Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Japanese Prime Minister in L.A., Virtual Reality, and Nick Loeb's Op-Ed
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is under pressure to apologize for the tens of thousands of young “comfort women” used as sex slaves by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Tomorrow, he’ll be here in L.A. for a meeting with Mayor Eric Garcetti, and there will be protests.
By Madeleine Brand • • 50m ListenJapanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been under pressure to apologize for the tens of thousands of young “comfort women” who were used as sex slaves by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Tomorrow, he’ll be here in L.A. for a meeting with Mayor Eric Garcetti, and there will be protests. Then, in our weekly Internet roundup, “Twitter highlights,” virtual reality, and Google’s new search system. Next, poet Terrance Hayes on his new collection, How to Be Drawn. And finally, Sofia Vergara’s ex-fiance published a controversial op-ed in the New York Times.
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan travel by motorcade en route to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, April 27, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
In this episode
4 storiesComfort Women
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe talked about "comfort women" at a joint White House press conference with President Obama this week. He's been under pressure to apologize for the treatment of so-called "comfort women," tens of thousands of young women who were used as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II.
Read the story15 minInternet Roundup: Google Gives Preference to Mobile-Friendly Sites
When you plug a Google search into your smartphone, what rises to the top? The most relevant results? The most helpful answers? Not always. This month, Google started ranking mobile-friendly sites higher in smartphone searches. That could be bad news for local news outlets that aren't technically sophisticated.
Read the story9 min"How to Be Drawn"
Terrance Hayes' newest collection of poetry is a vivid examination of how we see and how we are seen. How to Be Drawn is his fifth collection of poetry. In it, Hayes sketches stories of trying on new selves. He constructs logic puzzles for which there are no answers.
Read the story15 minSofia Vergara, Nick Loeb, and the New York Times
Should frozen embryos be given a shot at life? A much talked-about op-ed in the New York Times today argues yes. The piece is by a wealthy businessman named Nick Loeb, former fiancé of actress Sofia Vergara. He and Vergara froze several embryos, but stipulated that they would not be implanted without the consent of both parties.
Read the story7 min
