Has this ever happened to you?

You wake up, look at your phone, scroll through the news for a minute or two, and then think, wow, how did we get here?

Well, that's the question we tackle every week on NPR's ThruLine podcast.

We tell you the surprising stories of the people who made our history.

Carl Sagan was in people's living rooms talking about the wonders of the universe, making

science feel personal and important to an everyday person.

Listen to Thuringland from NPR, wherever you get your podcasts.

Music Two Chinese prisoners of war were captured in Ukraine. Today they appeared at a press conference.

There were two men in the military uniform and they were flanked by heavily armed guards of Ukrainian security service.

I'm Carolyn Beeler.

And I'm Marco Wurman.

We take you to that scene in Kiev, also a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border where the communities most affected by water pollution...

...are taking the... where the community's most affected by water pollution, are taking matters into their own hands.

For Hungary's LGBTQ community, a ban on the Pride parade is being seen as a wake-up call.

When you live in Hungary, you're kind of used to your brides stripped away, but this was just like a

next step. Plus, a new threat to French cheese. That's all ahead today on the world.

This is the world. I'm Marco Wurman, coming to you from San Diego. And I'm Carolyn Beeler,

also coming to you from San Diego this week. We are happy to be

broadcasting from the studios at KPBS. This region is famous for waves breaking on sandy beaches.

Quite a mix of swell energy on the buoys. That's providing all regions in the county with

surfing opportunities. Mild weather, relaxed vibes.

But there is a lot more to the cross-border region that spans San Diego and Tijuana.

...