Iran and Afghanistan; Haiti; The Problem with Prodigy; Eating Nuisance Species to Save the World

« previous episode | next episode »

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

We talk about Iran's influence in Afghanistan as Iranian President Ahmadinejad visits Kabul; Haiti's continued struggles with recovery; The problem with prodigy; Illinois' attempts for cleaner political reputation with an online lieutenant governor nomination; and why eating jellyfish, nutria and other nuisance species can help save the world. Todd Zwillich fills in for Celeste Headlee.

Analyzing Ahmadinejad's Afghan Diplomacy

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Afghanistan today. His visit has strategists around the world scratching their heads as they try to discern his agenda.

Comment

Takeouts: Bank of America's PR Gambit, College Basketball's Big East Tournament

  • FINANCIAL TAKEOUT: Bank of America offered an unexpected olive branch to its millions of debit card users when they announced a plan to do away with all debit card overdraft fees. But is this public relations gambit enough to improve the bank's public image? We talk with Louise Story, finance reporter for our partner The New York Times, who brings us details from an article in today's paper.
  • SPORTS TAKEOUT: The Big East tournament holds many of the major players in college basketball, and yesterday St. John's beat UCONN handily. Ibrahim Abdul-Matin joins us to take a closer look at the Big East.

Comment

Americans Waiting Longer to Retire

A study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute released Wednesday shows that more Americans are waiting longer to retire because they are not financially secure.

Comments [8]

Real Baghdad Bomb Team on 'The Hurt Locker'

"The Hurt Locker” was undoubtedly the star of this year’s Oscars, winning six awards, including Best Picture. The New York Times declared it the best American feature film yet about the war in Iraq. Cinematic awards are well and good, but how true to life is the film?

Comments [1]

Eat This, Save the World!

When it comes to environmentally responsible eating, we’re often told what not to eat: Don’t eat tuna because it’s overfished. Don’t eat Chilean sea bass because it’s bottom-trawled. Don’t eat beef because of carbon dioxide emissions from cows.

But what we’re not often told is that putting jellyfish on the menu will help save the world.

 

Comment

Haiti Continues to Chart Path Toward Recovery

Even after you restore safety and security, how do you begin to rebuild? Haitian President Rene Preval will meet with President Barack Obama in Washington today to discuss what Haiti needs two months after the earthquake that devasted large swathes of the country. Along with severe damages to infrastructure in the wake of the disaster, Haitians are trying to deal with economic issues — some of them pre-existent — brought into sharp relief by the quake. We're checking in with two people who have a birds-eye view of Haitian need, and how it interacts with that country's economy, past and future. 

Comment

Takeouts: No Tax Credits for Gay Characters, Latest NFL Moves and Rumors, Your Responses on Genius

  • TV TAKEOUT: A proposal could keep films and television shows depicting gay characters from recieving a tax credit for filming in Florida. Damien Cave, Miami bureau chief for The New York Times, tells us more about this state jobs bill, and who it may help and hurt.
  • SPORTS TAKEOUT: Football season may be over, but important moves are still being made. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin has all the latest NFL transactions and rumors, and tells us which players are going where.
  • YOUR RESPONSES: We're asking you all week about what makes genius, and today we listen to more of your responses.

Comment

Illinois Looks to Clean Up Dirty Political Reputation

Illinois has a long history of political corruption. Four of the past eight governors have been indicted on corruption charges, and dozens of other public officials have been convicted on similar grounds. In February, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, Scott Lee Cohen, stepped aside after allegations that he had abused his wife.

Comment

New Investigation Into Toyota's Runaway Acceleration Problem

A video of a Prius that lost control in a dramatic crash on a California highway has sparked a new investigation into Toyota's acceleration problems. Worse, the driver says he had already reported problems to the car dealer.

Comment

The Problem With Child Prodigies

In this third installment of our series on genius, we look at the problem of child prodigies. Author David Shenk and chess champion Josh Waitzkin, who was the inspiration for the main character in 1993's Searching for Bobby Fisher, join us to discuss where prodigy comes from, and where it goes when the child grows up.

Comments [5]

'Jihad Jane' Charged With Recruiting Terrorists

An American woman who called herself "Jihad Jane" on the internet has been charged with trying to recruit Islamic terrorists. She is also accused of taking part in an international conspiracy to kill a Swedish cartoonist. Colleen LaRose, a blond-haired, green-eyed resident of suburban Philadelphia, was taken into custody last October, but her arrest was kept secret until yesterday. 

 

 

Comment

Chief Justice John Roberts Calls State of the Union 'Troubling'

During his State of the Union Address, President Obama called out the Supreme Court for its ruling that allowed corporations to spend money on ads for political candidates. At the time, Justice Alito rolled his eyes and mouthed "not true." The scene caused a stir as different branches of the government pointed fingers at each other. Yesterday, Chief Justice John Roberts broke the silence and shot back, telling a group of University of Alabama students that the incident was "very troubling."

Comments [1]

The Takeaway Final Edition: Iran, Haiti Update, Another Toyota Investigation, Eating Green, The Problem With Child Prodigies, 'Jihad Jane'

Comment

The Takeaway Hour 4: Haiti Update, Illinois Elections, 'Jihad Jane,' Chief Justice Roberts Responds to SOTU Standoff, Child Prodigies

Comment

The Takeaway Hour 3: Analyzing Ahmadinejad, Retirement, Hurt Locker, Eating Green

Comment

The Takeaway Hour 2: Haiti Update, Illinois Elections, Toyota, Child Prodigies

Comment

The Takeaway Hour 1: Analyzing Ahmadinejad, Retirement, Hurt Locker, Green Cuisine

Comment

The Takeaway Early Edition: Analyzing Ahmadinejad's Afghan Diplomacy

Comment