Could it happen here? Nuclear fallout in Japan and the technical and political implications for the nuclear infrastructure in the US. 2011 NFL season in peril as player's union opts to decertify. California lawmakers want to carry guns. The survival of the Coptic community in Egypt. The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt.
Nuclear fallout in Japan and the technical and political implications for the U.S.
First reports of an explosion this morning at Unit 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant indicate it may be even more destructive than Saturday's explosion at another unit in the same facility. At this time, officials insist the structure that contains the reactor remains intact. However, there is growing concern about the status of irradiated fuel pools at all of the Fukushima reactors since the tops of two of the buildings have been blown off. It is being reported that Potassium Iodine is being distributed to the public which means there is a very real threat of thyroid cancer. What will this mean for the safety of U.S.-based nuclear reactors following a natural or other kind of disaster? Will Japan’s vulnerability change U.S. protocol at all? Will this fuel the arguments in the debate about the future of nuclear energy?
Guests:
Paul Carroll, Program Director, Ploughshares Fund
Michael Mariotte, Executive Director, Nuclear Information and Resource Service
NFL union votes to decertify
On Friday, labor talks broke down between the National Football League and the NFL Players Association just before the latest contract extension expired. The NFL Players Association chose to decertify, thus voiding its status as a union. One large point of contention is that the NFL is not sharing its financial information with the players, who are being asked to give more of their salaries than ever to team owners. In addition, the players feel they are putting their own physical well-beings on the line in a way that is extremely public and should be compensated as such. Players including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees sued the league on the issue of antitrust, and the league initiated a lockout on Friday at midnight. The remainder of this fight will take place in federal court, thus putting the country's most popular sport on a path to its first work stoppage since 1987.
Guests:
Sam Farmer, LA Times NFL Reporter
California lawmakers want to carry guns
Following the Gabriel Giffords shooting, California lawmakers are concerned about their safety at public appearances or even inside their offices. Now they are making efforts to change the current law on concealed weapons permits -- specifically for lawmakers. Senators Correa and Wright are proposing that the law should reflect the difference between elected officials and average citizens as potential targets of attacks. Sheriff Lee Baca disagrees that elected officials should be singled out. Do lawmakers have a right to greater access to guns? Would this deter attacks in the future?
The survival of the Coptic community in Egypt
It’s been barely a month since the historic uprising toppled Egypt’s longtime leader Hosni Mubarak. The ruling military is struggling to maintain order, but last Tuesday night clashes broke out between Coptic Christians and Muslims in the suburbs of Cairo, leaving 13 dead and 140 wounded. The fighting began when a Muslim mob attacked several hundred Christians protesting the burning of a church in Soul, a village south of Cairo. Muslims had apparently set fire to the church due to escalating tensions over a love affair between a Muslim woman and a Christian man. On Wednesday of last week, thousands gathered peacefully to demand that the transitional government rebuild the church, prosecute the attackers and work to improve conditions for Egypt’s Coptic Christian community, which makes up about 10-percent of the country’s 80-million people. Will the military be able to meet these demands? What does the future hold for Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority?
Guest:
Liam Stack, New York Times reporter in Cairo, Egypt
Father Gregory Bishay, delegate of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Los Angeles
The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt
Before Egypt grabbed international headlines for its democracy demonstrations and the ouster of then president Hosni Mubarak, new books on the history of that nation were probably not in very high demand. What a difference a democratic revolution makes. Today Egyptologist Toby Wilkinson and his latest book on Egyptian history are highly welcome. The Rise And Fall of Ancient Egypt takes a look at the world's first nation state and makes connections between the world of ancient Egyptians and today. For instance, autocratic and oppressive rule have long been a standard in Egypt. Wilkinson illustrates how as early as 2950 BC the idea of opposing the king's regime was considered a direct path to anarchy, much the same way Mubarak's government perpetrated a "father" image for him, one who was to be feared, obeyed and never questioned. Wilkinson also demonstrates how propaganda and repression have always been at the foundation of Egyptian government. What other lessons does history teach us that will help us to understand what is happening in Egypt right now? Have there been previous agitations for democracy? How do current the tensions between Coptic Christians and Muslims mirror ancient rivalries?
Guest:
Toby Wilkinson, author, The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt