Militants described as Sunni extremists by some, opportunistic thugs by others have captured the northern Iraq city of Tal Afar today. Then, Starbucks and Arizona State University announced a joint venture today where the coffee chain will provide its employees the opportunity to enroll in free online classes. After, we speak with Adam Rodgers, author of Proof: The Science of Booze.
Iraqi insurgents seize more ground, global response unclear
Militants described as Sunni extremists by some, opportunistic thugs by others, have captured the northern Iraq city of Tal Afar today. Thousands of residents are fleeing the city, which is strategically located on the main highway between the Syrian border and Mosul - already an insurgent stronghold after the group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria captured it last week.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said today that American drone strikes are an option. He also said the Obama administration is willing to work with Iran in considering options to return a semblance of stability to Iraq.
What are the risks of talking with Iran? Would U.S. or international action against the militants help protect the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki? What risks does that entail? What are the pros and cons of using drone strikes?
With files from the Associated Press.
Guest:
Joseph Cirincione, President, Ploughshares Fund - a global security foundation; member of Secretary of State John Kerry's International Security Advisory Board and the Council on Foreign Relations; Author, "Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It Is Too Late"
Patrick Tucker, Technology Editor, Defense One - a security news site owned by Atlantic Media
Starbucks offering college education to employees
Starbucks and Arizona State University announced a joint venture today where the coffee chain will provide its 135,000 employees the opportunity to enroll in free online classes without requiring that they stay with the company.
The program is open to all employees who work at least 20 hours per week and who have earned the grade and test scores to gain entry into the online university.
So far the program has been getting high praises but what does it portend for the higher education landscape and corporate culture in this country?
Guest:
Rachel Fishman, a policy analyst with the Education Policy Program at the New America Foundation
Brazil's World Cup rehearsal might not be enough to prep Rio’s 2016 Summer Olympics
Most of the attention on Brazil this week is focused on soccer scoreboards, but the lead up to the World Cup was plagued with construction problems and cost overruns. It does not portend well for the 2016 Olympic Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The International Olympic Committee for the first time has sent an oversight committee to maintain a constant presence and advise a host city. Last week, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes said the Guanabar Bay won't be clean in time for the 2016 Olympic sailing competition.
That competition will have to moved to unpolluted waters, free of debris and sewage, either outside the bay or at its entrance. Last month, IOC Vice President John Coates called Rio's Olympic preparations the "worst ever." Still, Paes insisted, "We really do believe we are on time, and that we are going to deliver great games."
How much work must be done on transportation and housing? Is there a back-up plan if Rio defaults?
Guest:
David Wallechinsky, President of the International Society of Olympic Historians and author of The Complete Book of the Olympics (Aurum Press)
World Cup 2014: How are you watching the tournament at work?
Brackets, at-desk online streaming, and lunchtime soccer -- the World Cup has inspired some interesting office dynamics. Snippets of the game are available on Facebook and through a partnership between Google and ESPN, and many people watch the games online through a stream or on an office TV.
RELATED: World Cup 2014: US coach Klinsmann opts for youth, international experience
In China, where games are on in the middle of the night and in the early morning, large numbers of people will call in sick, or even buy fake doctors notes to excuse themselves from work during the tournament (one employer garnered favor with his employees by allowing them to work from home throughout the World Cup).
Can you tear your eyes away from the World Cup at the office? Do conversations about the games or a lunchbreak TV check in foster good work relations? How are you watching and working?
Kings Parade check-in
Thousands of L.A. Kings’ fans have converged to the streets of downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the teams second Stanley Cup Championship in three years. The Stanley Cup champs took a difficult path to claim the cup, winning each of the first three playoffs series on the road and in the seventh and deciding games of the series. On Friday night, the double overtime game five clincher for the King’s was the longest game in the team history.
Guest:
Brian Watt, KPCC Business Reporter at the parade
How the New York Times injects youth into its popular crossword puzzle
Modern slang and youthful words are making their way into the New York Times crossword puzzle, and the change has a lot to do with Anna Shechtman.
The 23-year-old is assistant editor to word game guru Will Shortz, and her influence on the newspaper’s classic puzzle is noticeable. New words include “twitter hashtag,” and “epicness” -- “amazeballs” didn’t make it into the paper.
Shechtman’s job as a crossword editor is to make submitted puzzles more elegant, worthy of publication. She and Shortz change clues, inserting more interesting words where constructors rely on obscure crossword crutches. Shechtman’s work has the added value of infusing the puzzle with a hipper and arguably more accessibly tone. Younger readers (and older ones) may find her clues familiar, less outdated, leading to more “aha!” moments.
How are crossword puzzles changing? How do gamemakers and puzzlers to keep classics feeling new? Does making the crossword more accessible add value or appeal for a younger readership?
Guest:
Anna Shechtman, assistant to Will Shortz, crossword editor for the New York Times
How the drought is hurting hydroelectric power generation in CA
Hydroelectricity is completely dependent on reservoir levels, and the ongoing drought has depleted significantly water levels.
California has some 400 hydro plants, a majority of which are located in the eastern mountain ranges. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the state’s Department of Water Resources jointly run the larger dam-based plants in the state; while smaller plants are operated by utilities.
The California Independent System Operator manages about 80 percent of the state’s electric grid and gets over 13 percent of its electricity from large hydro plants.
Guest:
Bob Weisenmiller, Chair, California Energy Commission
Jay Lund, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, UC Davis. His areas of expertise includes the study of climate change and hydropower generation in the state
'Proof: The Science of Booze' uncovers alcohol's deepest mysteries
In "Proof: The Science of Booze," Adam Rodgers, an editor at the technology magazine Wired, dissects the science behind one of the longstanding bonds between cultures and continents: alcohol.
Regardless of whether it is created in a microbrewery or mass produced, there is a centuries old history of our ancestors’ accidental discovery of fermented drinks to cutting edge research that explores how our bodies and brains react when we consume it.
Drawing on passion and a curious mind, Rogers profiles the innovative brewers, distillers, bartenders and scientists who are uncovering booze’s deepest mysteries.
Proof brings to light answers about the barely understood physiological and psychological experiences of drinking and explains how the chemical reactions in the stomach, kidneys, livers and the brain are set off when the first sip of alcohol touches the drinkers lips.
Have you ever wondered about the scientific effects of drinking on your body? Have the effects of alcohol changed as you age? What is your favorite drink, and do you know its origins?
Guest:
Adam Rogers, author of “Proof: The Science of Booze,” and an editor at Wired