AirTalk debates the effectiveness of sex addiction treatment after Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey entered the same rehab facility following multiple allegations of sexual assault. We also dive into the latest news out of D.C.; what are your questions for Scott Kelly, who has spent the most time of any astronauts living in space? and more.
The latest from D.C. on AG Sessions’ testimony, Trump Jr.-Wikileaks convo, panel examining POTUS’ nuclear strike capabilities and more
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is denying he misled Congress about meeting a Trump campaign advisor trying to set up a meeting with Russian officials.
Right now, Sessions is testifying before the House Judiciary Committee.
Larry and our panel of political observers analyze the AG’s testimony today, as well as other political news happening on the Hill.
Guests:
Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk at NPR; he tweets
Caroline Heldman, associate professor of politics at Occidental College and author of ‘Protest Politics in the Marketplace: Consumer Activism in the Corporate Age’ (Cornell University Press, 2017); she tweets
Lanhee Chen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and former policy director for the Romney-Ryan 2012 presidential campaign; he tweets
As Weinstein, Spacey seek treatment post-scandals, examining the efficacy of sex rehab
Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey are reportedly seeking treatment at the same upscale sex rehab facility in Arizona.
They aren’t the first names to have headed to rehab after a national sex scandal, of which a long list includes Tiger Woods, Michael Douglas and Rob Lowe. But with the onslaught of allegations continuing to make headlines, the conversation surrounding the field of in-patient sex therapy is once again stirring controversy.
The concept of sex addiction or disorder has long been criticized by both medical experts and the general public, often pointing to a lack of research in treatment and publicist efforts to hide clients amidst scandals. But while sex addiction isn’t listed as an official mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association, it is recognized as a disorder, and a range of treatment centers, practicing psychiatrists and counselors exist.
Host Larry Mantle talks with experts on sexual health and addiction treatment.
Guests:
Jill Boultinghouse, co-founder and clinical director of Pacific Solstice Addiction Treatment Centers; she is a licensed marriage and family therapist
Doug Braun-Harvey, licensed marriage and family therapist, certified sex therapist, and co-founder of The Harvey Institute, a sexual health training and consultation service based in San Diego; he is the co-author of “Treating Out of Control Sexual Behavior: Rethinking Sex Addiction” (Springer Publishing Company, 2015)
FDA approves first digital pill: What is it and what are the concerns?
The Food and Drug Administration approved a first yesterday – a digital pill that that can tell doctors if and when a patient took the medicine.
As cited by the New York Times, millions of patients don’t take their prescribed medications, which adds up to nearly $100 billion a year in subsequent costs. The pill approved yesterday is an iteration of an antipsychotic. The way it would work is that a consenting patient would sign a consent form to give their doctors and up to four others electronic information about when and whether the pill was taken.
According to proponents, this tracking pill has the potential to save costs and help patients who are forgetful or noncompliant. But it also raises ethical concerns about consent, privacy and even efficacy, as illnesses such as schizophrenia often come with paranoia, and a tracking device might erode doctor-patient relations.
What are the benefits of a digital pill? What are the ethical concerns and can they be circumvented?
Guests:
William Shrank, M.D., chief medical officer of the University of Pittsburgh's Medical Center Health Plan
Henry Greely, professor of law and director of the center for law and the biosciences at Stanford; he specializes in the ethical, legal and social repercussions of new biomedical technologies
What you need to know about the new blood pressure guidelines
New guidelines lower the threshold for high blood pressure, adding 30 million Americans to those who have the condition, which now plagues nearly half of U.S. adults.
High pressure, which for decades has been a top reading of at least 140 or a bottom one of 90, drops to 130 over 80 in advice announced Monday by a dozen medical groups.
Read the full story here.
Guest:
Gina Kolata, a science and medicine reporter at The New York Times who’s been following the new guidelines; author of several books, including her latest, “Mercies in Disguise: A Story of Hope, a Family's Genetic Destiny, and the Science That Rescued Them” (St. Martin’s Press, 2017); she tweets
What’s next for the guy who has spent the most time of any astronauts living in space?
If you are an astronaut, what happens when you get a toothache at the international space station?
Who cuts your hair? What do you do when there's an orbital debris collision? These are some of the questions Scott Kelly, a veteran of four space flights, answers in his book “Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery”. Kelly recounts his childhood as a struggling student, to his training as an astronaut, to his year in isolation during a space mission.
Host Larry Mantle sits down with Scott Kelly on the pain and gain of living in space. You can watch the replay of our Facebook live stream below.
Scott Kelly will be discussing “Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery” with Bill Nye Tuesday, Nov. 14, in a sold-out Vroman’s Bookstore event at the Pasadena Presbyterian Church. The event starts at 7pm.
Guest:
Scott Kelly, retired astronaut who has the record for the total accumulated number of days spent in space; he is the author of “Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery” (Knopf, 2017)