Rob Schmitz is NPR's international correspondent based in Berlin, where he covers the human stories of a vast region reckoning with its past while it tries to guide the world toward a brighter future. From his base in the heart of Europe, Schmitz has covered Germany's levelheaded management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of right-wing nationalist politics in Poland and creeping Chinese government influence inside the Czech Republic.
Ultra-processed foods are a key driver of chronic disease around the world, and governments need to act now, according to new papers published by an international team of health researchers.
New military standards for grooming and appearance have some worried about religious and racial discrimination, particularly the guidance that men must be clean shaven.
On Wild Card, well-known guests answer the kinds of questions we often think about but don't talk about. Malala Yousafzai talks about the advice from her parents she's glad she ignored.
Drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are highly effective for weight loss. But researchers at the Society for Neuroscience meeting say they are only beginning to understand the drugs' effects on the brain.