Day to Day

It’s Hard Out There for a Lobbyist

Friday, March 17, 2006

Summary Judgment: Thank You for Smoking, She’s the Man, V for Vendetta
What are the critics saying about this weekend’s movie releases? Mark Jordan Legan serves up the dish on Thank You for Smoking, She’s the Man, and the futuristic thriller V for Vendetta. Listen to the segment.

Human Guinea Pig: Adventures of a Lobbyist for a Day
After lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s legal troubles, Emily Yoffe thought she’d try lobbying for a day. Yoffe tells Alex Chadwick about her experience, which she writes about in the latest edition of her “Human Guinea Pig” column. Listen to the segment.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Ad Report Card: The End of “Priceless”
Seth Stevenson offers his take on what seems like the last breath of MasterCard’s successful “Priceless” ad campaign, which has lasted nine years and spawned about 160 separate broadcast commercials. The new ad asks for viewers to fill in the blanks. Listen to the segment.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Jurisprudence: Moussaoui Trial Under Cloud
Government prosecutors seeking the death penalty against confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacharias Moussaoui say it’s a waste of time to continue the sentencing phase of the trial after the judge barred key witnesses. The prosecution was sanctioned after a government lawyer violated strict rules against coaching witnesses. Alex Chadwick talks to Dahlia Lithwick about the fate of Moussaoui’s trial. Listen to the segment.

War Stories: Powell’s U.N. Intercepts
A report sheds new light on the truth about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program. During the run-up to the 2003 invasion, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell testified to the U.N. Security Council he had phone intercepts implying Iraq was scrambling to hide its chemical and biological weapons, and was seeking to develop nuclear weapons. But Iraq was actually trying to destroy any residue of its scrapped WMD program and had no such weapons. Alex Chadwick talks with Fred Kaplan.
Listen to the segment.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Update
Jurisprudence: Moussaoui Sentencing Resumes
The death penalty phase of the trial of confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacharias Moussaoui will continue after U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema rules that witnesses against Moussaoui coached by a prosecutor will not be allowed to testify. But she turned back a defense request to take the death penalty off the table. Alex Chadwick speaks with Dahlia Lithwick. Listen to the segment.

J urisprudence: A Mistrial for Moussaoui?
The trial against confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacharias Moussaoui is on the verge of collapse; a federal judge is holding a hearing Tuesday to determine whether misconduct by the prosecution could lead to a mistrial. Alex Chadwick speaks with Dahlia Lithwick about allegations prosecutors coached witnesses against Moussaoui. Listen to the segment.

Monday, March 13, 2006

This Just In: Bush Aide’s Shoplifting Scheme
Former White House advisor Claude Allen was arrested in Maryland last week, charged with carrying out a complicated shoplifting scheme. Allen resigned last month, saying he wanted to “spend more time with his family.” Alex Chadwick speaks with Rachel Shteir. Listen to the segment. Medical Examiner: Doubts on Supplements
New research casts doubts on the effectiveness of popular dietary supplements used to treat arthritis pain and prostate enlargement. Madeleine Brand discusses the findings with Yale Medical School professor Dr. Sydney Spiesel. Listen to the segment.