District Judge Elizabeth McHugh finds evidence against Cosby's sexual assault charges sufficient; outdated terms used to describe minorities will soon be stripped from government documents; and debating menstrual cycles.
Explainer: Bill Cosby to stand criminal trial over 2004 encounter
Bill Cosby has been ordered to stand trial for sexual assault. The alleged incident dates back to 2004.
Former Temple University employee Andrea Constand claims Cosby gave her a substance that incapacitated her before he carried out a sexual assault. Constand was the first person to publicly accuse Cosby of such a crime.
More than 50 women have since related similar incidents. The 78-year-old Cosby faces a term of up to ten years, if convicted. Arraignment is set for July 20th. We talk about Cosby’s defense strategies and the prosecution. How many accusers will testify in the case? How does this affect concurrent civil cases against Cosby?
Guests:
Dominic Patten, Legal Editor at the entertainment industry news website, Deadline, who’s been following the story. He tweets
Matthew Galluzzo, partner at Galluzzo & Johnson, a criminal defense firm in New York City and a former prosecutor in the Sex Crimes Unit of the New York County District Attorney’s Office
'Oriental' stripped from government documents
If Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) has her way, the term "Oriental" will die with the last old folks who still use it.
Meng just successfully passed a bill by unanimous consent and with President Obama's final signature that strips from federal law the term used historically to describe Asian Americans.
Experts say the offensiveness of Oriental stems entirely from its historical context - it's associated with a time period when Asians had a subordinate status. The cultural historian Edward Said even popularized the term "Orientalism" in academia to refer to “patronizing Western attitudes towards Eastern societies that is used to justify Western imperialism.”
What images and connotations are conjured by the word? What are similar examples of words that are not slurs in and of themselves yet became offensive? How do you feel about the word and how have you heard it used?
MODERNIZATION OF TERMS RELATING TO MINORITIES by scprweb
Guest:
Frank Wu, Chancellor & Dean of University of California Hastings College of Law (and Professor of Law); Author, "Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White"
Examining tobacco company liability in Tony Gwynn’s death after family files lawsuit
In a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the tobacco industry yesterday, the family of former San Diego Padres outfielder and Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn argues Gwynn was manipulated by the tobacco industry into using smokeless tobacco.
Gwynn died in 2014 from salivary gland cancer. He was a lifelong smokeless tobacco user, who would chew a can and a half to two cans of the stuff every day and did so for more than 30 years.
The lawsuit argues that despite knowing the risks associated with chewing tobacco, the main defendant, Altria, targeted Tony Gwynn as part of an effort to market smokeless tobacco to groups like college kids, baseball players, or young black men. While the suit does not specify damages, it does call for a jury trial to determine whether the tobacco companies are liable for Gwynn’s death.
What are the legal forces pulling at both sides of this case? Does the Gwynn family have a leg to stand on or will the tobacco companies prevail? Is this likely to make it to a jury trial or will the case ultimately be settled?
Guests:
Richard Daynard, University Distinguished Professor of Law and president of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University
Jim Copland, senior fellow and director of legal policy at the Manhattan Institute
Why women don’t need periods, and other questions about modern period suppression
As contraception methods become more advanced, more women are becoming savvier about whether or not they need to suffer through a monthly period.
Some contraception methods, like IUDs, arm implants and hormone shots, do away with a woman’s monthly menstrual cycle. While not having to deal with “that time of the month” is a welcomed idea for many women, others prefer to have the reassurance of not being pregnant that having a period brings, and the idea of a menstrual cycle being “natural” to female identity.
Some believe that having a monthly period can even foster a sense of “feminine power.” While it is the general consensus of the medical community that periods are not necessary if a woman is taking birth control, there are still many misunderstandings from the general public about how period suppression works with contraceptive use, and if there are any risks involved.
For more on this, Larry Mantle speaks to Dr. Ingrid Rodi, an OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist from UCLA, and Layne Kumetz, board certified OBGYN with a private practice serving the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills area.
Guests:
Ingrid Rodi, OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist from UCLA.
Layne Kumetz, Board Certified OBGYN with a private practice in Los Angeles
Would banning the term 'car accident' cut down on car crashes?
After the Associated Press changed its official style guide last month, municipal and state governments have been striking car “accident” from official language and replacing it with “crash.”
Proponents say the change makes us less complicit with the number of auto fatalities and also avoids deferring fault, but opponents say it’s a similarly inaccurate and broad brush with which to paint all collisions.
What do you think?
Guest:
Jeff Larason, Massachusetts Director of Highway Safety and author of the blog, Drop the A Word