Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Murrieta Immigration Showdown, Future Folk, and Black Phones
Buses with 140 undocumented migrants blocked by protesters on their way to Murrieta. Extreme violence in Central America is pushing many people north. We also meet the men behind “Future Folk”, a sci-fi bluegrass band. And our tech expert introduces us to “black phones”, robot legs, and a computer chef.
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenBuses filled with 140 undocumented migrants - many of them women and children - were blocked by protesters on their way to a processing center in Murrieta yesterday. We talk to a city council member to find out what could happen next. We also hear about the extreme violence in Central America that is pushing so many people north. We also meet the men behind “Future Folk”, a sci-fi bluegrass band. And our tech expert introduces us to “black phones”, robot legs, and a computer chef.
Photo Credit: Sam Hodgson (Reuters)
In this episode
4 storiesMurrieta Immigration Protests
Buses filled with 140 undocumented migrants - many of them women and children - were blocked by protesters on their way to a processing center in Murrieta yesterday. The migrants had been flown into San Diego from Texas because that state has been overwhelmed by the number of people coming from Central America.
Read the story15 minCentral American Violence
We’ve been hearing about the surge of children from Central America making the dangerous journey north to try to cross the US border. Since October, more than 50,000 of them have been detained. That’s almost double last year’s count. And tens of thousands more are thought to have slipped through.
Read the story10 minFuture Folk
The “History of Future Folk” is movie about space aliens who come to earth to destroy it, but end up playing bluegrass instead. They bill it as “the only alien folk duo science-fiction action comedy ever made.” Variety called it “close encounters of the charming kind.” The story of aliens coming to earth is of course made up.
Read the story13 minBlackphones, Robot Legs, and Computer Chefs
A Swiss company has introduced a new “Black Phone” - the first smartphone that goes out of its way to protect all your data, all the time. We talk about that in today’s tech segment. We also hear about a robotic exoskeleton that help paraplegics walk, an app that will help curb your smart phone use, and a computer in the kitchen.
Read the story8 min
