7/7 to 7/13, 2025

Welcome back, everyone. This is This Week, Basically, hosted by Robyn Davies. The headlines we’re covering stretch from migrant prisons in Yemen to immigrant workers in Los Angeles, from corporate giants flexing their legal muscles to archaeologists digging deep for history. And yes, we’ll finish with something lighter: Italy’s sacred espresso ritual under siege. So buckle up — it’s another week where politics, power, and people’s daily lives collide.

Let’s start with a story that’s as harrowing as it gets.

In northern Yemen, a migrant detention center became ground zero for an American airstrike. Inside were more than a hundred Ethiopian migrants, people who had fled civil war back home only to end up trapped in the crossfire of another conflict. Survivors recall the roar of planes overhead, then the sudden devastation as multiple 250-pound bombs tore through the roof. At least 60 people were killed, dozens more maimed .

The U.S. hasn’t admitted responsibility, though investigations traced the strike to American-made GBU-39 bombs — supposedly “precision” weapons meant to minimize civilian casualties . For survivors like Fanta Ali Ahmed, who lost friends in an instant and now lies in a hospital with shattered limbs, the question is simple: why us? It’s a question that hasn’t been answered. For Washington, the strike is just one moment in a broader campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi militia. But for the men and women who thought they’d escaped one war only to be crushed by another, it feels like proof that no one is looking out for them.

From war zones abroad to upheaval closer to home: Los Angeles is still rebuilding after wildfires leveled more than 16,000 buildings earlier this year. That recovery depends heavily on immigrant workers, many undocumented, who do the dangerous, dirty work of clearing debris and scrubbing out toxic ash. But now, ICE raids have rattled entire neighborhoods . Workers are staying home rather than risk being detained. Residents say the recovery effort is already slowing down, and local officials argue the raids are turning a natural disaster into a man-made one . Even some Republicans in California are asking Trump’s administration to rethink its crackdown. But for now, fear is spreading faster than rebuilding can.

Speaking of fear, let’s talk about corporate muscle. UnitedHealth Group, one of the biggest names in U.S. health care, has been waging an aggressive campaign to silence critics. We’re talking legal threats, takedown letters, even pressuring Amazon and Vimeo to yank an investigative docuseries off their platforms . The company cites the murder of one of its executives last year as proof that criticism can provoke violence, and it has used that argument to lean on journalists, doctors, even billionaire investors who’ve spoken out . For a corporation already under federal investigation for billing and antitrust issues, this is a striking move. It’s part of a bigger trend: powerful players using lawsuits and intimidation to muzzle watchdogs. Whether it’s protecting patients or protecting reputations, the balance of power is clearly tilted.

Now let’s pivot to something far older, buried in the jungles of Belize. Archaeologists have uncovered the tomb of a Maya ruler at Caracol, the first such find at that site. Inside: a mosaic death mask, jadeite ear flares, vessels shaped like monkeys and owls — treasures untouched for 1,700 years . The ruler has been identified as Te K’ab Chak, believed to be the founder of a dynasty that helped Caracol grow into a sprawling city of 100,000 people. For researchers, it’s like finding a missing piece of the puzzle: proof of how early Maya rulers tied into wider Mesoamerican trade and politics. For the rest of us, it’s just a reminder that beneath the surface of today’s headlines, whole worlds of history still wait to be uncovered.

And history is alive in Appalachia, too, though in a different way. In southwest Virginia, farmers are reviving centuries-old traditions of harvesting medicinal herbs . Plants like ramps, ginseng, Solomon’s seal, once overharvested and undervalued, are being brought back through cooperative projects like the Appalachian Harvest Herb Hub. Farmers pool resources, process roots with industrial-grade equipment, and sell them at higher prices than they ever could alone . For some, it’s not just about economics but cultural survival. The global herbal medicine market is booming, projected to hit nearly $600 billion by 2034 . And in the hollers of Virginia, that’s creating a new kind of “forest economy” rooted in tradition but aimed squarely at the future.

From roots to ruins to the relentless churn of U.S. politics: immigration is once again at the center. ICE raids in California aren’t the only front. Nationwide, the politics of belonging, labor, and enforcement keep colliding, shaping not just who gets to stay but who feels safe enough to show up for work. It’s the kind of slow-burn issue that reshapes whole communities, even if it doesn’t always grab the top headline.

But let’s exhale with something distinctly cultural: and caffeinated. In Italy, the price of espresso is creeping up, and Italians are not amused . Coffee isn’t just a drink there; it’s a ritual, a daily rite that everyone expects to cost little more than pocket change. But with climate change disrupting harvests, tariffs driving up costs, and global bean prices spiking, bar owners say the math doesn’t work anymore. Average prices have climbed about 11 percent in the past two years, and for a nation where nearly three-quarters of adults drink espresso daily, that’s a cultural crisis . Some bars are diversifying, adding food, cocktails, even dinner service, to stay afloat. Still, the idea of a pricey espresso feels almost sacrilegious to Italians, a country that literally invented the modern espresso machine. Raise the price too much, and you risk not just customer outrage but a rupture in national identity.

So that’s the week. From bombs in Yemen to raids in California, from corporate giants playing defense to farmers reclaiming old traditions, and from ancient Maya tombs to the modern anxiety over coffee, it’s a reminder that what we value (safety, freedom, history, even a cheap cup of espresso) is never guaranteed.

That’s all for now. This has been This Week, Basically. I’m Robyn Davies. Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next time.