Top US and Chinese officials have gathered face-to-face for discussions in Alaska. The meetings publicly got off to a rough start but officials say progress was being made behind closed doors. And, the US announced plans to send a total of 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Mexico and Canada. Also, the Iron Dames — an all-female professional racing team competing in Grand Touring endurance racing — is far from a marketing gimmick. They’ve already qualified for big-name races and hope to lead the way for future female pilots.

The US House is considering two immigration bills that are expected to address citizenship for young immigrants and undocumented farmworker protection. The legislation comes as the Biden administration confronts a growing humanitarian challenge at the US-Mexico border. And, a group of London teenagers recently put up guerrilla road signs that highlight the disproportional effect of toxic air on people of color. Also, a memo from Afghanistan's Ministry of Education banning girls over the age of 12 from singing in public has triggered a backlash on social media.

Shootings at three Atlanta-area spas last night left eight people dead. Six of the victims were Asian women, raising concerns about the growing threat of anti-Asian violence. And, Dublin’s Violet Gibson is the Irishwoman you've probably never heard of who actually shot Benito Mussolini in 1926. Also, socially distanced dancers from the folk dance ensemble Shamrock Bhangra shake their stuff in front of the famous manor Castletown House in County Kildare, Ireland.

The United States now accounts for almost four out of every five coronavirus vaccine doses given across the Americas. But with the improved inoculation rollout, many poor countries are falling behind. And, a growing number of European nations are suspending use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine because of reports of dangerous blood clots. That’s despite the fact that international regulators haven’t produced evidence showing that vaccinations are to blame for the clots. Also, a new study shows human-caused forest degradation has made large swaths of the Amazon Rainforest a net emitter of greenhouse gases.

In December 2020, the company FireEye noticed that it had been the victim of a cyberintrusion. And it wasn’t the only one. About 18,000 companies and government agencies were breached — everything from the agency that controls America’s nuclear weapons to the agency that regulates the electric grid to a company whose products you probably use every day: Microsoft. So, what did they have in common? They were all using the same software monitoring service: a platform called Orion, from the company SolarWinds. The breach leaves the US open to nightmare scenario after nightmare scenario. In this episode of "Things That Go Boom," The World's partner podcast from PRX, host Laicie Heeley examines how we got here, and explores how can we prevent similar attacks in the future.

Guests:

Mieke Eoyang, senior vice president for the National Security Program and chairperson of the Cyber Enforcement Initiative, Third Way

Juliet Okafor, founder and CEO, Revolution Cyber

As the Syrian revolution and civil war has played out over the last decade, up to 1 million Syrian refugees fled to Lebanon and many have stayed. And, Europe is facing a dangerous, new surge of COVID-19 cases, just as Italy, France and Germany suspend use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The Grammys changed its category Best World Music Album to Best Global Music Album. What’s with the change in thinking?

A new report from Oxford and the UN has found that economic recovery spending has not been as climate-focused as many advocates have been hoping for. But there’s hope for the future. And, at his address to the nation Thursday night, US President Joe Biden said that all Americans over 18 will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1. But elsewhere in the world, the picture looks very different. Also, a current hit from Cameroon, Aveiro Djess’ song “Le Nyama,” celebrates the drudgery of people working night shifts and tries to give them a sense of liberation.

In May 2011, just weeks after the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown, The World’s Marco Werman visited the port city of Ishinomaki, where more than 3,000 people died after a 9.0 earthquake triggered a tsunami that flattened much of the city. Ten years later, we return to Ishinomaki, after a decade of rebuilding. And, after a year into the pandemic, hate crimes against Asian Americans appear to be on the rise around the US. Also, while the pandemic is far from over, museums are looking ahead to how this period may be remembered.

The pandemic was officially declared one year ago by the World Health Organization on Thursday. It is hard to fathom the magnitude and the losses since then. The World looks to how psychologists are bracing for the ripple effects in years to come. Also, the immense challenge of the global vaccination effort has led to some creativity in making the jab accessible. And, a new art project in Japan commemorates the earthquake and Fukushima nuclear disaster by speaking to some of the children and teenagers who experienced the quake and stayed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey included revealing comments about the British royal family that has led to frank discussions in British society about race and racism in the royal palace. And, corruption convictions against former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva have been thrown out by the country’s Supreme Court, potentially paving the way for another presidential run. Also, a recent report has found that globally, people threw out more than a billion tons of food last year.