Shankar Vedantam is the host and creator of Hidden Brain. The Hidden Brain podcast receives more than three million downloads per week. The Hidden Brain radio show is distributed by NPR and featured on nearly 400 public radio stations around the United States.
A controversial draft bill in the small former Soviet republic of Georgia's parliament targets the country's civil society. Critics say the bill shows Kremlin influence.
In Iran, popular rapper Toomaj Salehi, whose fiery lyrics helped galvanize an anti-government movement among young people, has been sentenced to death. He was charged with "corruption on earth."
Abortion is almost entirely illegal in some states. The Catholic church hopes to keep it that way, but many Catholics support abortion rights. How do they reconcile their politics with their faith?