GOP candidates surf the polls in Iowa race. Can this marriage be saved…by the recession? Felony charges filed against chemistry professor in fatal laboratory death.
GOP candidates surf the polls in Iowa race
Who’s the frontrunner in the final week before the Iowa caucus? Depends on what day it is. Previously riding high in public opinion polls, Newt Gingrich has taken a dive to third place, with dark horse Ron Paul suddenly leading the pack and Mitt Romney holding at second.
Between them, all seven of the candidates and their supporters have spent more than $10 million on television and radio advertising to woo Iowa voters. And every truck stop, pizza joint and church basement in the state seems to have enjoyed a visit from one or more of the hopefuls as they burn up highway miles to get their message out.
Despite battling bad press over his involvement with extremist newsletters in the 90’s, Ron Paul has
drawn the biggest crowds. His anti-war, anti-drug law views have attracted younger voters and moderates, while alienating more conservative Republicans; nevertheless a win in Iowa is not out of the question.
Meanwhile, Gingrich’s day in the sun may be winding down, as his campaign seemingly implodes due to negative ads, disorganization, lack of funds, personal baggage and general unpopularity among his GOP peers. Rick Perry, who has languished near the bottom of the polls, has been using his considerable funds to saturate the airwaves and could finish strong. There’s no doubt that an Iowa win is an important campaign milestone and could even be a game-changer. But at this point, it’s anybody’s game.
WEIGH IN:
Which way will the wind blow at next Tuesday’s caucus? Whose barnstorming will bring the biggest payoff? Which candidates could get wished into the cornfield?
Guests:
James Oliphant, National Political Correspondent for the Los Angeles Times
Jonathan Ahl, News Director, Iowa Public Radio
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist and former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson
Jon Fleischman, Republican strategist; founder and publisher of FlashReport.org
Can this marriage be saved…by the recession?
Agreeing to blame the economy for your financial woes is a surefire way to solidify your marriage. According to an innovative study conducted with the National Center for Marriage and Family Research, partners who maintain a positive view of each other and keep a collaborative approach to economic stress are those who are most satisfied in their relationships. Usually when a couple is struggling with money there’s no outside force to blame. But in the case of the recession, scapegoating the big bad economy can keep the finger-pointing out of the equation.
WEIGH IN:
Is blaming the economy saving your marriage? How has the meta issue of the recession kept the peace in your household?
Guest:
Lisa Diamond PhD, , Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at University of Utah in Salt Lake City and author of the study
Bob O'Rourke obituary
Robert L. O'Rourke, long time Vice President of Public Relations at Caltech, passed away yesterday. Larry paid tribute to him on AirTalk, honoring his philanthropic work. O'Rourke was diagnosed with plumonary fibrosis in 2006, a rare disease which finally took his life. He raised awareness about the little-known disease in his last years.
Felony charges filed against chemistry professor in fatal laboratory death
Three years ago, a 23-year-old University of California chemist was severely burned over nearly half of her body in a laboratory chemical fire. Sheharbano “Sheri” Sangji, who was not wearing a protective lab coat during the experiment, died of her injuries 18 days later. The case brought into questions about lab safety practices at UCLA and about Sangji’s training and supervision.
Last Tuesday, in what is thought to be an unprecedented case, felony charges have been brought against professor Patrick Harran and the UC regents by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. The charges include failing to correct unsafe working conditions and to provide proper chemical safety training.
UCLA issued a statement calling the charges “outrageous” and “appalling;” their vice chancellor for legal affairs, Kevin Reed, says the incident was “a tragedy…not a crime.” Two months prior to Sangji’s death, UCLA safety inspectors found more than a dozen safety violations, which were not corrected before the fatal fire. The tragedy led to safety improvements at UCLA and focused a laser on the issue of academic laboratory safety nationwide.
If convicted, Harran faces up to 4-1/2 years in state prison; UCLA could be fined up to $1.5 million for each of three counts. By all reports, this is the first time a university has been criminally charged for an academic lab accident.
WEIGH IN:
Are the charges warranted? Was this a preventable tragedy? Who should be held liable?
Guests:
Kevin Reed, Vice Chancellor for legal affairs, UCLA
Russ Phifer, Executive Director, National Registry of Certified Chemists
Laurie Levenson, Professor of Law, Loyola Law School