The military prepares to lift the ban on women in combat -- how will this change gender relations in U.S. troops? We'll also hear from the creator of an app that could be used to share key information about your DNA. Later, we'll discuss water tunnels, smart appliances, and L.A.'s old school dining scene. All that and more, on AirTalk.
Pentagon lifts ban on front line combat for women
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has announced officially that women will no longer be banned from front-line combat. On paper, women have been excluded since a 1994 Pentagon rule, but in practice tens of thousands have served in conflict. That fact sparked lawsuits by service women who were precluded from promotion without accredited combat experience.
This move was recommended by the military itself - the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It also appears to have bipartisan support in Washington. However, there are soldiers - from ranks high and low - that worry it could weaken unit cohesion and that it ignores gender differences.
How will this change affect the war-fighting capability of U.S. Forces? How have women been serving the military until now? What exclusions might have to be made, such as Navy SEALs and similar Special Forces units? What exceptions will be made for military families - could both spouses go to the front lines? How long could it take to integrate these changes? How could this affect unit cohesion in infantries and other teams that don't currently have female involvement?
In recent times, we've learned of more sexual assaults of service women - what's being done to fix that? Legal scholars are saying women will no longer be excluded from selective service - what does that mean? And what about if conscription ever returned?
Guests:
Hal Kempfer, retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel and CEO of KIPP (Knowledge and Intelligence Program Professionals)
Ariela Migdal, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Women’s Rights Project
Mr. Kingsley Browne, Professor of Law at Wayne State University Law School, author of “Co-ed Combat: The New Evidence That Women Shouldn’t Fight the Nation’s Wars”
Are you my father? There’s an app for that
It’s a given these days that your phone has become, for better or worse, as much a part of you as your eye color. But could it actually carry your DNA? Yes, say researchers at University of California’s computer sciences department. They’ve developed a smartphone app that will eventually be able to store your entire genome, giving you the ability to read, share and swap genetic information with your doctor or even a potential marriage partner.
Genetic information can currently be obtained from companies like 23&Me for a few hundred dollars; the GenoDroid would keep that code handy and encrypted, with only small sequences available on a “need to know” basis, such as managing your health care. The GenoDroid can instantly solve a paternity question or calculate the odds of you and a partner having a child with a genetic disease. The availability of such personal data, however, opens up the potential for mismanagement. How to keep your genome sequence from being revealed to insurance companies, employers or law enforcement? Bumping phones on a first date might seem like fun, but what if it reveals that you and your new friend are genetically incompatible – or distantly related? And if your DNA information is lost or stolen, you can’t just change it like you can your PIN number. Public policy, currently a patchwork of state-by-state rules, has yet to catch up with a workable solution for these and other questions.
Who is responsible if genetic privacy is breached? What would you like to know about your genetic profile? And who would you feel comfortable sharing it with?
Guests:
Gene Tsudik, Ph.D, professor of computer science, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California at Irvine and one of the creators of the GenoDroid app
Jeremy Gruber, president, The Council for Responsible Genetics
Water tunnels for California
Southern California is thirsty for water, and Governor Jerry Brown has made it one of his missions to deliver the goods. In his State of the State today, Brown endorsed a $14 billion proposal that would modernize California’s water distribution system. Currently, water flows from the North through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta’s earthen levees before making its way down South. But many find this process inefficient, outdated and suspect to damage from earthquakes.
Thus, Brown and California Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar have proposed building two water tunnels that go underground, bypassing the delta entirely. Environmentalists have long been concerned with the pumps used by the levees, as they are harmful to endangered populations in the delta. But that doesn’t mean they are immediately jumping on board to support this new plan. They stress there is still a great deal of analysis needed to be done before a proper opinion could be formed. However, many of those in Southern California, especially those with interests in farming, say that timing is crucial and the process must start now.
So how will the plan move forward without putting the environment in danger? Who benefits most from these water tunnels? Does anyone lose out? What are the risks of doing nothing and just keeping the delta system in place?
Guests:
Nancy Vogel, Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the California Department of Water Resources
Barry Nelson, Senior Policy Analyst for the National Resources Defense Council’s Water Program
Should ‘smart’ appliances stay dumb?
As the digital age continues to expand, consumers get the pleasure of seeing older appliances mix with emerging technology. Sometimes this is a blessing, as nowadays some refrigerators, washers and dryers have been designed in such a way that they use less energy more efficiently than ever before. That’s a good thing.
But sometimes manufacturers take a Frankenstein’s monster approach to integrating the modern technology with older appliances. For instance, a $4,000 refrigerator from Samsung at the recent Consumer Electronics Show has a touch screen and WiFi. One of the features is so you can use the screen to come up with a grocery list. But couldn’t you just use your phone, and then take it to the store? And what about the WiFi? Do you really need to download the new Justin Bieber album on your fridge? If so, maybe don’t invite anyone over when you’re making lunch.
Also, there are now washers and dryers that allow you to start a laundry cycle from your phone. That’s handy, sure, but how are you going to load the laundry into the machine and pour in soap if you’re not at home? While these appliances may be duds, there has to be a way to use today’s technology to make appliances better, right?
Slate’s Farhad Manjoo has some ideas of his own for improvements. Have you purchased any of these disappointing appliances and been let down by the technology? Have you seen them in use? What do you wish your appliances could do? Think outside the ice box.
Guest:
Farhad Manjoo, tech writer for Slate
MAP: Dining out old-school style in Los Angeles (Photos)
While trendsetters and foodies might relish seeking out the latest celebrity chef-owned eatery or unearthing the next best-kept-dining-secret, for some meals, only a classic restaurant will do – one whose food, décor and beehive-crowned waitresses have stood the test of time. These are the fine dining establishments that never let us down, nor does their signature dish: Oysters Rockefeller at Antoine’s, prime rib at Lawry’s, Zombies at Don the Beachcomber.
There are a few key elements to mid-century classic dining: the white tablecloths, the dark, buttery leather booths, the film noir lighting. The wacky theme décor – north woods cabin, Polynesian Tiki hut, French Quarter bordello. The banquet rooms, where generations of families might have celebrated birthdays, graduations and weddings – and perhaps still do. And of course, the food: steaks, shrimp, baked potatoes, wedges of lettuce, jumbo-sized cocktails, flaming desserts.
Peter Moruzzi’s new book celebrates iconic mid-century restaurants from Miami to San Francisco, Chicago to New Orleans, with intoxicating photographs and mouth-watering menu descriptions. Although many of them are long gone, this world is far from extinct – here in Southern California you can still dine out ‘Mad Men’ style at old-world joints like Musso & Frank’s, The Smoke House and Pacific Dining Car, or impress a first date by singing along with Marty and Elayne at The Dresden Room.
What’s your favorite classic watering hole? Which bygone restaurants do you miss the most? Tell us below.
Guest:
Peter Moruzzi, author of "Classic Dining: Discovering America’s Finest Mid-Century Restaurants" (Gibbs Smith), author of pictorial histories including "Havana Before Castro: When Cuba Was a Tropical Playground" (Gibbs Smith)