Some 300,000 people are homeless after an explosion of unthinkable size. The culprit appears to be sheer negligence, brought on by a broken system of governance. The Economist’s data team has updated its excess-death tracker, giving ever-better insight into just how deadly covid-19 is. And the tricky trade-offs for both bosses and workers as they return to the office. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer
Shawn Frayne grew up dreaming of being an inventor. His heroes were the inventors of yore, like Thomas Edison and Tesla. Growing up, he was inspired by TV shows and movies, like Beyond 2000 and Back to the Future 2 - specifically, when Marty McFly gets eaten by the holographic shark. Believe it or not, to kick back and relax - he likes to have a cold beer and think about inventing other things... though he is fine with cheap beer, and has even been lovingly called Frugal Frayne by his team. Shawn recalls that Edison once said, All you need to invent is an imagination and a pile of junk - and he lives by that, with the added part of having his kids around in the mix. He studied physics at MIT, and post graduation, while everyone was heading to Silicon Valley, he was curious if anyone could still be an inventor. He decided to pursue this dream, and eventually cycled back to the inspiration from back to the future - the hologram. This is the creation story of Looking Glass Factory.
The state of California has indecent exposure laws, making it illegal if someone is naked with the intent of being sexual (like masturbating in public), or intentionally offensive (like flashing someone). If you’re just hanging out naked minding your own business, California leaves that up to local governments. Today on the show, we're bring back an episode that first ran in 2017 ... that traces the fascinating history of being naked in San Francisco.
Reported by Jessica Placzek. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Katrina Schwartz and Rob Speight. Additional support from Erika Aguilar, Jessica Placzek, Kyana Moghadam, Paul Lancour, Suzie Racho, Carly Severn, Bianca Hernandez, Ethan Lindsey, Vinnee Tong and Don Clyde.
Chana Joffe-Walt explores how white parents can shape a school — even when they aren’t there.
She traces the history of I.S. 293, now the Boerum Hill School for International Studies, from the 1980s through the modern education reforms of the 2000s. In the process, Chana talks to alumni who loved their school and never questioned why it was on the edge of a white neighborhood. To them, it was just where everyone went. But she also speaks to some who watched the school change over the years and questioned whether a local community school board was secretly plotting against 293.
Interview with Jared Huffman. Mr. Huffman is the congressman representing California's 2nd District. We talk about the harm caused by the mixing of religion and politics. We also discuss the Freethough Caucus and how its members are trying to make America better for everyone. Investing Skeptically: The Polaris Plan Part 1 - The overview. Stocks vs Bonds, The Cusion, Budgets, planning for retirement.
Paris Marx is joined by Tania Davidge to discuss the campaign to stop Apple from building a store in the middle of Melbourne’s Federation Square and how the company’s vision of a town square differs from what a true public space should be.
Tania Davidge is architect, artist, educator, writer, and researcher. She is the president of Citizens for Melbourne, a public space advocacy group, and the co-founder of the architectural research practice OoPLA. She recently wrote about the need to preserve Melbourne’s Federation Square as a key public gathering space. Follow Tania on Twitter as @taniadavidge.
Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter.
In which a kitchen gadgeteer harnesses the power of late-night television to create a new American art form, the infomercial--but wait, there's more! Ken thinks music shouldn't come from a scarf. Certificate #32041.
Even before the pandemic child care was a long, simmering crisis. With the fall approaching and school reopenings in flux, many parents are asking themselves the same question: what am I going to do with my kid? America has solved a child care crisis before, the question is whether the country can muster up the energy (and money) to do so again.
Guest: Betsey Stevenson is a Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the University of Michigan.
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