Skip to main content

Greg Dixon

Stories

  • caption: A broken transformer in Badagry, Nigeria that hasn't worked for over 5 years. Local residents say electricity officials have never been sent to repair it.

    Nigeria’s Chronic Electricity Problems

    In Africa’s most populous country more than a third of residents have no access to electricity. Even those connected to the nation’s crumbling power grid cannot rely on it. And the situation isn’t improving. We go to Nigeria to see how people cope with the lack of access to power.
  • caption: Shipping containers sit stacked at the Evergreen terminal at the port of Los Angeles, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025.

    The Global Impact of the Latest U.S. Tariffs

    The Trump Administration’s worldwide tariff wars continue. A top priority for Trump has been resetting U.S. trade relations and earlier this year his administration had vowed “90 deals in 90 days”. But as the August 1st deadline came and went, what emerged wasn’t a flurry of deals but a wave of new tariffs. We hear from reporters around the world about how countries are reacting to the news and what the impact could be.
  • caption: Rows of concrete anti-tank structures called hedgehogs sit in a field along Poland's border with Russia.

    Poland prepares for war

    Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and President Trump's efforts to change the U.S. relationship with Europe and NATO have caused some European countries to rethink their own defense. One example is Poland, which shares a 500-mile border with Russia and Russian ally Belarus. Poland is preparing to repel a Russian invasion, including a plan to train every adult male in the country to be ready for war. We go to Poland to see what the preparations look like.
  • caption: Pope Francis waves to worshipers at the end of the weekly general audience on April 3, 2019 at St. Peter's square in the Vatican.

    The Life and Legacy of Pope Francis

    Pope Francis died of a stroke on Easter Monday, according to the Vatican. He was one of the most popular pontiffs in decades, taking stances on the inclusivity of the church as well as treatment of the poor and migrants. We look back on the life and the papacy of the first non-European pope in more than a millennium.
  • caption: An aerial view taken on March 9, 2023 shows Thitu Island in the South China Sea. - As a Philippine Coast Guard plane carrying journalists flew over the Spratly Islands in the hotly disputed South China Sea, a Chinese voice issued a stern command over the radio: "Leave immediately."

    A Remote Island Outpost that is Part of a Geopolitical Fight (Encore)

    In an episode we first brought you in April, we go to southeast Asia and the Spratly Islands. Ownership of those island are in dispute. This has been the case for hundreds of years, but tensions have been raised recently as China has tried to expand its claims in the remote area. We get a rare glimpse of one of the islands that has a Filipino community living on it.
  • caption: The Colvestone Primary School, which is one of four schools in Hackney which closed this year.

    Something is Missing from London: Children

    The Hackney area of East London is burgeoning with art galleries and cafes. But the neighborhood, like many places that are appealing to young professionals, is rapidly losing families with children. And some experts say it's a bad sign for the future. We go to Hackney to understand the problem.
  • caption: An employee at the testing lab of Planet A Foods tests and processes ChoViva.

    Making German Chocolate Without Using Cocoa

    Cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate, are mostly grown in a few places making them susceptible to the effects of extreme weather events, driven by climate change. We hear about a team in Germany that is developing a chocolate made without cocoa.
  • caption: An Israeli woman stares into Gaza where her loved one is being held hostage.

    The Pain and Frustration of Families of Israeli Hostages Held in Gaza

    As the war drags on, families of hostages who have been held in Gaza for nearly eleven months are becoming increasingly frustrated and angry. Some of them release some of their pain by yelling their loved ones names into Gaza, in hopes of being heard. And the U.S. pressures Israel to change the way it evacuates civilians from parts of Gaza, amid fears of their safety. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates