Border vigilantes step up patrols in Texas. Also, a recent paper put out by the American Society for Nutrition featuring an updated definition of processed food is drawing a lot of flak from those in the public health community. Then, it's FilmWeek on AirTalk where we'll discuss this week's releases, including "Guardians Of The Galaxy," "Calvary," "Get On Up" and more.
Border vigilantes step up patrols in Texas
As House Republicans push for their slimmed down border security bill in Congress today, militias are deploying armed, masked men in towns across Texas. The groups have grown to more than 10 active “teams” from El Paso to the Rio Grande Valley, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The news outlet was given photos showing men in fatigues with tactical gear and semi-automatic weapons. Texas Democrats urged their Attorney General to rein in the groups.
“These lawless militias could worsen an already difficult situation by promoting violence against minors who are seeking refuge and fleeing violent situations in their home countries,” the Democrats wrote in a letter this week. “Furthermore, the actions of these militia groups perpetuate the stigma that the border is a war zone, which is certainly not the case, and only continues to hurt the economic potential of an important area of our state.”
Are local residents in Texas happy to see the militias, or worried that tensions will be heightened? Would a National Guard deployment appease the groups?
Guests:
Robert Churchill, Associate Professor, American History, University of Hartford in Connecticut. He has written about the early history of the U.S. militia movement.
Doris Meissner, former Commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (1993-2000); Senior Fellow, Migration Policy Institute - an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C. dedicated to analysis of the movement of people worldwide.
Full disclosure: technology tackles STD information
Healthvana is an app borne from an awkward moment: founder Ramin Bastani was in the middle of a promising hookup when his date slapped him and stormed out because he couldn’t prove he had a clean bill of health. He created Healthvana as a reaction -- the app helps users find clinics or healthcare providers where they can get tested for STDs and keeps a verified record of the latest results so that users can share information in intimate moments.
Tech-savvy daters aren’t just using Healthvana in the heat of the moment, they’re also posting results to dating sites like OKCupid, Tinder, and Grindr. It could have a big impact, especially for online daters, who sometimes enter a more promiscuous and less safe pool of mates.
What impact will testing and disclosure apps have on the spread of STDs? Will giving people an easy and accessible way to prove they are STD free encourage more people to ask about safe sex? Would you use Healthvana?
Guest:
Rebecca Plevin, health reporter for KPCC
Nutritionists split over definition of 'processed food’
The assumption is that we all know what processed food is, but a recent paper put out by the American Society for Nutrition featuring an updated definition of the term is drawing a lot of flak from those in the public health community.
In the paper, the definition of processing is expanded to mean "the alteration of foods from the state in which they are harvested or raised to better preserve them and feed consumers.” So foods that have been washed, packaged, or frozen—like frozen strawberries or chopped-up lettuce—would thus be qualified as processed.
The new definition isn’t sitting well with a lot of nutritionists. They say that the American Society of Nutrition is backed by manufacturers of processed foods and that the new delineation is essentially just industry propaganda. The American Society for Nutrition says it’s time for critics to accept that processed foods make up an important part of the American diet.
Guests:
Connie Weaver, Ph.D, head of the Department of Nutrition Science at Purdue University, co-author of the study
Dr. David Katz, founding director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, Editor-in-Chief of Childhood Obesity Journal
Filmweek: Guardians of The Galaxy, Calvary, Get On Up and more
Host Patt Morrison and KPCC film critics Wade Major and Tim Cogshell review this week’s releases, including “Guardians Of The Galaxy,” "Calvary," “Get On Up” and more. TGI-Filmweek!
Guardians Of The Galaxy
Calvary
Get On Up
Guests:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and producer and host for IGN’s DigiGods.com
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide
Gender bending in film and television casting (Poll)
This week, NBC announced its upcoming "Peter Pan" production will continue the tradition of casting an actress in the lead, this time it's Allison Williams of HBO's "Girls." The gender-bending role is akin to the recent decision by Marvel Comics to turn the new Thor into a female superhero.
Few modern-day productions experiment with crossing gender lines. It was a bold move when Ridley Scott gave Sigourney Weaver the iconic role of Ripley in the "Alien" franchise, a strong, persevering character that the studio and script envisioned originally as a man.
What are some famous roles that could go either way? Who would you cast as a Luka Skywalker? Or a Ms. Tibbs to rival Sidney Poitier?
Imagine these iconic roles played by actors of the opposite sex. Who would you cast? Tell us more in the comments!
Guests:
Kerry Barden, Casting Director of "Boys Don’t Cry," "Dallas Buyers Club," this week’s "Get On Up" and so many more; Board member of the Casting Society of America
Rich Delia, Casting Director of "Dallas Buyers Club," "Short Term 12," and more.