Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Mass Incarceration, Online Poker & Godzilla Turns 60
The US incarceration rate grows, two California bills move to legalize online poker, Godzilla turns 60, and the Fed ramps up cybersecurity.
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenA new study from the Academy of Sciences looks at the three decades of growth in the US incarceration rate. We also explore research that digs into how many innocent people might be on death row around the country. We get an update on a few pieces of legislation in California that would legalize online poker. A new Godzilla movie enters theaters, so we explore the cultural importance of the monster here and in Japan. And, with all this recent news about the computer bug called Heartbleed, we hear about what the Federal Reserve and the banks are doing to protect themselves from cyber attacks.
Banner Image Credit: Dylan Oliphant
In this episode
5 storiesMass Incarcerations
We talk to one of the authors of a new National Academy of Sciences report that looks at the high incarceration levels in the United States. The study found that the massive increase in incarceration rates is not a significant enough factor in the decline in crime rates over the same period.
Read the story9 minDeath Row Innocence
A new study says 1 in 25 death row inmates are likely innocent. With over 3000 people currently on death row in America, the number of potential innocents is no small number.
Read the story7 minLegalizing Online Poker
Should California legalize online poker? New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware have legalized some form of online gambling. Two bills making their way through the California Legislature would legalize online poker. Power players are lining up on both sides, with potentially billions of dollars at stake.
Read the story8 minGodzilla Turns 60
It’s been 60 years since Godzilla first trampled through Tokyo and into history as one of the world’s most enduring pop icons. A newly restored print of the 1954 original is playing around town this month, and another big-budget American Godzilla comes out May 16th. It will be the 28th Godzilla movie.
Read the story13 minThe Front Lines of Banking Cybersecurity
There’s a secret federal cybersecurity unit keeping trillions of dollars safe from hackers. But you may be surprised that this unit isn’t housed in Silicon Valley, or in a secret Washington, D.C. bunker -- they’re in a building in New Jersey next to a Buick dealership.
Read the story8 min
