The Federal government spent $800 million dollars under the Healthy Marriage Initiative to promote better relationships. But a recent study found little change in marriage or divorce trends. Is marriage an appropriate focus for the government? Glen Greenwald speaks with Larry about The Intercept, the Snowden files, and more.
Why is the federal government in the business of marriage “boosterism?”
The $800 million in federal dollars spent on the Healthy Marriages Initiative has had little effect on national marriage or divorce trends, a new study has found. The money is intended to foster better relationships based on the idea that children raised in a marriage may be less likely to endure poverty or commit crimes.
The program’s ineffectiveness has reignited a debate about whether government should promote better marriages as a measure to prevent poverty. One in eight children raised in married households live below the poverty line, while five in ten raised by single mothers do.
Children raised in two-parent households also tend to have fewer behavioral problems. The logistics are fairly simple -- the likelihood that a married household has two full-time incomes is higher.
But is that a reason for the government to promote marriage as a way to combat poverty? Is marriage an appropriate focus for the government? Should the focus be on encouraging new marriages, or improving existing ones? Are there better ways to fight poverty?
Guest:
Wendy Manning, Professor of Sociology and Co-Director for the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She is the co-author of a study that looks at the effectiveness of the Healthy Marriage Initiative and lowering divorce rates and raising marriage rates.
Patty Howell, President of the Healthy Relationships California, a statewide nonprofit organization that receives funding from the federal government to promote healthy relationships and marriage in California
Journalist Glenn Greenwald on news venture, The Intercept, the Snowden files and more
Glenn Greenwald became one of the world's most famous journalists almost overnight after he reported on secret programs leaked from the National Security Agency by Edward Snowden. The Intercept, his new venture with e-Bay co-founder Pierre Omidyar, launched Monday morning with two new stories about the National Security Agency.
Greenwald has said that the NSA secrets exposed so far constitute but the tip of the iceberg of what the Snowden files contain, and one aim of The Intercept is to "provide a platform and an editorial structure in which to aggressively report on the disclosures provided to us by our source, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden."
In this interview, Larry talks with Greenwald about The Intercept, the Snowden files, and the global ripples the NSA revelations have caused.
Call in with your question.
Guest:
Glenn Greenwald, investigative journalist and one of the editors behind the new online magazine, The Intercept, which debuted yesterday.
How will text-to-911 technology change emergency reports and dispatch?
Mobile phones seem nearly ubiquitous, and over 20 years after the SMS was sent, text messaging is more widely used than ever. As more people turn to their cell as a primary phone and rely on unlimited text and data plans, phone service providers are adapting to keep up. Now, text-to-911 programs are joining text-to-donate numbers and crisis text lines.
Verizon already provides text-to-911 in a few areas with dispatchers equipped to take text messages, including some departments in Los Angeles county.
The four major carriers have plans to introduce text-to-911 programs of their own by May 2014, with more providers to follow. These services may prove useful and frequently crucial for the 40 million Americans with hearing and speech disabilities, people experiencing spotty service (which may allow a text but not a call), people in active shooter or domestic violence situations, and others.
FCC still strongly recommends calling emergency numbers instead of texting because of the back-and-forth interaction with dispatchers.
What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of text-to-911 programs? Will they be effective, or is the concept still flawed? How will dispatchers be trained to handle texts?
Guests:
David Furth, Deputy Bureau Chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
Ty Wooten, Education and Public Safety Anwer Point Operations Director at the National Emergency Number Association
Does the Southland have a risky relationship with drinking and driving?
Police have revealed more about the woman accused of killing six people while driving drunk at high speed in the wrong direction on the 60 freeway in Diamond Bar over the weekend. Olivia Culbreath, 21, of Fontana - now being investigated for manslaughter and driving under the influence – had her license suspended for a DUI when she was a teenager. Authorities say they found an alcoholic beverage at the scene of the crash.
Also over the weekend, in a much less severe crash, actor Chris Kattan of SNL fame, was arrested for a DUI after his car hit a Department of Transportation vehicle on the 101 freeway.
Coincidentally, the LAPD conducted a DUI blitz over the weekend. Its January sobriety campaign resulted in 40 arrests. Despite all we know about driving under the influence – including a proposal last year to lower the accepted blood alcohol limit to .05 instead of .08 – it seems many still try to take their chances.
What about you? What’s your perception of an acceptable amount to drink (or smoke) before you drive? What do you see amongst your friends, family, and co-workers as acceptable?
Guest:
Dary Fiorentino, Rearch Psychologist specializing alcohol-impairment and crash risks with DF Consulting based in the Van Nuys; Fiorentino’s research has been used by the National Transportation Safety Board
Missouri ruffles feathers over California’s pro-chicken egg laws
Should states be required to meet California's strict animal welfare standards in order to sell their products in the state?
That's the basis of the lawsuit filed by Missouri's attorney general, which alleges that a California's law requiring chickens to be kept in cages much larger than the nation's standard 'factory' size cage effectively bans their eggs from the state.
In 2008, California voters passed a ballot initiative requiring all egg producers house their chickens in cages large enough for them to spread their wings. Two years later the state adjusted that law to require all eggs sold in the state to come from farms that meet California's requirements - even if the eggs were produced across state lines.
Missouri, which sells a third of its 1.7 billion eggs to California every year, says the law violates the constitution's commerce clause and that they weren't given enough time to comply. Estimates show that upgrading to the more chicken-friendly cages would cost Missouri egg producers $120 million and raise production costs by 20 percent.
Does California's egg law violate the commerce clause? Should out of state producers be held to California's higher standards? How will that impact both the economies of California and the heartland where the state gets much of its food?
Guests:
Baylen Linnekin, attorney and executive director of Keep Food Legal, a non-profit that advocates for food freedom
Bruce Friedrich, senior policy director of Farm Sanctuary
The psychology of the #selfie
From the Oxford Dictionaries word of the year to the Selfie Olympics, it’s clear that smart-phone and digital camera self-portraits—or ‘selfies’—are something of a cultural touchstone. We’ve seen selfies at funerals, presidential selfies—even a selfie from space.
These informal, intimate shots are filling up social media feeds, particularly those of young people. They’re also raising some concerns about a self-obsessed, attention-seeking culture. Thailand’s Department of Mental Health recently issued a warning about the potential negative impact of rampant ‘selfie culture’—claiming that young people are suffering from emotional problems when their uploaded selfies go underappreciated.
As with many tech trends, the merits of selfie-taking are hotly debated. Why do we take so many selfies? How might the slew of peace signs, shirtless fitness shots, duck face, and dirty mirrors be impacting our culture? Does the popularity of posting instant self-portraits and waiting for likes to pour in pose problems for the emotional health of the selfie-obsessed?
Do you take selfies? Do you gain anything from looking at someone else’s? Does the rise of ‘selfie culture’ reveal generational narcissism—or are we expressing ourselves and communicating more effectively through new technology?
Guest:
Pamela Rutledge, PhD, Director, Media Psychology Resource Center, a non-profit dedicated to media research, assessment and education based in Newport Beach, Calif.; Adjunct Professor, Fielding Graduate University; Blogger, Psychology Today