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Do interfaith marriages last?

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'Til Faith Do Us Part

Naomi Schaefer Riley's new book, "'Til Faith Do Us Part," looks at why interfaith marriages are becoming more common and how to make them work.; Credit: 'Til Faith Do Us Part bookcover

Author Naomi Schaefer Riley’s new book, “’Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America,” examines why interfaith marriages are becoming more common but sometimes end in unhappiness and divorce.

In a national study that Riley commissioned, she found that over 40% of marriages are between people who hold different religious beliefs. Her study showed that Jews are the most likely to marry people of other faiths and Mormons are the least likely. But the most interesting finding is that interfaith couples are generally more unhappy and unstable than marriages where only one belief is involved. Couples with different political affiliations are happier than those with different religious beliefs.

In an interfaith marriage herself, Riley is a Conservative Jew married to a former Jehovah’s Witness. She admits that it’s been tough. Interfaith couples most often run into difficulties when raising children, and Riley says interfaith marriages may be why less young Americans identify themselves with a religion.

Why are interfaith marriages becoming more common? If you’re in an interfaith union, what has your experience been? What are the struggles involved?

Guest:
Naomi Schaefer Riley, author of “’Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage is Transforming America” (Oxford University Press), former Wall Street Journal editor and writer

Naomi’s holding a panel discussion in LA about interfaith marriage: Sunday, April 14th, from noon-1:15 PM at the Islamic Center of Southern California. Click here to RSVP.


Are Weiner and Sanford the Next Comeback Kids?

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Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) Announces His Resignation Amid Lewd Photo Scandal

On June 16, 2011, U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY) announced his resignation after admitting to sending lewd photos of himself on Twitter to multiple women.; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Scandal-plagued Mark Sanford is close to winning back his old seat in the House. And now Anthony Weiner tells The New York Times Magazine that he's thinking about running for Mayor of NYC.

Is a sex scandal still the career ruiner it once was or has the art of the comeback made it possible to get past those public relations nightmares? How easily do we forget things that once outraged us? Do we love a return to glory as much as we love a fall from grace? Is it harder for politicians than it is for celebrities or sports stars? Does it take a special kind of person to be able to regain the public trust?

Guest:
Lisa Gritzner, President of Cerrell Associates public relations firm

What’s next for the gun bill?

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Sens. Blumenthal, Murphy, Schumer And Newtown Families Call For Passage Of Gun Legislation

On April 11, 2013, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) (C), Christopher Murphy (D-CT) (L) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) participate in a news conference to urge their colleagues into passing tougher gun laws.; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The senate voted Thursday 68-31 to block the filibuster the Republican filibuster on gun-control bills and re-open discussions on new gun control legislation. The vote only signals the beginning of formal discussions, and there are no guarantees that any meaningful legislation will come to pass, but 16 Republican senators voted to re-open debates and it may signal some bipartisan support in the senate.

Senator Joe Manchin (D-W. VA) and Sen. Patrick J. Toomey’s (R-PA) proposal yesterday, which included mandating background checks for all commercial sales of guns, is expected to be among the first amendments to be debated. One thing of note is that, according to the Washington Post, 21 of the 68 senators who voted Thursday to proceed to debate on gun control hold an A rating from the National Rifle Association, which grades lawmakers on their voting records on guns.

Does this signal a watershed moment in the gun debate? Or will putting together meaningful gun reform prove once again too difficult?

Guest:
David Grant, Congressional Reporter, Christian Science Monitor

IRS reading emails without search warrants

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A woman looks at her email on a computer

A woman looks at her email on a computer screen. The IRS can read emails without a warrant, but should that be legal?; Credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

It's tax time and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is offering another reason to stay honest in your tax returns. Internal IRS documents show the agency can obtain your private emails without a search warrant if the emails are older than 180 days. The documents, obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union, that govern how IRS investigators operate state “the Fourth Amendment does not protect communications held in electronic storage, such as email messages stored on a server.”

The IRS is using a 1986 law, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), to get around Fourth Amendment restrictions. Currently, new Senate legislation aims to update the ECPA, but until then, is the IRS within their rights? Is there no expectation of privacy for emails sitting around on a server for months?

Guest:  
Nathan Wessler, Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union

CA bill seeks to end tax breaks for Boy Scouts for gay ban (poll)

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US boy scouts salute while listening to

The Boy Scouts could lose their tax exempt status if the California Youth Equality Bill passes. ; Credit: KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images

A bill introduced by California Senator Ricardo Lara would take away certain nonprofit tax benefits away from certain youth groups that ban gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people from becoming members. The move is largely seen as a way to pressure the Boy Scouts of America to lift its ban on gay members.

The Youth Equality Act is the first state legislation in the country linking a nonprofit’s tax-exempt status to its stance on gay rights. Having cleared a Senate and Finance Committee vote yesterday, the bill now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for review. It needs a two-thirds vote from both houses of the California Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature to become law.

If passed, certain youth non-profit groups would need to pay corporate taxes on donations, membership fees and other sources of income. In addition, they’d need to pay sales taxes on food and beverages sold at fundraisers. Is the bill constitutional? Should the tax code be used to put an end to certain forms of discrimination?

Should the Boy Scouts lose its tax exempt status in California over its exclusion of openly gay boys and men? Tell us why or why not in the comments!

Guests:

Matthew McReynolds, staff attorney at the Pacific Justice Institute

Jenny Pizer, Senior Counsel and Director of the Law and Policy Project at LAMBDA Legal

FilmWeek: To The Wonder, 42, It’s a Disaster, and more

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Premiere Of Magnolia Pictures' "To The Wonder" - Arrivals

(L-R) Actors Olga Kurylenko, Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams attend the premiere of Magnolia Pictures' 'To The Wonder' at Pacific Design Center on April 9, 2013 in West Hollywood, California. ; Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Andy Klein and Henry Sheehan to review this week’s latest, including To the Wonder, 42, It’s a Disaster, and more.  TGI-FilmWeek!

To the Wonder

42

It's a Disaster

?

Guests:

Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and the L.A. Times Community Papers chain

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and dearhenrysheehan.com

FilmWeek: To The Wonder, 42, Upstream Color, and more

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Premiere Of Magnolia Pictures' "To The Wonder" - Arrivals

(L-R) Actors Olga Kurylenko, Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams attend the premiere of Magnolia Pictures' 'To The Wonder' at Pacific Design Center on April 9, 2013 in West Hollywood, California. ; Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Andy Klein and Henry Sheehan to review this week’s latest, including To the Wonder, 42, It’s a Disaster, and more.  TGI-FilmWeek!

To the Wonder

42

Upstream Color

Guests:
Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and the L.A. Times Community Papers chain

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and dearhenrysheehan.com

Charles Solomon, film critic and animation historian for KPCC, author for amazon.com

Robot experiment coming to Los Angeles classrooms

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Dragonbot

This dragonbot named Chili encourages students to make healthy food choices. The students give Chili different foods, and Chili gives feedback after tasting the foods.; Credit: Dragonbot

A dragon-like robot will soon grace the classrooms of one Los Angeles elementary school in hopes of helping first-graders adopt healthier eating habits.

"We all know the challenge to get kids to do the right thing. And if the robot is motivating, why not try it?" said Maja Mataric, Professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at University of Southern California & Founding Director, of USC's Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems.

Matari and her team at USC have been designing the robot —dubbed "Chili" — over the past year. It’s all part of a series of experiments backed by a five-year, $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation that will take place in Los Angeles and New York classrooms later this Spring.

Known as "socially assistive robots," these interactive devices like Chili have previously been used in the area of health care: to motivate and correct stroke victims as they perform rehabilitative therapy or to assist caregivers in caring for the sick or the elderly.

Matari said bringing the robots on as teacher's aides will only augment the classroom experience for students: "We are not by any means taking curriculum from schools ... The idea is to have the [robots] enhance what [the teachers] are doing already."

One way the process will work is that students give Chili different foods, and Chili gives feedback after tasting them. "There's a lot of physical contact [with the robot]—[the students] will also touch the food that we are bringing in," said Matari. 

The USC group will measure the robot's effectiveness through videos and parent-surveys, said Matari. The end goal is "to create robots that you can stick with and play with for years on end."

Do you think robots are an effective way to teach kids healthy eating habits? Do you worry that these interactive devices could replace teachers? 

Guest:

Maja Mataric, Professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at University of Southern California & Founding Director, of USC's Center for Robotics and Embedded Systems


UTLA teachers express ‘No Confidence’ in Superintendent Deasy

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Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy  sp

Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy speaks during a press conference at South Region High School #2 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Los Angeles teachers announced a no confidence vote against L.A. schools Superintendent John Deasy on Thursday. The vote was overwhelming with 91 percent of teachers who participated expressing their disapproval of Deasy.

United Teachers Los Angeles president Warren Fletcher said that teachers are unhappy with Deasy’s reliance on standardized testing and other “phony reforms.” Although Deasy did not comment on the vote’s outcome, eight groups including The United Way, Alliance for a Better Community and the Los Angeles Urban League have announced their support for Superintendent Deasy. In response to the vote, LA School Board President Monica Garcia released a survey of over 100 organizations that voiced their support for LAUSD’s leadership.

How does this vote affect LAUSD students? What does this vote mean for Superintendent Deasy? What are UTLA’s priorities for the future? Where does this vote leave Deasy’s initiatives?

Guests:

Adolfo Guzman Lopez, KPCC Senior Education Reporter

Ingrid Villeda, UTLA South Area Chair and fifth grade teacher

Monica Garcia, President, LAUSD Board

Ama Nyamekye, Executive Director, Educators 4 Excellence - Los Angeles

The last films of 50 great directors

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"Final Cuts" by Nat Segaloff

At the end of a long career, a great director may leave behind a large body of work. In his book “Final Cuts” author, critic, and playwright Nat Segaloff examines the last films made by 50 great directors, including John Ford, Robert Altman, Howard Hawks, Arthur Penn, and more.

Final films are notoriously difficult for directors, and some of the end results have been famously sub-par, but is the reputation for a bad final film deserved? Is the film industry ageist? What makes these directors so important, and what goes into their last films?

Guest:
Nat Segaloff, author of “Final Cuts: The Last Films of 50 Great Directors”

Dodgers’ new ace Greinke breaks collarbone in a scrum with Padres

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Los Angeles Dodgers v San Diego Padres

San Diego Padres players and Los Angeles Dodgers players brawl after Carlos Quentin #18 charged Zack Greinke #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after being hit with a pitch during the sixth inning at Petco Park on April 11, 2013 in San Diego, California.; Credit: Denis Poroy/Getty Images

In the 6th inning of last night’s game between the Dodgers and Padres, Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke threw a pitch that hit Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin in the arm. Quentin, who has been hit 116 times in his career (he’s led the league in this category for 2 straight years) and 3 times by Greinke, exploded towards the mound. The two collided, football-style, and then both teams’ players left the bench and a full-scale melee ensued. It appears most players left the fight unscathed, except for Greinke, who Dodgers trainers later learned suffered a broken collarbone.

The Dodgers, who have likely lost their new $147 million dollar ace for a few months, are understandably upset, especially Matt Kemp, who confronted Quentin after the game. With the season still early and the two teams gearing up to play again on Monday, what can we expect to happen?

Will anyone be suspended? Can the Dodgers take any special legal action against Quentin or the Padres, who injured their star player in a non-game situation. What can the umpires do during the series next week do to make sure the game remains civil?

Guest:
Bill Shaikin, Covering baseball on and off the field for the Los Angeles Times

Now presenting: Chapman Filmed Entertainment

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Unveiling Of Dodge College Of Film And Media Arts - Arrivals

Chapman University unveiled their state-of-the-art Marion Knott Studios, located at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, on February 10, 2007 in Orange, California.; Credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images

An independent film company started by Chapman University's film department is wrapping up production on their first feature, Trigger. The fully-functioning production company, Chapman Filmed Entertainment, was designed to produce four to six micro-budget films each year produced, directed and written by Chapman alumni.

It's not the first time a university has tried to start their own production company. The University of Texas tried it a decade ago and it folded after just four films. But President and CEO Robert Bassett thinks the production-company model will boost Chapman University up to the levels of top film schools like AFI, USC, NYU and UCLA.

Guest:
Robert Bassett, Dean of the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

‘Clean’ fights ‘America’s greatest tragedy’ – Addiction

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Clean

After his memoir "Beautiful Boy" about his son's drug addiction, author and journalist David Sheff wrote "Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy" hoping to change how American views addiction.; Credit: Clean book cover

After his desperate grappling with his son’s drug abuse, author and journalist David Sheff could not let go of the topic of addiction. His new book, “Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy,” is the product of five years of research and scientifically examines the causes of addictions and how to properly treat it, because the current methods are not working.

Sheff is known for his 2008 bestseller, “Beautiful Boy,” a memoir about his drug-addicted son, Nic. Nic also released a book that year called, “Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines,” which chronicled his side of the story. Sheff said that reading each other’s accounts brought them closer and caused them to understand what the other was going through. “Clean” is David Sheff’s reaction to his first book as his son relapsed in 2008 and is now five years sober.

Sheff’s book aims at proving that addiction is a disease that needs to be treated in a scientific way. He calls addiction “America’s greatest tragedy” because one in 12 people are addicts and 80 percent of them are not helped by programs like AA. Sheff cites stress and mental disorders as causes for addiction and believes in addressing those issues first to treat addiction as a symptom. He joins Larry to talk about the relationship between stress and addiction, a young boy’s story on becoming getting sober and how health insurance is not saving lives, and David Sheff shares own “twelve steps” to deal with addiction.

Have you or someone you know battled addiction? What techniques helped and what didn’t? Are current treatments for addiction archaic and ineffective? Is addiction a symptom of something else?

Guest:
David Sheff, author of “Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America’s Greatest Tragedy” and “Beautiful Boy” 

David Sheff will be discussing his book at the Regency Historic Lido Theatre in Newport Beach on May 9 from 7–9 pm. Click here for more details.

California Democrats move to reform Proposition 13

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California state capitol

A view of the California State Capitol February 19, 2009 in Sacramento, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Pressure is mounting to change the sacred cow of California politics. The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that California Democratic lawmakers have introduced measures seeking to reform parts of Proposition 13. With a supermajority in the Legislature, Democrats are hoping to finally be able to tackle a popular tax initiative that has hitherto been regarded as bulletproof.

Voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 13 in 1978. It slapped a cap of 1 percent on property taxes in California and required a two-thirds vote to raise any new taxes. Lawmakers have tried six times since 1991 to make changes to Prop. 13, but to no avail. AB188, a measure sponsored by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, will have its first hearing today. "I sense a real populism around Prop. 13, that it's not the sacred cow that it once was, and if something did go on the ballot in the next couple of years it would have a lot of support," he told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Guests:
Lenny Goldberg, Executive Director of the California Tax Reform Association

Kris Vosburgh,  Executive Director of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

 

Wrongful accuser of Brian Banks facing $1-million-plus lawsuit

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Rape Conviction Challenged

Brian Banks, center, reacts with his mother, Leomia Myers and father, Jonathan Banks, outside of a Long Beach court after being exonerated. Banks, a former Long Beach high school football star and prized college recruit, served more than five years in prison.; Credit: Nick Ut/AP

The young woman who falsely accused Long Beach football player Brian Banks of sexual assault is now facing legal action herself. Wanetta Gibson was a Long Beach Poly High student in 2002 when she sued the school for security lapses that contributed to her alleged rape. She has since gone on record to recant the rape claim, the alleged perpetrator Brian Banks has been exonerated, and now the school district, which paid her a $750,000 settlement and altogether spent nearly $2 million in legal fees, wants its money back.

The trouble now is that Gibson is nowhere to be found, and according to records she appears to be broke. What does the school district stand to gain from this lawsuit?

Meanwhile, while the D.A. has so far refused to file criminal charges against her, might this lead to them changing their mind? Might Gibson get away with no recourse at all? Might going after her assets (and potentially filing criminal charges) set a frightening precedent for future rape victims who might fear the consequences if they should be found guilty of making false claims?

Guests:
John Nockleby, Director of the Civil Justice Program at Loyola Law School

David Wohl, local criminal defense attorney


Can RNC leaders unify inner-party factions?

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RNC Chairman Priebus Discusses Republican Party Strategy In Washington

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus (R) talks with members of the press after speaking at the National Press Club March 18, 2013 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Republican voices from across the country gathered in Hollywood this past weekend to discuss the future of the party at the Republican National Committee’s annual Spring Meeting. Chairman of the RNC Reince Priebus and other leaders had recently released an “autopsy” report following the last presidential election, highlighting many of the party’s liabilities, but the meeting seemed to produce a re-affirmation of the party’s controversial and potentially distancing positions, including a unanimous vote to uphold the party’s stance on marriage as exclusively a union of man and woman.

With seemingly some movement in recent weeks on the part of the GOP to compromise on immigration reform and gun-control measures, is RNC leadership going to be able to move the party to the center, or are far-right voices still holding most of the power?

Guests:
Shawn Steel, Republican National Committeeman from California, former chairman of the California Republican Party

Mike Spence, former President of the California Republican Assembly, one of the oldest Republican grassroots organizations in California

Details of Gang of Eight Senators’ immigration reform bill leaked

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Bipartisan Group Of Senators Announce Major Agreement On Immigration Reform

(L-R) U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Senate Majority Whip Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) listen during a news conference on a comprehensive immigration reform framework on January 28, 2013 in Washington, DC.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Gang of Eight senators have pushed back the formal unveiling of their immigration overhaul bill to later this week, in light of yesterday’s attacks in Boston. However, details of the plan have already been leaked. According to a memo obtained by NBC Latino, the bill will provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrations who entered the country before December 31, 2011. The process would take 13 years. At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security will receive $3 billion to put in tougher border security. The bill also ups the H-1B visas for skilled workers significantly. Furthermore, it creates a new kind of visa, called the W-visa, for low-skilled workers.

Guests:
Rachel Von Dongen, Congressional Editor, POLITICO

Angela Maria Kelley, Vice President for Immigration Policy and Advocacy at the Center for American Progress.

Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles and former chief of the U.S. Office of Citizenship under President George W. Bush.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies

Kitty Felde, KPCC Washington Correspondent

Investigating the Boston Marathon bombing

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Boston Deals With Aftermath Of Marathon Explosions

Unclaimed finish line bags are viewed near the scene of a twin bombing at the Boston Marathon, on April 16, 2013 in Boston, Massachusetts. Three people are confirmed dead and at least 141 injured after the explosions went off near the finish line of the marathon yesterday. The bombings at the 116-year-old Boston race, resulted in heightened security across the nation with cancellations of many professional sporting events as authorities search for a motive to the violence. ; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The two bombs that exploded at the historic Boston Marathon yesterday were contained in household pressure cookers with shards of metal, nails and ball bearings for maximum human devastation, according to AP sources. Three people are dead, including an 8-year-old boy, and more than 150 people were injured.

Dr. Alasdair Conn of Massachusetts General Hospital told the Associated Press, "This is something I've never seen in my 25 years here.... this amount of carnage in the civilian population. This is what we expect from war."

This morning, President Barack Obama called the attack an act of terror, but said investigators don't know if responsibility lies with an international or domestic group, or a "malevolent individual."

No other bombs were found in the Boston area, so investigators have to reconstruct the devices, comb through images and chase myriad leads. "We will go to the ends of the Earth to identify the subject or subjects who are responsible for this despicable crime, and we will do everything we can to bring them to justice," said lead FBI agent, Richard DesLauriers.

What is the process of the investigation going forward? If the attack had political intent, why hasn't responsibility been claimed? In the aftermath, is there any lesson to learn about security?

Guests:
Garrett Quinn, blogger for Boston Globe

Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Advisor to the RAND Corporation’s President and one of the nation's leading experts on terrorism and homeland security; RAND is a nonprofit research institution focused on policy analysis.

Erroll Southers, Associate Director of the National Homeland Security Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE) at the University of Southern California (USC) where he developed the Executive Program in Counter-Terrorism and serves as an Adjunct Professor of Homeland Security and Public Policy; Southers is a former Presidential nominee for Assistant Secretary of the TSA; Governor Schwarzenegger's Deputy Director in the California Office of Homeland Security; and FBI Special Agent.

What punishment fits the crime of teen cyberbullying?

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TO GO WITH AFP STORY US-SOCIETY-YOUTH-ED

Cyberbullying has become more and more common in recent years -- how should it be handled? ; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Anti-bullying advocates across the country are calling for stricter laws to prosecute juveniles who harass others online. A California teenager killed herself just a week after she was sexually assaulted at a party and photos of the attack were circulated online. A Canadian teen, Rehtaeh Parsons also took her own life after allegedly being raped and cyber-bullied.

In Maryland, 15-year-old Grace McComus committed suicide after months of being bullied online. Her parents said they tried to stop the harassing messages but were told there was nothing they could do. These cases echo the recent Steubenville rape case, where two Ohio teen boys were convicted of rape after posting photos of the assault online and shared them on social media. In response, Maryland has passed a bill tightening laws against online harassment but it's expected to face constitutional challenges. The parents of Audrie Pott want to force California to try juveniles accused of online harassment as adults.

How can we protect young people from cyber bullying while respecting the first amendment right to free speech? Should teens accused of cyber bullying be tried as adults? How do we talk to our children about events like these?

Guest:

Elizabeth Englander, Professor of psychology at Bridgewater State University and the director of the Massachusetts aggression reduction center

Justin Patchin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center

How animals grieve

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"How Animals Grieve" by Barbara J. King

Barbara J. King's new book "How Animals Grieve" explores the depths of animal emotion and the fascinating question of how animals express the loss of an offspring, partner or family member.

King brings her anthropological training to answer the question of how animals, both wild and in captivity, feel and express emotion and draw parallels between the human experience of grief and that of the animal kingdom.

Guest:

Barbara J. King, professor of anthropology at the College of William and Mary

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