The interesting thing about the spread of coronavirus is that scientists can see it coming to an area. We all saw it in Wuhan. Then Italy. Now, Germany is in the middle of its crisis.

And, that means one of my oldest friends is in the thick of it. Brent Goff is the chief anchor of “The Day” on Deutsche Welle News, based in Berlin, Germany. He’s a long way from his roots having grown up in rural North Carolina. Brent and I met at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and were next-door neighbors, too.

Twenty years later, we’re still tight. He joins me in this episode for a frank conversation about what it’s like living and working in Europe right now. German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently predicted seven out of 10 Germans would be infected with COVID-19.

On this Dying to Ask:

• Why Americans need to pay close attention to what’s happening in Europe
• Why German culture may be a secret weapon against coronavirus
• And, you know, a college buddy is going to throw me under the bus, and Brent goes there -- big time.