Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates explains controversial memoir. In Sweden, nine woman have successfully received womb transplants. What does this mean for the future of infertility? Later, can reality shows like ‘16 and Pregnant’ lower the teen birth rate?
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates explains controversial memoir
It has not even hit the bookstands, yet Robert Gates memoir is the most talked about in Washington.
As the Washington Post's Bob Woodward wrote in the first review last week, "It is rare for a former Cabinet member, let alone a Defense secretary...to publish such an antagonistic portrait of a sitting president."
Today on NPR, Gates seemed more nuanced in his criticism of President Barack Obama, saying: "[T]he only thing that has really troubled me a little bit is that some people who have a narrative on Obama and the war got out there early with their take on my — on what I've written, and I think shaped their discussion of the book to support their narrative of what had taken place without taking into account some of the more measured and counterbalancing discussion that's in the book."
Guests:
Tom Ricks, Pulitzer-Prize Winning Journalist specialising in military affairs; Author, “The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today” (2012)
Sarah Chayes, Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; former special assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2010-2011)
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Foreign Policy Analysts specializing in Afghanistan, Council on Foreign Relations
Swedish doctor transplants wombs into nine women
Many women look forward to becoming a mother. Infertility can be a huge roadblock for some on the road to parenthood. Infertility treatments, such as In Vitro Fertilization have been around for years. But are there any options for women without a uterus?
A report from the Associated Press says, doctors in Sweden are pioneering a new surgery for womb transplants.Already, nine women have successfully received transplanted wombs. Most of the women are in their 30s and were either born without a uterus or had it removed due to cervical cancer. The women received transplanted wombs donated from relatives. Although the women have received wombs, researchers are still waiting to see if the transplanted wombs will result in successful pregnancies.
This is not the first time womb transplants have been attempted. Doctors in both Turkey and Saudi Arabia performed womb transplant surgeries but neither was successful in producing babies. Similar operations are being planned by scientists in Britain and Hungary.
Life-saving transplants of vital organs have been around for years, is this a natural progression or have scientists gone to far? Is it ethical to use live donors?
Dr. Richard Paulson, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Chief of the division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the USC Keck School of Medicine, and Director of USC Fertility, a non-profit fertility practice at USC
Can reality shows like ‘16 and Pregnant’ lower the teen birth rate?
Popular reality TV shows like '16 and Pregnant' and 'Teen Mom' have been criticized for glamorizing teen pregnancy but according to a new study, the shows may actually have a positive effect on the teen birthrate. Researchers combed through Nielsen ratings data combined with birth records from 2010 and concluded that the shows prevented more than 20,000 teenage births, nearly 6 percent of the total.
The teen birth rate declined faster in areas where teenagers actually watched more MTV programming. The two shows are among MTV's most popular with some episodes drawing more than 3 million viewers. The paper, published Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research, is being hailed by advocacy groups trying to prevent teen pregnancy but critics argue that the young moms featured in the show become celebrities with reality show fame and hefty paychecks.
One of MTV's first teen mom stars, Farrah Abraham, went on to star in the VH1 show 'Couples Therapy'. Are these shows a realistic depiction of teen pregnancy? Do they make teens think twice about becoming teen parents themselves? Or does the celebrity status of MTV's teen moms give teens an unrealistic picture of what parenthood is like? Do you think they have a positive or negative effect on teenage viewers?
Guests:
Phillip Levine, professor of economics at Wellesley College and co-author of the study
Maci Bookout, participant on ‘16 and Pregnant’ and ‘Teen Mom’
Melissa Henson, National grassroots director for the Parents Television Council
Bill Albert, Chief Program Officer for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
LA crime stats show continuing drop in crime
Crime in Los Angeles County is at a record low for the eleventh straight year. Mayor Garcetti proudly announced the final 2013 statistics today. Among the notable numbers, violent crime is down 12 percent.
Los Angeles county saw 251 homicides in 2013, the lowest number since 1966. Garcetti said gang related crime has been cut in half over the past five years. Garcetti said per capita, crime rates have not seen such lows since 1949. What is the LAPD doing different to cause the drop in crime? At what point, if at any, will it plateau?
Guests:
Erika Aguilar, KPCC’s Crime and Safety Reporter
George Tita, Associate professor of Criminology, Law and Society at University of California, Irvine
MLB arbiter hits Alex Rodriguez with 162 game suspension
New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez's 211 game suspension for his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs was reduced to 162 games by an arbitrator this weekend, effectively forcing the slugger to sit out the entire 2014 season.
Rodriguez has denied Major League Baseball's doping allegations and vowed to take his fight to federal court to get his suspension reversed.
In an interview with 60 Minutes that aired last night, Anthony Bosch, founder of the South Florida anti-aging clinic Biogensis at the center of the scandal and MLB's key witness in the case against Rodriguez, details the player's PED use and describes personally injecting Rodriguez with banned substances.
What’s next for Rodriguez? What are the chances that his suspension will get thrown out in federal court?
Guest:
Steve Fishman, contributor editor at New York magazine who’s been covering the story
Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis explores the gritty legacy of famed UCLA coach, John Wooden
John Wooden coached the UCLA men's basketball team to 10 NCAA championships during the 1960s and the '70s, but author Seth Davis says Wooden's success is only a fraction of the man he was.
Davis's new biography Wooden: A Coach's Life examines the man behind the legend. Noted for being old-fashioned and disciplined both in his habits and coaching, “Wooden made UCLA the most attractive basketball program in the country,” Davis writes.
Drawing on archival research, and interviews with more than two hundred players, opponents, and coaches, Davis explores the how the well-known coach struggled to stay on top.
What fueled Wooden's competitive streak? And what conflicts surrounded his career? How did his success create more burden?
Guest:
Seth Davis, author of Wooden: A Coach’s Life (and college basketball reporter for Sports Illustrated and CBS sports)