In light of Bill Cosby's sexual assault charges, we discuss the challenges of prosecuting sex crimes; exploring the political and economic impact of a shrinking middle class and looking into the strategies behind ISIS' deep pockets.
As Cosby faces sexual assault charges, a look at the challenges of prosecuting sex crimes
Bill Cosby was charged for sexual assault today in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
The case stems from a woman accusing the comedian of drugging and sexually assaulting her at his Philadelphia home in 2004.
Cosby faces one felony charge of aggravated indecent assault. Dozens of women have come forward alleging the 78-year-old entertainer of sexual assault. Cosby has denied all accusations and filed lawsuits against seven of his accusers.
What are the challenges of prosecuting a case such as this?
Guests:
Laurie Levenson, a former federal prosecutor and current Loyola Law professor
Matthew Galluzzo, partner at Galluzzo & Johnson, a criminal defense firm in New York City and a former prosecutor in the Sex Crimes Unit of the New York County District Attorney’s Office
As U.S. middle class shrinks, a look at the political and economic fallout
For the first time since the 1970s, middle-class Americans are no longer the majority.
A study out earlier this month from Pew Research shows that there are now as many Americans in the middle class as there are in the tiers above and below it. 120.8 million adults were in middle-income households while 121.3 million were in the upper and lower income tiers combined.
In terms of economic progress, it means people who were once considered middle-class are either making more money and have moved into the upper-income tier, or have fallen out of the middle class into poverty. Either way, growing upper and lower tiers mean the middle-class is fighting for an even smaller slice of the economic pie.
The Pew study showed 49 percent of U.S. total income went to upper-income households in 2014 while just 43 percent went to middle-income households. For comparison, those numbers were 29 percent and 62 percent, respectively, in 1970.
We can also look at the impact of the shrinking middle class through the lens of America’s political and cultural narrative.
The data would seem to suggest that while the U.S. has traditionally been known for its optimism, the strain of staying optimistic in the face of issues like political discord in Washington, national security, or race relations that are weighing on the country’s collective consciousness and eroding confidence that things will get better.
Still, others disagree with Pew’s findings, saying that it’s impossible to give a blanket definition of the ‘middle-class,’ and therefore you can’t accurately measure who’s moving or not moving on the economic ladder.
What are the social, political, cultural, and economic implications of a shrinking middle class?
Guests:
Michael Lind, policy director of the Economic Growth Program at the New America Foundation, which he also co-founded. He is the author of numerous books, including his most recent, “Land of Promise: An Economic History of the United States” (Harper, 2013)
David Madland, senior fellow and strategic director of the American Worker Project at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning economic think tank. He is the author of “Hollowed Out: Why the Economy Doesn't Work without a Strong Middle Class” (University of California Press, 2015)
Following the ISIS money trail
Earlier this year ISIS released its 2015 budget estimated to be more than $2 billion.
While the estimate may be inflated, there is no arguing that the terrorist organization has deep pockets. In the past few years ISIS has brought in hundreds of millions of dollars through private donations, ransom payments, extortion, robbery, antiquities trafficking, and oil sales.
ISIS has developed extensive banking networks to transfer money in and out of its controlled areas. While there have been efforts to block the transfer of funds, backdoor transfers and informal banking schemes have made it near impossible to stop.
Guest:
Greg Miller, National Security Correspondent for the Washington Post, based in D.C.; he co-wrote "Inside the surreal world of the Islamic State’s propaganda machine"
Novelist Patti Davis discusses new novel on Los Angeles
As the daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Patti Davis is no stranger to being in the spotlight.
She was also born and raised in Los Angeles, and knows a thing or two about celebrity culture.
But the Los Angeles depicted in her latest novel (and 11th book) “The Earth Breaks in Colors,” features neither the glitz of Hollywood or existential angst typically associated with the City of Angels, it follows instead a quiet friendship between two 11-year-old girls – one black, one white – living in L.A., and what happens to that friendship after a major earthquake strikes.
Patti Davis joins Patt Morrison to talk about her book.
Guest:
Patti Davis, Author of numerous books, including “The Long Goodbye” (Plume, 2005), about losing her father, President Ronald Reagan, to Alzheimer’s, and her latest novel, "The Earth Breaks in Colors" (Open Road Distribution, 2015)