California Attorney General Kamal Harris filed a lawsuit against for-profit college Corinthian Colleges, Inc for making false claims to students. What do you think the outcome of the trial will be? Then, Maine is the first state to allow prescriptions drugs to be imported from other countries. Do you support this move if it cuts down on prescription drug costs? Next, we are remembering astronaut Scott Carpenter. He was the second American to orbit the earth. Lastly, TGIF it's Filmweek with our critics talking about Captain Phillips, Muscle Shoal and much more!
California Attorney General files lawsuit against for-profit colleges
California Attorney General Kamala Harris filed a lawsuit against Corinthian Colleges, Inc and its subsidiaries, which run a number of for-profit colleges across the country, claiming that they lied to students and investors about job-placement prospects, as well as illegally using military seals in their ads to attract veteran students.
Corinthian runs a total of 111 campuses in North America and three online programs. One-third of the company’s 81,000 students reside in California. According to the suit filed by the AG’s office, the company charges close to $40,000 in tuition for an associate’s degree and boosts an unrealistically high job placement rates for certain programs it offers.
So, are for-profit universities preying on people looking for a higher education, or do they help people find a way to get that college degree that could help them advance professionally and personally?
Guests:
Suzanne Martindale, staff attorney at Consumers Union, the policy and action division of Consumer Reports
Neal McCluskey, associate director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom
Maine becomes first state in nation to allow prescription drug imports; should California follow?
Maine became the first state in the country to enact a law that lets residents purchase mail-order drugs from some pharmacies in Canada, the U.K., New Zealand and Australia. Michael Brennan, mayor of Portland, the largest city in Maine, told the Wall Street Journal that the practice saved the city over $3 million between 2004 and 2012 for employees’ drugs.
But a lawsuit filed by a major pharmaceutical trade group along with several Maine pharmacy organizations claim that the law could expose consumers to tainted or counterfeit meds. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits the import of drugs by any means, but rarely goes after consumers for violating the ban.
Should California follow in Maine’s footsteps and sanction mail-order purchases of drugs from Canada or Mexico? Do you support such a move if it cuts down on your prescription drug costs? Would you be concerned about safety issues?
Guests:
Sharon Treat, a member of the Maine House of Representatives and a supporter of the bill
Kenneth Mccall, Associate Professor at the University of New England College of Pharmacy and President of the Maine Pharmacy Association
Remembering Astronaut Scott Carpenter's dramatic NASA career
M. Scott Carpenter, whose 1962 spaceflight nearly ended in disaster, died at age 88 yesterday in Denver. Carpenter was the second American to orbit the Earth - after John Glenn - in a mission that suffered technical glitches and an uncertain landing 250 miles off target.
Carpenter's actions that day and those of NASA's mission control stoked controversy for decades and served as fodder for the famous novel and film "The Right Stuff." Carpenter's ocean explorations were also a significant accomplishment.
In 1965, he spent a month living and working on the ocean floor at a depth of 205 feet off the coast of San Diego with the Sealab project. What do you remember about Carpenter’s contributions to space and ocean exploration?
Guest:
Tom Jones, Former NASA Astronaut & a Planetary Scientist; Jones flew on four space shuttle missions to Earth orbit; the last, in 2001, included three spacewalks to install the American Destiny laboratory on the International Space Station
Filmweek: Captain Phillips, CBGB, Muscle Shoals and more
Larry is joined by KPCC critics Tim Cogshell, Wade Major and Charles Solomon to review this week's releases, including Captain Phillips, CBGB, Muscle Shoals and more! TGI-Filmweek!
Captain Phillips
CBGB
Muscle Shoals
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and producer and host for IGN’s DigiGods.com
Charles Solomon, animation film critic for KPCC and author and historian for amazon.com