Federal Government Defines Obesity As An Illness; University Of California May Raise Minimum GPA Requirement; More Californians Obtain Carry Concealed Weapon Licenses; Larry Flynt: Sex, Lies And Politics
Federal Government Defines Obesity As An Illness
U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced last week that the federal government now considers obesity an illness. Larry Mantle talks with Dr. Steve Phurrogh, Director of the Coverage and Analysis Group at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and Paul Campos, author of The Obesity Myth: Why America’s Obsession with Weight is Hazardous to Your Health, and works for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, about what this change in policy may mean for coverage of obesity treatments.
University Of California May Raise Minimum GPA Requirement
The University of California Board of Regents may soon raise the minimum GPA for admission from 2.8 to 3.1. Larry Mantle talks with Barbara Sawrey, Chair of the University of California’s Academic Senate, about the reasoning behind this change. He also talks with UCLA Professor of Education Walter Allen, who is concerned that raising the minimum GPA may disproportionately affect California’s Blacks and Latinos.
More Californians Obtain Carry Concealed Weapon Licenses
Twenty-eight percent more Californians carry concealed weapons legally than in 2000, says the LA Times, likely a reaction to September 11th. The City and County of Los Angeles issue far fewer concealed weapons licenses than other jurisdictions. Sheriff Lee Baca, David Yochelson, Attorney and plaintiff in a lawsuit against the City of LA and the LAPD over the issuance of concealed weapons permits, and John Lott, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute join Host Larry Mantle to discuss how concealed weapons licenses are issued, and why LA City and County are so tough on giving them to citizens.
Larry Flynt: Sex, Lies And Politics
Larry Flynt, legendary pornographer and First Amendment rights crusader, joins Larry Mantle to share his insights on a variety of subjects including sex, freedom of speech, government, privacy, the War on Terror, and the Bush administration. In his new book, Sex, Lies & Politics, Flynt exposes his rage against the post-9/11 paranoia, attacks on civil rights and rise of the religious right. He also asks Americans to consider some important questions like why are we so brainwashed as a nation and why are we so afraid to be truly free?