Day to Day

Club Madagascar

Friday, May 27, 2005

Summary Judgment: Madagascar, The Longest Yard, The League of Ordinary Gentlemen
Mark Jordan Legan looks at what the critics are saying about this week’s major movie releases, including Madagascar, The Longest Yard, and The League of Ordinary Gentlemen. Listen to the segment.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

Jurisprudence: Torture and the War on Terror
Alex Chadwick talks to Emily Bazelon about how the so-called “war on terror” may be influencing national policy on torture. Slate has published an extensive collection of data and documents on the events leading up to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the U.S. government’s response to numerous allegations of prisoner abuse. Listen to the segment.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Explainer: Poppy Seeds and Afghan Opium
Andy Bowers explains where poppy seeds come from, since growing opium poppies is illegal in the United States. U.S. officials have recently criticized Afghanistan’s government for its failure to support poppy eradication programs. After a brief hiatus under the Taliban, the nation is once again the world’s chief source of opium. Listen to the segment.

Human Nature: Snowflakes and Stem Cells
Madeleine Brand talks with Will Saletan about President Bush’s support for adopting frozen embryos as an alternative to using them for stem cell research. The embryos, left over from in vitro fertilization procedures, are dubbed “snowflakes” by supporters to emphasize the uniqueness of each potential child. Listen to the segment.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Jurisprudence: Defusing the Nuclear Option
As part of the Senate compromise on judicial nominees, Senate Democrats held firm on blocking two of President Bush’s picks: Henry Saad and William Myers. Emily Bazelon discusses the significance and backgrounds of Saad and Myers. Listen to the segment.

Monday, May 23, 2005

Hollywood Economist: Insuring Movie Stars
Alex Chadwick talks with Edward Jay Epstein about the business of insuring movie stars. Epstein says that these days, insurance rules Hollywood. Listen to the segment.

Explainer: Diverting “No-Fly” Passengers
Andy Bowers explains why airlines divert flights with suspicious passengers in midflight, instead of checking passengers’ names against “no-fly” lists before take-off. Listen to the segment.