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The SAT Exam and Addressing Socioeconomic Disparity May 17, 2019

Show notes

The SAT, the college entrance exam that is taken by about two million students each year, is adding a new metric for college admissions officers to factor into their decisions… an “adversity score” to measure potential hardships faced by the students. The score is calculated using 15 factors including crime rates, poverty levels from the student’s high school and more. Doug Belkin, higher education reporter at the WSJ, joins us for how the score works and how it can impact your chances of getting into college.

Next, President Trump has put forward a new merit based immigration plan that would change the asylum process, fund more border security, and change who qualifies for a green card. Left out of the proposal… anything to do with undocumented immigrants here now and the Dreamers. Stef Kight, reporter for Axios, joins us for Trump’s new immigration plan.

Finally, if you live in the city, your mental health could be more at risk than others. Living in the city means dealing with stressors like air and noise pollution, pollution from traffic, and even your neighbors. Claire Maldarelli, associate editor at Popular Science, joins us for how where you live can impact your mental health.

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Alabama Now Has the Most Restrictive Abortion Laws in the Country May 16, 2019

Show notes

It is called the “Human Life Protection Act” and it is the most restrictive abortion bill in the country. The bill was just signed by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and it criminalizes nearly all abortions except for cases where there is a serious health risk to the mother. Abbey Crain, reporter for Reckon by AL.com, joins us for what’s in the bill and what is could mean for the future of Roe. Vs Wade.

Next, San Francisco has become the first city in the U.S. to ban the use of facial recognition software by city agencies and its police force. Privacy and civil rights advocates have worried that the capability could be used for mass surveillance and possibly lead to false arrests. The law will not apply to local businesses or airports. Trisha Thadani, city hall reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, joins us more on the facial recognition ban.

Finally, the CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos has a grand vision for our future in space. He envisions a future where people live on space colonies and also where the heavy industry, the polluting industry will operate, leaving Earth to be a beautiful place to live and visit. Miriam Kramer, space reporter for Axios, joins us for what Jeff Bezos plans to do with his rocket company, Blue Origins.

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Beware the Disease Affecting Both Humans and Dogs May 15, 2019

Show notes

Some dogs Iowa have been quarantined after officials detected a vicious disease and humans could be at risk too. Several cases of “Canine Brucellosis” coming from a commercial small-dog breeding facility have been confirmed, and the disease is zoonotic, meaning it can be passed from dogs to humans, although it is rare that it could happen. My producer Miranda joins us for what to know.

Next, there is another battle brewing over your data and this time it has to do with e-scooters. To operate in cities like Los Angeles, scooter companies are required to share data on scooter usage such as pick up locations and exact routes taken. Companies like Uber and Lyft are objecting to this data grab for fear it might cause further regulation for its other businesses. Aarian Marshall, writer at Wired, joins us for why scooters are the next data battleground.

Finally, what happens when you take away your teen’s phone? Sometimes they turn to burner phones. Julie Jargon, Family and tech columnist at the WSJ, joins us to talk about one family and the fight they had with their daughter over phone usage, how it tore apart their family, and tips on how to identify if your teen might be using a burner phone to stay connected.

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Alexa, Please Mind Your Own Business May 14, 2019

Show notes

Trade war continues… China has hit back with tariffs on $60 billion in U.S. goods after President Trump increased tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods last Friday. The moves were made after trade talks once again stalled between the two countries. Sabrina Rodriguez, trade reporter at Politico, joins us for the latest tit-for-tat and how Trump’s trade agenda is working out so far.

Next, Operation Varsity Blues continues to work its way through the courts as actress Felicity Huffman has officially pled guilty in the college admission cheating scandal. The big question now is, what will her punishment be? Prosecutors are eyeing 4-10 months in federal prison and a $20,000 fine. Lou Shapiro, federal defense attorney in Los Angeles, joins us to discuss the case and why William H. Macy hasn’t been charged with anything.

Finally, for anyone that has a smart speaker in their home, you know Alexa has been eavesdropping on you the whole time right? The smart speaker is always listening and in many cases it’s also recording you and keeping that recording for the company to listen to. Geoffrey Fowler, tech columnist at the Washington Post, joins us for what he learned after listening to 4 years of his own Amazon Alexa archives.

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The Secret World of People Who Fake Cancer Online May 13, 2019

Show notes

It’s called Munchhausen by Internet, the condition of faking illness online. It’s a form of factitious disorder, a mental disorder where people fake illness or actually make themselves sick to get sympathy and attention. But one place online that experiences this at higher rates is in the cancer community. People in online cancer support groups are routinely outed as healthy. It seems almost impossible to think that someone could lie about such a serious illness, but it happens a lot, and those that offered their love, sympathy, and support often feel betrayed. Roisin Lanigan, contributor to The Atlantic, joins us for why the internet has a cancer-faking problem.

Next, let’s check in on how the crowded field of Democratic hopefuls for president is doing. Coming in at 21 candidates, the newspaper headlines and social media mentions are concentrated on just a handful of contenders. The top four getting all the love are Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Kamala Harris. There’s still plenty of time for others to make a name for themselves, and the first debate is at the end of June. Ginger Gibson, political reporter for Reuters, joins us for how the Dems are doing.

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WEEKEND EDITION - Stem Cell Underground and Politics Updates May 12, 2019

Show notes

This is a compilation of the most compelling stories of the week.

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WEEKEND EDITION - Hollywood Ripper, Scooter Injuries, and Kim Kardashian West's Quest to Save the World May 11, 2019

Show notes

This is a compilation of the most compelling stories of the week.

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The BOOMING (fraudulent) Stem Cell Treatment Industry May 10, 2019

Show notes

The stem cell industry is booming in the U.S. and while some legitimate medical uses have been discovered, there is a growing industry of clinics and doctors offering poorly understood products often without much regulation. Patients are paying thousands of dollars for unproven treatments that claim to heal a variety of ailments with some stem cell injections into a joint costing between $5,000 and $10,000. Often these stem cells are amniotic stem cells obtained via donation after women give birth, and that’s an important distinction. Caroline Chen, healthcare reporter at ProPublica, joins us for the birth-tissue profiteers.

Next, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee has subpoenaed Donald Trump Jr. to answer questions about previous testimony before Senate investigators in relation to the Russia investigation. The president has said he is surprised by the subpoena and Sen. Richard Burr who chairs the committee is facing GOP backlash. Stef Kight, reporter for Axios, joins us for what this is all about.

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We Have Trump's Taxes!!! ...sort of... May 09, 2019

Show notes

President Trump’s taxes released… sort of. The NY Times has obtained IRS tax transcripts for the president from 1985-1994 and what it shows is a lot of money lost. During that time he lost money from his core businesses- casinos and hotels and totaled more $1 billion. It also helped him to avoid paying taxes 8 of those 10 years. Toby Eckert, tax editor at Politico, joins us for what we know and don’t know about Trump’s taxes.

Next, there are juveniles across the country that are getting trapped in the criminal justice system all because of court fees. Most jurisdictions allow courts to charge youths with administrative fees, public defender fees, probation supervision fees, and many other charges. If a family can’t afford these fees, the youth could end up in indefinite parole. Paul McLeod, Buzzfeed News reporter joins us for a new bill in Congress that could end this.

Finally, Kim Kardashian West has made criminal justice reform one of her top priorities leading her to want to become a lawyer. In the meantime, she has been funding the 90 Days of Freedom campaign and has helped release some 17 inmates in the past 3 months. These are all people who were serving life sentences for low level drug offences and are benefiting from the recently pass First Step Act. Stef Kight, reporter for Axios, joins us for more on Kim’s efforts.

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The Trial Has Started for the Hollywood Ripper Serial Killer May 08, 2019

Show notes

Michael Gargiulo, the so-called “Hollywood Ripper” is on trial this week to face two murder charges stemming from 2001 and 2008. He is also connected to a 1993 murder in Chicago. All of his victims were young women who lived nearby him. Tarpley Hitt, reporter for the Daily Beast joins us for who the Hollywood Ripper is and the dramatic court testimony from one of his survivors.

Next, the fight between the White House and Democrats in the House continue to escalate. The latest twist in the story is that the White House told former counsel Don McGahn not to comply with a subpoena for documents related to Robert Mueller’s investigation. The White House is also refusing to give Democrats the president’s tax returns, and AG Barr could be held in contempt of Congress. Daniel Lippman, reporter for Politico, joins us for more.

Finally, an interesting case out of Plano, Texas, where a drunk man killed 8 people in 2017. But just last month, the bartender who served him was arrested and charged with violating the “Sale to Certain Persons” law. While she did serve him the alcohol, she also followed him and called the police, still she has been arrested. My producer Miranda joins us to help explain this case.

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