During KCRW Berlin’s last week on air, we're sharing the story behind the story. Listen to the second of a special, two-part episode reflecting on the history of the station and commemorating more than 60 episodes of Studio Berlin. Host Sylvia Cunningham is joined by KCRW Berlin’s Program Director and Common Ground host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, Studio Berlin co-host Sumi Somaskanda, frequent contributor Erik Kirschbaum, and executive producer Monika Müller-Kroll. This show was produced by Monika ...
Dec 09, 2020•24 min•Ep. 73
During KCRW Berlin’s last week on air, we share with you the story behind the story in a special, two-part episode with Common Ground. Host Sylvia Cunningham is joined by KCRW Berlin’s Program Director and Common Ground host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson; Studio Berlin co-host Sumi Somaskanda and frequent contributor Erik Kirschbaum; Studio Berlin executive producer Monika Müller-Kroll and Common Ground senior producer Dina Elsayed. This show was produced by Monika Müller-Kroll....
Dec 07, 2020•28 min•Ep. 72
As the year soon comes to an end, we're highlighting some of the big news stories from 2020. This episode on President Donald Trump's plan to withdraw 9,500 U.S. troops from Germany originally aired on July 8, 2020. Host Sumi Somaskanda talks with retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges , the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe; German Coordinator for Transatlantic Affairs Peter Beyer ; Deutsche Welle and NPR contributor Teri Schultz in Brussels and Berlin-based journalist Erik Kirschbaum . This sho...
Dec 02, 2020•29 min•Ep. 71
This November, we're highlighting some of the big news stories from 2020. In this Studio Berlin episode, we look back at our discussion on Germany's abortion law. Host Sylvia Cunningham talks with Kate Cahoon from the pro abortion rights group, Bündnis für sexuelle Selbstbestimmung; Dr. Alicia Baier from Doctors for Choice Germany, and Dr. Paul Cullen, chairman of Ärzte für das Leben (Doctors for Life). This episode originally aired Feb. 1, 2020. This show was produced by Monika Müller-Kroll and...
Nov 25, 2020•25 min•Ep. 70
This November, we're highlighting some of the big news stories from 2020. In this Studio Berlin episode we revisit our discussion on the Black Lives Matter movement. Host Sumi Somaskanda delves into modern-day discrimination in Germany and its history of racial injustice with Malcolm Ohanwe , journalist for German public broadcaster BR; Larry Olomofe, executive director of PADLINK ; Joshua Kwesi Aikins, a political scientist with Afrozensus , and Peggy Piesche , a literary and cultural studies s...
Nov 18, 2020•28 min•Ep. 69
Angela Merkel is the second-longest serving chancellor in modern German history. Recent polls show that German confidence in her is high, but the chancellor has made it clear she will not seek a fifth term in next year's election. What were Merkel's accomplishments and missteps over the past 15 years? And who is her possible successor? Host Sylvia Cunningham discusses the chancellor's legacy with one of Merkel's biographers, Stefan Kornelius; Constanze Stelzenmüller from the Brookings Institutio...
Nov 11, 2020•29 min•Ep. 68
Nov. 9 marks 31 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. East and West Germany were officially reunited the following October, which the late Chancellor Helmut Kohl called a “dream come true." For East Germans in particular, the end of four decades of division meant access to new opportunity and freedoms, but the process of growing together brought trials and tribulations that sowed animosity between East and West Germans. Thirty years later, what does German unity look like? Host Sumi Somaskand...
Nov 04, 2020•29 min•Ep. 67
Mismanagement, corruption charges, dubious design plans and a series of technical mishaps led to delay after delay since the first scheduled opening of the Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) in 2011. So ahead of the much-beleaguered airport's official "takeoff" on Oct. 31, we’re hearing from people who have been following and a part of this story since the beginning. Host Sylvia Cunningham discusses the near-decade-long BER saga with freelance journalist Grace Dobush; Torsten Riecke from the Germa...
Oct 28, 2020•28 min•Ep. 66
As novel coronavirus cases skyrocket across Germany and Europe, we talk about what we've learned since the start of the pandemic. How can we best stop its spread, what are the new treatments and is a lockdown imminent or even wise? Host Sylvia Cunningham talks with Christian Karagiannidis, president of the German Society of Medical Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine; Korinna Hennig, science editor and co-host of public broadcaster NDR's weekly show "The Coronavirus Update"; Thomas Isenberg, h...
Oct 21, 2020•29 min•Ep. 65
This week we measure the political climate in the U.S. in the lead up to the presidential election. With less than three weeks to go, what’s going on in the nation's capital? And what special role does the southern state of Georgia? We also explore how the next American president will shape politics on both sides of the Atlantic. Monika Müller-Kroll talks with Studio Berlin co-host Sumi Somaskanda, who is on assignment in Washington D.C., and Katja Ridderbusch, an Atlanta-based freelance journal...
Oct 14, 2020•29 min•Ep. 64
Do children in Germany deserve more of a say? Should the voting age here be dropped to 14? These ideas are being discussed in Germany as criticism mounts over the way society treats its younger members. A recent survey by the children’s charity, Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk, or the German Children’s Fund, found a majority believe that children’s interests have been neglected during the coronavirus pandemic. Host Sylvia Cunningham unpacks these findings with Nina Ohlmeier from the German Children's ...
Oct 06, 2020•28 min•Ep. 63
This week we revisit our discussion on universal basic income. The debate over UBI is not a new one, but it has gotten more attention in the wake of the COVID-19 health crisis. A new long-term study on how society would change if people were to receive an unconditional basic income is underway in Germany. The pilot project will involve 120 participants who receive a basic income over the course of three years and hundreds more in a control group who do not. Host Sylvia Cunningham talks with Mich...
Sep 29, 2020•29 min•Ep. 62
Studio Berlin, broadcast Sept. 23, 2020: Can Europe reform its asylum and migration policies? Two weeks after a fire destroyed the overcrowded refugee camp Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos, asylum policy is high on the EU Commission's agenda. Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing coalition agreed to take in 1,500 additional refugees from Greece - mostly families with children - a decision hotly debated by the opposition in the German Bundestag, as well as civil society. Some critics say the nu...
Sep 23, 2020•28 min•Ep. 61
On Oct. 3, 1990, less than a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, East and West Germany were reunited. Late Chancellor Helmut Kohl called it a "dream come true" after more than 40 years of division. For East Germans in particular, reunification meant access to new opportunity and freedoms, but the process of growing together brought trials and tribulations that sowed animosity between East and West Germans. Thirty years later, what does German unity look like? Host Sumi Somaskanda discusses t...
Sep 16, 2020•29 min•Ep. 60
Cases of COVID-19 are rising and despite warnings from Berlin to remain alert, a growing number of Germans are pushing back against hygiene and social distancing rules even as their neighbors — the French — embrace those measures to try and avoid another lockdown. But France also announced a plan to cut COVID-19 quarantines to only one week. Host Sumi Somaskanda explores how the two European neighbors are dealing with the health crisis with her guests, MP Andrew Ullmann of the Free Democratic Pa...
Sep 09, 2020•28 min•Ep. 59
The debate over unconditional basic income is not a new one, but it has gotten more attention in the wake of the COVID-19 health crisis. A new long-term study on how society would change if people were to receive a basic income is underway in Germany. The pilot project will involve 120 participants who receive a basic income over the course of three years and hundreds more in a control group who do not. Host Sylvia Cunningham talks with Michael Bohmeyer, co-founder of the Berlin nonprofit "Mein ...
Sep 02, 2020•29 min•Ep. 58
This show originally aired on July 15. This week we revisit a controversial discussion that started earlier in the summer. Amid nationwide and international protests against racism, Germany's Green Party proposed to change Article 3 of the nation's Basic Law by removing "Rasse" - in English, "race" - from the text. Proponents of removing the word say it’s linked to Nazi ideology and this change is long overdue. Others say this move is too hasty and would actually harm people of color. Studio Ber...
Aug 26, 2020•28 min•Ep. 57
This show originally aired on June 17, 2020. Back in June, Berlin passed a hotly debated anti-discrimination law. It is the first of its kind in Germany and allows victims to pursue legal remedies against state officials — including police — for discrimination related to race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and more. But is the new law the panacea its proponents claim or is it villainizing the police as the law's critics contend? Host Sumi Somaskanda talks with Armaghan Naghipour, who wo...
Aug 19, 2020•28 min•Ep. 56
Berlin schools reopened this week amid fears of a second COVID-19 wave, with about 370,000 students returning to the classroom. What measures are in place to minimize the risk of coronavirus outbreaks, and how are students, teachers and parents adapting to the "new normal"? Host Sylvia Cunningham discusses these questions with Professor Olaf Köller, education expert for the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina; Berlin mom Anda Corrie and her 12-year-old daughter Sidonie, and teachers M...
Aug 12, 2020•29 min•Ep. 55
With the COVID-19 health crisis still at the top of Germany's agenda, have climate change policies fallen to the wayside? Or has the pandemic provided a test run in crisis management? Host Sylvia Cunningham discusses these questions with Clara Mayer, a press speaker for Fridays for Future in Berlin; Jakob Schlandt from the Energy & Climate briefing of the Berlin newspaper, Der Tagesspiegel; and Dr. Kira Vinke, who is a scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. This show...
Aug 05, 2020•29 min•Ep. 54
German authorities are investigating a series of death threats sent via email to politicians and other prominent figures . The threats were signed with the name NSU 2.0, a reference to a neo-Nazi terrorist group. Investigators found that some of the cases of these threats involved data accessed from police computers in the state of Hesse. Host Sumi Somaskanda discusses the latest development with Melissa Eddy, Berlin-based correspondent for the New York Times; comedian Idil Baydar, who has recei...
Jul 29, 2020•28 min•Ep. 53
Berlin lifted more pandemic restrictions this week, but the city's clubs remain closed for the foreseeable future. What does that mean for Berlin's iconic clubbing culture and the city's reputation? Host Sumi Somaskanda talks with Lutz Leichsenring of Clubcommission Berlin, and Matthias Stieler from "One Berlin" about new strategies to keep Berlin's club scene alive and explores the city's rich music culture with DJ Sarah Farina, and KCRW Berlin's Brave New Rave host Moderna. This show was produ...
Jul 22, 2020•28 min•Ep. 52
In the wake of nationwide and international protests against racism, Germany’s Green Party wants to change Article 3 of the nation’s Basic Law by removing “Rasse” – in English, “race” – from the text. The conversation is not new, but controversial. Proponents of removing the word say it’s linked to Nazi ideology and this change is long overdue. Others say this move is too hasty and would actually harm people of color. This week on Studio Berlin, host Sylvia Cunningham discusses this complex issu...
Jul 15, 2020•28 min•Ep. 51
President Trump’s announcement of a drawdown of American forces from Germany caught German leaders, NATO, and the U.S. Congress by surprise. There’s a bipartisan effort to prevent the White House from following through. What are the chances the U.S. troops will be moved and what’s at stake for American ties with Germany? Host Sumi Somaskanda talks with retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges , the former commander of the U.S. Army in Europe; German Coordinator for Transatlantic Affairs Peter Beyer ; Deutsch...
Jul 08, 2020•28 min•Ep. 50
More than 14 million people have downloaded Germany’s COVID-19 contact tracing app. Before its launch last month, the German government project came under fire over data security and privacy concerns. So does it work? What are users saying? And what questions about the app still need to be answered? This week, Studio Berlin host Sylvia Cunningham breaks down the pros and cons of the “Corona-Warn-App” with Thomas Leonhardi, spokesman for the software giant SAP; Günter Voß, coordinator of the Seni...
Jul 01, 2020•28 min•Ep. 49
Germany takes the helm of the EU Council on July 1. The presidency comes at a crucial time as Europe grapples with recovery measures to handle the unprecedented health and economic crisis. What are the expectations and challenges ahead? And what are the other topics on Germany’s agenda during its six-month presidency? Host Sylvia Cunningham discusses what’s at stake with Andreas Kluth, columnist at Bloomberg and Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform; with Christin...
Jun 24, 2020•29 min•Ep. 48
Berlin passed a hotly debated anti-discrimination law this month, the first of its kind in Germany, that allows victims to pursue legal remedies against state officials — including police — for discrimination related to race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and more. But is the new law the panacea its proponents claim or will it lead to a villainization of the police as the law’s critics contend? Host Sumi Somaskanda talks with Armaghan Naghipour, who worked on the new legislation and is ...
Jun 17, 2020•28 min•Ep. 47
Host Sumi Somaskanda delves into modern-day discrimination in Germany and its history of racial injustice with Malcolm Ohanwe , journalist for German public broadcaster BR; Larry Olomofe, executive director of PADLINK ; Joshua Kwesi Aikins, a political scientist with Afrozensus , and Peggy Piesche , a literary and cultural studies scholar. Produced by Monika Müller-Kroll and Sumi Somaskanda. Sylvia Cunningham contributed....
Jun 10, 2020•28 min•Ep. 46
The Bundesliga resumed this month with soccer teams playing to empty stadiums. It’s the first major sports league in the world to restart amid the coronavirus health crisis. But is this a manageable solution in the pandemic era for soccer and other sports? And how are fans reacting to the so-called “ghost games”? Host Erik Kirschbaum is joined by Alima Hotakie, a broadcast sports journalist at Deutsche Welle, and Claus Vetter, sports editor for the daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel. We also hear ...
May 27, 2020•28 min•Ep. 45
Restaurants and cafes are back open in Berlin, but how has the pandemic changed the experience of dining out? And protests against coronavirus-related restrictions, so-called “hygiene demonstrations,” are gaining attention across the country. Who are these protesters and what are they asking for? Host Sylvia Cunningham is joined by two popular food and restaurant bloggers, Mary Scherpe from Stil in Berlin and Per Meurling from Berlin Food Stories to talk about how the pandemic has changed gastro...
May 20, 2020•28 min•Ep. 44
