Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Actor Tony Hale, Blackwater Verdict, and the Myth of Online Anonymity
Today, four Blackwater contractors were found guilty in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007. We get an update from the courtroom. Also, is the app Whisper, which invites users to share their darkest secrets, as anonymous as advertised?
By Madeleine Brand • • 51m ListenFour Blackwater contractors were found guilty today in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007. We get an update from the courtroom. Then, are we making progress against ISIS in the Syrian city of Kobani? In our weekly Internet roundup, we talk about the Whisper app and how it may not be as anonymous as advertised. Then, actor Tony Hale is known for his roles on “Arrested Development” and “Veep,” but now he’s putting on a new hat: children’s book author. And finally, we hear from one of the pioneers of a virtual reality-based treatment for military veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Banner Image: Still shot of Tony Hale in character for "Veep"
In this episode
5 storiesBlackwater Verdict
Four Blackwater contractors were found guilty today in the shooting deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians in 2007. The massacre marked a turning point in the Iraq conflict, and inflamed anti-American sentiment in Iraq and abroad. It also recast Blackwater as an agency unto itself; above the law, needlessly violent and reckless.
Read the story8 minPeak ISIS?
The U.S. military has launched more than 135 airstrikes this month against ISIS in Kobani, a Syrian town near the Turkish border. It’s the biggest military campaign the U.S. has waged against the group so far. And it seems to be working, at least to some degree. ISIS hasn’t been able to take Kobani. Could this be a turning point?
Read the story8 minIs the Internet Ever Really Anonymous?
Sometimes you need to get something off your chest...but where do you turn? You can’t brag about a new job opportunity of Facebook because your current boss might see it. You can’t tweet about your infidelities because your spouse would see it.
Read the story11 minActor Tony Hale on His Children’s Book and Living in the Moment
You might know Tony Hale as Buster Bluth, the neurotic man-child on the TV show “Arrested Development.” Or maybe you’re more familiar with Hale as Gary Walsh, the frighteningly loyal assistant to the Vice President-turned-President on “Veep.” Now Hale has a new project.
Read the story11 minVirtual Reality Medicine
Almost one-third of military veterans seeking care the VA have been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. One relatively new way to treat soldiers with PTSD involves virtual reality. We hear from one of the pioneers in the field.
Read the story10 min
