Human stories from a world in conflict.
No Images? [Click here](
— Aug. 24, 2018 —
Around 40 percent of South Koreans anticipate North Korean aggression. And an entire industry has cropped up to serve the provident, the paranoid and the preppers.
Call it the war panic economy: [a small industry selling all the stuff you might want on doomsday](. Think gas masks, hazmat suits and emergency rations. Or, for the upper classes, your own personal bunker.
But once US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jung-un shook hands, the mood in South Korea lightened. It turns out that peace is poison for the war panic economy. Not that anyone is complaining.
###
In the Middle East, Lebanon is facing a financial crisis. The country owes $80 billion to its lenders, making it one of the world’s most indebted countries, without any means to pay it back. The country is experiencing a massive trade deficit, importing much of what the country consumes, and has suffered from a fractured political system and the war in neighboring Syria.
[The answer might be in marijuana.](
An American consulting firm recommended that Lebanon could help close its $18 billion trade deficit by legalizing cannabis and selling it globally for medical use.
Preliminary tests have found that Lebanese cannabis has different chemical properties than other strains. Some scientists believe it could be a potent anti-inflammatory treatment and could even have stronger cancer-fighting powers than strains that are already available. If done right, one analyst says, the plant could bring this cash-strapped Middle Eastern state $500 million every year.
###
In the US and Mexico, the idea of attacking drug traffickers' money may seem obvious.
But going after the finances of these groups has not been a priority until now, said David Shirk, a Mexico security analyst and professor at the University of San Diego.
“There has been much more emphasis on chasing after bad guys and a lot less emphasis on chasing after the money that they are generating through illicit activities,” he said.
Now, instead of focusing on eradicating supplies, [the US and Mexico have joined forces on a new initiative to try and dismantle the financial infrastructure of drug kingpins in Mexico,]( an effort they hope will stem the tide of violence in Mexico and curtail the flow of heroin and illicit fentanyl flowing into the US.
###
Finally, in any situation, children with mental and physical disabilities face challenges. But it’s[particularly difficult for Rohingya kids living in overcrowded refugee camps]( — where getting sufficient food, clean water and an education is already a challenge and the medical care is basic at best.
While those with physical disabilities are much more visible to spot and assist, it’s more challenging for children who have intellectual disabilities to get diagnosed and treated. Even though several NGOs are working to support the refugees with disabilities inside the camps, some people inevitably fall through the cracks. The parents of these children are already living in uncertainty, especially now in the midst of monsoon season — and having a child with developmental disabilities only compounds on that. Some of the parents told PRI that they didn’t think they were finding enough help within the camps. Eager for answers, they’ve turned to shamans as well as doctors outside the camps.
In South Korea’s war panic economy, sales thrive on nuclear angst
“We have government shelters all over South Korea. But we all know they’re not completely safe,” says Go Wan-hyeok, a Seoul-based entrepreneur in his 50s. He is referring to the nation’s 3,000-plus civil defense shelters, many of them located in train stations or under malls.
“They’re not as sturdy as the real bomb shelters — the ones on our army bases or run by the Americans,” Go says. “So I wondered: Why shouldn’t civilians have access to their own top-notch bunkers?”
[Learn more >](
Is medical marijuana the antidote to Lebanon's trade deficit?
For decades, Lebanon’s Bekka Valley has hosted a vibrant and sometimes violent hashish industry. Police often clash with the well-armed cannabis growers who use machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades to defend their crops, which bring in billions of dollars every year.
But now the Lebanese government is milling a controversial idea: Taking over the illicit cannabis trade and developing a medicinal marijuana industry to help the country’s struggling economy.
[Learn more >](
Help is scarce for Rohingya children with intellectual disabilities
Inside the Rohingya camps, there are no developmental pediatricians to diagnose and treat the children who do have such physical and mental disabilities. Ultimately, this — and the lack of proper facilities — precludes families from getting the proper treatment for their children.
[Learn more>](
Joint US-Mexico effort to focus on drug kingpins’ financial infrastructure
This new joint effort between the US and Mexico also doubles down on the controversial kingpin strategy — the idea that you break up cartels by targeting their leaders. Mexico says as part of this deal, it will offer a $1.6 million dollar reward for information leading the capture of the leader of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The US has offered $5 million.
[Learn more >](
The Atlantic
[The plot against America](
Decades before he ran the Trump campaign, Paul Manafort’s pursuit of foreign cash and shady deals laid the groundwork for the corruption of Washington.
GQ
[The untold story of Otto Warmbier, American hostage](
President Trump hailed him as a catalyst of the summit with Kim Jong-un. But what happened to Warmbier — the American college student who was sent home brain-damaged from North Korea — is even more shocking than anyone knew.
The California Sunday Magazine
[On the other side](
North Korean women have been escaping to the South in search of freedom and happier lives. But what happens when hope leads to disappointment?
Wired
[The untold story of NotPetya, the most devastating cyberattack in history]( Crippled ports. Paralyzed corporations. Frozen government agencies. How a single piece of code crashed the world.
Public Radio International (PRI) is a global nonprofit media company focused on the intersection of journalism and engagement to effect positive change in people’s lives. We create a more informed, empathetic and connected world by sharing powerful stories, encouraging exploration, connecting people and cultures, and creating opportunities to help people take informed action on stories that inspire them. Its mission is to serve audiences as a distinctive content source for information, insights and cultural experiences essential to living in our diverse, interconnected world.
[Support PRI](
[Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website](
PRI Public Radio International
Hear a Different Voice
[Forward](
[Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](