It's the Foreign Influence Podcast, with American Bill Poorman and Dutchman Nikolaj Groeneweg, taking you on a humorously serious and seriously humorous romp through the week's international events! This week, an episode mostly on 'Merica. Highlights are below, but please make sure to sign up for our newsletter - the Foreign Influence Dispatch - for links from today's show and more info and commentary from us.

• Cities across the United States are exploding with protests and riots over the death of a black man, George Floyd, at the knee of a white police officer. Racial disparities in policing and the culture wars in the US over them are, sadly, nothing new. 

• Singapore might be one example of a country that prevents racial tensions through its media and housing policies, but those interventions are unlikely to get support in the west.

• The US passes a grim milestone of 100,000 dead from covid-19, but on a per capita basis, it still trails behind.

• In a hint of international news, Europe is stuck in the middle of the US-China standoff over 5G technology and Huawei.

• The good news, including SpaceX's successful launch of humans into space from US soil, an example of police de-escalating, and turning 100 with a cook, frosty American (definitely not European) beer.

Thanks for listening!

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Stay safe, and be nice to one another!

Bill & Nikolaj