Whither Libya? Debating Measure M - LA voters to decide on taxing medical marijuana. Free speech in US, banned speech in France. The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games are Won.
Whither Libya?
As the U.N. General Assembly suspended Libya from its top human rights body European nations and Egypt have launched emergency airlifts along Libya’s borders. Quick action is being called for to both protect and feed the tens of thousands of foreign nationals fleeing the country before the exodus turns into a humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile Moammar Gadhafi's forces have been securing his stronghold in the capital Tripoli and trying to take back nearby rebel-held cities with mixed results. As Gadhafi vows to "fight until the last man and woman," the United States is moving its military forces closer to the Libyan border and drawing up contingency plans with Britain and other NATO countries to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. Will this be enough to prevent Gadhafi's air forces from striking rebels? What other options is the US considering at this time? And does Gadhafi have what it takes to fight for long?
Guest:
Borzou Daragahi, LA Times Middle East correspondent, currently reporting from Tripoli, Libya
Debating Measure M - it’s high time for LA voters to decide on taxing medical marijuana
If passed, Measure M would let the city take home $50 for every $1,000 in pot-shop sales. Sounds like a great way for a city facing a $319-million budget shortfall to generate some much-needed revenue, right? Not so fast, say opponents. For one thing The Los Angeles City Attorney's office published a ruling that says that even if approved by voters, the measure is illegal because the dispensaries are nonprofits and selling marijuana is a crime. There's the thorny issue of declaring something illegal and then taxing it. Both sides agree that in all likelihood dispensary operators will be happy to pay the tax for the legitimacy and stability it would seem to grant their businesses. Cynics suggest they also hope that the city's reliance on tax revenue from their businesses would make the police less inclined to raid their establishments and scrutinize their day to day dealings. Would passage of this measure be perceived as a tacit endorsement for the legalization of marijuana? Would adding another 5 percent tax to the existing 9.75 percent county sales tax be an unfair burden to medical marijuana consumers? Does the projected $10 million in revenues this could raise make all other concerns go up in smoke? Larry and his guests hash it out.
Guests:
Andre Charles, Campaign Manager Yes on Measure M
Don Duncan, California Director of Americans for Safe Access
Free speech in US, banned speech in France
In an 8 to 1 decision the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that fundamentalists from the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas have a First Amendment right to mount anti-gay protests outside military funerals despite the pain they cause grieving families. In France, British fashion designer John Galliano was arrested on Tuesday after a couple accused him of making anti-Semitic insults in a café. Although Galliano has since apologized, Parisian prosecutors today have decided to put the fashion designer on trial over the alleged racial insults. What do these two stories tell us about legal definitions of protected speech and how each country deals with alleged violations?
Guest:
Eleanor Beardsely, NPR correspondent in Paris
The hidden influences behind how sports are played and games are won
Does life explain sports? Is it possible that the same behavioral dynamics that apply to our daily existence are equally applicable to athletics? The authors of Sportscasting contend that the reason refs miss calls is the same reason some parents don’t inoculate their kids and that Tiger Woods is prone to making the same mistakes in high pressure putting situations as any of us. Does defense truly win championships? Is there really such thing as a home field advantage? If so then why don’t athletes pay as much attention to the book of life as they do to playbooks?
Guest:
L. Jon Wertheim, co author, Scorecasting: the Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games are Won