Nov 05 Podcast: How the Chinese government gets its messages on America’s airwaves By P. J. Tobia This week, a Reuters investigation uncovered what it calls a “covert radio network” of “China-friendly news” engineered by the Chinese government. China watchers say the effort is part of a government strategy to combat global criticism of human rights abuses. Continue reading
Oct 29 The inside story of predator drones By P. J. Tobia The predator drone, with it’s distinctive oblong head and inverted V-shaped tail, has in some ways become the mascot for the U.S. global war on terror. But that wasn't always the case. P.J. Tobia dives into the history and controversy… Continue reading
Oct 22 When marriage and citizenship don’t go hand in hand By P. J. Tobia, Alexandra Hall In the 1990 romantic comedy Green Card, an American girl played by Andie MacDowell marries French guy Gérard Depardieu. It’s a win-win. He gets citizenship. She gets to put “married” on an application for a fabulous Manhattan apartment that weirdly… Continue reading
Oct 08 The secret Pentagon command that tried to plant a fake bomb in D.C. By P. J. Tobia » Subscribe in iTunes » Subscribe using RSS The Joint Special Operations Command has become one of the most important cogs in the U.S. war machine. Continue reading
Oct 01 U.S. and Persian Gulf airlines clash over $42 billion trade dispute By P. J. Tobia Bart Jansen, who covers aviation for USA Today calls it “the single biggest trade dispute in history.” The three biggest U.S. airlines – American, United and Delta – have lodged a complaint with the U.S. government, alleging that three… Continue reading
Sep 23 Is China feeding the U.S.’s deadly synthetic drug habit? By P. J. Tobia It’s as easy as ordering a pair of shoes from Zappos. Only the product is more dangerous and deadly than a pair of stilettos: synthetic drugs, almost all coming into the country from China. Continue reading
Sep 17 What it’s like to walk with the refugees and migrants By P. J. Tobia For this week's Shortwave, we talk to NewsHour correspondent William Brangham, who just returned from a week in Hungary covering the Syrian refugee crisis. Continue reading
Sep 10 They served their country. Now they can’t live in it By P. J. Tobia Some 65,000 green card holders now serve in the U.S. armed forces. Some of the men who serve never became full citizens, instead remaining legal permanent residents or another designation that allows them to live in the U.S. legally. And… Continue reading
Sep 03 Should sex work be legal? By P. J. Tobia Should prostitution be legal? The answer may appear to be clear-cut, until you hear from a sex worker who says she has the right to earn a living as she chooses, and from an activist who says that legalizing sex… Continue reading
Aug 26 Immigrant women allege abuse, poor care at U.S. detention centers By P. J. Tobia Thousands of the child migrants and refugees that came to the U.S. from Central America last year are still in long-term holding facilities. Now, 1,400 immigrant mothers and their children are being held in three facilities, two in Texas, near… Continue reading