Latin America

Olympic Alternates Face Challenges In Training To Possibly Compete

4:30pm August 04, 2016

by Russell Lewis

There are two sets of athletes at the Olympic games: the athletes who will compete and the alternates who likely won't. The alternates are in Rio and training just as though they'll be in the competition.

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'7-1 Wasn't Enough': World Cup Loss Enters Brazilian Lexicon Ahead Of Olympics

4:26pm August 04, 2016

by Melissa Block

When Brazil hosted the World Cup two years ago, the men's national team suffered an epic 7-1 loss to Germany in the semifinals. Now "7-1 wasn't enough" has entered the lexicon as a slang phrase to represent Brazil's many misfortunes.

Rio's Opening Ceremony Aims To Cast Troubled Games In New Light

10:48am August 04, 2016

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

The troubled Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro will have their opening ceremony on Friday. We get a sneak preview of how the country will be showcasing its unique culture and heritage.

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As U.S. Presidential Election Nears, Mexicans Fear Economic Impact

4:30pm August 03, 2016

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to independent journalist Javier Garza about how the U.S. presidential election is viewed in Mexico. Some fear how the new president will affect Mexico's economy.

Three things people can do that robots can't: Tell a story. Solve a mystery. Give a hug.

3 Things People Can Do In The Classroom That Robots Can't

11:06am August 02, 2016

by Anya Kamenetz

Artificial intelligence is getting stronger. Education must adapt. Here's a framework for separating out the things schools can and should teach that are uniquely human.

World News

In The Olympic Spirit, Tourists Are Giving Rio Benefit Of The Doubt

6:56am August 02, 2016

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Tens of thousands of tourists arrive in Rio this week for Friday's opening of the Olympics amid a surge in crime, concerns over Zika, and reports that the host city might not be ready for prime time.

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Zika Virus Spreads More Rapidly In Puerto Rico

4:27pm August 01, 2016

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with New York Times science and health reporter Donald McNeil Jr. about the status of the Zika epidemic in Puerto Rico. McNeil Jr. reports that while there are around 5,500 confirmed infections, the actual numbers are far greater, and many residents are highly skeptical of the government's actions to combat the virus.

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone walks with his wife, Fabiana Flosi, in Singapore in 2014. Flosi's mother was kidnapped in Brazil and held for ransom last month; she's now been freed, police say.

World News

Brazilian Police Say They've Rescued Mother-In-Law Of Formula 1 Boss

9:46am August 01, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Aparecida Schunck, whose daughter is married to billionaire Bernie Ecclestone, had been kidnapped and held for ransom. Police said Sunday that Schunck had been found unharmed in Sao Paulo.

World News

Police In Paraguay Find Blinged-Out Prison Cell, Occupied By Drug Lord

9:41am August 01, 2016

The prison cell had been upgraded to a luxury three-room pad with plasma screen TV, library and kitchen.

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Photos reveal Brazilian drug trafficker Jarvis Chimenes Pavao's cell at Tacumbu prison in Asuncion, Paraguay, last week.

World News

Locked Up In The Lap Of Luxury: One Drug Lord's Decked-Out Cell

9:31am August 01, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Brazilian drug trafficker Jarvis Chimenes Pavao is serving an eight-year sentence in Paraguay. AFP reports that police, investigating an alleged escape plan, found a stylish three-room suite of cells.