Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Jews in France, the Silk Road on Trial, and a Defense of Cubicle Culture
Four Jews killed in a Kosher grocery store in Paris on Friday were buried today in Israel. The murders exacerbated the fears of French Jews already worried for their own safety; we take a look at the current atmosphere and the history of anti-Semitism in France.
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenFour Jews killed in a Kosher grocery store in Paris on Friday were buried today in Israel. How did the murders exacerbate the fears of Jews in France already worried for their own safety? Then, the alleged mastermind behind the online drug marketplace the Silk Road goes on trial today. What’s at stake? Next, a look at China’s big Hollywood play. And we also hear from an author who argues in his new book that we’re witnessing the decline of the creative class. And finally, office culture has been skewered in pop culture: most notably in the film “Office Space.” But one writer says the office as we know it is actually a great work environment.
Banner Image: The body of Francois-Michel Saada, one of four French Jews killed in an attack on a Paris kosher grocery, is lowered to the grave during their joint funeral in Jerusalem January 13, 2015. Four French Jews killed in the attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris were buried in Jerusalem on Tuesday before thousands of French and Israeli mourners, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying they had been returned to their "true home". REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
In this episode
5 storiesRising Fear Among Jews in France
Four Jews killed in a Kosher grocery store in Paris on Friday were buried today in Israel. The grocery store murders were the last in a series of attacks by Islamic extremists in France last week that started at Charlie Hebdo magazine. And the episode has stoked the fears of French Jews already alarmed by other recent anti-Semitic incidents.
Read the story9 minSilk Road Goes to Trial
The Silk Road was an online marketplace where anonymous buyers could hook up with anonymous sellers of illegal drugs. The government shut the website down in 2013. Today, the man being accused of running the Silk Road -- Ross Ulbricht, a.k.a. Dread Pirate Roberts -- goes on trial in Manhattan.
Read the story7 minChina’s Hollywood Gamble
Poker players have a saying: “If you don’t know who the sucker is at the table, it’s you.” In the Hollywood card game, the sucker has been one wave after another of foreign investors. The Germans, Italians, and Arabs are on a long list over the years who’ve tried to make money in Hollywood and had to fold. Now, it’s China’s turn at the table.
Read the story8 minCulture Crash
When the recession hit in 2008, it gutted the middle class. Among the hardest hit was the creative middle class: architects, musicians, painters, graphic designers, dancers, and journalists. People like Scott Timberg. He used to cover the arts for the Los Angeles Times, but when the economy tanked, so did his prospects.
Read the story14 minIn Defense of the Modern Workplace
More and more people are exiting the office world, some because of a tight job market, but others voluntarily. It can seem like a dream come true to opt out of fluorescent-lit office life, become your own boss, and work in your pajamas. But one writer argues that the modern cubicle has a lot to offer. We hear her case.
Read the story9 min
