Jack Rodolico
Jack Rodolico comes to Latitude from the underpaid and overworked world of public radio internships. Before becoming a journalist and radio producer, he taught environmental and outdoor education for kids of all ages. His freelance stories have aired on public radio stations around the U.S.
As U.S. jobs go overseas, foreign jobs come here – just not enough
It's no secret that American jobs are going overseas. But the money and the jobs are flowing both ways, showing the U.S. economy is only a gear in the global machine. ...
Gay marriage? No in North Carolina, no in Uganda
As the world responds to Obama's acceptance of gay marriage, opposing American forces influence gay rights abroad. ...
Picture This: Huger-than-life kings, dictators, and leaders
This week's photo gallery features mundane, profane and insane portraits of leaders. ...
What’s worse – Chinese tiger farms or “pet” tigers in Ohio?
One crazy incident in Ohio could change our relationship with big, dangerous animals, especially tigers! ...
Tuition battle in U.S. is a thumb war compared with Chile and Quebec
Riot police and water cannons greeted college students around the Americas this week. How much is too much to pay for a college education?...
Picture This: Happy birthday, Charlie Chaplin – Love, India
Indian Chaplin fans honor the comedian on his birthday. Honestly, how could we not post this story?...
Mass-murder trial begins in Norway – will the global press get it wrong?
Anders Behring Breivik goes on trial today for the murder of 77 Norwegians. As the world watches, one Norwegian wonders if the we'll continue to misinterpret the tragic story. (Photo: Reuters/Heiko Junge)...
How many Arab Christians died on the Titanic?
There are undoubtedly many stories that sunk with the Titanic. But Ray Hanania is haunted by a certain group of passengers from the ship: the untold number of Arabs. When Hanania reluctantly went to see James Cameron’s movie in 1997, he was caught off guard by a single word of passing dialogue: “yalla,” or “come ...
Can Canadian kids handle more foul language than American kids?
Whether you see the version of Bully with three F-bombs or six, the context is far more offensive than the language. ...
Picture This: Ugly conflict reaches across Syria’s borders
As high-profile visitors are welcomed into a refugee camp on the Turkish border, shelling and gunfire continue within Syria and a Lebanese journalist was killed on the Lebanese border. ...
Why the U.S. doesn’t have high-speed rail – yet
If the federal government doesn't fund high-speed rail projects, it's doubtful the technology will ever grow in the U.S. Just look to China...and Germany, Spain, France and Japan. ...
Joseph Kony’s new enemy, “Buy My Face,” and the Koch brothers
The African Union grows up, college students use a clever approach to getting rid of debt, and Al Jazeera takes a look at the Koch brothers...
Australian mocks U.S. healthcare debate
While the U.S. Supreme Court listened to arguments on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act – a.k.a. Obamacare – the rest of the world seemed unimpressed. The Court dominated front pages and newscasts here, not so elsewhere. And then Guy Rundle weighed in. In Australia and the UK, Rundle is known for his sober, caustic ...
Indonesian petrol riots and the global debate on gas taxes
As Indonesians riot over the potential loss of a fuel subsidy, Latitude News wonders: How important is a gas tax to Americans? ...
Photo Gallery: East Timor votes in peace
The U.S. would love to see vibrant democracies bud in the wake of the Arab spring. The Pacific-island nation of East Timor shows that the road to democracy is filled with bumps....
Mad Irish, sad Egyptians, and submarines for the superrich
For this week’s Saturday Mish Mash, we bring you three more stories from international headlines that we’re betting you missed. Don’t forget to contact us if you spot a quirky story. Keeping up with the Jones’ just got a little harder You know how it is: Once you settle down with your spouse and kids, ...
Photo Gallery: Uruguay’s Wild Rodeo
La Fiesta Patria Gaucha is an annual festival celebrating rural traditions. The main attraction: cowboys riding wild horses. ...
Videos that shook the world this week
For this Saturday’s Mishmash, we searched the entire world (on YouTube) for provocative or slightly offensive videos. Don’t worry, there’s nothing here your kids can’t watch. The three videos below created quite a storm of controversy in their home countries, and we hope they provide you with conversation fodder for your weekend gatherings. Click here ...
Underage drinking from Algeria to Zimbabwe
A citizen asks: How do different countries deal with underage drinking? Latitude News listens, then responds....
Argentina drums and sings for Falkland sovereignty
As the 30th anniversary of the Falkland Island War approaches, nationalistic tensions are bubbling in Argentina. And like many aspects of Argentine culture, the protests are fueled by music – plus a few squirts of lighter fluid. In recent months, the UK has been forced to respond to repeated provocations from Argentina, which claims the ...
Photo Gallery: Syria implodes as U.N. condemns Assad
Shelled cities, a defiant regime and thousands dead - the situation in Syria is going from bad to worse. This week's Latitude News photo gallery zooms in on the conflict. ...
Ireland’s brains drain to Australia
In response to our story about Polish immigrants going back to Poland, one Latitude News reader wonders if the same is true for the Irish. Latitude News investigates....
Angler hooks orca, mapping trenches and an Indian surf festival
A fisherman accidentally hooks a killer whale in New Zealand, India hosts its first surf competition and scientists shine light on the world's deepest spot - our look back at this week's unusual stories. ...
Violent clashes ahead of Senegalese election
Rocks, batons, tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons - riot police have used whatever they can to subdue protests against President Wade's bid for a third term. But protestors are still hitting the pavement in Dakar, Senegal. ...
Canada’s Indigenous music podcast
It’s always been tough to make it as an independent musician. Now one podcast is focusing on a sub-sect of the indie scene: Indigenous music. For the past six months, Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) has been collecting and broadcasting Indigenous music from Canada and beyond. “RPM brings together musicians, fans, and listeners,” says their website, ...
Photo Gallery: Valentine’s Day around the globe
Angela Merkel blushes, Thais kiss for two days and some Indians protest Valentine's Day. ...
The Irish-Afghan war
It’s easy to think of the War in Afghanistan as an “American” battle. But as of January 2012, 48 other nations had troops in the war-torn nation. While America’s 90,000 troops make about 70% of the total force, the British Amy ranks as the number two contributor with 9,500 troops. Since 2001, 394 British servicemen ...
Down Under’s toughest job
The economy of Hay in New South Wales, Australia runs on the sweat of shearers. It’s more than a job, it’s a lifestyle. Shearers live in bunkhouses together – they wake early, shear sheep for eight to ten hours, eat dinner, and then sharpen their tools before bed. And as you’ll see in this video ...
In Romanian town, gold doesn’t glitter
Gold has been mined in the small Romanian town of Rosia Montana for over 2,000 years. But a new mine is dividing the town’s population into two bitter factions. Supporters say the Rosia Montana Gold Corp.’s gold mine will create 3,000 jobs and create an infrastructure that will be used for a long-term tourism industry. ...
First Nation elders fight for Winnipeg’s youth
About 68,000 Aboriginal people live in Winnipeg, Canada, making the city home to Canada’s largest population of First Nations people. And many elders believe returning to their core spiritual values is the quickest way to save themselves from urban problems of addiction, obesity and crime. Manitoba’s prisons are home to a staggering number of First ...
Your body, one part at a time
First the ear, then the heart. Those are the body parts the Guardian is starting with in a new podcast called Body Pods. In each podcast, an artist and a scientist collaborate to explore a different body part. And if the first two are any indication of what to expect from the series, Body Pods will ...
Surfing Borneo’s tidal waves
The Batang Lupar River in Malaysian Borneo is home to two big forces of nature: saltwater crocodiles and tidal bores. Some surfers are willing to brave the former in order to enjoy the latter. The Canadian Broadcast Corporation’s Maria Bakkalapulo followed a group of surfers up and down the Batang Lupar as they surfed the ...
Sierra Leone faces off with pirates — from South Korea
Pirates have made global headlines for capturing people off the coast of Somalia. But on the other side of the African continent, another group of pirates is quietly sneaking away with a different catch. In a two-part documentary, Al Jazeera films South Korean vessels fishing illegally in Sierra Leone’s coastal waters. Full of frozen fish, ...
Nairobi’s skate punks
On the crowded streets of Nairobi, you can easily spot Leo Kilel. He’s the one that looks like he’s floating through the crowd. Leo is one of Kenya’s pioneering skateboarders. And in typical skateboarder fashion, Nairobi’s skateboarders have a propensity for homemade videos. While skateboarding has been a part of the American urban landscape for ...
Whose fault is the euro crisis?
So who started the euro crisis? Everyone, it seems. And it was a long time coming. In a radio documentary for the BBC, Allan Little traces the euro crisis to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Italy, Greece and Spain have recently gotten a lot of press for poor financial decisions which are dragging down ...
The image that shocked China
Two images of dying Chinese have gone viral on the Chinese web. Our correspondent, Lin Gu, reflects on an introspective China. ...
Australian PM sheltered through angry mob
The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader were protected from an angry mob, shoved into vehicles and sped away. Protestors were enraged by a remark from the Opposition Leader. ...
This Burundian Life
If you poke around for some information about Burundi, a tiny country is East Africa, you’ll find headlines about HIV/AIDS, civil war and political instability. Imagine Burundi, an English-language radio show from the capital Bujumbura, is trying to portray a more surprising and nuanced picture. Since 2010, Imagine Burundi has been working to end the ...
Mining Afghanistan
Afghanistan sits on gargantuan deposits of untapped mining resources. And while the U.S. has been fighting al-Qaeda and the Taliban, China and India have started securing mineral rights. Australia’s Background Briefing – a radio documentary program – takes an in-depth look at the future of Afghanistan’s mineral wealth. A state-run Indian mining company recently won ...
Africa from above
In the U.S., the news from Africa always seems negative. But George Steinmetz and the folks over at MediaStorm have shown there are a lot of reasons to be hopeful. At Latitude News, we are trying to bring you stories that see the world from a new angle. This slideshow makes the cut. Steinmetz presents ...
Poland tokes doobie, Holland harshes mellow
Amsterdam, known for its free-wheeling drug culture, tries to rein in drug tourism. Poland, meanwhile, loosens up its pot laws. Somebody's smoking something......
Will the World Cup serve beer?
Beer and sports: some things are just inseparable. Not in Brazil. In 2003, alcohol was banned at all Brazilian football stadiums to reduce fighting between drunken fans. But when the World Cup comes in 2014, the ban may be lifted, if only temporarily. FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke is insisting that beer must be sold ...
Small town, big secret
Every family has secrets. Some are bigger than others. This American story caught our eye because it seems to be making a bigger splash abroad than at home – it was featured last spring at Hot Docs, the Canadian International Documentary Festival. Steve Lickteig grew up the youngest of nine kids (six sisters, two brothers) ...
Olympics, World Cup, military takeover in Brazil
When the Olympics and the World Cup come to town, you have to clean up the streets. Brazil is taking it to a whole new level. Two months after military police swept into South America’s largest slum, crime has dropped precipitously in the community of Rocinha. The so-called “pacification” comes ahead of the 2014 World ...
Squid Wars in South America
We have Whale Wars. Now there’s a Squid War brewing in South America. Argentine Illex squid live for one or two high-octane years. Like most squid, they eat anything that moves, grow fast, migrate, reproduce, then die. Now Argentina is urging its fishermen to catch the mollusks before they migrate into the waters surrounding the ...
UK prisoners “Dying Inside”
There are more people incarcerated in the United Kingdom than any country in Europe. And the largest proportion of those prisoners are elderly, creating a growing burden on the UK prison system. At Latitude News, we want to bring your attention to thoughtful and though-provoking radio from around the world. So this BBC Radio 4 ...
Somali youth rap about terrorism
Chuck D famously called hip hop the “CNN of the ghetto.” The Public Enemy leader probably never imagined rap would become the CNN of East Africa. The rap crew Waayah Cusub was founded in Nairobi, Kenya by Somali refugees. Frustrated by the violence that forced them from their homeland, the 11-member group has boldly taken ...
