Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Mexico Beyond the Headlines, Dance in LA & Science of Winning
Today we cover the realities and myths of modern Mexico, the LA Dance Project, development in downtown LA, and a settlement by the Catholic Church.
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenPresident Obama travels to Mexico today to meet with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts. Mexico is not just the country that is depicted in mainstream U.S. news reports. We discuss the realities and myths of modern Mexico. Plus, we talk to Benjamin Millepied, the founder of the L.A. dance project. We also visit a brand new boarding school in downtown L.A., we learn about the brain-science behind athletics, and we get the latest on a Catholic Church sex abuse settlement.
Banner Image: Aerial view of Mexico City, by Travis S.
In this episode
6 storiesMexico Beyond the News Reports
President Obama travels to Mexico today to meet with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts. But as Obama has said in the past - the Mexico of today is not just the country that is depicted in mainstream U.S. news reports about violence, drugs and poverty. The country may be poised for a middle class comeback, depending on whom you ask.
Read the story8 minChoreographer Benjamin Millepied
The LA Dance Project , founded by celebrity choreographer Benjamin Millepied, kicks off its second season Feb. 20 at the new Ace Hotel in downtown. The new company has been both hailed as the missing link in L.A.'s arts scene, and criticized for not employing local dancers.
Read the story8 minLab Rats: Science of Winning (and Losing)
In today’s edition of our science segment Lab Rats, we look at the science behind athletics. In addition to all of the physical training that goes into an Olympic victory, what’s going on in an athlete’s brain can be just as important when it comes to winning (and losing.)
Read the story10 minDowntown Boarding School
A new boarding school is opening downtown - and it’s turning heads. The American University Preparatory School is setting up camp in a working hotel. Madeleine visits the school to figure out who its target students are and what it says about the education landscape in downtown LA.
Read the story6 minDowntown Development
Plans to build a new development on a parking lot downtown near Staples Center and LA Live have languished for years. Now, a Chinese development company, Greenland, has bought the site for 150 million dollars and work on what’s being called the Metropolis project -- a set of four towers -- is about to start.
Read the story8 minCatholic Church Settlement
The LA archdiocese will pay 13 million dollars to 17 victims of clergy sexual abuse. The majority of the cases involved in this latest settlement revolved around a priest - Nicolas Aguilar Rivera - who allegedly molested 26 boys in Los Angeles over a ten month period in the 80s. Rivera is still a fugitive today.
Read the story9 min
