PRI: Public Radio International

Atlanta ad campaign uses obese kids to try and shock parents

The Takeaway — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:26:00 -0600

Approximately one-third of adults and 17 percent of children in the United States are obese.

While this public health crisis has spawned a billion dollar diet industry, reality shows dedicated to weight loss, and the First Lady's "Let's Move" program, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta didn’t think these were enough to discourage children from making unhealthy choices.

The hospital launched a billboard and digital campaign featuring obese children with derogatory narration and captions. The ads are powerful, but they’ve also been criticized for stigmatizing overweight children.

Dr. Mark Wulkan, surgeon-in-chief at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, who served as a consultant on the ads, said when Georgia was labeled the state with the second biggest problem with childhood obesity, the hospital decided they had to do something.

"When we look at the steps people need to make a change, and break it down, the first step is awareness," Wulkan said. "We did model it after campaigns like scared straight."

Wulkan said Georgia had a successful anti-meth campaign previously that also served as an inspiration.

Research in the community led the hospital to this specific course of action. They found that 75 percent of the parents of children who are obese were not aware that their children were overweight or obese.

"This was very shocking to us," Wulkan said. "This is just the first part of a whole movement we call Strong for Life. The first step is awareness and intent to change. And then we get to the steps we need to take to make those changes."

That phases is just starting now.

Abby Ellin, author of “Teenage Waistland: A former fat kid weighs in on living large, losing weight, and how parents can (and can’t) help,” said she felt confused by the ads.

"I don't know what the goal is," she said. "I don't know how showing pictures of these fat kids — and having them talk with the headline 'It's hard to be a little girl if you're not' with a child with her arms crossed looking very bleak — I don't know quite how that's going to help anybody or motivate anybody to start losing weight or be inspired to get healthy."

Ellin said most people she's talked to, and she's written a lot on childhood obesity, know they're fat, know they have a weight problem.

In certain communities, heavier is OK, so long as everyone is healthy, she said.

Wulkan said the problem is hospitals are starting to see more and more children with weights that simply aren't OK, and that have never previously been seen in kids before.

"These were adult diseases, and I don't think a lot of parents know my overweight 10-year-old is at risk of having serious health complications now — not 40 years from now — from their obesity," Wulkan said.

Unfortunately, Ellin said, she thinks these ads won't do anything to address that problem and will only stigmatize the overweight kids.

"I think it's just causing other people to look at these kids and poke more fun at them," Ellin said.

But Wulkan said that the ads, their research shows, are both effective and supported in the communities where they've been put up, around Georgia.

"There's a very vocal minority that's concerned about them, and we respect them and appreciate their concerns," he said. "But the ads have been very effective at getting the message out."

Ellin, though, wants to see ads that hold the parents responsible.

"Let's have the parents take some responsibility here. They're the ones being targeted, so why are we doing it with the kids," she said.

Government waste and fraud watchdog set for big budget cut

Here & Now — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:35:00 -0600

The Government Accountability Office, or G.A.O., has been called the taxpayers’ best friend for its investigations into fraud and waste.

But when the White House unveils its new budget on Monday, the office is expected to take a major hit. Though its sole job is to save the government money, the agency is bracing for cuts that could reduce the size of its staff to below 3,000 employees for the first time in 75 years.

Ed O’Keefe, who writes the Federal Eye blog for the Washington Post, said the cuts are a concern to those who track government oversight.

"If you have fewer people in the field tracking waste, fraud and abuse, and doing investigations on the health and management of federal programs, then, yeah you could conceivably have some issues," O'Keefe said.

The G.A.O. warned that these cuts mean certain things may slide. The agency has a strong, non-partisan reputation as Congress's watch dog.

Last Spring, they conducted a major investigation into government redundancy, finding an estimated $58 billion spent on surface transportation programs, and multiple programs dealing with education.

"There was just a question of do we need all of these in different agencies doing essentially the same thing," O'Keefe said.

That investigation led Republicans and eventually Democrats to look at ways to cut back redundancies.

Under budget cuts this year, the G.A.O. had to cancel technology upgrades, it had to reduce contractors and assuming the G.A.O. budget cuts are approved, in the next fiscal year it will have to reduce its staff head count.

"Everybody in Washington is cutting back and this agency is no exception," O'Keefe said.

U.S. military prepares to open more military roles to women

The Takeaway — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:00:00 -0600

The Pentagon announced new rules this week that will allow women to serve closer to the front lines in the Army and the Marine Corps.

They're slated to be implemented later this summer. The changes will allow women to serve in non-infantry jobs in battalions, such as being radio operators, intelligence analysts, medics, radar operators and tank mechanics. This could open up 14,000 new jobs for female soldiers and Marines. Women remain ineligible to serve in infantry, armored and special forces units.

But the changes aren't exactly ground-breaking. Women have been serving in these roles on an ad hoc basis at least as long as the United States has been in Iraq and Afghanistan. And women in combat go back thousands of years.

Military analyst Paula Broadwell said this is certainly a positive development for women in the military.

"It takes baby steps to change an organization," Broadwell said. "I think we could have made this move earlier, but the organization has been focused on fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and now we've had a chance to pause and regroup and improve the health of the force."

Broadwell said the changes have benefits in two primary areas. First, it provides some relief for men in the ranks. Second, it allows women opportunities for positions that will enable them to rise higher in the ranks.

Former Marine Anu Bhagwati, executive director of the Service Women’s Action Network, said the military's history of advancing women speaks for itself. There's been just one high-ranking woman in the U.S. military: Gen. Ann Dunwoody, current Commanding General, U.S. Army Materiel Command. A second woman, Lt. Gen. Janet C. Wolfenbarger, was just nominated for a fourth star this week, to head the U.S. Air Force Material Command.

"That really says a lot about career mobility for the average woman in the military in terms of leadership. We don't see any women on the joint chiefs of staff, and that's very telling," Bhagwati said. "A lot of this has to do with the assignments that are off-limits to women today."

Bhagwati said the current change was a positive one, but a small one. Because there are women who are qualified and want to be in the infantry.

"They still can't be," Bhagwati said.

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum said he has "concerns" about the decision, saying he's concerned women will distract their male counterparts because of sexual tension.

Broadwell said Santorum may have a point, but that ship sailed a long time ago.

"Women are there. They're serving in well-disciplined units and, my experience in the Army, has been if I've proven myself, the men welcome me. It's about keeping standards, but setting the right command climate and tone in your unit and setting boundaries for yourself."

But Broadwell said we also have to acknowledge there's an epidemic of rape in the military. Women are more likely to be raped by a fellow service-member than to die in combat.

Bhagwati, however, said she doubts many of those sexual assaults — though certainly some — happen in the combat zone. Many, she said, happen in barrack in the United States or at bases in South Korea, or Japan or in Europe.

The Vow, Journey 2 and Safe House make up a big weekend of new releases

The Takeaway — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:33:00 -0600

An action-adventure movie, a sci-fi flick and a romance film make up this weekend's movie new releases.

"Safe House," a CIA mole-thriller with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," a kid-friendly sci-fi adventure starring The Rock and Michael Cain and the tear-jerking amnesia romance "The Vow" starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum all debut on the big screen.

Rafer Guzman, film critic for Newsday, said it's been a bad January and February for the movies, though things started to look up — at least in terms of box office receipts — last weekend.

But don't expect Journey 2 to be driving big audiences this weekend.

"I thought this one was terrible," Guzman said. "Everything in this film is made of styrofoam. The sets, the props, the actors, the script; it's all so bad. I really could not believe it."

Kristen Meinzer, culture producer for the Takeaway, said she agreed. The sets and character development are terrible. But she didn't think it was horrible as it was put together.

"I really think The Rock is so likable. He's so likable in the movie," Meinzer said. "He plays the ukelele, and he sings."

Safe House, Meinzer said, was good, but monotonous at times.

"I actually liked it," Guzman said. "I thought the action scenes were great. It's not a deep film, that's true. But what more do you want from an action film in February?"

The other anticipated movie this weekend is The Vow, which looks at a young couple that gets into a car accident and doesn't remember the last five years of her life. The man tries to get the woman to fall in love with him again.

"It's inspired by a true story," Meinzer said.

Meinzer said the amnesia premise is just so-so in the movie, but McAdams performed well. Tatum, on the other hand, was forgettable.

Guzman said he would not be seeing the movie.

U.S. moving forward on construction of two new nuclear reactors

The Takeaway — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:15:00 -0600

For the first time since 1978, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday granted a license to build and operate new nuclear reactors in the United States.

Two reactors will be built at a nuclear plant in Georgia. Matt Wald, the New York Times' reporter on nuclear, said in pitching the request, leaders from Southern Company, the primary backer of the new plant, pointed out that their facility well 100 miles inland and well elevated — basically assuring that it was at an extremely low risk of the sorts of damage suffered by the Fukushima plants in Japan.

If the plant in Georgia is constructed successfully, it could bring forward a whole host of new nuclear plants.

"If they can build it on the schedule and budget they planned, if the price of natural gas comes up a little bit and if we ever get really concerned about carbon, then it is the first of many," Wald said. "If any of those things doesn't happen, it's probably the first of two."

Wald said the new nuclear reactors are generally being greeted favorably by neighbors.

"They're sources of high-quality and steady employment. For the period of building they're sources of temporary but very good employment. They pay a lot of taxes and they have a very good record of not causing problems in the area," Wald said.

And yet, there are plans from anti-nuke groups to file lawsuits against the plant. One group criticizes the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for granting the license before concluding what action it needs to take after evaluating the Fukushima disaster.

"The legal arguments don't look particularly strong to me," Wald said. "A lot of these groups don't like nuclear power for a whole list of problems and they're just looking for the ones in which they think this process is vulnerable to court challenge."

If all goes as planned, the two reactors will open in 2016 and 2017, Wald said. If built as designed, it'll be the largest nuclear power plant in the United States, with two 1,000 megawatt reactors.

Obama expected to propose compromise on contraceptive coverage

By Jonathan Kealing -- Public Radio International — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:11:00 -0600

President Barack Obama Friday afternoon rolled out a compromise that will see charities with a religious objection to providing contraceptives exempted from having to pay for those services, shifting the burden instead to insurance companies.

Obama made the announcement flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement to the media.

"We fought for this because it saves lives and it saves money...for everyone," Obama said. "I've been confident from the start that we could work at a common sense approach on this issue. Religious liberty will be protected and a law that requires preventative care will not discriminate against women."

Last month, the administration granted a very narrow exemption so churches would not have to provide contraceptives if they have a relgious objection to contraceptive services. Under the broader exemption announced Friday, any charity with a religious objection to providing contraceptives would not have to pay for contraceptive services, Obama said. Instead, the insurance companies will have to reach out — and pay for — women to receive contraceptive services, like birth control or sterilization, if they choose.

In his statement, Obama insisted he's intended to spend the next year — before the regulation goes into effect — formulating an acceptable solution for, for example, Catholic hospital and universities, but he accelerated the process after an outpouring of objections and some people's desire to turn the issue into a "political football." He insisted he has a great respect for the principle of religious liberty and didn't want to do anything to harm that.

"As a citizen and a Christian, I cherish this right," Obama said. But "everyone should be in control of the decisions that affect her own health."

The compromise is closely modeled on the law that's in effect in Hawaii — one of 28 states where contraceptive services are already required to be included in health insurance.

"Emulating Hawaii, where the rule is in effect, would mean that employees at religious institutions that do not offer free contraception in the health insurance plan can get birth control through side benefits, which the employees nominally pay for but which often end up being free," the New York Times writes.

Republicans and some Democrats had criticized Obama's decision. There was no immediate word on whether critics would be mollified by Obama's shift in direction.

But according to ABC News, both Planned Parenthood and the Catholic Health Association released statements Friday morning expressing their support for the announcement.

Mental health officials try to help Middle Eastern refugees with PTSD

PRI's The World — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:30:00 -0600

Thousands of refugees from Iraq and neighboring Iran flee to the United States each year.

The vast majority of them resettle in California.

As with many refugees, Azin Izadifar carried memories of violence and trauma with her to the U.S. She lives alone now in a small studio apartment in San Jose, Calif. When she first moved here in 2009, the troubled memories of her life in Iran followed her.

“At a certain time during the night I would wake up shouting. Like, having nightmares. I always, always had this problem,” she said.

Izadifar was arrested for participating in secret meetings during Iran’s 1979 revolution, and spent the next three years being tortured in Iran’s notorious Evin prison. She continued to have run-ins with the Iranian government after her release, so she sought asylum in the U.S.

Izadifar found that even though she was in America, and “safe,” life was difficult. But cultural and practical barriers kept her from seeking help.

She eventually saw a therapist, and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. She said she sees the same PTSD symptoms in new Iranian refugees — regardless of whether they served time in jail. And most of them, she said, aren’t seeking therapy.

“There’s a tendency in our culture to underestimate that and say, ‘OK, that was passed. Now we are in a free society. We have to live our lives. We have to buy a car and get a job and just be normal,’” she said.

Jasmine, a 24-year-old Iraqi refugee, said she’s all too familiar with that cultural resistance to getting mental health care. In fact, that’s why she didn’t want to give her real name. She was diagnosed with PTSD, and doesn’t want the Iraqi community in San Jose to ostracize her family if they found out she was seeking therapy.

Jasmine fled Iraq with her family after insurgents killed her father in a drive-by shooting. They escaped to Syria, then resettled in San Jose three years later. And that’s when depression hit her hard.

“You left your home. You left the place that you belong to. You left people who you loved there. Sometimes I feel like everything for me after I left Iraq is different. Even a rose, the air, the dust. I know back home. The dust of back home. The air of back home. I know back home,” she said.

It’s not just that refugees miss their homelands. Most have been exposed to violence and trauma unheard of in the west. In the United States, you would go to a therapist. But many in the refugee community would never think that way, said Sally Sharrock, a former therapist with Centers for Survivors of Torture. She said they’re more likely to go to a family member for help, or a medical doctor.

As part of the refugee package, people are entitled to medical and mental health care. Families with minors get five years of free social services. Refugees without kids get only eight months of services free, then they’re generally on their own. Either way, Sharrock’s job was to get people into counseling, and to keep them coming back after their first session.

Sharrock said her stealth sessions often begin by offering practical support.

“A lot of people are actually more interested in really being able to find a job and support their family and find good housing,” she said, “before they’re ready for any kind of psychological supportive services or therapy.”

As she begins addressing mental health issues with refugees, Sharrock said she avoids using terms that may be associated with a mental illness, like “depression,” or “anxiety.” She said she’s found that one term seems to work across the board.

“Often times we find the word 'stress' works for people,” she said. “I may then ask them how they’ve been affected by stress, how they’ve been coping with it in their own culture up until now. And our conversation will kind of progress from there.”

Centers for Survivors of Torture uses other methods to bring in refugees to their office, like hosting potlucks and educational seminars. To make that approach work, they rely on other refugees in the community, like Jasmine. She now goes to Iraqi cultural events, handing out Arabic-language pamphlets about the free therapy at the Center.

“The whole situation in Iraq not normal. So we need, more programs for mental health,” Jasmine said.

Jasmine said helping other refugees like her makes it easier to heal the wounds of her own past trauma.

War, religious-themed restaurants in Ukraine spark controversy

PRI's The World — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0600

The Ukrainian city of Lviv is one of the country’s most picturesque towns with a maze of cobblestoned streets and Old World charm.

It's getting ready to host masses of tourists during this summer’s European soccer championships. But the city also has a complicated history.

One entrepreneur has decided to showcase the hidden parts of his hometown’s history – and the way he’s done it has ruffled a lot of feathers.

Yurko Nazaruk helped found Kryjivka, a basement bar designed to imitate the underground kryjivkas – bunkers – where the Ukrainian Insurgent Army hid while battling Soviet invaders in World War II.

To get into the bar, you have to first pass the bouncer. He’s a burly guard in fatigues who cracks open the door and asks for the password – “Glory to Ukraine.” Then he hands you a shot of vodka and opens a false bookcase, leading you downstairs to the secret bunker bar.

Musicians serenade diners as they munch on typical Ukrainian fare like pig ears and salty curls of pig fat. In the back there’s a BB gun shooting range, where you can take your best shot at a portrait of Stalin. It’s all good fun, right?

“For me it was not very easy to open such a restaurant,” said Nazaruk, the 29-year-old co-founder of the bar.

In many parts of Ukraine, the Ukrainian guerilla fighters are remembered as Nazi collaborators who helped murder Polish citizens. But Nazaruk considers them heroes who defended their land from Soviet invaders. He said the black and white photos and guerilla army memorabilia on the walls aren’t on display anywhere else in the country.

“All this material you can show in a museum. But still, how many people come to museum?” Nazaruk asked. “We are trying to help people understand better their own history.”

One Ukrainian lawmaker has called for the basement bar to be shut down. But it’s really popular with locals and tourists, and its success convinced Nazaruk to tackle other parts of Lviv’s touchy past, like Lviv-born writer Leopold van Sacher Masoch, who gave Masochism its name.

Nazaruk opened Café Masoch, a kinky bistro with leather-clad waitresses. If you’re willing, they’ll greet you with masochistic flair – chaining you to the chair and whipping you on your back.

Nazaruk also opened a restaurant dedicated to Ukraine’s Freemasons, who were driven underground during Soviet rule. The restaurant has upset some modern Masons – particularly because of its bathroom. The toilet is shaped like the throne which figures prominently in Mason rituals.

Out of all of the restaurants, Nazaruk’s Jewish restaurant has probably provoked the most vocal criticism – from local historians and the city’s small Jewish community.

At Under the Golden Rose restaurant, diners are offered black hats with curly artificial sidelocks attached – the traditional look of an Eastern European religious Jew.

The menu features Jewish delicacies like gefilte fish and tsimmes – and also not-at-all-kosher pork sausage, and a cocktail named the Funny Jew. The waitress explained that one thing is missing from the menu: the prices.

“It’s a Jewish restaurant,” she said. “You eat … and after, you bargain. It’s Jewish tradition.”

Meylakh Sheykhet, a leading figure in Lviv’s small Jewish community, is furious. The restaurant reinforces the negative stereotype of Jews being cheap, he said.

“In the Jewish restaurants all over the world, you will not find anything like this,” Sheykhet said.

Even more appalling, he said, is that the restaurant overlooks the ruins of Lviv’s once-famous Golden Rose Synagogue, which the Nazis blew up.

“It is a great pain that they make the Jewish traditional life so cheap,” Sheykhet said. “They exploit the Jewish feelings in favor of their business. This is a mockery.”

Before World War II, Jews comprised a third of Lviv’s population. During the war, nearly all of them were sent to death camps and a nearby labor camp. After the war, the Soviets took control of the city, eventually closing down synagogues and burying whatever was left of Lviv’s once-vibrant Jewish life. The same thing happened all over Ukraine.

So Sheykhet decided to take matters into his own hands: he goes out nearly every day to forgotten, destroyed Jewish graveyards around the country and works to preserve them. It’s the right way to honor Ukraine’s Jewish past, Sheykhet says.

Nazaruk insists his restaurant also honors his city’s Jewish history.

“Some Jews say, ‘It’s not a Kosher restaurant, you have no right to speak about our history, about our culture,’" he said. "And I say to them, ‘Yes, I have no right to discuss your history or culture, but still, I am making a restaurant about my city. And it’s not only your history. It’s the history of my city. And I want to show it.’”

Historians in Lviv say the restaurant franchise amounts to a kitschy, irresponsible and offensive commercialization of Lviv’s sensitive past. Nazaruk defends his restaurants. They teach history, he said, and without the controversial gimmicks, nobody would care to learn.

Venezuelan opposition parties organizing joint effort to oust Chavez

PRI's The World — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:00:00 -0600

Venezuela is holding presidential elections in October and President Hugo Chavez is looking for a fourth term in office.

In the past, he’s easily defeated the candidates put forth by a divided opposition. This time the opposition is trying a new strategy. It’s holding a primary.

There are a lot of opposition parties in Venezuela, at least a dozen at the national level, from all across the political spectrum. Individually, none of them can hold a candle to the support Chavez and his ruling United Socialist Party have, either in terms of popularity or resources. But united, the opposition might have a chance.

The one-day primary on Feb. 12 will select a single candidate that all parties opposing Chavez say they will support in the general election. The clear frontrunner is Henrique Capriles, the 39-year-old governor of one of Venezuela’s biggest states. On the campaign trail, Capriles talks about tackling inflation and crime, and about getting out the vote.

“No one should fail to vote on Feb. 12,” said Capriles at a recent campaign stop. “It’s going to be an historic day for all Venezuelans.”

This is the first time the various opposition parties in Venezuela agree to hold a unified primary. The nationwide voting is open to all Venezuelans, regardless of party affiliation. Exactly how many show up could give an indication of how strong the anti-Chavez vote may be in October.

The opposition’s Coalition for Democratic Unity is hoping to build on its success two years ago, when it made big gains against Chavez’s party in parliamentary elections.

“That vote showed that the country was fairly evenly divided between those who were supporting the governing party and those who were supporting various opposing parties in that election,” said Jennifer McCoy, director the Americas Program at the Carter Center. “So the opposition feels that this election could be quite competitive.”

Still, Chavez remains a formidable opponent. His critics accuse the Chavez administration of derailing former opposition frontrunner Leopoldo Lopez, by charging him with corruption. Lopez was banned from holding public office through at least 2014.

Also, despite problems like high inflation and a soaring crime rate, Chavez’s approval ratings are above 50 percent and trending upward. The president’s ratings may have been boosted by his being back in the public eye, after his long absences last year while receiving cancer treatments in Cuba.

“He’s creating a very important, magical environment,” said Luis Vicente León of the Caracas polling firm Datanalisis. “He’s like Harry Potter against Voldemort in the last chapter. He’s coming from the dead.”

But Leon, who spoke recently at an event organized by the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Latin American Program, said there’s another, more troubling scenario for Chavez. If his illness returns, Leon thinks the 57-year-old incumbent Chavez could have a hard time against a younger, more energetic challenger, like 39-year-old Capriles.

That scenario isn’t rattling Chavez, at least not in public. To prove his fitness, he recently gave a nine hour speech before Congress.

nd he’s been boasting that he’s certain to win re-election in October. But the Venezuelan president also predicts that when he wins, it’s certain that his detractors in Venezuela and in Washington will accuse him of fraud.

Obama grants 10 states waivers from strictest provisions of No Child Left Behind

Here & Now — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:42:00 -0600

President Barack Obama on Thursday announced that 10 states would receive waivers from the strictest requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation.

In a White House announcement, Obama said Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee had applied for and been granted a waiver from the punitive provisions of NCLB, which was set to require all students to be proficient in reading and math by 2014.

"If we're serious about helping our children reach their potential, the best ideas aren't going to come from Washington alone," Obama said in a statement, according to the Huffington Post. "Our job is to harness those ideas, and to hold states and schools accountable for making them work."

New Mexico is an only state that sought a waiver and was denied, though it's continuing to negotiate with the federal government to receive one. In order to receive a waiver, states had to propose their own strategies for monitoring schools and improving those that weren't adequately teaching all students. The Huffington Post said 28 other states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have also signaled they will apply for a waiver. The next deadline is later this month.

The waivers have angered Congressional Republicans who see them as Obama exceeding his authority, The New York Times said. Obama, in a statement, called on Congress to modify the law to create a system that will work.

Absent that, though, he said he was taking action.

“After waiting far too long for Congress to reform No Child Left Behind, my administration is giving states the opportunity to set higher, more honest standards in exchange for more flexibility,” Obama's statement said.

JCPenney will stick with Ellen DeGeneres in the wake of conservative protests

Here & Now — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:43:00 -0600

Ellen DeGeneres doesn't often talk about her sexual orientation on her popular talk show.

But this week, she did. And it was for a very specific reason. A conservative group, One Million Moms, has called for a boycott of J.C.Penney Company, because the company chose DeGeneres as its new spokeswoman. DeGeneres is gay, and that's upset the group.

But JCPenney isn't budging and is standing behind DeGeneres, who used to work for the company.

"This organization doesn’t think I should be the spokesperson because I’m gay. So for those of you just tuning in for the first time, it’s true. I’m gay. I hope you were sitting down. I hate to break it to you this way," DeGeneres told her audience. "So they wanted to get me fired, and I am proud and happy to say that J.C. Penney’s stuck by their decision."

DeGeneres also explained her values to her audience, including being kind. She also pointed out comments from Million Moms who supported her in comments on the group's website.

Danielle Douglas, reporter for the Washington Post, said JCPenney's president cited DeGeneres' values when he announced the company was sticking by her.

Douglas said choosing DeGeneres is an effort by JCPenney to appeal to a broader audience than it's historically reached. It's also part of a broader rebranding of the company, led by new President Ron Johnson, who was hired away from Apple's retail division.

"Apple is known for the unique way in which it has stream-lined its efforts to be a retailer, and I think JCPenney is taking the same approach to their efforts," Douglas said.

JCPenney is rolling out a simpler pricing structure that puts sales in three buckets: everyday discounts, monthly specials and clearance sales.

The pricing model is a tip of the hat to Apple, which rarely has sales but has products and prices that draw consumers, Douglas said.

"JCPenney's may not have that same level of product, but that's not necessarily the case now that part of their strategy is welcoming new designers, streamlining the brands they have," Douglas said.

It's also a bit of a tip to Target, which has had great success bringing designer-name products into their stores.

Can Santorum hang on against Romney and the Super PAC funding?

The Takeaway — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:49:00 -0600

After Rick Santorum swept the caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado, and won the non-binding primary in Missouri, many started to wonder if Santorum could unseat Mitt Romney's seemingly inexorable path to the nomination.

The field of Republican candidates for president is once again unsettled. But is Santorum really the favorite among conservative voters?

Norman J. Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said the majority of Republicans really don't want Romney to be elected president.

"They've desperately been seeking somebody else who can fill a role that does meet both of the criteria," Ornstein said.

Those two criteria are conservative credentials and electability. Romney's always been high in the latter but no strong in the former. Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Michelle Bachmann and even Rick Perry all did well in the former but have had trouble with, or even seen their campaign crash on the rocks of the latter.

"What's happened in part to Romney over the last few weeks, especially with a couple of weeks where he went from one gaffe or problem to another, is even those who'd come reluctantly to believe they might have to settle reluctantly for a Romney because he's the one who could win, now have doubts about that as well," Ornstein said.

What we're seeing now is that play out. A lot of social conservatives who might have been willing to support Romney because he could beat Obama are concerned he can't even do that.

But Romney still has advantages. He has the best organization among Republican candidates. And he is better funded than his challengers as well.

"Having organization and money behind you will continue to matter. But no enthusiasm behind you and a series of blows here that suggests that inevitability is not inevitable any more. That's got to cause some significant and serious heartburn among the Romney brain trust," Ornstein said.

Ornstein said the Super PAC funding that's pouring into this election has made and will continue to make a big difference in who can be elected by Republicans. If not for the "unaffiliated" Super PACs, Romney would have trouble defeating Santorum, or Gingrich, Ornstein said.

"Something like 9 percent of the money Romney is getting is coming from small contributors. We're talking about big Bain Capital and other multi-millionaires" who are donating to Romney," Ornstein said.

Obama, states announce massive settlement with banks over foreclosure process

The Takeaway — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:40:00 -0600

American homeowners are in line to receive billions of dollars in aid from banks in the wake of a massive settlement between some of the nation's largest mortgage servicers and state and federal authorities.

The deal, announced Thursday morning, will provide at least $26 billion from five banks to be split among homeowners ($17 billion), cash fines to state and federal governments ($5 billion), refinancing ($3 billion) and for the Federal Housing Administration ($1 billion). The settlement, the largest joint state and federal authorities, will close the books on federal and state investigations of improper foreclosures by banking officials. But it does not cover improper actions for packaging and selling mortgages and other issues that may have contributed to the housing bubble.

"It was wrong and it cost more than 4 million families their homes to foreclosures. Even worse, many of these banks that handled these foreclosures didn't give families a fighting chance to keep their homes," President Barack Obama said at a press conference Thursday.

Obama said the settlement will deliver a measure of justice to families who suffered at the hands of banks.

"This settlement is a start. We're going to make sure these banks live up to their end of the bargain," Obama said.

A federal monitor will ensure the banks pay what they agreed to pay. There's a possibility that the settlement will grow. If nine other mortgage servicers join the settlement, which is currently being discussed, the total value of the settlement could grow to $45 billion to be divided among the same parties as the settlement announced Thursday, The New York Times said.

Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial are the five banks who've already agreed to the settlement. The Times said the banks have already earmarked money to pay for the settlement and saw their stock prices rise on Thursday after it was announced.

The deal, through sweeping, will still leave many homeowners without government assistance.

"Roughly one million expected to have their mortgage debt reduced by lenders or able to refinance their homes at lower rates. Another 750,000 people who lost their homes to foreclosure from January 2008 to the end of 2011 will receive checks for about $2,000," The Times wrote.

German company Carpooling.com looking to bring its service to U.S. market

PRI's The World — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:53:00 -0600

In the United States, gas prices climbed to a record high for the month of January, despite the fact that it’s a month when prices typically come down.

It’s enough to drive you to carpool — and not just in the United States.

At least that’s what Carpooling.com, which has been helping Germans share rides for more than a decade, is hoping.

In a parking lot outside of Munich’s main train station, Lars Biederstedt met the people he’ll spend the next five to six hours with. Biederstedt drives from Munich (where he works) to Berlin (where his parents live) almost every weekend.

As he climbs into his seven-seat van, he talks about his other ride.

“I have a Triumph Tiger, an English motorcycle,” Biederstedt said, “And when the seats are out, the motorcycle can come in, and when the seats are in, I can carry people or my family.”

Biederstedt never drives to Berlin alone. Instead, he offers seats in his van through a website called Mitfahrgelegenheit, one of those wonderfully rich German words that means, essentially, “a lift.”

Sabrina, a student in Munich, found Biederstedt's offer on the website. She contacted him and booked a one-way trip for about $40.

“The train is more expensive,” Sabrina said. “Besides, going by car is nicer, friendlier. You can get to know other people.”

Soon, Biederstedt’s other passengers show up, and they all pile into the van to escape the bitter cold. He quickly said he makes just enough from his passengers to pay for gas and upkeep on the van.

And then the van doors close, and the trip is under way. This is a scene that plays out all over Germany thanks to the Mitfahrgelegenheit website.

It all started more than decade ago, when three friends at a university in Würzburg needed to help keep love alive.

“One of us had a girlfriend, not living in Würzburg, so we had a demand to travel in a cheap way,” said Michael Reinicke, Managing Director of Mitfahrgelegenheit.

He and his two friends decided to build a website where people could offer and accept cheap rides between German cities. The idea, spread mainly by word of mouth, took off. First, it was mostly students, but soon others were curious about the service.

“We think all trips by car could be shared,” Reinicke said. “Whenever you want to go with your car, you could take people with you, and therefore reduce carbon emissions and your costs.”

For the first six years, Reinicke and his pals worked on the website in their spare time, but by 2007, it had grown into a full-fledged business.

In 2010, they expanded to six other countries, including Spain, Poland, France and Great Britain.

And because “Mitfahrgelegenheit” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue for non-German speakers, they renamed the company Carpooling.com.

Call it whatever you want. The company estimates that one million people per month are now using the service.

Passengers and drivers alike can size each other up via an online ratings system. And most people seem to get along just fine. Some better than others.

“We wouldn’t have met if there wasn’t Mitfahrgelegenheit,” said Julia Mallek, who met her husband, Dominik, on a shared ride in 2008. “We talked for three hours. Then he was the last person I dropped off, and he said, well, perhaps we can see each other again sometime, and I said yes. And one month later we were a couple.”

The two now have a child.

Carpooling.com makes money in three ways. First, it takes a small percentage of the proceeds from each ride. The bigger money-make, though, is advertising on its much-visited website. The company also custom-tailors its software for large businesses that want to offer ride-sharing for their employees.

And the website offers discounted tickets on German trains and busses, so that people can combine various modes of transportation to book door-to-door trips.

Now, the company is looking to the U.S. market.

“Even in the US, the financial crisis, has had a deep impact on how people think about traveling,” said Carpooling.com CEO Markus Barnikel, who lived in the San Francisco area for years as an employee of Yahoo!

Barnikel admits that carpooling in the US has never really taken off. For one thing, he says, you don’t want to get stuck at work while your travel buddy suddenly has to stay late.

But he also thinks the Carpooling.com idea could change that.

“We would allow people commuting to companies to say, ‘When I know I’m going to leave, let’s say an hour or two in advance. I’m just going to pick another ride, and get another person to take me back home,’” Barnikel said. “I think that kind of offering, with this kind of flexibility, will be very appealing to the North American market."

But many Americans think of their cars as a second home, a place they don’t normally invite strangers.

Barnikel said that may be true for an older generation, but he thinks younger Americans feel differently about sharing, especially if they can save money.

For example, he said, look at the success of the website Airbnb, which allows you to rent out your apartment or a room in your house in much the same way carpooling.com does for spaces in cars.

And, Barnikel noted, the fact that you can go on the website, and see the profile of who you will be riding with will also help reluctant drivers and passengers overcome any trepidation.

For the company, though, there’s a host of U.S. regulatory and liability issues to be dealt with at federal, state and local levels.

“Each time we enter a new market, this is one of the first areas we study,” said Odile Beniflah, who works for Carpooling.com in New York City. “The legal implications of taking someone in your car, the implications on car insurance, whether commercial drivers can do carpooling or not, we study all of that.”

German law in that area is very strict, she noted, which makes it easier to adapt to other countries.

There are already hundreds of ride-sharing and carpooling websites in the United States. But with the exception of a few, like Ridester and ZimRide, they mostly focus on very local rides, not longer-distance.

Carpooling.com thinks its long experience in the business will give it an advantage. The company won’t say, though, exactly when or where they intend to roll out their service in the U.S.

Building collapse in Pakistan a reminder of an uncomfortably common occurrence

PRI's The World — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:20:00 -0600

There have been a number of major building collapses in different parts of the world in recent weeks.

Lahore, Pakistan. Beirut, Lebanon. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sao Paulo, Brazil

The building that collapsed in Lahore, Pakistan, killing more than 20 people, was a factory. An exploding boiler may be the cause.

The building that collapsed in Beirut killed at least 25 people. Cracks in the building made worse by heavy rain may have caused the collapse. Or perhaps its foundations were weakened by nearby construction.

In any case, for the professionals, a building collapse is one of the worst things that can happen.

Cameron Sinclair, one of the founders of the non-profit group Architecture for Humanity, said what’s scary is rarely the design of buildings, rather it’s how those designs are constructed.

“The quality of construction is diminishing greatly,” he said. “There was a time when we as architects would deal with a whole system of master craftsmen who would be working on the finer details of a building. Now it’s kind of like the McDonald's of building. It’s a lot of cookie-cutter, dropped-in solutions that are done to maximize profit locally.”

That may be true, but it doesn’t account for the building stock the world already has. The factory that collapsed in Pakistan was about 25 years old, and the Lebanese building dated from the 1920s.

In these cases it’s more a matter of upkeep and regulation.

For instance, one commentator suggested that, in Beirut, the fact that old laws keep some rents very low means landlords don’t spend money on standard safety inspections.

And it’s problems with enforcing the rules that Christopher Gaffney thinks are to blame for recent building collapses in Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro a 20-story building collapsed onto two smaller buildings, both of which also went down.

Gaffney is an architecture professor there, and he noted that Brazil has a long and proud tradition of structural engineering.

“So this was a bit of a surprise and it’s turn into a tourist attraction of sorts," Gaffney said. "But in terms of a shock at the falling apart of public infrastructure, people were not terribly surprised.”

Gaffney sees cracks not in Rio’s buildings so much as in the city’s civic infrastructure: no-one’s stepping up to take the blame.

“The mayor doesn’t want to take responsibility, the governor doesn’t want to take responsibility, the engineering firms don’t want to take it,” he said. “And so this is a concern of mine in general for the way that the World Cup is going to be run.”

That’s the soccer World Cup in 2014, a major event that’s only going to increase the stress on Rio de Janeiro. Rio’s problems are big and systemic, and Gaffney doesn’t see the city’s leaders tackling them.

“When you have a big event coming in, when you have these gross failures of public administration, you expose yourself to international coverage and you expose your weaknesses,” he said.

Anywhere in the world, developing big systems takes a long time, whether it’s building a culture of responsibility or a well-regulated inspection regime, or a seamless construction process.

Maybe, said Sinclair, that’s why it’s easier to blame fate when things go wrong.

“When we assume it’s a freak accident, we dismiss it and we just ignore it," he said.

VIDEO: Pakistani parking police get high marks for integrity, fine collection method

PRI's The World — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 -0600

Like many cities around the world, there are a lot of cars in Rawalpindi, and not nearly enough space to park them all.

So when the local journalist I work with suggested parking illegally near a courthouse, I said OK, noticing everyone else
was doing it. And that’s when I got a lesson in Pakistani parking control.

When we returned, our car was gone from its spot, but not far.

A forklift had gently lifted the car and placed it on the sidewalk. The driver was doing the same thing to dozens of vehicles.

He arranged the cars so they were pretty much boxed in, making a quick getaway impossible. His partner, the ticketing officer, explained what was going on.

“This is reserved parking for the lawyers who work at these courts and they’ve designated vehicles with stickers to mark them and they are the only ones allowed to park here,” he said.

That was obvious. But why a forklift and why put them on the sidewalk? Why not just tow them away?

Turns out, there is a very practical answer.

“There’s not a good registration system for vehicles here, so we can’t fine people online or through an electronic system, so we lift the cars and put them somewhere where the drivers can’t get away,” the parking officer said. “Then we fine them to ensure the fine is paid.”

And it works. We paid our fine, the equivalent of just over $2, and we watched dozens of others do the same with very little grumbling.

It was a sight to watch as car after car was lifted, carried, set down and then lifted again and returned to their owners as the fines were paid.

One other notable point. It turns out the police who monitor parking and the highways have been praised by anti-corruption group Transparency International for their integrity.

That’s no small feat in what is otherwise one of the world’s more corrupt nations.

High demand for sea turtles in China sends poachers toward Philippines

PRI's The World — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00:00 -0600

China has a taste for turtle; turtle soup, turtle eggs, turtle bone ground up for use in Chinese medicine to promote longevity — for people, not for the turtles.

But as Chinese waters are increasingly depleted of sea turtles, Chinese poachers are traveling farther to find them. That includes hunting in waters that both China and the Philippines claim, like the waters around the Philippine island of Palawan.

The area is home to the endangered hawksbill sea turtle, a species so ancient it predates some dinosaurs. It can grow to be as large as one meter across, said Glenda Cadigal, of the Palawan Council on Sustainable Development.

“It lays 1,000 eggs,” she said, “and when it lays the eggs in one area, all the hatchlings that hatch from that area will go back to the same spot to lay its eggs at the time it is mature.”

But fewer turtles are making the journey of late, she said. She estimates that their population around Palawan is down about 20 percent from a decade ago, because of poaching, mostly by Chinese.

“They are poached not just for meat, but also for the value of their turtle shell, which is used for almost anything — for accessories, for guitar picks, bags, you name it and they will do it.” Cadigal said.

For some Chinese families, it’s a status symbol to have a stuffed marine turtle on display in their homes. Cadigal said that some Chinese boats caught near Palawan had tools onboard for stuffing turtles.

The Philippine navy, which patrols those waters, captured a Chinese boat of poachers in December. The boat had two big outboard motors, according to Giovanni Bacordo, deputy commander of the Philippine Armed Forces, Naval Forces West. He said it tried to ram the patrol boat, and then fled.

“So we gave chase for about 19 minutes until their outboard motors bogged down,” Bacordo said. “While we were giving chase, they were throwing away some equipment overboard, and maybe some dead sea turtles, we don’t know. But the following day, we recovered a fishing net, weighing about a ton, and three more dead sea turtles. So all in all, we recovered nine dead sea turtles, and three live ones.”

Six Chinese were arrested. The alleged poachers said they came from China’s Hainan province, more than 600 miles away. There’s a thriving black market there in sea turtles — a single sea turtle can sell for $3,000.

Chinese police in Hainan do periodically crack down on turtle poaching. Still, General Juancho Sabban, who heads the Philippine Armed Forces Western Command, suggested Chinese poachers aren’t operating entirely on their own. He thinks they must have a mother ship, perhaps a commercial boat — or perhaps not. He said some Chinese poachers have befriended Palawan locals, and have even offered to buy sea turtles from them, which makes him suspicious.

“By doing so, they are able to step on Philippine soil, befriending the populace, which to us in the military is a very common ploy in a more advanced planning. You have to immerse and know the local culture, as well as mingle with them and establish a support base,” Sabban said.

So far, there’s no proven link between the poachers and the Chinese military. But other Chinese fishing boats have been known to lay down markers in contested waters near here.

As for the accused poachers, the six caught in December await trial. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has said China is watching, and wants the Philippines to treat them fairly. Glenda Cadigal of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development said, if anything, Chinese poachers in the past have been treated too fairly. They’ve been allowed to post bail and leave — or the Chinese embassy posts bail for them.

“I’m not into the bailing, because the lives of these wildlife species — you just pay a certain amount, and then you’re free? For me, it’s not fair,” Cadigal said. “They don’t have their voices, and we should be the ones protecting them.”

There’s now a group in Hainan called “SeaTurtles 911,” which is trying to rescue captured sea turtles, and spread awareness in China that hunting endangered turtles is bad for the environment.

But demand lingers, and the supply near Palawan seems too tempting for poachers to resist. Especially as the Chinese government insists these waters are rightfully China’s to exploit.

Western Union offers singing telegrams with an electronic twist

Here & Now — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:18:00 -0600

Odds are you have never received a singing telegram.

But that may change. Western Union, the telegram and global payments company, is bringing back its singing telegrams. Western Union pulled the plug on its singing telegrams in 2006, to focus on the payments element of its business. But late last year, they brought them back with a twist.

Via a website, Western Union lets you send a singing telegram via email. And, instead of having a Western Union employee deliver the message, the sender and celebrity singers combine to put together a track that can be emailed to the recipient.

“We’re bringing them back in a virtual and social way, in tune with the times,” Diane Scott, executive vice president of Western Union in Englewood, Colo., told The New York Times.

Western Union says it will eventually begin charging for the service, but for now it's free.

Pat Vialpando, who used to deliver singing telegrams the old fashioned way, said the old service was one of the most terrifying things he ever had to do, walk up to some stranger's door and start singing.

"I went to the door, my knees were shaking more than my knock," Vialpando said. "I was scared to death."

Vialpando said people seemed to appreciate the service though. And he thinks retirees and even current Western Union employees will be "tickled" by the new online service.

"I think that's a great idea," he said.

Candidates have trouble finding music to use at campaign events

Here & Now — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:14:00 -0600

Mitt Romney was using the song “Wavin’ Flag” by K’Naan at his campaign rallies — until the Somali-born rapper asked him to stop.

Newt Gingrich was using a blast from the past — “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor. But Frankie Sullivan, a former band member, told the New York Times that a song can lose value if it becomes entwined in the public’s mind with a politician. He sued, and Gingrich stopped.

Politicians seem to be having a lot of trouble finding music they actually can play at their events. So what is being heard? Mitt Romney is playing Kid Rock’s “Born Free” at rallies — without any problems so far.

And the Las Vegas Sun reported that another popular song with Republicans is Toby Keith’s “American Ride,” but as the Sun points out, Keith is a long-time Democrat.

And the song played at rallies isn't exactly the song Keith fans may recognize. The song conjures up quintessential images of flag and country, the lyrics also mention global warming, and foreclosures.

But the Gingrich campaign cut those out.

And then there's Ron Paul. Paul has used the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars at his events.

Rick Santorum on Tuesday night broke the mold, after winning all three primary and caucus elections up for grabs that day. He was brought on stage with triumphant orchestral music.

Obama reverses course, endorses use of Super PACs in 2012 campaign

The Takeaway — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:54:00 -0600

President Barack Obama on Tuesday indicated to donors that if not changing his opinion of Super PACs in general, he's willing — and indeed hopes — to have them support him in the upcoming presidential election.

Previously Obama had previously called them "a threat to our democracy," but, according to a report in The New York Times, after seeing the way Republican Mitt Romney used Super PACs to savage his opponents in the primary, became convinced he might not win without one. So, according to the Times, Obama has signed off on a plan that will see his senior advisers and some cabinet officials speaking at fundraisers for the Super PACs.

Officials say the plan meets all Federal Elections Commission guidelines and the Obama advisers will only coordinate with the Super PAC officials to the degree necessary to plan for their speeches. They won't ask for money, though the PACs will be doing that at the events, the Times reported.

Joe Hagan, contributing editor for New York Magazine, said Obama's reversal was a reflection of the political reality of the upcoming election cycle.

"There's a pure math equation here," Hagan said. "The amount of money they have been watching the Republican side accumulate is creating a lot of fear. We've seen in this Republican primary how powerful that money can be."

Hagan said Democrats are living with the reality they will be outspent in this election, one way or another, but the degree to which they're outspent is what has Democrats nervous and willing to take the political hit of reversing themselves on Super PACs.

"They are going to be overwhelmed," he said. "These Super PACs are driving the negative — it's almost what they're there for. To go negative and to spend a lot of money doing it."

Hagan said this election, with high unemployment, provides a lot of incentive for both sides to go negative. Romney has to paint Obama as a failed leader responsible for millions of Americans being without a job, while Obama is trying to portray Romney — who many not even be the nominee but still seems most likely — as an even worse individual to bring jobs back to America.

The Obama-linked Super PAC, Priorities USA Action, has actually been in operation for more than a year. As of the most recent FEC filings, it had raised $4.4 million.

"It's run by a former Obama adviser," Hagan said. "It's a mirror image of the ones being run for Romney and the other candidates, where it's run by a former staffer with a paper thin wall between the campaign and this outside group."

Super PACs have the potentially to totally turnover the cart in terms of political advertising. In 2008, some $2.5 billion were spent on political advertising. Hagan said the latest estimates expect $4.9 billion to be spent in political advertising this year.