Lauren Frayer

Lauren Frayer appears in the following:

Korean Village's Message To THAAD Missile Defense System: 'Go Away'

Thursday, May 04, 2017

From a golf course in South Korea, the U.S. can now shoot down North Korean missiles. But residents don't want a missile defense system in their backyard — and neither does China.

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Parade Floats And Altered K-Pop Songs Mark South Korea's Coming Election

Thursday, May 04, 2017

With tensions rising over North Korea's nuclear program, you might expect a kind of panic in South Korea. But there's an altogether different scene happening in Seoul ahead of the election.

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2 Influential People In South Korea Are In Jail

Tuesday, May 02, 2017

The heir to Samsung is in jail on bribery charges. Ex-president Park Geun-hye was impeached late last year, removed from office in March and her corruption trial got underway this week.

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News Brief: Replacing Obamacare, Trump-Putin Call, South Korean Politics

Tuesday, May 02, 2017

GOP pressured to pass bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. Trump to talk to Putin by phone. South Korea's first female president is on trial for corruption, a week before an election to replace her.

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In South Korea's Presidential Election, A Referendum On U.S. Relations

Monday, May 01, 2017

With their impeached president on trial for corruption, South Korean voters will decide how pro-U.S. her replacement should be — as President Trump and North Korea trade threats of war.

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Portugal Basks In Post-Bailout Economic Revival

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Portugal's economy has rebounded dramatically since its European Union bailout in 2011. Wages are up and unemployment down. What's surprising is that this happened only as austerity was canceled.

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In Portugal, Drug Use Is Treated As A Medical Issue, Not A Crime

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Since 2001, possession or use of any drug has been treated as a health issue in Portugal. The country's drug-induced death rate has plummeted to five times lower than the European Union average.

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In Madrid, A Plan To Fight Pollution By Shifting Away From Diesel-Run Cars

Thursday, April 06, 2017

Half of all cars in Europe run on diesel, compared to 3 percent in the U.S. But Madrid has vowed to ban diesel vehicles by 2025, to cut air pollution. Paris and Athens have made similar pledges.

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Unlike Elsewhere In Europe, The Far Right In Spain Stays On The Fringe

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Amid the rise of far-right political parties in Europe, Spain has no similar movement. That may be due to its history under a dictatorship and Spaniards' own experience as impoverished migrants.

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For Barcelona, Tourism Boom Comes At High Cost

Wednesday, March 01, 2017

Many complain their magnificent city is being ruined by tourism. Some 30 million visitors arrive every year, bringing much-needed revenue — but crowding out longtime residents and businesses.

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For Barcelona Activist Turned Mayor, The Anti-Corruption Goals Stay The Same

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Ada Colau is a former Occupy activist, once arrested for blocking home evictions during Spain's economic crisis. Now she's Barcelona's mayor, a job in which, she says, "you're closest to the people."

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For 'Dutch Donald Trump,' A Surge In Popularity Before March Elections

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Geert Wilders wants his country to return to its white, Christian roots, shut down mosques and exit the EU. He's favored to win March elections, though unlikely to become prime minister.

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Spain's 'Robin Hood Restaurant' Charges The Rich And Feeds The Poor

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

As the country reels from its financial crisis, a new restaurant, run by a Catholic priest, lets paying daytime customers foot the dinner bill for homeless people to dine with dignity — and style.

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A Prosperous Dutch Village Hopes For A Right-Wing 'Bit Of Revolution'

Monday, January 23, 2017

The Dutch village of Volendam is prosperous, picturesque — and a stronghold of Geert Wilders' far-right Freedom Party. Though it has few immigrants, Wilders' anti-immigrant message resonates.

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With The Far-Right Rising, Dutch Create Their Own Parties For Immigrants

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

With an anti-immigrant party looking strong in the polls, new parties that support immigrants and minorities are cropping up in an attempt to serve as a counterweight.

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In Spain, New Year's Eve Is All About The Grapes — Save The Bubbly For Later

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

As the clock strikes midnight, people in Spain gobble 12 grapes in quick succession, with wishes for the new year. Then, they go out to party all night long with cava, a Spanish sparkling white wine.

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After Berlin Attack, Fears Rise In Europe Over Strikes On Soft Targets

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

As ISIS loses ground in Syria and Iraq, police in Europe are concerned the group may step up attacks in the holiday season. Meanwhile, Muslims in Europe report increased harassment and discrimination.

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No Bitterness Here: Craft Beer Boom Boosts Spain's Hops Growers

Thursday, December 15, 2016

When Germany halted exports in WWII, Spanish brewers asked farmers in a town in northern Spain to plant hops. Now, the town produces 99 percent of the country's hops used by the craft beer industry.

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Kids In Spain Rebel Against Homework, And Parents Are Their Biggest Boosters

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Children in Spain, facing up to three hours of homework a night, have put down their pens and pencils in protest. "We all want our children to succeed," says one father who supports the strike.

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A Spanish Village Stays Afloat, Thanks To Corona Beer Tycoon

Monday, December 05, 2016

Antonino Fernandez, who made his fortune from Corona beer, died in Mexico in August at 98. But he never forgot where he came from — a tiny village in northern Spain that he helped support for decades.

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