There seems to be a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel with the approval of several vaccines and the widespread rollout of vaccination campaigns around the world. But questions about vaccine acceptance persist. As part of The World's regular series of conversations about the coronavirus and as a special feature in our podcast feed, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with Harvard University public opinion expert Gillian SteelFisher, who discussed public attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines.

Listen to more of The World's Coronavirus Conversation series: https://www.theworld.org/coronavirus-conversations

When the pandemic first hit, the Trump administration used a policy called Title 42 to justify its tightening of the southern border. Plenty of critics including public health experts say the policy doesn't have a science-based approach. And India is now dealing with a surge in COVID-19 infections, this time with a new variant. Also, H&M faces calls for a boycott in China after the company spoke out about Uyghur human rights abuses and concerns over forced labor in the production of cotton in Xinjiang province.

What are the root causes that are driving tens of thousands of Central Americans to come to the US-Mexico border? That's a question White House officials are starting to tackle. Senior advisers to President Joe Biden were in Mexico this week discussing possible solutions. And, Chinese students in the US and China respond to the rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans. Also, while Madrid's mayor is encouraging more cars in the city center, walkers and cyclists are fighting to get more pedestrian space and bike lanes.

Another city, another tragic shooting in the United States, this time in a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, on Monday. The shooter killed 10 people in a horrific mass shooting, again capturing the global spotlight less than a week after a shooting in Atlanta left eight dead. And, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has withdrawn his country from a treaty protecting women from gender-based violence. Also, The World remembers Nawal El Saadawi, an Egyptian feminist, writer, doctor and activist who passed away on Sunday.

Migrants continue to arrive in large numbers at the US-Mexico border, with many more expected in the days ahead. The Biden administration is taking a lot of heat from many sides for not being adequately prepared. Also, an unlikely new alliance has formed between conservatives and progressives in El Salvador: They came together in opposition to foreign mining companies. And, Israel will hold yet another national election — the country's fourth round of voting in two years. We have a preview of how Israelis are feeling ahead of Tuesday's vote.

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