And the Oscar nominations go to… Is there such a thing as too rich to be president? Plea deal for Marine charged with killing Iraqi civilians. Breastfeeding on Sesame Street?
And the Oscar nominations go to…
The Academy showed a lot of love to classic cinema today. Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" – an ode to the magic of filmmaking – scored 11 nominations, including best picture, director and screenplay. The silent, black-and-white film "The Artist" scored ten nominations, including best picture, director, screenplay, actor and supporting actress. Despite having enough room for ten best picture nominees, only nine received enough qualifying votes: "The Tree of Life," "Midnight in Paris," "Moneyball," "The Descendants," "The Help," "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," "War Horse," and the two aforementioned.
Comedy fans hoped the box-office smash "Bridesmaids" would make the list. It wasn't snubbed though. It's up for best original screenplay and a supporting actress nomination for Melissa McCarthy.
Meryl Streep surprised no one with her 17th Oscar nomination for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady." Also nominated for best actress: Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe, Viola Davis for "The Help," Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs" and Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
Best actor nods went to George Clooney for "The Descendants," Brad Pitt in "Moneyball," Demian Bichir for "A Better Life''; Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," and Jean Dujardin for "The Artist."
WEIGH IN:
Who was robbed? Who’s most likely to take home Oscar gold? Any notable trends in the list?
Guest:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and BoxOffice.com
Is there such a thing as too rich to be president?
In 2010, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made $21.7 million on investments and paid nearly $3 million dollars in taxes. Romney released his 2010 tax returns yesterday along with his estimates for 2011. By any definition, the former Massachusetts governor is a wealthy, successful businessman and investor. He has reaped huge benefits from the American entrepreneurial system by working hard and investing well and has also benefited from the US tax code which favors investment income by taxing it a lower rate than earned income. As a candidate for president, Romney has to convince people that he represents their interests and their concerns especially in this time of economic uncertainty.
WEIGH IN:
Can a candidate whose income far exceeds that of the average wage earner really be in touch with the trials and tribulations of the American voter? Does Romney’s great wealth insulate him too much from the people whose votes he needs or does his financial success make him the perfect person to bring this economy out of the doldrums? Can you be rich and still in touch?
State of the Union: Economy and election likely to dominate tonight’s speech
Millions will tune in tonight as President Obama reclaims the spotlight from his Republican rivals and delivers his third State of the Union address. The speech is an important platform for the President, as he tries to frame the choice facing voters in November.
The President is likely to tout his administration’s biggest accomplishments, such as ending the war in Iraq, the drawdown of troops in Afghanistan and most notably, the killing of Osama bid Laden. But without a doubt, the economy will be front and center.
With economic anxiety showing everywhere, Obama will focus on his vision for restoring the middle class and persuading voters to stick with him, despite jobless numbers sticking at 8.5%. The President will confront a deeply divided Congress, urging them to work together to get more done. However, given his re-election campaign, the President is likely to promise to work on his own.
WEIGH IN:
Will it be enough to sway waffling voters? Can Obama convince those struggling financially, that he’s the man with the best plan for fixing what ails us?
Guest:
Hans Nichols, Bloomberg News White House Correspondent
Plea deal for Marine charged with killing Iraqi civilians
The high-profile court-martial of Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich ended abruptly at Camp Pendleton yesterday. In a case that began with 9 counts of manslaughter charges, Wuterich accepted a plea deal to serve a maximum of three months' confinement.
Back in November 2005, Wuterich and troops under his command shot and killed 24 Iraqis in the village of Haditha – including several women and children. The Marines had just been attacked by an IED (improvised explosive device) that killed one Marine and severely injured two others.
Wuterich's defense team argued he responded using the accepted "rules of engagement." They argue Wuterich's squad was justified in its actions because the houses were declared “hostile”. A former platoon commander testified that from what was understood of the rules of combat at the time, that meant Marines did not need to positively identify their targets.
Prosecutors said Wuterich lost control after seeing his friend blown apart by the IED and led his men on a rampage. The Iraq war saw intense urban warfare. Soldiers were warned of complex attacks incorporating roadside bombs, snipers and human shields used by combatants.
WEIGH IN:
What's your reaction to the plea deal? Should the prosecution or military have handled this case differently? How can troops react when the enemy is scattered among the innocent? Why did this case take so long to reach this conclusion? What is the reaction in Iraq?
Guest:
Gary Solis, Retired Marine Corps Prosecutor and Judge at Camp Pendleton; Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center; former head of West Point’s law of war program
Jeffrey Addicott, Professor of Law, St. Mary's University (San Antonio, Texas); Former active duty Army officer in the Judge Advocate General's Corps for 20 years; Former Senior Legal Advisor to the United States Army's Special Forces.
Breastfeeding on Sesame Street?
When it first aired, Sesame Street’s educational approach appealed to parents and children alike. One of the subjects it educated children on was breastfeeding. In one episode from the 70s, guest star Buffy St. Marie breastfed her baby onscreen explaining “I’m feeding the baby. See? He’s drinking milk from my breast?” Other shows with similar scenes played out over the years as well saying that the milk was “warm and natural” and that “lots of mothers feed their babies this way.”
In the 1990s, that stopped, says one woman who wants the famed children’s show to ‘bring breastfeeding back to Sesame Street.’ Lani Michele wrote a blog post calling for normalizing breastfeeding by re-televising it. A petition soon followed, garnering nearly 33,000 signatures thus far. Lani, and the rest of the petition’s authors say that Sesame Street stopped airing clips showing breastfeeding, and instead showing only bottle-feeding.
WEIGH IN:
What has changed culturally over the last few decades that makes breastfeeding suddenly unsuitable for television audiences, and especially young ones? How has showing women’s breasts changed on television over time? Why has it become normal to show a woman’s cleavage onscreen, but not in the context of nursing?
Guest:
Lani Michele, wrote the original blog post that started the petition to bring breastfeeding back to Sesame Street
Alison Trope, Associate Professor, USC’s Annenberg School of Communication; lectures on media and gender