Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006
Ad Report Card: Theraflu Sickness
Seth Stevenson reviews the new commercials promoting the flu and cold medication Theraflu. The campaign depicts sick people as disfigured monsters transformed back into regular humans with a single dose of Theraflu Thin Strips. Listen to the segment.
Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006
Jurisprudence: Presidential Signing Statements
Alex Chadwick talks with Dahlia Lithwick about “signing statements”—documents that the president attaches to laws he’s signed to lay out his own interpretation of those laws. The issue of signing statements and presidential privilege became a major sticking point for Democrats during the confirmation hearings on Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. President Bush regularly uses signing statements when enacting the bills into law. Listen to the segment.
Medical Examiner: Earlier Toilet Training
Many American parents are toilet training their children earlier, returning to a 19th-century practice of teaching children to use the bathroom before they could walk. Madeleine Brand speaks to Dr. Sydney Spiesel, a Connecticut pediatrician, about the new toilet training movement. Listen to the segment.
Monday, Jan. 23, 2006
Politics: President Bush’s Ties to Abramoff
Newly released photos of the president meeting with GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff are leading some to question how close the two men have been in the past. The Bush administration has downplayed any connection in an attempt to distance the White House from the growing scandal. Madeleine Brand discusses the relationship with John Dickerson. Listen to the segment.
