The World

From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News, Today’s number: 28. Researchers in Italy are listening more closely to penguins in an effort to understand how the flightless birds communicate. The study analyzed nearly 600 penguin “songs” from 28 adult African penguins and found that the structure of the songs closely imitates the structure of human language. Previous studies have found similarities between human language structure and the way chimpanzees communicate, but the new study from the University of Torino is the first to analyze birds. Listen to the penguin songs in this episode of The Number in the News, a daily flash briefing for your smart speaker that we’re featuring as a special here in The World’s podcast feed. Listen to The Number in the News every morning to hear a shareable story in just two minutes. It’s one number you won’t forget, plus why it’s in the news today. Click here to add The Number in the News to your smart speaker News Briefing on an Amazon or Google smart speaker. Produced by The World’s Bianca Hillier.

For more than 50 years, the CIA used encryption devices to spy on its adversaries and allies. Just how much did the CIA know about the dirty deeds of military dictatorships in South America? And, Parents for Peace started out as a small support group for relatives of individuals who’ve joined extremist groups. Five years later, it has grown to include work on prevention. Plus, a Texas girl finds comfort in the Beatles after she moves to the US from Argentina and struggles to fit in.

The coronavirus outbreak is doing what the Chinese government has not — put a stop to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. And, the Philippines has given notice that it intends to end the Visiting Forces Agreement, which lets the US rotate its armed forces through Philippine military bases. Plus, happy 80th birthday to the classic cartoon duo Tom and Jerry — who are still popular around the world after all these years.

World Health Organization experts are now on the ground in China, helping to track the spread of the coronavirus and assisting Chinese officials who are designing strategies for treatment. And, dozens of people who have been deported from the US and returned to El Salvador have been murdered there. The Best Picture Oscar nod to "Parasite" is a big deal. It's the first time the award has gone to a film that isn't in English.

The Chinese doctor who tried to sound the alarm of an outbreak, but was silenced by Chinese police, has died after contracting the virus. Li Wenliang, 34, became a hero to many for standing up to authorities and word of his death has unleashed a surge of new emotion in China. And, the number of migrants in US detention facilities under the Trump administration peaked last summer, with more than 50,000 people in the system. Now, California and other states are taking steps that could reduce the number of detention centers. Plus, many Irish are feeling left out of the spoils of globalization: high rents, shaky social services and rampant inequality are taking a toll in Ireland. The Irish go to the polls this weekend, and after years on the political fringes, the left-wing Sinn Fein party could see major gains.

The World Health Organization has identified more than a dozen countries in Africa that are at high risk of being affected by the potential spread of the coronavirus. And, US President Donald Trump is touting that more than 100 miles of new border wall have been built during his presidency. But the Trump administration has only built a barrier on one mile where none previously existed. Also, if the Iowa caucus this week taught us anything, it’s that elections and smartphone apps don’t always mix so well. And yet, a lot of online voting will happen in the primaries and presidential election this year.

Hong Kong has suffered its first fatality from the coronavirus outbreak — a young man who had visited Hubei Province, the epicenter of the virus, over Chinese New Year. And, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó got a standing ovation from US lawmakers at the State of the Union Address. But are people in Venezuela cheering? Plus, a new study analyzed ecstatic display songs from 28 adult African penguins in Italian zoos. Researchers found that the songs' structure very closely imitated the structure of human language.

Shanghai is not that close to the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, but the city is still feeling its impact. And, we debut our new series: "Every 30 Seconds." In the US, every 30 seconds, another Latino becomes eligible to vote. Up through the election, The World will profile young Latino voters across the nation, looking at issues that are resonating. Plus, Berlin-based Artist Simon Weckert placed 99 iPhones with Google Maps on, all in a red children's wagon and walked with it to "hack" the GPS application into thinking there was a traffic jam.

From The World and PRX, this is The Number in the News. Today’s number: 4. At the Rosenthal family home in England, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Musician Tom Rosenthal’s 4-year-old daughter, Fenn, recorded her first song this week. It’s been played more than 5 million times on Twitter, and it’s incredibly cute. But, fair warning: Fenn knows how to craft a narrative. Hear “Dinosaurs in Love” for yourself on The Number in the News.

The coronavirus, first detected in central China more than a month ago, has now reached more than 20 other countries. The outbreak is disrupting business from global supply chains to the film industry to tourism. And, US President Donald Trump has added six more countries to his travel restrictions list — four out of the six are African countries. Some activists are calling this an "Africa ban." Also, attention turns to Iowa on Monday with the first contest of the 2020 election season. The World's Rupa Shenoy reports on immigrant teens who are trying to make sure that climate change is top of mind as Iowans come out to caucus.