In an announcement this morning, President Obama said that the US will bolster military resources in the area, but has stressed the idea that the Iraqi military is best equipped to handle the situation. Also, how will the ouster of Dov Charney affect the American Apparel brand? Then, we discuss the effects of counterfeit drugs worldwide.
What’s next for the United States in Iraq?
Advances by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) towards Baghdad have prompted questions and pressure on President Obama to assist the Iraqi government.
So far, the president has ruled out combat troops, but is planning to send military advisors to the region. In an announcement this morning, President Obama said that the US will bolster military resources in the area, but has stressed the idea that the Iraqi military is best equipped to handle the situation.
The president focused on protecting national security interests and preventing Iraq from becoming a safe haven for terrorists and extremists. What is the best course of action for the United State in Iraq? How should this be handled politically and militarily?
Guest:
Aaron David Miller, Vice President for New Initiatives and Distinguished Scholar Middle East Program at the Wilson Center, former adviser to Democratic and Republican Secretaries of State
How does the ouster of Dov Charney impact the American Apparel brand?
In Los Angeles, American Apparel ads are ubiquitous, where young women, scantily clad and in often compromising positions, sport the latest trends in fashion.
The founder of the company, and visionary behind the brand, Dov Charney, has been terminated “for cause.” Allan Mayer, the newly elected co-chairman, said his termination had to do with an ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct.
Over the years, there have been accusations of Charney taking advantage of the models photographed in his ads. But, Charney, like him or not, is closely linked to the brand and the success it’s seen over the years. And despite his firing, the company’s stocks jumped by over 19% this morning.
Might the company fare well without its founder? Or will the company suffer without him? What might be next for the Los Angeles based company?
Guests:
Abe Sauer, writer for Brand Channel, an online branding and marketing publication based headquartered in New York
Scott Silverman, brand consultant and owner of ARticulated Brands, a branding company based in West Los Angeles
Tweens get into the direct-sales market
You can’t find Willagirl, a skincare startup marketed towards young girls, in stores. The company pulled its products from retailers in February and moved its business to a direct-sales model. Direct-sales companies like Avon, Mary Kay and Tupperware have long entered people’s living rooms to sell cosmetics and home supplies, but Willagirl is different.
The average salesperson is only 15 – girls as young as 11 or 12 hawk skincare supplies to their peers, and while some sales take place during classic living room parties, a lot of their work is done through social media and on cell phones. Direct-sell businesses sometimes come under fire for multi-level marketing – creating artificial demand for a product by making sales reps buy at a certain level.
Willagirl’s sales reps don’t purchase the items they’re selling themselves, instead they put in order forms that are fulfilled by the company directly, and earn a 25% commission on their sales and on any recruitment of new sales reps. Is using tweens in a direct-sales business model appropriate? What might these young women learn from this untraditional job? Is Willagirl forging a path for female entrepreneurship, or just cashing in on its young sales reps?
Guests:
Christy Prunier, Founder & CEO Willagirl Inc.
Stacie Bosley, assistant professor of economics, Hamline University School of Business in St. Paul, MN
Fake antibiotics fuel global epidemic of superbugs
Antibiotics have become one of the most counterfeited drugs in the world, and according to a new World Health Organization report, the use of these fake drugs are fueling the spread of drug-resistant superbugs, Bloomberg reports.
The problem is being felt most acutely in places like India, where resistance to common antibiotics is forcing doctors there to prescribe stronger drugs with potentially more severe side effects.
Big pharmaceutical companies are aware of the growing problem. Pfizer Inc., for instance, has partnered up with Microsoft Corp on its anti-counterfeiting efforts.
Guests:
Makiko Kitamura, Bloomberg reporter in London who has been following the story
John Clark, Chief Global Security Officer at Pfizer. He is responsible for the company’s anti-counterfeit efforts
Appeals Court lifts ban on homeless living in cars
Cheyenne Desertrain and fellow homeless brought suit against the City of Los Angeles to maintain their ability to sleep in their cars without being arrested or ticketed by police. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the city’s ordinance, banning people from living in cars or recreational vehicles on city streets or in parking lots, as unconstitutionally vague. Many non-homeless residents in Venice feel this makes their streets unsafe. Others say, Venice homeless are part of the neighborhoods eclectic population.
Guest:
Carol Sobel, a lawyer based in Santa Monica, that represented the plaintiffs in the lawsuit
The IRS emails: System breakdown or subterfuge?
An unknown number of emails on the computer of Lois Lerner, former head of the IRS tax-exempt status department, are lost. Several media outlets say, on Friday, the Internal Revenue Service informed Congressional investigators that two years of Lerner’s emails are unrecoverable.
Lerners emails are considered valuable due to an ongoing investigation about the apparent extra scrutiny tax-exempt applications of Tea Party-affiliated organizations received from the department. Critics cry out foul play, and postulate about the destruction of data.
But, others say, the loss of emails is simply the result of an archaic computer system at the government agency. Is it possible the IRS destroyed data? What is the technological state of the IRS’ computers? What is the precedent for a loss of emails at a government agency? Is record-keeping a government wide problem?
Guest:
Sean Gallagher, IT Editor at Ars Technica, a publication devoted to technology