Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Secret Service Scandal, Lisa Adams and Two Faces of the Central Valley
With President Obama in town, we start with a look at the latest Secret Service Scandal: two senior agents ran a government car into White House security barricades after apparently drinking. Why has the security agency had so many recent lapses?
By Madeleine Brand • • 51m ListenAs President Obama arrives in LA, a look at the latest Secret Service Scandal: two senior agents ran a government car into White House security barricades after apparently drinking. Why has the agency had so many lapses? Then, South by Southwest kicks off in Austin, Texas this week. Before the panels and music showcases, educators and tech experts get together for sxsw EDU. Next, Boing Boing’s Xeni Jardin remembers Lisa Bonchek Adams, who blogged, tweeted and Facebooked her way through a years-long battle with breast cancer. She died last week at age 45. Finally, two perspectives on California’s Central Valley. We hear from a photographer who has documented the devastating effects of the drought and poverty in the region, and then from a man who wants to start a utopian community in the Central Valley.
Banner Image: Members of the U.S. Secret Service keep watch at the fence surrounding the White House in Washington March 12, 2015. The U.S. Secret Service said on Wednesday that two agents were under investigation after an incident last week in which they were reported to have driven a government car into White House barricades after drinking at a late-night party. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
In this episode
5 storiesAnother Secret Service Scandal
The Secret Service is in hot water, again. Two senior secret service agents ran a government car into White House security barricades, last week. It appears they’d been out drinking, and one of them is second-in-command on the President’s security detail. Suffice to say, he’s probably not with the President today in Los Angeles.
Read the story9 minEducation at South by Southwest (#sxswEDU)
The California Board of Education will not use test scores to rate public schools for the next year. Instead, it will continue to work on other, less tangible measures of success, such as student engagement and school climate. The change speaks to the question, what makes a good school?
Read the story9 minWeb News: Remembering Lisa Bonchek Adams
For eight years, Lisa Bonchek Adams chronicled her struggle with breast cancer on her blog and in social media; almost every detail. She built up a huge following, attracting some 15,000 Twitter followers. Lisa Adams died last Friday. She was 45. Since then, there’s been an outpouring online from her readers, most of whom she had never met.
Read the story10 minThe Central Valley, Part One: Dry Despair
California’s Central Valley, the powerhouse of the state’s agriculture industry, is now under assault from the drought. We take a look at the region from two perspectives, starting with a dark picture of fallow crops and poverty.
Read the story13 minThe Central Valley, Part Two: Gold Dust?
Now, a different take on the Central Valley and its future. One entrepreneur sees potential gold in the dust. He’s trying to build a utopian community there -- one where the streets are lined with lush vegetation, the air is clear, and where humanity, nature, and technology exist in harmony.
Read the story7 min
