Today on AirTalk we'll talk about North Korea's nuclear capabilities, consider whether Consumer Watchdog is the right choice for the insurance commission, and talk about the best way to block robocalls. Later, we'll weight the importance of knowing where your meat comes from, check in on updates to a proposed UN arms treaty, and speak with author Bess Lovejoy about the fates of famous corpses.
Amidst threats, questions about North Korea’s nuclear strength
As military tension escalates in North Korea, the U.S. is left wondering about the nation’s true nuclear capabilities. North Korea has moved a missile to its coast, and according to South Korean military officials, it has “considerable range,” though not enough to reach American shores, according to reports.
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North Korea has been famously ambiguous about its true technological strength, frequently making claims to possess missiles and weapons they don’t and notoriously doctoring photos to create a public image of increased arms strength. North Korea has threatened an attack on the U.S. with “smaller, lighter and diversified” nuclear weapons, but South Korean defense has said that missile movements could be for testing or drills, and many analysts doubt the range and accuracy of North Korean weapons.
What is North Korea’s true nuclear capability? How would the United States handle an attempted attack, even if a missile couldn’t reach American shores? Could an attack on South Korea inspire U.S. retaliation?
Guest:
Joseph Cirincione, President of Ploughshares Fund. He is the author of "Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons and Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats” (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2005)
Is Consumer Watchdog the wrong hire for insurance commission?
In response to rising health insurance rates, California's insurance commissioner has been reviewing rate hikes with the help of a consumer advocacy organization. As reported in the L.A. Times, the insurance industry is complaining that using Consumer Watchdog for government work creates political and financial conflicts of interest.
A spokesperson with the state's Insurance Department tells KPCC that Consumer Watchdog's analysis is just one piece of information their department uses. Governance expert Jessica Levinson says, "While I'm not saying [Consumer Watchdog] won't do a good job, in a perfect world, you've have someone who doesn't have skin in the game."
Why does the Department of Insurance have to rely on analysis of outside groups? Is there anyone else who could fulfill that role? Does using a consumer-advocacy group help balance the influence of analysis from health-company lobbyists?
Guests:
Janice Rocco, Deputy Commissioner of Health Policy, California Department of Insurance
Jessica Levinson, Professor, Loyola Law School and governance expert
Federal Trade Commission announces winners of "Robocalls Challenge"
How many times have you picked up the phone at home only to hear an automated computer voice on the other end? The Federal Trade Commission gets about 200,000 complaints every month related to “robocalls” – computer-dialed, prerecorded messages – and it recently sponsored a national contest to find the best blocking technology for these unsolicited calls.
Winners for the contest were announced earlier this week. The winners are Aaron Foss, a freelance software developer who came up with a program called "Nomorobo," and Serdar Danis, a computer engineer. Each will receive $25,000.
How does Nomorobo work? Can consumers expect to see Nomorobo on the market soon? What are the laws governing robocalls nationally and in California now?
Guests:
Shaun Dakin, founder of National Political Do Not Contact Registry and an anti-robocall advocate
Aaron Foss, independent software developer based in Long Island, NY
Does it matter to you where your meat comes from?
A new proposal for detailed labelling of meat products in the U.S. is upsetting some in the agriculture industry as well as foreign producers. The plan would see grocery-store packages specify where livestock was born, raised and slaughtered. Currently, meat labelling is required, but not specific. For example, a single package of hamburger might say "U.S, Canada and Mexico."
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Proponents of labelling have said consumers want, need and deserve to know the origins of meat products. Critics say it’s too costly and unfairly protectionist against countries such as Canada and Mexico. The World Trade Organization agreed with foreign producers, so the new proposals are supposed to rectify that. The deadline for comments on the issue is coming up on April 11.
The Department of Agriculture is hearing praise from some consumer and U.S. farm groups, but lots of complaints, too. Research shows most consumers aren’t aware origin lables exist on products.
Does product origin affect what you buy? Are you willing to pay more to absorb the extra costs? Is it feasible considering many processing facilities deal with animals from myriad ranches? Why are foreign producers still unsatisfied with the new rules?
Guest:
Glynn Tonsor, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University; Tonsor has researched consumer demand of country of origin labelling, including under a grant from the U.S.D.A.
GOP Senators ready to do battle over U.N. Arms Trade Treaty
After two weeks of intense negotiations, the United Nations General Assembly this week voted to approve a landmark new arms trade treaty. The language of the treaty establishes common international standards requiring states to ensure that arms and weapons exported to other countries are not to be used “to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law.” The treaty is designed to curb sales of arms that could end up in the hands of terrorists, dictators and other humanitarian offenders, and covers exports of large-caliber artillery, combat aircraft, tanks and vehicles, warships, missiles, small arms and the like. While approval by the UNGA was overwhelming, the decision was not unanimous; the final tally was 154-3, with Iran, North Korea and Syria voting against it and 23 countries abstaining.
President Obama is expected to sign the treaty, but it will face an uphill battle for the 2/3 majority needed to pass in the Senate: over 50 Republican senators have expressed opposition. Critics, including the National Rifle Association, claim that language in the treaty could potentially supercede Americans’ Second Amendment rights, threatening gun ownership legislation already in place. And detractors also point out that, while well-intentioned, the treaty is unlikely to have the teeth needed to affect the $60 billion global arms trade. In fact, they say, many of the nations who abstained or voted against are those least likely to abide by its restraints.
Is the Arms Trade Treaty a step towards a solution to global arms proliferation,or just a feel-good, band-aid measure? Or is it something worse - a threat to one of the tenets of our Constitution? Does it have any chance of getting passed by the Senate? How do you feel about linking arms trade to humanitarian causes?
Guests:
Daryl G. Kimball, executive director, Arms Control Association
Ted R. Bromund, Ph.D., Senior Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation
The fates of famous corpses
Hugo Chávez’s death reverberated around the world, and so did the news that Venezuelan officials wanted to embalm the body for permanent display. It ended up not happening, but bodies of other famous people have gone through some odd adventures.
This topic inspired Bess Lovejoy to do some research. She found out Eva Perón’s corpse travelled across countries, that Lenin wanted a simple burial instead of mummification, and that Alexander the Great’s body was a required visit for aspiring leaders, however clumsy or thievish.
In Bess Lovejoy’s book, “Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses,” she included some of her favorite stories, like the very mysterious life and death of “Russia’s greatest love machine” and mystic Grigori Rasputin, whose preserved genitals was later proven to be a sea cucumber. Lovejoy ordered her favorite stories thematically in order to show how ancient and modern societies have dealt with death.
Although we may not keep the organs of deceased loved ones in drawers like Mary Shelley, author of “Frankenstein”, do we still need physical objects to venerate leaders and loved ones? Have societal views towards death shifted? How do we deal with death today? Is it healthy?
Guest:
Bess Lovejoy, author of “Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses” (Simon and Schuster)