If you ever wondered what might happen if Bach met Biggie Smalls, let us introduce you to the Grammy-nominated duo Black Violin. A classical/hip hop hybrid, they began their musical journey in the classroom, experimenting and pushing the boundaries of genre. Their mission: smashing stereotypes and assumptions about race through their art. They join the show to discuss and to perform.

Turning from the origins of the virus to the road ahead, one important question is: How will we emerge from the pandemic? Ed Yong has been chronicling COVID-19 extensively for The Atlantic, and in a recent piece he looks at “the pandemic’s mental wounds” and adds, “Things are getting better, so why don’t they feel better?”

Hala Alyan is a Palestinian-American writer and clinical psychologist who writes about the impact of generational trauma. She speaks with Michel Martin about how her experience as a Palestinian abroad has inspired her work.

Over the years, the Secret Service has been plagued by scandals and embarrassing missteps. Investigative journalist Carol Leonnig uncovers them in her book "Zero Fail." She joins the show to reveal what she found.

The EU has imposed new sanctions and cut aviation links to Belarus. Yet despite the mounting backlash, Lukashenko does have one important ally: Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will meet with the Belarusian lead in Sochi later this week.

A landmark ruling came out of the Netherlands, as a Dutch court ordered Shell to cut its greenhouse gas emissions nearly in half by 2030.

Democratic Congresswoman Katie Porter believes that the tax code should treat single parents the same way as married couples, so has proposed a bill to eliminate the single parent penalty. It’s a move spurred by her own personal experience, as a mom of three and one of the only single parents serving in the House of Representatives.

One year after George Floyd’s death, we look again at systemic racism in America with Elizabeth Hinton, who aims to put the current racial justice movement in historical context. Her new book “America on Fire” looks at Black rebellion in the 1960s and 70s, and she speaks with Michel Martin about how we got to where we are today.

Today President Joe Biden met with the Floyd family, having asked Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act by today. Negotiations are ongoing, and Bianna – in for Christiane – speaks with Congresswoman Karen Bass, who was lead author of the Act as passed by the House.

The EU will impose sanctions on Belarus for diverting and grounding a commercial flight for the purpose of arresting dissident journalist Roman Protasevich. What can be done, and what role might Russia play? Correspondent Matthew Chance joins the show from Moscow.

Much of Gaza lies in ruins after 11 days of destruction, with the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants leaving over 200 Palestinians and 12 Israelis dead. For Palestinians, rebuilding from the rubble will be a Herculean task. As part of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Tamara Alrifai will be on the front lines of that effort.

The Tokyo Olympics are set to start in under two months, but so far things are off to a rocky start. The U.S. is urging citizens to avoid traveling to Japan as it enters a fourth wave of the pandemic, while a recent poll shows 83% of Japanese people want the summer games either postponed or cancelled altogether. Veteran sports commentator Bob Costas has covered 11 Olympic Games and joins the show.

Abrahm Lustgarten is a Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental reporter and has spent years looking at how climate migration will reshape the world.

Across Europe, leaders are calling for airlines to avoid Belarusian air space, as governments accuse Belarus of “hijacking” a passenger jet.

To discuss why Belarus has taken such an extraordinary step, the work that Pratasevich was doing, and what all this augurs for relations between the west and Russia and Belarus, Bianna speaks with Franak Viačorka, a friend of Pratasevich and adviser to the exiled Belarusian opposition leader, and historian Anne Applebaum.

From “Like A Rolling Stone” to “Forever Young,” Dylan’s genius still resonates with millions all around the world. He’s the first – and to this day, the only – musician ever to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Last week, the CDC stunned many people by announcing that fully vaccinated people could ditch their facemasks. It’s something that has left a lot of Americans feeling uneasy, but Dr. Monica Gandhi is on hand to reassure them that there’s no reason to panic. She explains all to Hari Sreenivasan.

The events of the past year have sparked a conversation about bias and how it affects the decisions people make. But what if bias isn’t even the biggest flaw in human judgment? Daniel Kahneman argues that “noise” leads to errors of judgment and decision-making in virtually every field, from medicine to law to economic forecasting. The Nobel Prize-winning psychologist joins the show.

Despite the declaration of a ceasefire, the day to day circumstances of Palestinians are left unchanged, the underlying causes of this conflict unaddressed. To reflect on what she believes is needed, Palestinian writer and researcher Mariam Barghouti joins the program.

For the first time in 11 days, the skies over Israel and Gaza are quiet. But on the ground, the big thorny issues remain – indeed, hours after the ceasefire took effect, we saw new clashes at the Al Aqsa Mosque compound. More than 200 people – mostly Palestinians – have been killed since fighting began last week, but both sides are claiming victory today. Now the world is holding its breath.