Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Oscars Diversity, Obama's Unfinished Business in Afghanistan
Oscar nominations came out today. Who was nominated? What were the surprises and snubs? And why didn’t the Academy nominate any non-white actors - for the second year in a row?
By Madeleine Brand • • 53m ListenToday we start with a two-part look at today’s Oscar nominations: First, a rundown of the nominees, surprises and snubs. Then, a look at why no non-white actors are nominated. Then, continuing our weeklong look at President Obama’s unfinished business, we examine the situation in Afghanistan. After that, Madeleine speaks to a journalist who recently visited Guantanamo prison, another one of Obama’s unfulfilled promises. And finally, in our regular Thursday web roundup, Powerball and more.
Banner Image: Leonardo DiCaprio as explorer Hugh Glass in "The Revenant" from 20th Century Fox
In this episode
5 storiesOscars: The Nominations
Today we got the nominations for this year’s Oscar awards. We review the surprises, the snubs, and… “The Revenant.”
Read the story9 minHollywood's Diversity Problem
Another Oscar snub – people of color. For the second year in a row, the Academy has only nominated white actors. The Oscars are a high-profile example of what has been dogging Hollywood for a long time now, the lack of diversity both onscreen and behind the camera. So – how to change that?
Read the story9 minObama's Unfinished Business: Afghanistan
President Obama is entering his last year in office. All week, we’ve been discussing his unfinished business. Today: Afghanistan. With U.S. forces being drawn down, the Taliban has been resurgent. The group holds more territory now than it has at any time since it was ousted from power in 2001. The Islamic State group is also gaining a foothold.
Read the story9 minGuantanamo Goes On
The Pentagon today announced that it would transfer 10 detainees out of Guantanamo Bay. The detainees are from Yemen but will be transferred to Oman. Despite campaign promises dating back to 2008, President Obama has been unable to close the prison. But getting to that better way has been a long slog.
Read the story12 minWeb Roundup
In this week’s installment of our regular Thursday web roundup, we talk Powerball and more
Read the story8 min
