply be full of pork products and if they can't get the British pork through because of those delays that the appetite was in the processing houses they simply imported more and the complaints that the industry experts have is that that's all too easy the British ports are allowing foodstuffs through there is very easily to basically help us through a pandemic but the your p. Imports are imposing lots of paperwork checks and lots of industry experts would say red tape so for farmers you can't get into the British markets and they can't get it out and that means that the supermarkets simply buying more European pork and you have obviously been speaking to lots of farmers in the northeastern part of England how are they dealing with all this and what does it mean for the survival of their businesses about a 3rd of all pigs in the u.k. In the north east of England or in Yorkshire in the Humber and some of them say they simply can't carry on operating at a loss for much longer some of the smaller family businesses say they simply won't survive what a situation so what is the government doing are they thinking about providing any kind of support to these farmers the government say that they are helping farmers in industry experts explore new markets outside. It's. The problem of the mob. With the likes of China great markets for the b.b.c. Smith thanks for breaking this down for us thank you finally Japan's a lympics minister has chosen a woman as the preferred candidate to lead the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee that's after its former leader stepped down following his assertion women spoke to much. A former Olympic speed skater herself and has served as minister. It's unclear yet whether she will accept the job. With the Marketplace Morning Report from the b.b.c. World Service. Distribution. Service. Managed service. Software including the. Real time supply. Farber Cancer Institute where research on. Cancer drugs Dana Farber slash everywhere. This is a.p.m. American Public Media. 'd You're listening to 90 point one. Atlanta's choice for n.p.r. . Donald Trump says his movement has only just begun and he's going after mom a curse who voted to impeach but state and local prosecutors are now coming after him some members of his own party think he should face charges in court but where when and on what grounds can we expect the former president to take the stand next time on one day this morning at 1090 point one w. .