Today on AirTalk we will discuss NSA records leaked by Edward Snowden show that the NSA and FBI monitored the emails of several prominent Muslim-Americans living in the United States. Whether the the Hobby Lobby decision has become the cultural flashpoint of the moment. And should therapists give their patients access to mental health notes?
Possible religious exemption in Obama non-discrimination executive order rankles supporters
Earlier this month 15 religious leaders wrote to President Obama’s administration in support of an exemption to the upcoming executive order forbidding federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
In light of last week’s Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision, that move has heightened concern among the gay and lesbian community about whether the President would include such an exemption.
If closely held religious companies have the right to avoid covering certain contraceptive methods they say violates their religious beliefs, should religious employers also be able to
Guest:
Susan Russell, Senior Associate of Communication for All Saints Church in Pasadena
Prominent Muslim-Americans monitored by NSA and FBI
NSA records leaked by Edward Snowden show that the NSA and FBI monitored the emails of several prominent Muslim-Americans living in the United States.
Among the individuals who were monitored include Faisal Gill, a Republican operative who served in the Department of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush’s administration, Hooshang Amirahmadi, professor of international relations at Rutgers University, Agha Saeed, former political science Cal State University professor, and Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the U.S.
The surveillance was completed under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, where a judge must be convinced that there is indeed probable cause and the targets are engaged in espionage, sabotage or terrorism.
The records also show racial slurs were used in the memo templates of the organization, using phrases such as “Mohammed Raghead” as placeholders in place of where the monitored individual’s name would go.
What should be the standard procedure in monitoring American civilians? What should constitute as probable cause? Do you feel that the NSA was justified in its actions?
Guests:
Glenn Greenwald, editor, The Intercept; He broke today’s story about the NSA’s alleged activities. He is also a constitutional lawyer and his most recent book is No Place to Hide
Edina Lekovic, director of policy and programming with the Muslim Public Affairs Council
Colonel Cedric Leighton, former deputy director of training for the NSA, chairman of Cedric Leighton Associates, a strategic risk and leadership management consultancy
Can the Democrats capitalize on the Hobby Lobby ruling?
The Hobby Lobby decision has become the cultural flashpoint of the moment. As the ruling continues to divide the nation, Democrats in Congress had drafted a bill they plan to bring to the Senate floor as early as next week that would override the Supreme Court decision. Essentially, the bill would require for-profit businesses to provide and pay for contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act, reports the New York Times. The chance that it’ll survive a House vote is slim.
The impact of the Supreme Court decision has been dissected and analyzed endlessly, but less certain is how the decision will play out politically. There's already talk that the Democrats want to use the Hobby Lobby decision to get women voters out to vote--the demographic most angered by the ruling.
Is it enough of a rallying point? Or would the decision become too much of a distant memory by the November midterm elections?
Guests:
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist; former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson
Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist; former senior Obama advisor in 2008, who now runs the Los Angeles office for the Dewey Square Group
Not so fast with that water hose; California considers mandatory water fines
Wasting water while washing your car or watering your lawn could soon cost Californians up to $500 a day for violations under “get-tough” water restrictions being proposed today by state regulators.
The State Water Resources Control Board is scheduled to consider enforcing emergency regulations as early as next week.
We’ll talk about what the infractions will look like and what urban areas they’ll be focusing on. We’ll also debate whether this is the best way to curb urban use. In a state where agricultural by and large uses the most water, can curbing urban water use still make a difference?
Guests:
Molly Peterson, KPCC Environmental Correspondent
Ed Osann, Senior Policy Analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council Water Program; he focuses on the efficient use of urban water
Should therapists give their patients access to mental health notes?
At Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, therapists are giving mental health patients access to therapy notes and charts, something patients commonly have access to in other fields. The doctors behind the project say that opening mental health records up to patients allows for a more participatory, active, and collaborative therapy practice.
Critics argue that giving patients access to notes from therapy sessions could be upsetting or chilling to the way doctors communicate. While some patients are eager to use the notes from therapy as feedback and involve themselves in the process, others are skeptical about how they might use the notes, and have stayed away.
Could opening up mental health records to patients be potentially damaging or upsetting, or is it part of a more transparent and collaborative therapy practice? What’s the best way for therapists and patients to communicate? Would you want to see what your therapist wrote about you?
Guests:
Dr. Tom Delbanco, Richard and Florence Koplow - James Tullis Professor of General Medicine and Primary Care at Harvard Medical School Division, physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, co-director of OpenNotes
Dr. Brian Clinton, psychiatrist and assistant professor at Columbia University
Checking in on #PriceCheck: mammograms
Have you ever gone to the doctor or hospital for a routine test or procedure, and later received a shockingly high bill?
Price Check, a collaboration with KQED and Clearhealthcosts.com, a health costs transparency company that has been gathering cost data on a variety of medical tests, procedures and services from around the country.
See more about Price Check in Rebecca Plevin's blog post, and join the conversation about health cost transparency on the Price Check page.
Guest:
Rebecca Plevin, KPCC Health Reporter