An American doctor infected with the deadly Ebola virus was transferred Saturday to Emery University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Also, the Israeli military says it has resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip, ending a self-declared, seven-hour cease-fire that was in effect for much of the day. Then, we'll discuss the popular "On The Run Tour" by artists Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
American doctor receives Ebola treatment on American soil
An American doctor infected with the deadly Ebola virus was transferred Saturday to Emery University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Kent Brantly and another American aid worker, Nancy Writebol, were both infected in West Africa after working with an aid agency in the region. Writebol is expected to be transferred to the hospital sometime this week, according to a hospital statement.
The virus, which was killed more than 887 people in West Africa, has a mortality rate of at least 60%. World health officials have warned that the outbreak is spreading out of control in Africa. In order to contain the virus in the United States, the two patients will be in isolation and have contact with others via intercom and a plate-glass window. Still, residents of Atlanta, along with other Americans, are concerned that the virus will spread to others on American soil.
How can the two infected Americans be given treatment while still preventing the spread of Ebola? Was the transfer to the United States the correct move? How should health officials deal with future cases of Ebola victims?
Guests:
Philip Alcabes, Ph.D, professor of public health at Adelphi University; author of "Dread: How Fear and Fantasy have fueled Epidemics from the Black Death to Avian Flu"
Dr. Donald Forthal, Chief of Infectious Diseases Division, UC Irvine Medical Center & Professor of Medicine
The art and artifice of cease-fire negotiations in the Middle East
The Israeli military says it has resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip, ending a self-declared, seven-hour cease-fire that was in effect for much of the day.
The Israeli military announced it resumed its attacks Monday night.
Israel said it declared the cease-fire to allow humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza. The seaside territory has been battered by a nearly monthlong war between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.
Previously, four humanitarian cease-fire truces have failed in the current violence between Israel and Hamas militants from Gaza.
Palestinian officials say more than 1,880 people have been killed, most of them civilians. Sixty-seven people, including three civilians, have been killed on the Israeli side.
Who are the brokers working on the talks? With the disparate groups in Gaza, how can its leadership sustain an across-the-board truce?
Guests:
Rashid Khalidi, Professor of Modern Arab Studies, Columbia University; Author, newly published "Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. has Undermined Peace in the Middle East" (Beacon); former advisor to the Palestinian peace negotiators
Robert Danin, Ph.D, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; Danin headed the Jerusalem mission of the Quartet representative, Tony Blair, from April 2008 until August 2010.
New Social Security report: We need help. Now.
If you plan on retiring in the next 20 years, not to worry! According to the latest report from the Social Security Trustees, there will be plenty of dough to cover your full retirement benefits. But, the bipartisan committee found that funding Social Security beyond the massive Baby Boomers’ retirement will require quick “legislative changes” necessary to avoid disruptive consequences for beneficiaries and taxpayers.
The report doesn’t get into specifics about what those legislative changes might or should be, but it urges lawmakers to get a move-on so that whether it’s bolstering benefits or eliminating entitlements, Americans have as much time as possible to plan for their futures. But with an historically ineffective Congress at the helm, Americans’ faith in any rushed legislative solution isn’t too high. The report, which is annual, and finally arrived 4 months overdue, is an occasion to revisit that age-old debate of what the best course forward is for Social Security.
Do you think we need to being paying more into the fund? Should Socials Security be adjusted? How would you like to see your local Congressman address the issue of a long-term Social Security fix?
Guests:
Jagadeesh Gokhale, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute
Monique Morrissey, Economist, Economic Policy Institute, a progressive economic think tank based in Washington DC. Her areas of interst include Social Security, pensions and other employee benefits
Environmental group petitions to create new grizzly bear habitat in state
Despite being on the state flag, grizzly bears are all but extinct in California.
Some 10,000 grizzlies lived in the state when European immigrants first landed. Yet within 75 years, they had been hunted and killed. In Fresno County in 1922, the last grizzly was killed in the state, according to the Valley Center History Museum in San Diego County. There were a couple sightings in Sequoia National Park in 1924, but after that, nothing.
Now, an environmental group wants the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to bring the grizzly back to California. The Center for Biological Diversity is asking federal officials to carve out some 11,000 square miles in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado for 300 to 400 bears, according to the LA Times.
Even if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife grants the petition, it’d be years before any action could happen. Given the grizzly’s fearsome reputation, should they be placed so near to humans?
Guest:
Noah Greenwald, Endangered Species Director, Center for Biological Diversity, the environmental group behind the petition
On the Run with Beyonce and Jay Z
Musical power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z have been delivering two-hour plus shows to packed stadiums during their “On The Run” tour, keeping up the image of “Crazy In Love” amidst rumors of marriage troubles and disputes.
The audience at the Rose Bowl, full to capacity, was treated to a mix of musical experiences. Jay-Z has paired his style of rap with pop in the past (he went on tour last year with Justin Timberlake), and critics argue that for him, utilizing Beyonce’s pop-R&B clout is a smart move.
Beyonce has kept to polished performances highlighted by her on-stage chemistry with her husband. What does the “On The Run” tour say about the future of big stadium shows? How does Jay-Z and Beyonce’s marriage impact their onstage dynamic and the show as a whole?
Guest:
Lorraine Ali, music writer for the Los Angeles Times
The innovation behind food trends
Angelenos know a culinary trend when they see it. L.A. chefs and diners are consistently on the cutting edge of food innovations, whether it’s Roy Choi’s food-truck fusion or an almond-macadamia nut milk latte.
Yelp has developed its own way to rack the rise and fall of food trends. Search for cupcakes and you’ll see craze grow and fade out. According to the site, cold-pressed juice popularity has shot up, donuts are the pastry of the moment, and everyone really is drinking IPAs.
How do trends get started? How do restaurateurs and chefs adapt their menus to accommodate popular foods? What’s the key to staying innovative and ahead of the market?
Guest:
David Sax, Author of "The Tastemakers: Why We're Crazy for Cupcakes but Fed Up With Fondue"
The legacy of former White House press secretary James Brady
James Brady, former White House press secretary under President Ronald Reagan, passed away today. He was 73.
"Jim touched the lives of so many and has been a wonderful husband, father, friend and role model," his family said in a statement released today. "We are enormously proud of Jim's remarkable accomplishments -- before he was shot on the fateful day in 1981 while serving at the side of President Ronald Reagan and in the days, months and years that followed.
Brady was shot in the head in an the assassination attempt against President Reagan in 1981 and was left permanently disabled. After the attack, Brady devoted his life to the gun control movement. His namesake legislation, The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, went into effect in 1994 and has made background check on handgun owners a requirement.
Guests:
Adam Winkler, law professor at UCLA and author of "Gun Fight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America" (W. W. Norton & Company, 2011)
John Lott, author of “More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws” (University of Chicago Press, Third Edition, 2010) and President of the Crime Prevention Research Center, a research and education organization dedicated to studying the relationship between laws regulating the ownership or use of guns, crime, and public safety