Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Robert Durst’s Possible Confession, Issa Rae and Baby Boomers Overdosing
Did Robert Durst’s shocking turn on HBO’s The Jinx amount to a confession? Also, what do we know about when the filmmakers started to cooperate with law enforcement, and what are the moral considerations for investigative journalists when reporting uncovers new evidence?
We start with a look at Robert Durst’s shocking turn on HBO’s The Jinx last night. Did it amount to a murder confession? Also, when do documentary filmmakers have a moral obligation to share information with law enforcement? Then, in our weekly television roundup, an update from the South by Southwest festival in Austin this week, where new shows are premiering. Next, writer and comedian Issa Rae talks about being “black and awkward” and how she turned that into a brand. And finally, why are the number of deaths by accidental drug overdose increasing among older Americans?
Banner Image: Real estate heir Robert Durst appears in a New York criminal courtroom on December 10, 2014, for his trial on charges of trespassing on property owned by his estranged family. Durst agreed on March 16, 2015 to be extradited to Los Angeles County from New Orleans to face a charge of first-degree murder in the 2000 death of a longtime friend. Durst, who is the subject of a six-part HBO documentary series called The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, has maintained his innocence. The 71-year-old was arrested on Saturday in New Orleans. The warrant issued by Los Angeles County is for the death of Susan Berman, whose body was discovered in her West Los Angeles home on Christmas Eve in 2000, authorities said. Picture taken December 10, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Segar
In this episode
5 storiesRobert Durst and the Death of Susan Berman
Real estate heir and suspected murderer Robert Durst agreed to waive extradition to Los Angeles today after being arrested in New Orleans over the weekend for the murder of Susan Berman 15 years ago.
Read the story9 minJoe Berlinger, Filmmaker Behind 'Paradise Lost' Series, Weighs in on 'The Jinx'
Robert Durst’s unwitting, apparent confession on Sunday’s episode of The Jinx turned the documentarians into sudden participants in a real-life case. What do we know about when they started to cooperate with law enforcement? Also, what are the moral considerations for investigative journalists when reporting uncovers new evidence?
Read the story10 minTV Roundup: Beyond 'The Jinx'
The Jinx is obviously the biggest topic in TV today, but there’s a lot more going on in the land of the small screen. There are new shows premiering this week on television and at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, including the new season of Community in its new home on Yahoo.
Read the story7 minIssa Rae on Being “Black and Awkward”
When a friend called Issa Rae "black and awkward” and told her those were the worst things that a person could be, it stung a little. But then, she decided to own it. Issa Rae has since parlayed her personal brand into a popular web series, a pilot development deal with HBO, and a new memoir. We hear from Rae on her unlikely success.
Read the story15 minAccidental Overdoses Increasing Among Baby Boomers
Drug use and accidental overdoses are usually associated with the young and irresponsible. But not anymore. Baby boomers are now more likely to die of an accidental overdose than young people. Drug-related hospital stays and emergency room visits are also way up for people over the age of 50.
Read the story5 min