Atlantic magazine
Staff writer for the Atlantic
PROFILE
Alana Semuels
Guest
FROM Alana Semuels
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Japan faces lowest birth rate in a century -- because of men Japan is facing a historically low birth rate because young men can’t find good jobs. They’re living at home with their parents and refusing to get married. We talk about the country’s so-called herbivore men.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Raising taxes on the rich can remedy inequality. So why don’t we? Over half of Americans think raising taxes for the rich is a good idea. And historically, it’s proven to be a good way to remedy inequality. So why is the task of raising taxes so difficult? And what does history tell us about what it does and does not do?
To the Point
Massachusetts Public Housing Residents Must Work or Risk Eviction In Worcester, Massachusetts a city program called A Better Life is supposed to transform the lives of people in public housing. But Ray Mariano, head of the Worcester Housing Authority, is not asking people to improve themselves, he's telling them to get a job, go to school or get out. Alana Semuels is a writer for the Atlantic magazine. Ray Mariano, head of the Worcester Housing Authority Photo by Alana Semuels / The Atlantic
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
University of Cincinnati Police Shooting Samuel DuBose, an unarmed black man in Ohio, was pulled over by University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing for a missing front license plate on his car. He was then shot and killed by the officer, who is now charged with murder. Tensing was arraigned today and pleaded not guilty. His bail was set at $1 million. The incident has drawn attention to the city, which has been hailed as a model for police reform after riots 14 years ago led to department-wide changes.
To the Point
The Virtual World of Corporate America Second Life is virtual reality on the Internet, but some international corporations are going there to do real work. For getting middle managers together, it's a lot cheaper than plane tickets and hotel rooms. You don't even have to come as yourself. On a recent afternoon, 20 avatars appeared for a lecture on software development sponsored by Intel Corporation . Opening the event for the semiconductor giant was a half-man, half-lynx dressed in a tuxedo. That's according to a story in the Los Angeles Times by Alana Semuels.
Recommended
The Treatment
Lucia Micarelli: An Evening with Lucia Micarelli Violinist and actress Lucia Micarelli visits The Treatment to discuss her emotive performances as she prepares for PBS' An Evening with Lucia Micarelli.
The Business
In 'Speechless,' Scott Silveri combines comedy, family & disability Scott Silveri has written and produced sitcoms for more than 20 years. In all that time, he never encountered a TV family that looked anything like the one he grew up in -- with a mom, a dad...and a brother with cerebral palsy. He changed that with his show Speechless on ABC. Silveri tells us about looking to his own past for stories, and why he was determined to make a family comedy and not just a "disability show."
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Accusations of lying fly between James Comey and White House During his testimony Thursday, former FBI Director James Comey accused President Trump and other White House officials of lying when they said the FBI was in disarray and its staff had lost confidence in him. President Trump’s lawyer said Comey was wrong -- that the president never asked for his loyalty, and never asked him to back off the investigation into former NSA director Michael Flynn.
Design and Architecture
Farewell LA freeways, Peter Shire is back Angelenos don't want more freeways but we seem not to want mass transit either. Metro has killed the 710 freeway extension, and bus and train ridership is down across the region. What's the future of getting around in LA? And, Peter Shire is having a comeback. What attracts a new generation to his playful ceramics and furniture?