North Korea is Firing Missiles Again

Yesterday, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that could potentially reach the U.S. The U.S. then carried out a joint military exercise with South Korea to show off its power and send a warning message to North Korea. But the North just replied by saying that it would not stop developing its nuclear abilities as long as America’s “hostile policy” and “nuclear threat” persist. The missile traveled 578 miles, according to the South Korean military. It stayed in the air for about 37 minutes. That means that it could potentially reach Alaska.

The North’s plan is to mount a nuclear warhead on the missile. The timing of the launch was also significant. “The American bastards must be quite unhappy after closely watching our strategic decision,” a North Korean state media agency quoted its leader Kim Jong Un as saying. “I guess they are not too happy with the gift package we sent them for the occasion of their Independence Day. We should often send them gift packages so they won’t be too bored.”

North Korea’s state media claims the country now has the power to strike the United States with a nuclear warhead https://t.co/UQ9uGZ2Ebc pic.twitter.com/m9c4phzFm7

— CNN (@CNN) July 5, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

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Last year, the podcast “Serial” by Sarah Koenig captivated the country. Since the end of the first season, it was made explicit that a second season was in the works. Now, rumor and speculation have it that the second season will focus on the infamous case of Bowe Bergdahl, a solider who was accused of desertion in Afghanistan and brought home in a high-profile prisoner swap. Bergdahl is now on trial for his supposed crimes–and apparently “Serial” is right there with him.

This rumor about Bergdahl comes from a Maxim piece that attributes the news to anonymous sources. The piece stated:

Last week, a preliminary hearing for Bergdahl’s case was held at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, to determine if the former POW will be tried in a court-martial. According to someone present at the hearing, Serial host Sarah Koenig and at least one of the show’s producers were in spotted in the courtroom.

Also present was screenwriter Mark Boal, who wrote Zero Dark Thirty. Boal’s company, Page 1 Productions, has apparently been working on bringing Bergdahl’s story to the big screen ever since his release, and several anonymous sources familiar with the production tell Maxim that Boal has provided the Serial team with research material, including taped interviews with Bergdahl.

The piece mentioned that “Serial” had reportedly spoken to former members of Bergdahl’s unit as well.

Given these pieces of information–as juicy and gossipy as they may be–it seems pretty clear that “Serial” season 2 will focus on Bergdahl. But that makes for an interesting juxtaposition. The first season focused on case that, save those who have an excellent memory and resided in the greater Baltimore area in the late ’90s, no one really knew about. There was plenty of local media coverage, but prior to “Serial,” the names Adnan Syed and Hae Min Lee were cloaked in a reasonable level of anonymity.

On the other hand, Bowe Bergdahl’s story made national and international news when he was brought back to the United States last summer. Bergdahl maintains that he was captured and held hostage by the Taliban, but some of his fellow soldiers claim that he walked away deliberately. His trial will explore who is telling the truth; if found guilty Bergdahl could be looking at a life sentence.

It will be interesting to see if the differences between the two cases affect the production and reception of the podcast. While many “Serial” listeners quickly developed their own theories about Syed’s guilt or innocence, for the most part the only information they had was disseminated through Koenig and the show. But in Bergdahl’s case, many will have already made up their minds, given the level of coverage it has already received. One thing is for sure, however: if it’s anything like “Serial” season 1, it will certainly keep listeners enthralled.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Rumor Has It: Second Season of Serial Will Focus on Bowe Bergdahl’s Case appeared first on Law Street.

The podcast “Serial” took the world by storm this fall. Never had a podcast been so talked about, so obsessed over, or raised such fascinating questions about a 15-year-old murder conviction. The case involved a young man named Adnan Syed who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend. Although he was convicted a decade and a half ago, Syed’s case will now be heard again in court.

For those of you who missed “Serial,” here are the CliffNotes. Don’t worry, I’ll stay away from too many spoilers. Essentially, in 1999, a Baltimore high school senior named Hae Min Lee went missing and was later found dead. After a police investigation, Syed, her ex-boyfriend who was also a high school senior, was found guilty of her murder.

Fast forward almost 15 years to present day. Journalist Sarah Koenig was approached by Syed’s friends with concerns about the way his case was handled, and all the inconsistencies in the evidence that was brought up in court. Koenig was intrigued, and started looking into the case. She ended up producing a podcast–a journalistic enterprise–exploring the facts of the case.

A Maryland court just ruled that it will hear arguments on Syed’s case, mostly based on the fact that his lawyer, Christina Guttierez, may not have done her job effectively. Syed and his lawyers are arguing that Guttierez didn’t follow up with a possible alibi witness whom Koenig spoke to in the “Serial” podcast. They also argue that Guttierez failed Syed by not exploring the possibility of a plea deal when she was given the option. Given that Guttierez has since died of a heart attack, it’s unclear why she made those choices. They could have been incompetence, like Syed’s attorneys are arguing, or they could have been a strategic move.

After a few different attempts at an appeal failed since Syed was convicted, this most recent appeal was brought to the Maryland Special Court of Appeals. It’s important to note that Syed hasn’t actually been granted an appeal–this is just a small step toward that. Basically, the Maryland Special Court of Appeals has agreed to listen to what Syed and the state have to say, and then decide whether or not to order a new trial, or send it back to the Circuit Court.

Koenig posted about the development on the “Serial” website, saying:

In Episode 10 of the podcast, I reported that this appeal was alive by a thread. Now, I’d say it’s more of a … well-made string, maybe. Like the nylon kind. Because it means that the Court of Special Appeals judges think the issues Adnan raised in his brief are worth considering. That’s a pretty big hurdle for any appellant to clear.

Whether or not Syed will actually end up getting a new trial is very uncertain at this point. That being said, it’s a case that touched a lot of people, or at the very least opened the doors to some unsettling realities of our justice system. I’m sure all “Serial” fans will be anxiously awaiting the next news in this saga.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Subject of Serial Podcast Gets Appeal Opportunity appeared first on Law Street.

Serial‘s first season has ended and if you’re feeling a little separation anxiety, here are the top five parodies to help fill that void.

1. SNL

Saturday Night Live’s holiday themed parody is spot on. Cecily Strong’s Sarah Koenig impression is amazingly accurate, and this one is even holiday themed!

 2. Funny or Die

Funny or Die created this hilarious parody in anticipation of the last episode of Serial–when seemingly no one, not even Sarah Koenig, knew exactly what was going to happen.

3. Paul Laudiero (series)

While this is only an audio parody, Paul Laudiero’s Serial inspired look into a Best Buy employee makes you feel like you’re actually listening to the real thing.

4. SubmissionsOnlyTV

This video version of Serial has a fake Sarah Koenig looking into a straightforward murder case–or was it so straightforward? There’s just no way to know.

5. Kyle Scheele (series)

This Serial parody is all about a mystery involving a different use of the word–breakfast cereal!

Enjoy!

Lexine DeLuca

Lexine DeLuca is the Marketing & Design Assistant at Law Street Media. Contact Lexine at ldeluca@LawStreetMedia.com.

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