Today we're recapping what's happened this week in the debate over health care reform. During a meeting last Saturday, President Obama asked the American people to lower the temperature a little at health care town halls. So-called "death panels," health care co-ops, Republican options, and former DNC chair Dr. Howard Dean were all part of the national conversation, which was topped off with the President’s one-on-one with conservative radio show host Michael Smerconish on Thursday.
For a look at where the debate heads next, we are joined by Jonathan Cohn. He is the Senior editor at The New Republic and author of Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis -- and the People Who Pay the Price
"The analogy that serves best here is: Medicare. It's a version of Medicare for people who aren't over 65. Ask people over 65 what they think of Medicare? They like it a lot."
—Jonathan Cohn, senior editor at The New Republic, on how to simply explain "the public option"
Despite threats of violence from the Taliban, Afghans headed to the polls yesterday to vote in the country's second-ever presidential election. The votes are still being counted, but both of the leading candidates, incumbent Hamid Karzai and ex-foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, are claiming victory. Brian Katulis, an election monitor with Democracy International, joins us from Kabul to discuss observers' efforts to ensure a fair election.
The salaries of sports players have for many decades caused non-athletes' jaws to drop, but owners have always justified the expense as an investment. Way back in 1869, for example, members of the Cincinnati Red Stockings were payed $11,000: around $175,000 in today's dollars and many times more than the average income at the time. So how much would you invest in a fantasy sports league? Some insiders estimate fantasy sports attracts close to $800 million annually. With all that money floating around, it seems natural that people would want to protect their assets. Fantasy Sports Insurance is a new company dedicated to insuring the top players on your fantasy team in case of injury. Real money, real players, real injuries: still a fantasy.
To find out more about the money and the fans behind this we talk to Paul Charchian, president of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association and the host of Fantasy Football Weekly, a radio show on KFAN in the Twin Cities; and to Anthony Giaccone, president of Intermarket Insurance and the inventor of Fantasy Sports Insurance.
In early 2003, Jayson Blair went from writing headlines for the New York Times to making headlines when it was discoverd that he had plagiarized dozens of stories. It was a scandal the Times itself called "a low point in the 152-year history of the paper." Blair "resigned under pressure" from the Times shortly thereafter and entered treatment for bipolar disorder. Even after a forced resignation, however, everyone needs to make a living. After such an inglorious and public fall, how would you pick yourself up and start over again?
Well, the hard lessons Jayson Blair learned can be taught to you: for a price, and potentially by Blair himself. He is now working as a life coach. We talk to Jayson Blair along with the man who hired him, Dr. Michael Oberschneider, founder and director at Ashburn Psychological Services.
"For a lot of people who are in mental health recovery, it's very appealing to them to see someone who's fallen so far, and then to see that person from their fate, rebuild. ... The one thing that I can say about crisis: don't make the mistake I did and not reach out for help. If I had reached out to the kind of people who have helped me since I left the Times, before, I probably never would have been in that situation."
—Jayson Blair, ex-reporter for the New York Times, on why his past experiences help him speak authentically as a life coach
We’ve heard it before, but this time it might just stick: The Department of Transportation announced yesterday that the popular Cash for Clunkers program, which allows you to trade in your old gas-guzzler for up to $4500 towards a new fuel efficient car, is done as of Monday, August 24th. Although Congress added $2 billion to the program just weeks ago, the program's popularity means the money has run out far sooner than expected. To explain what is happening we talk to Micheline Maynard, senior business correspondent for the New York Times. We also talk to Brian Willian, the sales manager at Albany Honda in Georgia. He is awaiting a check from the government to reimburse him for the clunkers he's paid for under the program.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is in Jackson Hole, Wyoming today at the annual meeting of economists and central bankers. Bernanke will address the group with a speech entitled “Reflections on a Year of Crisis.” We speak with Jesse Eisinger, a senior reporter at ProPublica, asking him to provide his own reflections on Bernanke's actions during this economic "year of crisis."
Former New York Giants wide-reciever Plaxico Burress accepted a plea bargain yesterday which will send him to prison for 2 years after pleading guilty to a weapons charge. As you might remember, Burress walked into a nightclub in New York City last November with a gun tucked in the waistband of his sweat pants. The gun slipped, and as Burress grabbed for it, he accidentally shot a bullet into his own leg. Burress' Florida gun license was expired; he had no license to carry a gun in New York.
Also making headlines is Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, who broke his own world record in the 100m dash. Again.
Joining us is Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, The Takeaway's sports contributor, along with New York Giants fan and family-law attorney Jeff Blank.
Candace Rondeaux is a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group; she specializes in Afghanistan and joins us from Kabul where she has been closely observing the recent presidential election. There have only been two such elections since the overthrow of the Taliban and the country is still working the kinks out of its brand-new electoral process. While the votes are still being counted, both leading contenders – incumbent President Hamid Karzai and leading challenger Abdullah Abdullah – are claiming they've won an outright majority and saying there is no need for a run off election.
The first phase of the "Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009" goes into effect this week. While some major provisions of the law won't kick in until next year, credit card companies have to make some immediate changes, including giving cardholders advance notice about interest rate hikes. Personal finance expert and The Takeaway's finance contributor Beth Kobliner joins us to help explain the new rules.
Wesley Morris is a film critic for the Boston Globe and he joins us for a look at the movies opening this weekend. Spike Lee is back in theaters, albeit in limited release, with his take on the Broadway play Passing Strange. Will this be the film to bring Lee back into the spotlight? Also returning to screens this week is Quentin Tarantino. Inglourious Basterds is the long awaited film from the creator of Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill.
Our panel of critics discuss the controversy over Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, a darkly twisted look at the hunt for Adolph Hitler. We also look at Shorts, a new kids' film that has appeal for adults, and Robin Williams’ newest movie, indie-festival darling World's Greatest Dad. On our panel today: Karina Longworth, editor of SpoutBlog; and Rafer Guzman, film critic for Newsday.
Inglourious Basterds, the long-anticipated return to screen for director Quentin Tarantino, has been making waves since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. As it's said, though, no man is an island: not even Tarantino, who directed such huge hits as Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and Reservoir Dogs. We talk to Lawrence Bender, Tarantino's longtime collaborator (co-conspirator?) who produced Inglourious Basterds and seven other films with Tarantino. Mr. Bender has another notable collaborator, however: former Vice President Al Gore. The two worked together to make An Inconvenient Truth, for which Gore won a Nobel Peace Prize. We talk to Mr. Bender about the new film, working with both men, and whether getting to kill Hitler on film is considered a 'mitzvah.'
Here's the trailer for "Inglorious Basterds":
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