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Baltimore Ravens cut Ray Rice after domestic violence video

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Ray Rice Press Conference

OWINGS MILLS, MD - MAY 23: Running back Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens addresses a news conference with his wife Janay at the Ravens training center on May 23, 2014 in Owings Mills, Maryland. Rice spoke publicly for the first time since facing felony assault charges stemming from a February incident involving Janay at an Atlantic City casino. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images); Credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images

After a video surfaced showing Ray Rice punch and knock out his then-fiancée, the Baltimore Ravens have terminated the running back's contract.

Rice was arrested earlier this year for what was described by his lawyers as a "very minor physical altercation" at an Atlantic City casino. A surveillance video of the incident obtained by TMZ showed Rice dragging his seemingly unconscious fiancée out of the elevator.

In response, the NFL slapped a 2-game suspension against Rice, a penalty critics decried as too lenient. The outrage eventually drove the league to revise its domestic violence policy in August. Under the new guidelines, players will face a six-game suspension for a first offense, and indefinite suspension of at least one year for a second offense.

This morning, TMZ released a new video showing what took place inside the elevator. In a press statement, the NFL said that it hadn't seen the footage before today.  

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Ray Rice -- ELEVATOR KNOCKOUT ... Fiancee Takes Crushing Punch [Video] - Watch More Celebrity Videos or Subscribe

 

Guest:

Ken Belson, sports reporter for The New York Times who’s been covering the story


City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death, and the Search for Truth in Tehran

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"City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death, and the Search for Truth in Tehran" by Ramita Navai tells the story of the people she met there while working as an undercover journalist.

In her new book, City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death, and the Search for Truth in Tehran, author and journalist Ramita Navai takes readers on a journey into Iran. The book dives deep into the streets of Tehran to tell the extraordinary stories of the people who live there: a porn star, a socialite, an assassin, a religious, transgender former soldier, and a woman divorcing her husband.

The lives of the people Navai met while working as an undercover journalist in Tehran are stunning and full of passion. City of Lies is an exploration of the falsehoods necessary to survive in Tehran.

Guest:

Ramita Navai, author of City of Lies (Public Affairs, 2014), reporter for Channel 4’s foreign affairs series, Unreported World

New Frontline doc “Ebola Outbreak” delves into the reality of a killer virus

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Liberia Battles Spreading Ebola Epidemic

A staffer for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), suits up in protective clothing before entering a high-risk area of the MSF Ebola treatment center on August 21, 2014 near Monrovia, Liberia. ; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

Over 3,700 people have been killed by the Ebola outbreak that is centralized in West Africa. Even two Americans contracted the virus abroad, but have since been classified as healthy and allowed to return to their homes. Wael Dabbous, a producer and director of observational documentaries, has produced a new film, “Ebola Outbreak,” that highlights the devastating effects of the disease and the struggle to contain its spread.

Dabbous documents the work at an emergency field hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, and follows prevention specialists around Sierra Leone who go in search of infected individuals in order to isolate and destroy the virus. The filmmaker joins us to talk about the dangers and obstacles of fighting Ebola.

Some of Dabbous’ past works include “Syria Undercover,” where he broke the country’s ban on foreign media and won an Emmy for Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story. His work has been featured in many outlets, including National Geographic, Discovery and the BBC.

“Ebola Outbreak” premieres Tuesday, Sept. 9, on PBS at 10 pm on our local PBS station, KOCE.

Guest:

Wael Dabbous, his most recent documentary is FRONTLINE's "Ebola Outbreak," premiering Tuesday, September 9 on PBS. He joins us from London.

Obama devising strategy against extremists in Iraq and Syria

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Obama, Chuck Todd on ISIS

President Obama spoke with NBC's Chuck Todd Sunday about the U.S.'s strategy for engaging ISIS.; Credit: Meet The Press

The White House is preparing a strategy - military, political and diplomatic - against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

President Barack Obama will meet with congressional leaders tomorrow and is expected to make a national address on Wednesday. Proposals for an offensive are said to include airstrikes and collaboration with other nations, and could take years to complete. Airstrikes to protect ethnic and religious minorities have begun already and will continue, and the campaign will add training for the Iraqi military, Kurdish fighters, and potentially some Sunni fighters.

In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, President Obama stressed the importance of defeating ISIS, saying, “We are going to systematically degrade their capabilities; we’re going to shrink the territory that they control; and, ultimately, we’re going to defeat them.” The White House has increased outreach to regional allies looking for ground support in military movement against ISIS.

What’s the best military approach for the U.S. and other nations against ISIS? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks to amplifying attacks?

Guests: 

Danielle Pletka, Senior Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

Mokhtar Awad, research associate for the Center for American Progress National Security and International Policy team

 

President Obama’s halt on immigration reform spurs backlash

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Homeland Security Agencies Work To Secure U.S.-Mexico Border In Arizona

SONOITA, AZ - FEBRUARY 26: An American flag flies at the U.S.-Mexico border on February 26, 2013 near Sonoita, Arizona. The Federal government has increased the Border Patrol presence in Arizona, from some 1,300 agents in the year 2000 ro 4,400 in 2012. The apprehension of undocumented immigrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico has declined during that time from 600,016 in 2000 to 123,000 in 2012. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images); Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

President Obama announced Saturday his decision to delay his commitment to act on immigration reform until after congressional elections in November. Having promised last June to make a decision with or without Congressional backing, this decision comes as a blow for many immigration reform advocates. His executive action is expected to prevent up to 11 million people from being deported.

Obama cited an opinion shift among Americans’ views on immigration reform following the surge of roughly 63,000 Central American minors crossing the border earlier this year. The president said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that he needs more time to make his case to the American people, but opponents of the position say it’s purely a political ploy to help democrats win in close midterm elections. Some republican like House speaker John Boehner are also saying this move could be potentially unconstitutional. According to White House officials, taking action before the election could possibly harm long-term goals for immigration reform.

Do you agree? Is this new approach a more practical one? Or is it ultimately just politics as usual?

Guest: 

Fawn Johnson, Congressional correspondent, National Journal

Ruling grants first-ever asylum on grounds of domestic violence

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NICARAGUA-MAYAN-INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Jodie Rivas, 23, cooks a meal at home in The Madrigales sector in Masaya, on March 6, 2013. Rivas suffered physical and psychological abuse from her husband, who in 2012 attempted to murder her stabbing her seven times. In Nicaragua in 2012 85 women were murdered and there were over 32,000 complaints of domestic violence and sexual abuse.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

The nation's highest immigration court has ruled in favor of granting political asylum to a Guatemalan woman seeking refuge from her abusive husband - and a government that failed to protect her.

The recent decision rests on a long-debated concept that asylum seekers legitimately can fear persecution based on their “membership in a particular social group” - and that abuse victims belong to a social group.

Advocates also argue that the law allows victims to seek refuge not just from a country that is persecuting them, but also from  groups or individuals the government is unable or unwilling to control. Ms. Aminta Cifuentes fled from Guatemala in 2005 after she “suffered repugnant abuse by her husband" - including weekly beatings, a broke, nose, rape, injuries from burning paint thinner, and stalking. The local police would not get involved in the domestic abuse case.

The case seems to be precedent setting. Moreover, the court made the rare decision to issue a written ruling to give guidance to other adjudicators. Analysts say its application will be limited to women from Guatemala.

Critics say a plethora of asylum applications are fraudulent and this will inspire more bogus claims. They also argue it will flood the system, preventing bona fide victims of political persecution from gaining refugee status.

Are victims of domestic abuse similar to other victims who seek asylum in the U.S.? Could the protection be extended to other countries and other social groups?

Guests:

Jessica Vaughan, Director of Policy Studies, Center for Immigration Studies

Blaine Bookey, Associate Director and Staff Attorney at the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies; she is also co-counsel on the first test case since the highest immigration court in the United States issued a ruling recognizing domestic violence as a basis for granting asylum.

Should California counties opt in to change foster care?

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Special Foster Care - 10

Foster parent Tamar Chateff and 2-year-old Charlotte look in the fridge for an afternoon snack while at home on Friday, March 28.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

California’s foster care system is under near-constant criticism, but the state budget may offer one fix: more money for caregivers who take in a relative.

Currently, caregivers who foster a relative receive poverty-level subsidies -- a small fraction of the aid given to non-relative foster parents. A budget change that will take effect in 2015 will allow California counties to opt in to and aid match, giving caretaker-relatives the same subsidies as non-relative foster parents.

Proponents say that the program will allow children in the foster care system to stay with their families, and will incentivize caregiving for relatives who may not have been able to take on the financial burden in the past. Still, many counties have held off on opting in, concerned about how to fund the subsidies once state money runs out.

Is a financial fix for California’s foster care program sustainable? How would it change the landscape of foster care in Los Angeles County and other California counties? What are the potential benefits and drawbacks for children and families?

Guest:

Angie Schwartz, policy director at the Alliance for Children’s Rights

Daniel Heimpel, executive director with Fostering Media Connections

Wine, art, and fancy startups -- places where the super-rich are investing

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Lehman Brothers Put Their Artworks Up For Auction

A journalist conducts an interview in Christie's auction house in front of art owned by the collapsed investment bank Lehman Brothers on September 24, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images); Credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Quantitative easing and low interest rates might be what the US needs to get its economic engine running again after the recession. But that combination has been detrimental for investors looking for returns on their investments.

So what are people investing in these days? For regular folks, index funds are still the best bet.  But those with ultra high net-worth--say over US $30 million or more--are finding new, niche, and ever-riskier places to invest their money. Here to explain is Marketplace’s Paddy Hirsch.

Guest:

Paddy Hirsch,  senior editor at American Public Media’s Marketplace and author of Man vs. Markets: Economics Explained (HarperBusiness, 2012)


Ray and Janay Rice affair highlights dynamics of intimate partner violence

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Ray Rice Press Conference

Janay Rice, the wife of running back Ray Rice of the Baltimore Ravens (not pictured) looks on during a news conference at the Ravens training center on May 23, 2014 in Owings Mills, Maryland. Rice spoke publicly for the first time since facing felony assault charges stemming from a February incident involving Janay at an Atlantic City casino. ; Credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images

Janay Rice, wife of NFL player Ray Rice, has spoken out today after video emerged yesterday showing Ray punching out Janay in an elevator, which led suddenly to the Baltimore Ravens cutting him from the team.

On Instagram, she wrote, "To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday is a horrible thing. To take something away from the man I love that he has worked his [butt] off for all his life just to gain ratings is horrific."

On Twitter a different conversation has been spurred - stories of #WhyIStayed and #WhyILeft by victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) and experts in the field.

One woman, Beverly Gooden, wrote "I tried to leave the house once after an abusive episode, and he blocked me. He slept in front of the door that entire night. #WhyIStayed."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, IPV resulted in 2,340 deaths in 2007 - accounting for 14% of all homicides. The public health agency also calls IPV a preventable health problem.

How has societal understanding of IPV changed in recent history? Which populations are most vulnerable? What are your experiences with abusive relationships or episodes in an intimate relationship?

Powerful #whyistayed and #whyileft tweets:

because i thought if i loved him enough he would stop being abusive #whyistayed. because i knew he would kill me eventually #whyileft

— Allison O'Connor (@yurhuckleberry) September 9, 2014

I was told marriage is forever. I didn’t want to be a failure #whyistayed

— Jessica Merrell (@jmillermerrell) September 9, 2014

#WhyIStayed because he told me he'd kill me if I left. #WhenILeft is when I realized he was going kill me if I stayed.

— Kimberly (@luvsmytwoboys) September 8, 2014

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

 

Guest:

Kathy Moore, MSW, Executive Director, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence

Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar comes to defense of Hawks owner Bruce Levenson

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Hillary Clinton Meets With Cultural Ambassador Kareem Abdul Jabbar At State Dept.

Cultural Ambassador Kareem Abdul Jabbar meets with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department January 18, 2012 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Atlanta Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson is selling his share in the NBA team. The decision came after Levenson told the NBA that he had sent an email in 2012 containing racially insensitive remarks.

Levenson self-reported the offense and apologized for his comments. In the email to his co-owners and general manager, Levenson blamed blacks for the team’s low number of season ticket holders. He also stressed the need for the Hawks to bring in more white attendees.

In an op-ed published yesterday in Time magazine, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has come to the embattled Levenson’s defense. “I read Levenson’s email. Here’s what I concluded: Levenson is a businessman asking reasonable questions about how to put customers in seats,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote. 

Can the email Levenson wrote could legitimately be understood as motivated by business concerns?

Copy of Bruce Levenson's email:

From: Bruce Levenson

Sent: 8/25/2012 11:47:02 PM

Subject: Re: Business/Game ops

1. from day one i have been impressed with the friendliness and professionalism of the arena staff — food vendors, ushers, ticket takers, etc. in our early years when i would bring folks from dc they were blown away by the contrast between abe pollin’s arena and philips. some of this is attributable to southern hospital and manners but bob and his staff do a good job of training. To this day, I can not get the ushers to call me Bruce yet they insist on me calling them by their first names.

2. the non-premium area food is better than most arenas, though that is not saying much. i think there is room for improvement and creativity. Levy is our food vendor so we don’t have much control but they have been good partners. i have wished we had some inconic offereing like boog’s barbeque at the baseball stadium in balt.

3. our new restaurant, red, just opened so too early for me to give you my thoughts.

4. Regarding game ops, i need to start with some background. for the first couple of years we owned the team, i didn’t much focus on game ops. then one day a light bulb went off. when digging into why our season ticket base is so small, i was told it is because we can’t get 35-55 white males and corporations to buy season tixs and they are the primary demo for season tickets around the league. when i pushed further, folks generally shrugged their shoulders. then i start looking around our arena during games and notice the following:

– it’s 70 pct black

– the cheerleaders are black

– the music is hip hop

– at the bars it’s 90 pct black

– there are few fathers and sons at the games

– we are doing after game concerts to attract more fans and the concerts are either hip hop or gospel.

Then i start looking around at other arenas. It is completely different. Even DC with its affluent black community never has more than 15 pct black audience.

Before we bought the hawks and for those couple years immediately after in an effort to make the arena look full (at the nba’s urging) thousands and thousands of tickets were being giving away, predominantly in the black community, adding to the overwhelming black audience.

My theory is that the black crowd scared away the whites and there are simply not enough affluent black fans to build a signficant season ticket base. Please dont get me wrong. There was nothing threatening going on in the arean back then. i never felt uncomfortable, but i think southern whites simply were not comfortable being in an arena or at a bar where they were in the minority. On fan sites i would read comments about how dangerous it is around philips yet in our 9 years, i don’t know of a mugging or even a pick pocket incident. This was just racist garbage. When I hear some people saying the arena is in the wrong place I think it is code for there are too many blacks at the games.

I have been open with our executive team about these concerns. I have told them I want some white cheerleaders and while i don’t care what the color of the artist is, i want the music to be music familiar to a 40 year old white guy if that’s our season tixs demo. i have also balked when every fan picked out of crowd to shoot shots in some time out contest is black. I have even bitched that the kiss cam is too black.

Gradually things have changed. My unscientific guess is that our crowd is 40 pct black now, still four to five times all other teams. And my further guess is that 40 pct still feels like 70 pet to some whites at our games. Our bars are still overwhelmingly black.

This is obviously a sensitive topic, but sadly i think it is far and way the number one reason our season ticket base is so low.

And many of our black fans don’t have the spendable income which explains why our f&b and merchandise sales are so low. At all white thrasher games sales were nearly triple what they are at hawks games (the extra intermission explains some of that but not all).

Regardless of what time a game starts, we have the latest arriving crowd in the league. It often looks and sounds empty when the team takes the floor.

In the past two years, we have created a section of rowdy college students that has been a big plus. And we do a lot of very clever stuff during time outs to entertain the crowd. Our kiss cam is better done than any in the league.

We have all the same halftime acts that other arenas have but i question whether they make sense. people are on their cell phones during half time. i wonder if flashing on the scoreboard “$2 off on hot dogs during halftime tonight” just as the half ends would be a better use of our halftime dollars and make the fans happier.

We do all the usual giveways and the fans are usually their loudest when our spirit crew takes the floor to give away t-shirts. It pisses me off that they will yell louder for a t-shirt then for our players.

Our player intro is flat. We manufacture a lot of noise but because of the late arriving crowd and the fact that a lot of blacks dont seem to go as crazy cheering (another one of my theories) as whites, it is not great. Even when we have just returned from winnng four straight on the road, i am one of the few people in the arena standing and cheering when our team takes the floor. Bob has kicked around ideas like having the starters coming down aisles rather than off the bench during intros. Sounds cool but may highlight all the empty seats at the start of games.

Not enough of our fans wear hawks jerseys to games. i have just begun to push for ideas like discount food lines for folks wearing jerseys, special entrances, etc. I think we need a committed and perhaps incentivized fan club. We need to realize atl is simply different than every other city. Just adopting nba best practices is not enough. we have to create our own.

I am rambling and could probably go on forever. If you have any specific areas you would like my thoughts on, let me know.

Best,

Bruce

ps — I have cc’d todd and ed so they can chime in with additional or different thoughts.

Sent from my iPad

Guests:

Jason Walker, managing editor, Peachtree Hoops, the Altanta Hawks blog for the sports site SB Nation

Wayne McDonnell, academic chair of the sports management program at NYU

Remembering Jazz great Gerald Wilson

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41st NAACP Image Awards - Portraits

Musician Gerald Wilson poses for a portrait during the 41st NAACP Image awards held at The Shrine Auditorium on February 26, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for NAACP

Yesterday, Los Angeles lost a piece of its living history. The terrific musician Gerald Wilson passed away at the age of 96. Wilson was a successful trumpeter, bandleader, and arranger. He played, composed, and arranged music with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Ray Charles, among many others.  

Wilson remained an established composer and arrange throughout his career, working in L.A.’s music scene and even composing for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  Later in his career, he taught jazz at CSU: Northridge and CSULA, as well as UCLA.

At 96, he was still making music. We remember Wilson, whose career spanned the from the swing era of the 1930s to the jazz sounds of the 21st century.

Guest:

Anthony Wilson, jazz guitarist and son of Gerald Wilson

John Clayton, Co-leader, conductor, and co-founder, Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Mr. Clayton is also a bassist, composer, and arranger

Health in public office: Is it an official’s duty to disclose health problems?

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California Secretary of State Debra Bowen's announcement of her long battle with depression has yielded applause from supporters and critics who say she should have disclosed it earlier. ; Credit: Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen recently disclosed that she suffers from severe depression, saying that it’s something she’s dealt with depression for decades, but not discussed it publicly because of stigma.

Bowen’s announcement inspired an outpouring of concern and support, including some who applauded her bravery for candidly discussing mental illness. But discussion around Bowen’s depression also includes a debate about whether she should carry out her final term in office (she will be replaced after this years election due to term limits). Bowen cited her sporadic absences and major life changes as signs of her depression, which she describes as “debilitating.” While no elected official has called for her resignation, one candidate for the Secretary of State office contends that Bowen can’t do her work from home, and some critics have said she should have disclosed her depression sooner.

Is it an elected official’s duty to disclose physical or mental health problems, and if so, when? At what point does a mental illness render someone ineffective -- how should an elected official approach a “debilitating” health concern in the public eye?

Guests:

Jessica Levinson, professor at Loyola Law School, Vice President of the L.A. Ethics Commission

Dan Walters, political columnist at the Sacramento Bee

Could women-only taxi service catch on in the US? SheRides finds out

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Torrential Rainstorm Pounds Manhattan, Adding To An Already Above Average Rainy July

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 15: A woman tries to hail a taxicab in the rain on 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan on July 15, 2014 in New York City. ; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

The service is called SheRides in New York City and SheTaxis in Westchester County and Long Island and it’ll debut on Sept. 16, the New York Times reports. The service is like Uber or Lyft and uses an app to connect drivers with passengers, except for one big difference: SheRides cars are driven by women drivers and intended only for women passengers.

The company is started by Stella Mateo, a mother of two daughters who wants to equal the playing field for female drivers in a traditionally male-dominated industry, as well as fill a consumer need. Only 5 percent of for-hire drivers in New York City are women.

New York is just the latest city to boast a service like this. India, England and other places around the world have long launched successful for-women, by-women car services.

Are there legal issues to services like SheRides in America? If you are a woman, would you feel more comfortable using a car service or rideshare service with a woman behind the wheel?

Guests:

Winnie Hu, New York Times reporter who's written about the new livery car service

Robert Duston, Partner in the law firm, Saul Ewing based in DC. He represents businesses in employment and labor law with an emphasis on anti-discrimination and civil rights matters

President Obama to deliver address on Islamic State strategy

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ESTONIA-US-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CRISIS-BALTICS-OBAMA-DIPLOMACY

US President Barack Obama delivers a speech about US - Estonia relations, as well as the situation in Ukraine, at Nordea Concert Hall in Tallinn, Estonia, during his two-day visit,September 3, 2014.; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

A day after meeting with congressional leaders, President Obama is set to give a prime-time address laying out his administration’s strategy to combat the Islamic State.

Obama met for close to two hours with House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). After the meeting, the White House released a statement saying that the president won’t ask Congress to vote on authorizing the use of military force.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, reports the LA Times, urged House Republicans to support a hawkish approach to the issue. Larry checks in with Times reporter Michael Memoli on how congressional members he's spoken with are positioning themselves ahead of tonight's speech.

Guest:

Michael  Memoli, Congressional reporter for the LA Times who’s been covering the story.  

Anxiety and sleep medication linked to Alzheimer’s development

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A view of Xanax, which is one example of a benzodiazepine.

A view of Xanax, which is one example of a benzodiazepine.; Credit: /UIG Via Getty Images

Heavy consumption of benzodiazepines, found in anxiety and sleep medications like Xanax, Valium and Ativan, may be linked to Alzheimer’s development in older people, according to a new study published this week in the journal BMJ.

French and Canadian researchers compared the use of benzodiazepines in 1,796 elderly people who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s with 7,184 who were not diagnosed with the disease. They found that individuals who took these medications infrequently and in small doses, or those that took large doses over a short period of time, did not see their risk elevate over the course of five years. However, those who frequently took high doses or took medications regularly over three to six months were 32% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Additionally, those who consumed the medications for over six months were 84% more likely to develop the disease.

What is an alternative to taking anxiety and sleep medications? If patients are mandated to take these prescriptions, how can they prevent a more serious condition in the future?

Guests:

Dr. Malaz Boustani, M.D., Center Scientist, Indiana University Center for Aging Research; Co-authored Editorial about this study in the BMJ

Dr. Zaldy Tan, M.D., Medical Director of UCLA Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Program; Associate Professor at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine


Authorities announce sweep of drug cartel money laundering in LA’s Fashion District

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Santee Alley

Santee Alley located in the heart of the Fashion District in downtown LA.

This morning a coalition of law enforcement agencies including the FBI, DEA, ICE, DOJ and California Attorney General Kamala Harris, announced a major sweep of Mexican drug cartels who have allegedly been laundering money in the Los Angeles fashion district. 

The way authorities explained what they're calling the "Black Market Peso Exchange," clothing was sent from the fashion district to Mexico and instead of sending pesos back to pay for that clothing,  money went to the cartels. Here in Los Angeles, the garment sellers were then paid off with money from drug sales in Southern California.

The announcement today followed an early morning raid that involved about 1,000 law enforcement officials, more than 70 locations and resulted in 9 arrests. Authorities estimate that they seized at least $65 million today, and in one Bel Air location this morning, authorities found at least $35 million in cash, but are still counting. 

This is not the first time the Feds have targeted the garment district. Back in 2007, a dozen defendants were arrested in what authorities referred to Operation Bell Bottoms, which centered around drug trafficking and counterfeit goods. This most recent incident is another example of what authorities have known for some time-- that Mexican drug cartels have expanded operation into Southern California. 

KPCC political reporter Frank Stoltze was at the announcement and joins us for an update on the investigation. 

Guest:

Frank Stoltze, KPCC Political Reporter

Why some websites want you to think the Internet is slow today

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Protesters hold a rally to support 'net neutrality' and urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reject a proposal that would allow Internet service providers such as AT&T and Verizon 'to boost their revenue by creating speedy online lanes for deep-pocketed websites and applications and slowing down everyone else,' on May 15, 2014 at the FCC in Washington, DC. ; Credit: KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images

Time is quickly running out for Americans who want to weigh in on the future of the Internet. Today, high profile web companies are hyping a "slowdown" in an attempt to spur consumers to write the Federal Communications Commission by September 15. That is the last day of public comment on "net neutrality" rules. The FCC is considering allowing "fast lanes" so that Internet Service Providers, such as Verizon and Time Warner, could charge companies like Netflix for high speed streams to their customers.

Is net neutrality already dead? Or will today’s protest do enough to raise awareness about the issue? What could Internet businesses do if the FCC decides to put in an internet fast lane?

To submit a comment to the FCC on this topic, visit http://www.fcc.gov/comments and click on item 14-28 “Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet.”

Guest: 

Brian Fung, Technology Reporter,  The Washington Post

The Narcissist Next Door

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“The Narcissist Next Door: Understanding the Monster in in Your Family, in Your Office, in Your Bed—in Your World" by Jeffrey Kluger.

Angelenos should be expert in recognizing narcissists. Hollywood is rife with them, from Kanye West to Miley Cyrus to the next reality TV star at your local bar.

Now author Jeffrey Kluger has researched how to identify the narcissistic tendencies of your coworkers, your relatives, even yourself. The narcissists in the room are the most successful and seductive, but the charm dulls when they lie and cheat in aspiring to their selfish desires. Are myriad people acting Machiavellian? No, but Kluger reports that since 1979, there has been a 30 percent increase in narcissistic personality traits.

What about our society is contributing to this? How have you handled it in your personal and professional life? Why is this disorder receiving so much attention of late? Are we demonizing a trait that helped inspire great leaders and thinkers such as Steve Jobs and Lyndon Johnson?

Guest:

Jeffrey Kluger, Author, “The Narcissist Next Door: Understanding the Monster in in Your Family, in Your Office, in Your Bed—in Your World” (Riverhead, Sept. 2014); Senior editor and writer at Time magazine; Coauthor of the bestseller “Apollo 13” and the author of “The Sibling Effect” @jeffreykluger

Weighing Obama’s strategy to defeat Islamic militants

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President Obama Addresses The Nation To Outline Strategy On ISIS

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 10: U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a prime time address from the Cross Hall of the White House on September 10, 2014 in Washington, DC. Vowing to target the Islamic State with air strikes "wherever they exist", Obama pledged to lead a broad coalition to fight IS and work with "partner forces" on the ground in Syria and Iraq. (Photo by Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images); Credit: Pool/Getty Images

President Obama delivered a national address outlining his strategy to defeat Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria calling themselves the Islamic State. Under the plan, the US will expand airstrikes in Syria and Iraq and train and arm Syrian rebels to do the fighting on the ground. In order for the plan to work, Congress needs to approve million of dollars in funding for the training program and the US must get buy-in from its European allies and key players in the Middle East.

How feasible is the President’s ISIS strategy? Is it risk for the US to train and arm Syrian rebels? A network of alliances between the US and the Middle East has to be established in order for the plan to work, what’s the motivation driving different Middle East stakeholders to join the cause?

Guests:

Brian Katulis,  a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, where his work focuses on U.S. national security policy in the Middle East and South Asia

Leila Hilal,  a Senior Fellow for the International Security Program and the former director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation. She focuses on Syria, and issues related to U.S. foreign policy

Primetime nudity: Tired titillation or genuine story-telling device?

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US-ENTERTAINMENT-DATING NAKED

Kelly Keodara and Yarc Lewinson ride around Grand Central Station in New York on July 16, 2014 in a pedicab to promote a new VH1 series to the roster called 'Dating Naked,' which is built on the premise of stripping away the outer trappings of attraction by dating naked. ; Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

There is a blur of body-parts on reality television shows of late. The original sin started with Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid.” For the hit show about survivalists struggling to brave the elements without food, water, shelter or clothes, the nudity has a context for each episode’s version of Adam and Eve.

Another successful foray into stripped unscripted is VH-1’s “Dating Naked.” The premise is akin to “Temptation Island” (in the archives of reality TV) meets “Blind Date” - but with extra visuals. Now, Fox’s new show “Utopia” is trying to capitalize on the trend - allowing cast members to shower and swim in the buff. According to AdWeek magazine, “TV executives say they are getting a steady stream of pitches for naked reality shows, as Hollywood looks to ride the current wave of series that push the envelope by baring bums.”

Since the cast members cannot be fully nude on network and regular cable, why are viewers captivated? Is the tension between the nude characters enough of an interesting dynamic? How long will this trend last? Will American viewers become impervious to it a la the Europeans?

Guest:

Robert Thompson, Director, Bleier Center for Television & Popular Culture at Syracuse University

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