Press Play with Madeleine Brand
“No” to No Fly Lists, Aereo, and Warrantless Phone Searches
Cell phone searches, the end of Aereo, the no fly list, online death threats, and the oldest living things in the world.
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenThe Supreme Court has ruled that police must always have a warrant to search mobile devices when arresting someone. We discuss that, and the other big Supreme Court ruling of the day: TV networks won a huge victory over a company called Aereo. Aereo provided a subscription service that let you watch or record live network shows using a PC or cell phone. We also talk to a man who found himself mysteriously on the federal “no fly list.” We also debate whether online death threats are protected speech. And we take a very close look at the oldest things in the world with author Rachel Sussman.
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In this episode
5 storiesCell Phone Searches
The Supreme Court has ruled that police must always have a warrant to search mobile devices when arresting someone. In his opinion, chief justice John Roberts wrote, "Modern cellphones aren't a technological convenience. With all they contain and all they may reveal, they hold for many Americans 'the privacies of life.'"
Read the story8 minThe End of Aereo?
In another high court decision handed down today, TV networks won a huge victory over a company called Aereo. Aereo provided a subscription service that let you watch or record live network shows using a PC or cell phone. But the court’s 6-3 decision will effectively shut Aereo down.
Read the story8 min"No" to the No Fly List
A federal court has ruled that the no fly list is unconstitutional. We’ll talk to someone who found himself on a no-fly list. Abe Mashal was a plaintiff in the case.
Read the story8 minOldest Living Things
The oldest living thing in the world is a 600,000 year-old bacterium, discovered in the permafrost of Siberia. From that bacteria to California’s Giant Sequoias to ancient eucalyptus trees in Australia, Rachel Sussman has spent the better part of the last decade seeking out the oldest living things in the world.
Read the story14 minOnline Threats and Useless Apps
We talk to the hosts of the WNYC podcast TLDR about the latest news swirling around the web. The Supreme Court will consider whether an online death threat is really a death threat or actually protected speech; an app that only allows you to text the word “Yo!”
Read the story8 min
