The latest developments in Egypt. Are anti-depressants being prescribed for everything but depression? LA County Supervisors to Brown: No Way! Is it time for a re-up of the Patriot Act? Kenneth Silverman’s biography about composer John Cage.
Egypt - do the protests still have momentum?
It's day 15 of the crisis in Egypt and the unrest shows no sign of dying down. Hundreds of thousands of protesters filled Cairo's Tahrir Square, still demanding that President Mubarak step down. A leader of the anti-government movement, Wael Ghonim, Google’s 30-year old marketing manager, was released from detention and greeted with cheers from fellow demonstrators. As the protests enter their third week, workers have gone on strike in several Egyptian cities, but questions about what kind of change Egypt will undergo and whether Egyptian officials are sincere about delivering reform remain. Meanwhile, Mubarak’s regime, while offering limited concessions, appears to be slowing its response to the protests and going to great lengths to project a return to normalcy. What’s the view from the streets? Are reports that some Egyptians are experiencing "protest fatigue” accurate? Can the protesters keep the momentum going and achieve their ultimate goal of forcing Mubarak out?
Guest:
Jon Jensen, Egypt Correspondent for the Global Post
One quarter of antidepressant users aren’t depressed
According to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, 25% of Americans taking antidepressants haven’t actually been diagnosed with depression or any of the conditions doctors usually treat with the medications. Dr. Mark Olfson, a psychiatrist at Columbia University, says the numbers might be even higher: “Reviews of claims records, which are diagnoses actually given by health care professionals, suggest that only about 50% of patients who are prescribed antidepressants receive a psychiatric diagnosis.” Not only that, but as the use of drugs goes up, psychotherapy seems to be going down. The overprescription of antidepressants has real risks, including potentially serious side effects. Should people who aren’t actually depressed be taking these drugs? What other conditions are antidepressants being used to treat? Have you been prescribed an antidepressant for reasons other than major depression?
Guest:
Dr. Mark Olfson, M.D., Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center in New York
LA County Sups say no way! to Governor Brown’s budget plan
A majority of LA County Supervisors say that California Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to shift $1.4 billion in funding responsibilities from the state to counties makes no fiscal sense. Brown’s “realignment plan” would force cash strapped counties to pony up more money for local services including mental health, child welfare and substance abuse programs. Meanwhile, L.A.’s District Attorney Steve Cooley claims the Governor’s plan to move nonviolent offenders to local jails or to the probation department “endangers public safety.” The county is currently operating with a $24.2 billion budget. Is the Governor’s plan viable or is it just another band aid on a gushing wound?
Guests:
Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor, representing the 3rd District
Steve Cooley, Los Angeles County District Attorney
Matt Cate, secretary of California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Is it time for a re-up of the Patriot Act?
House Republicans vote tomorrow on whether or not to issue a short-term extension of three controversial provisions of the Patriot Act passed by Congress in 2001 to broaden police and FBI powers to investigate suspected terrorists. One is the ‘library provision’ that gives federal authorities the power to seize any information or documentation deemed important for an investigation, including library records. The second gives the government the ability to acquire “roving wiretaps” for suspects who move locations or change phones. The final provision set to expire is the ‘lone-wolf provision’ that gives law enforcement the authority to issue wiretaps on suspects who are not associated with a foreign terrorist group. The Obama Administration supports the extension, as does California Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. But not all in the Republican Party are so aligned. Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) is concerned about possible violations of the Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches, but House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) believes law enforcement needs every tool available to keep America safe. The three provisions expire on February 28, and the House bill would extend them to December 8. Should the Patriot Act be extended with modifications to protect civil liberties, or is it fine just the way it is?
Guests:
Ryan Hecker, organizer for the Tea Party’s “Contract from America”
Loretta Sanchez, Congresswoman (CA-47)
Kenneth Silverman’s biography about composer John Cage – Begin Again
John Cage stands large in 20th century history as one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde. As a composer he was an utterly original master of the form, his experimental attitude best exemplified by his most widely known work "4'33," in which not a single note was played. Being acknowledged as one of the most influential composers of the 20th century would be enough, but he went beyond mere composition, finding ways to alter and expand the way we define not only music but the way we encounter art. Pulitzer Prize winning author Kenneth Silverman joins us to discuss his fascinating new biography of a man the breadth of whose work was only matched by its sheer diversity.
Guest:
Kenneth Silverman, author, Begin Again: A Biography of John Cage (Knopf)