We check in on the clean-up effort on the East Coast in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Plus, what's next for the Star Wars franchise now that Disney owns Lucasfilm? Will FEMA's swift response during Hurricane Sandy help heal the organization's tarnished image? Then, Massachusetts voters weigh passing a controversial initiative to legalize physician-assisted suicide, we talk to the author of the book "The Last Walk," which looks at how to treat aging and sick dogs, and much more.
Update from the ground in hurricane-ravaged New York City
As New Yorkers struggle to resume their daily routine, we check in with Take Two producer/reporter Mary Plummer.
Will FEMA's swift response to Sandy redeem its tarnished image?
As the East Coast recovers from Hurricane Sandy, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie praised the federal government’s response. For that, he can thank the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, the same organization that just 7 years ago was lambasted for it's underwhelming, slow response to Hurricane Katrina.
Has FEMA risen from the ashes?
Disney/Lucasfilm merger resurrects 'Star Wars' franchise for a new generation
Long ago in a galaxy far far away... Actually yesterday here in California, George Lucas sold his Lucasfilm company along with his Star Wars empire to Disney for $4.05 billion.
The sci-fi movie franchise already extends into games, TV and consumer products. With three new movie in the works, the stars are the limit for Star Wars and its new owner Disney.
Fans of the original movies say the franchise has been going downhill ever since the release of Phantom Menace in 1999. But there's a whole new generation of moviegoers out there and for them, this will be their first chance to see "Star Wars" on the big screen.
To find out what this young demographic thinks about yesterday's announcement, we brought in a huge "Star Wars" fan, 7-year-old Sam Grotenstein.
The mechanics of voting in the wake of a natural disaster
Hurricane Sandy and a snowstorm have hobbled the East Coast. Millions remain without power, and some roads and bridges remain impassable, possibly into election day.
Take Two examines what counties are doing to make sure voters can still make it to the polls.
Massachusetts voters weigh passing the Death With Dignity Act
On Nov. 7, Massachusetts voters will take up the Death With Dignity Act. Once referred to as physician-assisted suicide, the measure would follow on the heels of a similar law in Oregon.
But advocates for the measure are hopeful that the measure will pass in Massachusetts, because of the state's reputation as a center of medicine.
What do New York's rats do during a hurricane?
The superstorm that hit the east coast this week has not only displaced many thousands of humans. The urban centers in its path are home to huge populations of rats. So what has happened to all those rats that were in the flooded New York subways? We speak with Robert Sullivan, author of the book Rats and a frequent contributor to the New Yorker and Vogue.
Senator Dianne Feinstein vies for another term
Senator Dianne Feinstein has been in the Senate 20 years and is hoping for another six. She's facing a political novice, Elizabeth Emken, and is far ahead in the polls. Judy Campbell examines the race and Senator Feinstein's role in California and the Senate
President Obama tours storm destruction in New Jersey with Mayor Chris Christie
President Obama will tour the worst hit disaster areas on the New Jersey coast with Governor Chris Christie today. We’ll talk to a local reporter on the scene about the latest, and the unlikely partnership of Republican Governor Christie and President Obama.
NYC Marathon to go on despite storm damage
On Sunday, Nearly 50 thousand distance runners are scheduled to run in the 43rd New York City marathon.
It is one of the largest events of its kind in the world with close to 47,000 people expected to participate. However, the hurricane out East has forced officials to change some plans and there is worry that many runners from overseas may not be able to reschedule flights in time for the race.
'The Last Walk' helps pet owners cope with choosing euthanasia for ailing pets
While euthanasia for humans is illegal in most states, it is perfectly legal to put animals to sleep. About a 1.5 million dogs and 1.8 million cats are euthanized each year at shelters across the country. Many more are put to sleep at vet's offices and homes each day.
But deciding when and how to end the life of an ailing pet raises some tremendously difficult questions.
Those are questions bioethicist Jessica Pierce had to face when her dog, a Vischla named Ody, became old and seriously ill. She wrote about her experiences in a new book called "the Last Walk."
Pierce says that Ody completely upended everything she had studied and written about in her professional life. She was writing an undergraduate textbook in bioethics, at the time when she began to really take notice of Ody’s aging process. Pierce asked herself, “Why aren’t we applying these same sorts of ethical analysis to our animals? Because the ends of their lives are equally important.”
As a culture, we are engulfed by continual ethical debates of end of life procedures, but it seems we aren’t so easily at odds when it comes to our pets. “We have this kind of cultural narrative when it comes to pet-keeping,” Pierce adds, “and euthanasia is just deeply entrenched in that narrative.”
Pierce believes that there is a more humane choice for pet owners as a step in between or to possibly even prevent euthanasia practices, which will hopefully lead to lower euthanasia rates of pets annually. She says that animal hospice is, “a growing movement. More and more veterinarians are getting interested in hospice.”
Pierce goes on to explain that when “you are given a diagnosis of a terminal disease, you don’t have to euthanize immediately.” Similar to human hospice, animal hospice will provide care while maintaining a level of comfort for a animal.
Some may be lead to believe that animal hospice could possibly deduct care from the already limited resources for humans. Yet, Pierce assures that she doesn’t think we, “have to forego resources spent on humans in order to spend them on our animals.” However, she does admit that as more and more options are made readily available for pet owners and their waning animals, tougher decisions will have to be made.
Many people who are on a fixed income may not be able to provide animal hospice or be able to afford other possible options as their own personal health concerns will likely come first.
Keeping the animal interests at the forefront, Pierce explains, will allow pet owners to make these life-altering decisions. She uses something called the Pawspice Scale, which looks at where your pets lie on the quality of life scale. So to answer questions like, “Are they eating, are they able to drink, are they able to move around, are they able to go to the bathroom, are they having more good days than bad days, and do they seem to be happy?” will help people ultimately make wiser decisions in determining the fate of their animals.
Even though things such as animal hospice and the pawspice scale have led pet owners to be more informed and to make less hasty decisions, Pierce says she still dreads the day she will have to make the decision about the future of her pet's lives.
Are low ratings the new norm for network TV shows?
It used to be that if a sitcom or drama didn't score high ratings with viewers it would be axed. But now, with plummeting viewership, television networks are more likely to hold onto and reinvent shows that are quite cutting the mustard.
This week, NBC has announced some big changes for its TV lineup: Its hit show "Smash" will return for a second season in early February, "Community" will take up the Thursday night slot left open by "30 Rock" when its current season ends, and the Christina Applegate-Will Arnett show "Up All Night" will be reworked as a multi-camera sitcom shot in front of a live audience.
These are just some of the maneuvers the networks are employing in the midst of a fall season that could best be described as dismal. For more on this, we're joined by Brian Lowry, chief TV critic with Variety.
Patt Morrison on what your Halloween costume says about you
Halloween isn’t the only holiday that involves dressing up. Costumes are a part of many cultures, but why do we like to dress up and what do our costume choices say about us?
KPCC’s Patt Morrison joins us with some answers.