The American College of Physicians is now strongly recommending against annual pelvic exams for healthy women. The news comes after other recommendations that routine exams are also not necessary for all people, so what is necessary? Also, today in California, the minimum wage is rising to $9. Then, does Team USA have what it takes to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals?
No pelvic exam, no problem, but what medical care is necessary now?
The American College of Physicians is now strongly recommending against annual pelvic exams for healthy women.
The news comes after other recommendations that routine mammograms, pap smears and prostate exams are also not necessary for all people, so what is necessary? Do these recommendations portend changes in which services insurance may cover? And does this news change the care you'll ask for next time you visit your doctor?
Guests:
Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D., President of the National Center for Health Research and an Epidemiologist trained at Yale University
Dr. Jan Gurley, a practicing internist physician and health writer for Reporting on health.
As California raises minimum wage July 1, a look at the age-old debate
The debate continues about the pros and cons of the minimum wage and whether or not to raise it. Nationally speaking, the Obama administration is proposing to raise the national minimum wage to $10.10/hour from the current $7.25/hour. Today in California, the minimum wage is rising to $9. Seattle just raised its minimum to $15/hour (though the new law is facing legal and voter challenges). Why the disparity from state to state, or city to city? It’s about purchasing power and the cost of living which varies wildly across our country. What Californians can buy for ten dollars is far less than what someone in Alabama might be able to buy for the same amount of money. Critics say uniformly raising the minimum wage could hurt job growth and increase poverty -- management won’t hire low-skilled workers, if their hourly is too expensive. On the other hand, proponents say, if the minimum wage is set appropriately, then some of our country’s neediest workers would see an improvement in earnings and minimal job loss. Should a minimum wage be determined based on where you live? Should a minimum wage be set nationally? Should there be a minimum wage at all?
Guests:
Jared Bernstein, Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and former Chief Economist and Economic Advisor to Vice President Joe Biden
Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Sr. Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. She served as chief of staff of President George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers.
As Corinthian falters, is this the end of the an era for for-profit colleges?
Today is the deadline for beleaguered Orange County-based for-profit college Corinthian to reach a deal with the U.S. Department of Education on a plan to sell or close the school's 107 campuses and online programs.
Just a decade ago, Corinthian Colleges Inc. was a giant in the for-profit college world. The Santa Ana-based entity owns and operates schools such as Heald, Everest and WyoTech, with more than 81,000 students nationally. Like so many for-profit schools, its fortunes were tied to the billions of dollars in federal loans students take out to attend the school.
Federal scrutiny on for-profit colleges has tightened and Corinthian is under investigation by 20 states, including California, for questionable recruitment practices and inflated job placement rates. Around mid-June, the Department of Education announced that it will cut off financial aid to Corinthian, but last week, the department softened its stance, giving the school more time to wind down.
Guests:
Steve Gunderson, President and CEO of the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, a trade association for for profit colleges based in Washington DC
Chris Kirkham, LA Times reporter who has been covering the story
Ben Miller, senior policy analyst at the Education Policy Program at the New America Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy think tank. He previously served as a senior policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Education
Killings of Israeli teens ignite Middle East tensions
The kidnap and murder of three Israeli teens in the Hebron region has shaken the Middle East. The bodies of the three boys were found yesterday, sparking outrage in Israel and across the globe. Israel blames the killings on Hamas, and has already increase airstrikes on Gaza overnight.
President Netanyahu said that “Hamas will pay” for its actions against Israel, although Hamas has so far denied it was behind the abductions and deaths. The conflict in the region comes after a tense political arrangement concerning the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the unity government that joins Abbas’ Fatah with Hamas.
How will relations in the Middle East develop as regional leaders react to these killings? What, if anything, will U.S. involvement entail?
Guest:
Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in Washington, DC. He served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security adviser in the administration of President George W. Bush, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House
Does Team USA have what it takes to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals?
Team USA faces Belgium in the knockout round of the World Cup today [TUESDAY]. If it wins, it’ll mark a long-awaited return to the quarterfinals of the competition since 2002. The wait’s been even longer for the Belgians; the last time they reached the quarterfinals was in 1986.
For Team USA to prevail, they need to focus on attacking the net, particularly against a team that has carved out a reputation in Europe as a young and wildly talented.
This isn’t the first time the US has faced Belgium. The two teams played in friendlies—or preparation matches—in September 2011 and May 2013, in which the US was outplayed both times. That said, Team USA has been playing exceptional football in this tournament and as all the upsets have shown, anything is possible in the World Cup.
Guest:
Mike Woitalla, executive editor, Soccer America Magazine. He is joining us from Rio de Janeiro, where he is covering the World Cup