What's Good Wednesdays

What’s Good Wednesday: June 17, 2026

Listen: to RaiNao’s Tiny Desk concert. The artist whom Bad Bunny has called his “favorite artist from Puerto Rico” delivers a captivating blend of reggaeton and mellow electronic beats in this NPR Tiny Desk performance. An alchemist of genres, RaiNao moves effortlessly between sounds and moods. This is a concert I recommend for the drive home after a long day at the beach, or while you're cooking a delicious meal, settling into a flow state, and letting the music carry you into a gentle groove. — Natalie J.

Experience:Getty’s PersepolisReimagined.Ever wondered what it would be like to step inside the ancient Persian Empire? This experience lets you do just that, offering an immersive digital journey through the empire’s ceremonial capital at its peak. Explore grand palaces, intricate carvings, and royal rituals through a stunning reconstruction that brings this lost city back to life. — Natalie W.

Read: The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai. A translated book that satirically explores Islamic fundamentalism in Tunisia post-Arab Spring, following a beekeeper who travels far beyond his village, all the way to Japan, to unravel the mystery of hornets killing his bees. Pairit with the Tunisia-Japan World Cup game this Sunday. — Farida

Look: at this duck. Merlin, a two-year-old feathery pet, has quickly become an international sensation in Mexico City, dressed in his country’s jersey and socks. Amid ongoing debates over who is truly entitled to represent a nation at the World Cup — as we discussed on this week’s episode of GZERO World, why not a duck? — EntireGZERO team

More For You

As AI creates new opportunities, the people who understand a community best play an important role in determining how those opportunities take shape. Across the US, Microsoft is supporting AI literacy classes as part of a new program developed in collaboration with the Public Library Association, working through trusted local institutions to help people build practical AI skills. By pairing new technology with local knowledge, the initiative is helping communities explore how AI can support their needs and open new possibilities, while putting local leaders and organizations at the center of that work. Read the full story here.

- YouTube

Russia is testing NATO’s red lines with escalating drone attacks and airspace violations. Can Europe defend Ukraine and itself without help from the US? Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.