The tragic murders in Isla Vista last week have raised difficult questions about identifying potential red flags. What authority to do parents and law enforcement officials have to act on when the see a red flag? Is the prestige of the Supreme Court tarnished by partisan politics? Later, could bacteria be the key to staying clean?
Isla Vista reaction: The dos and don’ts of intervention
The killing spree that took place on Friday night, in Isla Vista left the UC Santa Barbara searching for answers to the senseless murders of six students at the university, and the 13 injured.
There are many questions about how the homicides could have been stopped before they happened. What would you do if your adult child started making threats like Elliot Rodger? Call police? Go to his apartment? Shadow him?
What kind of behavior constitutes a legitimate red flag? What authority do parents and law enforcement officials have to act on, when they see one? If more stringent laws are put into place to restrain people from perceived danger to self and others, do we run the risk of trampling on people’s civil liberties?
Guests:
Mitesh Parekh, licensed psychologist specializing in young adults and their families
Eugene Volokh, Professor of Law at UCLA Law School whose expertise includes constitutional law and freedom of speech
Renee Binder, a psychiatrist and professor in residence at UC San Francisco
To hear to this segment, click on "Listen Now" in the upper left.
Is the prestige of the Supreme Court tarnished by partisan politics?
In Adam Liptak’s New York Times piece, he argues that the current US Supreme Court justices are ruling based on their political affiliations. He says that never before in American history has our land’s highest court been so polarized.
Contrast this to the past, where there are examples of past justices, who, though nominated by a republican president, ended up ruling more liberally than might have been expected.
Are the Supreme Court justices so split by party that their impartial judgement is impaired? What does this mean for the reputation of the court? How does the behavior of the court influence young lawyers who will ultimately become judges themselves?
How does this polarization effect Americans’ perception of a fair and just court of law? What can be done about partisan politics in our land’s highest court?
Guest:
Adam Liptak, Supreme Court correspondent at The New York Times
After Ukraine election, violence spikes in the east
After Ukraine election, violence spikes in the east: Ukraine's success of an orderly election was short-lived as a violent attack at the Donetsk airport saw 40 people killed Monday.
Donetsk mayor Oleksandr Lukyanchenko said Ukrainian troops had repelled separatist rebels from seizing control of the country's second-largest airport. The continuing unrest in the east is just one of the challenges facing expected president-elect Petro Poroshenko.
The billionaire businessman, who has prior experience in Ukrainian governments, won an estimated 54% of the vote. He has promised a peaceful end to the insurgency in the east, but also has likened the pro-Russian separatists to "Somali pirates."
Poroshenko says he is ready to start talks with the Kremlin. The advance was welcomed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, but Ukraine's acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said multilateral talks are not likely under current conditions.
Who is Petro Poroshenko and what is his history with Russian leadership? Will his election bring stability across Ukraine?
With files from the Associated Press.
Guests:
Jane Harman, Director, President & CEO of the Wilson Center international affairs think tank; last week, Harman was an election observer in Ukraine; former long-time California Congresswoman
Jamila Trindle, Senior Reporter for Foreign Policy magazine
Could bacteria be the answer to staying clean?
Last week, Minnesota banned the use of triclosan, a common agent in anti-bacterial soaps. According to the FDA, triclosan is used in 75 percent of anti-bacterial liquid soaps and body washes sold across the United States. It has also been linked to disruptions in reproduction and development in lab animals as well as a contributor to the development of resistant bacteria.
For years we've seen the use of antibacterial soaps, sprays and gels grow, but what if ADDING bacteria is actually the answer? That's a question our next guest took up when she signed up for an experiment with a microbiomic product. Julia Scott wrote about it in this week's New York Times' magazine and she joins us now with more.
With no clear indication that using triclosan soaps are more effective than traditional soap and water, should triclosan be banned in the U.S. overall? Would you abandon your shampoo and body wash for the addition of more bacteria?
Guest:
Julia Scott, writer and radio producer in San Francisco; wrote the New York Times Magazine piece “My No-Soap, No-Shampoo, Bacteria-Rich Hygiene Experiment”
Should Las Vegas legalize betting on federal elections?
A Nevada legislative committee will decide today whether to reintroduce a bill defeated in 2013 that would allow betting in the state on presidential and congressional elections--something that is banned in states with legalized gambling.
Nevada Senator Richard "Tick" Segerblom, who sponsored the 2013 failed attempt, wants the bill to be reconsidered given that other countries, like England, can bet on federal elections in the US, and Nevada should be allowed to do the same.
In the UK, close to $2 million was bet on the last presidential election at Ladbrokes, a gaming company in the country. And Irish bookmaker Paddy Power paid out over half a million dollars on President Obama's win in 2012.
Segerblom says he plans to reintroduce the bill in 2015 even if the legislative committee decides to vote against it today.
Guests:
Richard “Tick” Segerblom, Senator (D-NV) representing District 3 in Nevada, which includes Downtown Las Vegas
Dana Lane, owner of Dana Lane Sports, a sports handicapping company in Las Vegas