Egyptian protesters are calling for the resignation of President Mohammed Morsi. The military has issued a statement that if the people's demands are not met in 48 hours, then the military will intervene. Also, should Hoag Hospital be allowed to stop offering abortion services? Then, are the Lakers attempts at keeping Dwight Howard embarrassing the team's image, and are student loans leading to a lower rate of home ownership? Later, we discuss how Kickstarter can protect its business model from scams and the uncomfortable truths about air travel.
Mass protests put pressure on Egypt’s first democratically elected leader
The Egyptian Army has called on President Mohamed Morsi and all political groups to resolve the country’s protests or face intervention within 48 hours. The military’s statement, which describes the protests as peaceful and calls for the people’s demands to be heard, seems to undermine the President and puts significant pressure the Muslim Brotherhood Party to take action. Hours after they released the statement, the military flew helicopters above Cairo’s Tahrir Square and dropped Egyptian flags while blaring on loudspeakers that “the army and the people are one hand.” The President, meanwhile, has vowed to remain in office, which makes military intervention seem inevitable.
What’s next for Egypt, and what has the international response been to this weekend’s protests?
Guests:
Borzou Daraghai, covers North Africa and the Middle East for the Financial Times; he is based in Cairo, Egypt.
Khaled Elgindy, Fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institute
California Attorney General investigates Hoag Hospital’s abortion ban
The office of Attorney General Kamala Harris is looking into a controversial agreement between Newport Beach's Hoag Hospital and Catholic hospital, St. Joseph Health.
Under a deal reached earlier this year, the two hospitals are starting a formal affiliation, which means a lot of incoming dollars from St. Joseph will be going to Hoag.
Shortly after forging the new relationship, Hoag announced it would discontinue abortion procedures at the hospital. One reason it cited was a relatively low number of abortions performed there, and how that might lead to a decline in the service provided.
However, several obstetricians/gynecologists with Hoag wrote a letter of protest at the move. They say Hoag insisted there would not be a ban on abortions: "We were, therefore, shocked and dismayed to learn that the hospital was banning abortions, effective May 1," they said.
According to Bill Dunlap, a member of the Republican Central Committee of Orange County, there are over 3,500 abortions being performed each day, and a total of 1.2 million a year. He explained that in many cases, abortion has increasingly been used as a method of contraception.
“It’s really not about the mother and the child’s health – it’s about a choice to be made for contraception," said Dunlap. "[Abortion] is used as contraception, and I don’t think anybody thinks that should be what it should be."
Jon Dunn, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood for Orange County and San Bernardino County, said he has concerns about whether family planning and other health services would be affected or stopped at Hoag beyond the 10-year time frame. Dunn said that he doesn’t believe that any religious institution should “impose its will on others.”
“I think a Catholic hospital is a private institution – they have the right to make their own decisions about their institution," said Dunn. "What’s troubling is this trend we’re seeing all around the country where Catholic hospital systems are taking over either secular or non-Catholic hospitals and imposing their directives on those hospitals."
Dunn cited that around 1 out of 6 hospitals in the country are run by Catholic institutions, and that many communities which originally provided reproductive health services are now no longer available.
“For me, it’s a longer term concern: What will happen after 10 years?" said Dunn. "It seems unlikely that once the attorney general is no longer enforcing an agreement, that Hoag is going to be able to continue to provide a full range of health services.”
In recent days the outspoken doctors have been targeted by anti-abortion protesters, some of whom showed up at a doctor's residence. Hoag Hospital maintains that there are other abortion providers in the area, so women will not be under-served.
If so, why were the doctors insistent that Hoag continue to perform abortions? What level of access does the law call for regarding abortion rights? What other health services are opposed by Catholic institutions, and will they be altered at Hoag, too? With a national trend seeing more and more Catholic health-care providers merging with other hospitals, which services are being affected?
Guests:
Jon Dunn, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood for Orange County and San Bernardino County
Bill Dunlap, member of the Republican Central Committee of Orange County
With contributions by Monica Luhar.
Lakers publicly beg Dwight Howard to stay
Bold, and some say, desperate Lakers billboards splashed up on Staples Center and on Hollywood Boulevard last week. They brandish an all-caps plea to Lakers center Dwight Howard: “STAY.” The billboards could be a futile effort according to an ESPN story Thursday. It's just one report, but ESPN's Chris Broussard wrote, "There is very little chance of Dwight Howard re-signing with the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, according to sources close to the situation."
Howard becomes a free agent July 1. The Lakers can offer him a five-year, $118-million contract, while other teams such as Houston, Dallas and Atlanta have to cap offers at $88 million. Still, sources say Howard is willing to take a pay cut for a better-fitting team. Plus, many fans insist Los Angeles' team would be better off without Howard.
So why is the Lakers organization bothering with a public plea asking him to stay? Is it a risky campaign? Do you think a boombox serenade, John-Cusack style, is worthwhile or is it undignified?
Guest:
Bill Plaschke, Sports Columnist, Los Angeles Times
Is the overheated housing market redefining the 'first-time buyer'
The real estate market is on fire right now. Some see it as a bubble, others think rising interest rates will drive away investors and speculators and spur real buyers afraid of getting stuck with a high interest rate into the market. But the question is, where will those new buyers come from? A new study shows that people with student loans outstanding have a far lower rate of homeownership, and as we take on more and more student debt, who will be the next generation of first-time buyers?
Guests:
Richard Green, Director of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate
Chris Thornberg, Founding Partner of Beacon Economics
Crowdsource innovator Kickstarter.com’s growing pains
Last week the crowd funding website Kickstarter was at the center of a controversy involving a project it allowed to be funded. A dating guide for men called “Above the Game” drew criticism for its suggestions that men be overly aggressive in their sexual pursuits of women. One excerpt from the book said “Don’t ask for permission. Be dominant. Force her to rebuff your advances.”
After protests, Kickstarter offered an apology for not removing the project, but it raised questions of the site’s guidelines and how it determines projects’ legitimacy. A few weeks ago, a bogus project to fund the first 100 percent Japanese Kobe beef jerky raised $120,000 from over 3,000 backers before being removed from the website.
Why do Kickstarters’ guidelines seem to be so lax? Should Kickstarter have more regulation over which projects it allows on the site or should crowdfunding websites have community enforcement?
Guests:
Julianne Pepitone, reporter for CNNMoney
Jason Cooper, making “Kickstarted,” a documentary on crowdfunding, publicized Kickstarter’s Kobe beef jerky scam
Full upright and locked position: Not-so-comfortable truths about air travel today
Have you ever wondered why there are so many delays at the airport? Or why you seem to have less and less space in your seat on the plane? Mark Gerchick, former counsel for the Federal Aviation Administration, explains how flying has become such a stressful, uncomfortable and expensive experience in his book “Full Upright and Locked Position.”
In the book, Gerchick discusses what he calls “the new normal” of air travel and the changes that have been made to the industry following the September 11th attacks. Higher fuel costs and increased security led to more fees and delays for passengers. Gerchick’s book gives airline passengers an idea of what really goes on behind the scenes at airports.
Guest:
Mark Gerchick, author, former FAA counsel