Press Play with Madeleine Brand
2016 Rio Summer Games open amid uncertainty, protests
The opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics will be held Friday. It’s a historic moment for South America’s first Olympic host city, but so far that’s been overshadowed by uncertainty.
By Madeleine Brand • • 50m ListenAfter nearly seven years of planning, the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be held Friday in Rio de Janeiro. It’s a historic moment for South America’s first Olympic host city, but so far that’s been overshadowed by an uncertain political situation in Brazil and an overabundance of safety and security concerns unresolved leading up to the games. Will that put a damper on Friday’s opening ceremony? Then, in the film Five Nights in Maine, a husband and his estranged mother-in-law are forced to unite in their grief after the sudden loss of wife and daughter. The film stars David Oyelowo, who joins Press Play, along with writer-director Maris Curran. Next, it’s been a disappointing summer so far for potential blockbusters. Will Suicide Squad or a film that features Kevin Spacey trapped inside the body of a cat break the curse of the underwhelming box office before the kids head back to school? And finally, the Wall Street Journal published an extremely controversial story this week that set off the Cargo Shorts Wars of 2016.
Image: Brazilian paratriathlon athlete Marcelo Collet takes part in the Olympic Flame torch relay in Salvador, Brazil, May 24, 2016. Marcos de Paula/Courtesy of Rio2016/Handout via REUTERS
In this episode
4 stories2016 Rio Summer Games open amid uncertainty, protests
After nearly seven years of planning, the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be held Friday in Rio de Janeiro. An estimated three-billion people from around the world will be watching the ceremony, a show that’s been in production for five years and includes some 300 dancers, 5,000 volunteers and 12,000 costumes.
Read the story11 minNavigating through grief in 'Five Nights in Maine'
Just a few minutes into the new film Five Nights in Maine , a husband, played by David Oyelowo, gets a terrible phone call from police telling him his wife has been killed in a car accident. The sudden tragedy sets him on a journey to rural Maine to visit his wife’s mother, who’s very sick.
Read the story14 minFilm: 'Suicide Squad' falls flat, 'Little Prince' impresses
It’s been a disappointing summer so far for potential blockbusters. Will DC Comic’s Suicide Squad or a film that features Kevin Spacey trapped inside the body of a cat break the curse of the underwhelming box office before the kids head back to school?
Read the story14 minThe Great Cargo Short Debate of 2016
The Wall Street Journal published an extremely controversial story Monday that set off a national debate. It wasn’t about the election, or the Zika virus, or the Olympics – it was about cargo shorts.
Read the story7 min
