Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Inside the Snowden Story, Fake Classes for Athletes, and More
A new documentary follows NSA leaker Edward Snowden through his decisions to release top-secret documents and go public. Also, a 20-year cheating scandal designed to boost student athletes’ grades has been exposed at the University of North Carolina.
By Madeleine Brand • • 51m ListenThree teenage girls from a Denver suburb are suspected of trying to join jihadis in Syria; we get an update on what we know about the case. Then, a small-town Mexican mayor and his wife are accused of masterminding the disappearance of 43 students last month. In our recurring update on the car industry, an airbag recall means passengers are at risk. Next, a look at the new documentary “Citizenfour,” which follows NSA leaker Edward Snowden through his initial decision to go public. And finally, a 20-year athlete cheating scandal is exposed at the University of North Carolina.
Banner Image: Edward Snowden
In this episode
5 storiesISIS Hopefuls
Three teenage girls from a Denver suburb are suspected of trying to join jihadis in Syria. After skipping school on Friday, the three were reported missing to police by their parents. The girls were detained at Frankfurt airport, reportedly on their way to Syria by way of Turkey.
Read the story9 minMayor Possibly Involved in Mexican Students’ Disappearance
Mexico’s top prosecutor says a small-town mayor and his wife are behind the disappearance of 43 students who went missing a month ago. He’s accusing the mayor of Iguala and his wife of ordering a police crackdown on the students last month so they wouldn’t interrupt a political event.
Read the story8 minAirbags, Corvettes and Heart Attack Seats
More than 7.5 million cars have now been recalled in the U.S. over airbags that can explode and possibly kill passengers. Manufacturers are warning drivers: If you own one of the cars on the list, don’t sit in the front passenger seat until the problem’s fixed. We catch up on that and other automotive news with our regular car industry analyst.
Read the story7 minInside the Snowden Story
Last May, Edward Snowden flew to Hong Kong, ensconced himself in a room in an upscale hotel and released his huge cache of documents exposing the U.S. Government’s domestic spying programs. Guardian columnist Glenn Greenwald and documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras were with him in Hong Kong for much of that week.
Read the story15 minFake Classes for Student Athletes at UNC
A scathing report out this week details a 20-year cheating scandal at the University of North Carolina. Thousands of students have taken fake classes in the African-American studies department. Many of those students were athletes, basketball and football players who couldn’t make the grades required to stay on their teams.
Read the story8 min
