Rob Schmitz is NPR's international correspondent based in Berlin, where he covers the human stories of a vast region reckoning with its past while it tries to guide the world toward a brighter future. From his base in the heart of Europe, Schmitz has covered Germany's levelheaded management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of right-wing nationalist politics in Poland and creeping Chinese government influence inside the Czech Republic.
The United States defeated Australia in an important group match at the World Cup. The 2-0 victory means the U.S. will advance to the tournament's knockout round.
In this space news roundup, Berly McCoy and Regina Barber of NPR's Short Wave talk about tiny autonomous "transformers" that can explore the moon, a debate about the expanding universe, and more.