Will Germany’s federal budget end up in court? Can Germany deliver on its global military commitments? And what's happening with German beer? It may be summer, but the news is hopping with Common Ground Berlin host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Berlin Briefing’s Rina Goldenberg bringing you the latest on German politics and society.

Produced by Eden Brockman.

Eighty years after the sexual liberation movement began, many people are still uncomfortable talking about sexually transmitted diseases and infections. But in our explicit and provocative episode commemorating the late Dr. Ruth, you will learn what’s going on with STDs and STIs in Berlin and beyond, along with tips on protecting your sexual health.

Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Audio and Visual Editor Eden Brockman speak to:

Dr. Martin Viehweger of ViRo Praxis in Berlin

Lou Zucker of Pro Familia

Christopher Clay of Checkpoint BLN in Berlin

Produced by Eden Brockman.

It’s Pride Month in Germany and we are discussing the new Self-Determination Act, or “Selbstbestimmungsgesetz,” which will soon make it easier for transgender, intersex and non-binary teens and adults to legally change their names and gender.

The new act, which takes effect in part on Aug. 1 and in full, on Nov. 1, will replace a costly, red-tape-laden law that’s been in effect for more than 40 years. It also amends a 2018 law that only allows intersex people to legally identify as a third, non-binary gender.

Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson delves into the pros and cons of the new act with Finn Ballard and Malkina Vargas in Berlin, Miltos Pavlou of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, and Lasst Uns Sprechen.

Produced by Eden Brockman

You’ve decided to become an “expat” and live in Germany. But how do you navigate the bureaucracy and German culture? Can an English-speaker even make it here? What are some ways to ease the transition?

Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson gets the answers to those key questions and more from fellow immigrants and experts Jenna Davis of Life in Germany, Sigrid Arteage of Surviving in Berlin, Bastien Allibert of Settle in Berlin and Nicolas Bouliane of All About Berlin. We also answer questions from our fans on social media!

Produced by Eden Brockman

The funny and emotional conclusion as host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her journalist husband Erik Nelson walk from Portugal to Spain on their first-ever Camino. Hear about the “arrow” debacle, spiders and singing nuns! And whether they actually make it to Santiago de Compostela.

Featuring Casa Alternativo “albergue” host and Camino veteran Dries Nuitten; Camino veteran, author and co-founder of the Facebook group “Senior Travelers on the Camino” Brian John Skillen, and Camino newbies from Vancouver, Hayley Biller and Josh Klaasen.

Music: “End of the Road” and “All for Nothing” by Anthem of Rain; “Irrational-Rain” by Koi-Discovery; “Melancholy Serenade” by Universfield; “Walking on water” by TRG Banks; “Fixation” by Jangwa. (Source: FMA)

Produced by Axel Scheele and Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and her journalist husband, Erik, begin their Portuguese Camino from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, Spain and quickly learn the meaning of “The Camino provides!” Join them on their challenging, rewarding and even funny adventure, and hear from the experts: Author and “Senior Travelers on the Camino’ Facebook group co-founder Anne Pedersen; German political scientist and Camino veteran Joerg Steinert; Stingy Nomads’ Alya Akhmetgareeva and Lithuanian influencer, Eva Voveris, who we meet on the Camino with her 2-year-old daughter, Amelia!

Music by: “Sunny walk” by Pawel Feszczuk, “El Camino del Alce” by Silva de Alegria, “Emotional Sad Atmosphere with Piano and Violin” by Universfield and “Journey” by Atch. (Source: FMA)

Produced by Axel Scheele and Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Have you ever done a Camino? Or wanted to do a Camino? Or wonder what a Camino even is? Learn from the experts, including authors Brian John Skillen and Anne Pedersen (pen name Lele Beutel) who started the popular Facebook group “Senior Travelers on the Camino,” political scientist and Pilgerwahnsinn.de creator Joerg Steinert; Stingy Nomads’ Alya Akhmetgareeva, and our host, Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, who plans with her husband to walk from Portugal to Spain on the adventure of a lifetime they first first learned about from a Martin Sheen movie.

Music: “Even More Floating” by Triple5 Here, “Fixation” by Jangwa, and “Journey” by Atch. (Source: FMA)

This episode was produced by Axel Scheele and Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson

Berlin has been referred to as a “creative utopia,” where the arts and cultural scene exploded after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Nowadays, the city’s draw as an artist hub is fading and its spaces are being displaced, thanks to skyrocketing real estate prices and limited space, among other things.

But does this mean Berlin’s artists are leaving? And how are Berliners in creative fields coping with the changes to what then German mayor Klaus Wowereit our “poor but sexy” city? Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and Eden Brockman talk to:

BBK Studio Commissioner Julia Brodauf

Visual Artist Ulf Saupe

The Berliner Art Editor Duncan Ballantyne-Way

Music: “The last ones” by Jahzzar and “modum” by Kai Engel (Source: FMA)

This episode was produced by Axel Scheele and Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson