The latest segments from The Takeaway

The Documents that Define America

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 31 May 2012 20:50:18 PDT

What does it mean to be an American? By what texts do we define ourselves as "We, the People"? Since our country's founding, Americans have debated the speeches and tracts sacred to our founding, from the Exodus story to the Declaration of Independence. Indeed, Americans are defined by the diversity of our voices, by our ability to remain united while we disagree through our civic discourse.

In this election year, politicians and pundits constantly debate the "true" meaning of America's core canon, asking what the Founding Fathers or Martin Luther King, Jr. or Eleanor Roosevelt would think of immigration reform, or affirmative action, or birth control. In his new book, author and professor Stephen Prothero writes, "To answer these questions, they have returned, over and over again, to certain core texts. These core texts constitute a de facto canon of American public life." Prothero has collected these core texts in his new book, "The American Bible."

Is the Recession Redefining American Masculinity?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 31 May 2012 20:31:00 PDT

Economists consider workers between 25 and 54 to be in their prime, and though America follows the national unemployment figures each month, a better indicator of economic health is the percentage of 25- to 54-year-olds who are working. When it comes to America’s men, the figures aren’t good. Fewer prime-age men are working than at any point since 1948.

That means America’s workforce is going through a dramatic shift. And so is the definition of the family breadwinner.

Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute, explains what the depressed employment figures mean about America’s prime-age workforce. Aaron Traister, a columnist who writes about masculinity, explains how the recession has impacted America’s men. He’s writing a book on the topic.

Syria's Only Hope?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 31 May 2012 20:09:24 PDT

The massacre at Houla forced the world to remember the ongoing violence in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad has reportedly killed 12,000 civilians and doesn't appear willing to stop. A coalition of opposition groups called the Syrian National Council has emerged as the best political force to fight the regime. But how effective has the Council really been?

George Jabboure Netto is a member of the Syrian National Council and associate professor of pathology and oncology at Johns Hopkins University. Amr Al Azm is a former member of the Syrian National Council and professor of history at Shawnee State University.

New York City Plans a Ban of Oversized Sugary Drinks

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 31 May 2012 08:31:37 PDT

New York City plans to ban the sale of large sugary drinks, announced Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Wednesday. The ban, which aims to fight obesity, would impose a 16-ounce limit on the size of sweetened drinks sold at restaurants, bodegas, and movie theaters. Joining us is Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University and author of "Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety." Also with us is Jay Cowit, Takeaway Technical Director and Chief Soda Correspondent.

Marking the Beginning of Adulthood

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 31 May 2012 08:31:15 PDT

On yesterday’s show, The Takeaway discussed the supposed problems with kids today. But that begged the question: when, exactly, is a kid no longer a kid? When does childhood end and adulthood begin?

It’s a confusing question. At age 18, an American is old enough to fight, and die, for his or her country, but not old enough to buy a beer. At age 16, one can obtain a driver’s license, but not rent a car. And at age 17, one can get married in some states, but not in others.

Haris Durrani is an engineering student at Columbia University, as well as a research intern at the school’s robotics lab and an editor at Scholastic. He just turned 19 on Monday. But does he consider himself an adult? Dr. Barbara Hofer is a professor at Middlebury College who specializes in educational, developmental, and cultural psychology. She is the author with Abigail Sullivan Moore of "The iConnected Parent: Staying Close to Your Kids in College (and Beyond) While Letting Them Grow Up."

Whistleblower Exposes Dishonest Practices at Citigroup

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 31 May 2012 08:30:41 PDT

Sherry Hunt grew up in the Midwest, wears plaid flannel shirts, and likes to ride horses. She is also the whistleblower who cost Citigroup $158.3 million and exposed deep deceptions at the massive bank. In an expose out today in Bloomberg Markets Magazine, projects and investigations reporter Bob Ivry details the cover-up culture at Citigroup — and the courage it took for Hunt to come forward.

The Immortal Driver: Chicago's Plan to Eliminate Traffic Deaths

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 31 May 2012 07:02:49 PDT

Last year alone, over 32,000 Americans died on the road — far exceeding the death tolls of American serviceman in Iraq and Afghanistan in over ten years of war. And yet that number — high as it seems — is actually the lowest it’s been in over six decades. Thanks to a combination of design changes, legal safeguards and public awareness, Americans today are over five times less likely to be killed while driving than they were in the 1950s.

Now Chicago is aiming for a new number — zero. Last week the city’s transportation department released an action agenda which reads like something out of a utopian fantasy. It’s stated goal: "to eliminate all pedestrian, bicycle, and overall traffic crash fatalities within 10 years."

Chicago's transportation commissioner Gabe Klein explains the rationality behind a seemingly irrational goal.

Study of Studies Finds Retractions in Drug Literature Often Indicative of Misconduct

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:18:18 PDT

In January 2003, The Lancet — one of the world's oldest and most respected medical journals — published an article championing the combination of two drugs (ACE inhibitors and ARBs) in treating certain types of kidney disease. More than 100,000 patients were prescribed these two drugs in combination.

But then an investigation concluded that the data in the study had been collected in a way that made it scientifically unsound. The Lancet printed a retraction, but thousands of patients still receive these drugs in combination.

This is just one case of several explored in a new study of studies by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. They found that nearly three quarters of retracted drug studies were retracted because of scientific misconduct like falsified data and plagiarism. Simon Pickard is the senior author of the study. Art Caplan is a professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania.

Spelling Champ on This Year's Bee

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 31 May 2012 03:24:49 PDT

It’s one of the most closely watched competitions in America. It’s featured on ESPN and has been the subject of countless films, novels, and TV specials. It attracts hundreds of fierce competitors from around the world, but for most, it ends in tears and defeat.

This is, of course, the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The semi-finals begin today. Who better to talk through it all than 1999 champion Nupur Lala?

Nupur won the bee with the word “logorrhea,” which means “the excessive use of words.” Her journey to the top was documented in the Oscar-nominated film “Spellbound.”

Is Technology Making Our Children Narcissists?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:43:36 PDT

Does technology hurt a child’s character development? Sheri Noga, a psychotherapist, believes there are potentially negative sides. As she sees it, today’s technology amplifies the mindset of immediate gratification; and that can be bad for children, parents and the world.

Sheri is the author of “Have the Guts to Do it Right: Raising Grateful and Responsible Children in an Era of Indulgence.”

Is it Time to Intervene in Syria?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:34:07 PDT

Is it time to intervene in Syria? David Loyn, international development correspondent for the BBC, believes that the international community has yet to reach its tipping point on Syria, and that the Syrian conflict could continue for another year. Loyn draws a distinction between the Syrian conflict and the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo during President Clinton's tenure. Philip Gourevitch, author and staff writer for The New Yorker, has also covered a number of international conflicts.

Defining the 'Tipping Point' for Intervention in War

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:30:32 PDT

All this week The Takeaway has followed the news out of Syria, where a horrific massacre at the hands of Syrian government troops in the village of Houla recently left 108 civilians dead, including a number of children, most murdered at close-point range. UN-Arab League Special Envoy Kofi Annan met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday, and told the press, "I shared with President Assad my assessment that the six-point plan is not being implemented as it must."

Are we at a tipping point in Syria? Philip Gourevitch, author and staff writer for The New Yorker, has also covered a number of international conflicts. He examines tipping points for the United States throughout the last century.

Unemployment Benefits Will Expire Earlier Than Many Expected

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 08:26:29 PDT

Federal unemployment benefits were meant to tide over those who lost their jobs until the economy improved — for up to 99 weeks if necessary. But it remains unclear whether or not the economy is improving, and in February Congress renewed the program. But that renewal came with a caveat: fewer weeks of aid. Next month, 70,000 people will be cut off from unemployment before their 99 weeks are up, and nearly 500,000 will have lost aid this year earlier than they expected.

Christine Owens, the Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project, discusses the ways in which fewer weeks of aid will impact unemployed Americans. Joe Sangataldo, an unemployed resident of New Jersey, will lose his benefits within the next few months.

Presidential Leadership and the Origins of the "Kill List"

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 08:14:34 PDT

The "Kill List": It's the President's shifting roster of names of high-profile targets. If you're a suspected terrorist, it could be the last list your name appears on before the United States government ends your life. The Obama administration appears to be the first presidential administration to keep such a list.

Was the template for this list was written by the policies of previous administrations? And what does the president's hands-on role in monitoring this list say about his leadership style? Coleen Rowley is a former FBI Special Agent and Division Counsel. Ron Suskind is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of “The Price of Loyalty” and “Confidence Men."

It's Not All Bad: Stories From Past Guests Who've Escaped Unemployment

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:29:35 PDT

After losing their jobs, some Americans have been able to rebuild their careers after slight adjustments to their job descriptions.

Donovan Marsden works in computers. He lost his job and took another job at significantly less pay. But then he was laid off from that job as well. Now he’s making as much money as he was at his first job by doing contract work. He’s confident that the economy is improving.

Cynthia Norton left a job as an executive assistant to take care of her sister who had cancer. Soon after, the economy crashed. She worked for years at Walmart for minimum wage, but was eventually able to find work as a caregiver — work that she finds satisfying, even if it doesn’t pay as much as she used to make.

How to Give Your Boss the Pink Slip

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:29:00 PDT

No doubt, from time to time, every working person has wanted to scream, "take this job and shove it." But what if you could keep your job, and give your boss the boot instead?

It might sound like the stuff of Hollywood movies, but in fact, there are workers out there who’ve tried it, and even a few who’ve succeeded.

Marie McIntyre is an Atlanta-based career coach and author of “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics.” She’s worked with people who want to fire their bosses and has tips for those who want to follow in their footsteps.

Humor in Dark Places: A Listener Jumps on His Father's Grave

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:18:16 PDT

Yesterday, The Takeaway spoke with Kaylin Andres, a 23-year-old diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer who uses comedy as her coping mechanism. And the conversation led to more questions: How have others used comedy and laughter to get through tough times? Listener Duncan Rogers shares a story about literally jumping on his father's grave.

Should Sports Gambling Be Legal?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 02:03:38 PDT

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced last week in Atlantic City that he will defy a federal ban on sports gambling and that he hopes to let New Jersey residents legally bet on sporting events by fall of this year.

His chances of success seem slim: back in 2009, Delaware failed in a similar legal push to overcome the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which bans sports betting in all but four states. Nonetheless, Christie’s outspokenness has reinvigorated national debate on the topic.

So, sports gambling: should it be legal? Joe Nocera is an op-ed columnist for our partner The New York Times, and Dan Wetzel is a columnist for Yahoo! Sports.

Humor in Dark Places: The Comedy of Cancer

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:58:01 PDT

In the past few years, cancer – a subject once relegated to medical journals and hospital corridors – has become a recurring character on the comedy scene.

Larry David tackled the subject in Season 7 of Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry's girlfriend, Loretta, played by Vivica A. Fox, is diagnosed with breast cancer, and Larry wants out of the relationship. In his trademark awkward fashion, Larry tries – and fails – to convince Loretta's doctor that he's only exacerbating Loretta's disease. Screenwriter Will Reiser says that Curb Your Enthusiasm encouraged him to tackle his own cancer story through comedy in the 2011 film, 50/50, which featured Seth Rogan and Joseph Gordon-Levitt trading jokes about tumors and terminal illness.

Author and designer Kaylin Andres continues this tradition in her new comic book, "Terminally 'Illin". At the age of 23, Kaylin was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer that usually affects young children. In the midst of chemo and radiation, comedy became her coping mechanism.

Cyber Security Experts Discover "Flame," The Newest, Best Way to Spy on a Country

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Tue, 29 May 2012 07:31:23 PDT

Iran’s nuclear program hit a setback in 2010 when a computer worm called “Stuxnet” struck uranium enrichment facilities in the country, and caused them to malfunction. At the time, many suggested that Israel, and maybe America, had designed the computer worm specifically to target Iran.

On The Takeaway last March, Richard Clarke, a counter-terrorism advisor to three presidents, said computer worms like Stuxnet were changing the face of international espionage. He explained that we're approaching the end of the James-Bond-era spy – and Bond is being replaced with lines of code that can take screenshots, delete documents, and even turn on a computer's microphone to record nearby conversations.

Now, a Moscow-based cyber security company has discovered a similar worm in the Middle East. This one, they say, is much more sophisticated than Stuxnet, and perhaps the most sophisticated malware ever of its kind. They’re calling it “Flame.” Roel Schouwenberg, a senior policy analyst for Kaspersky Labs, the company that discovered Flame, explains exactly what makes this worm so special. And Kim Zetter, a senior writer at Wired Magazine, discusses what this means for the future of espionage and security.

Gearing Up for General Election, Romney and Obama Race to Define Their Campaigns

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Tue, 29 May 2012 07:30:55 PDT

In campaign politics, definition is everything. Crafting and defining candidacies is first and foremost on the minds of campaigns, and the endeavor has proven to be as much a political art form, as it is a race against time.

Right now, we’re at the crucial phase in the general election season where both leading candidates for president are looking to define themselves and the presidential race before their opponent does it for them.

So where do we stand on presidential campaign definitions? Molly Ball, staff writer for The Atlantic, and Ron Christie, Takeaway contributor and Republican strategist, break it down.

Oscar-Winner Charles Ferguson on 'Predator Nation'

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Tue, 29 May 2012 04:45:45 PDT

Just over a year after the release of his Oscar-winning documentary “Inside Job,” Charles Ferguson returns to the topic of the 2008 financial crisis with his latest book “Predator Nation.”

In it, he points to the rise of “predatory finance” as both a symptom and the cause America’s fractured economy and political system.

He joins us today to talk about the book, the economy, and what has and hasn’t changed since the crash.

Jennifer Egan, One Tweet At A Time

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Tue, 29 May 2012 04:45:44 PDT

Over the course of its short life, Twitter has been many things to many people… from not-so-personal diary to celebrity sounding board; from advertising platform to political tool for the collective masses.

And now, Twitter can add one more title to its list of uses: Literary device for Pulitzer Prize winners.

Beginning last Thursday night, the New Yorker began publishing Jennifer Egan’s new short story “Black Box,” one tweet at a time. The story will unfold over the course of ten nights between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. eastern time. We are currently exactly halfway through.

In addition to writing “Black Box,” Egan is the author of “The Invisible Circus,” “Look At Me,” and many other books, including “A Visit From the Goon Squad,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Mae Jemison's Quest to Take us All into Space

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Tue, 29 May 2012 03:25:14 PDT

Many of us dream about one day traveling to space. But unless you're willing to dedicate a lifetime to the rigors of becoming a NASA astronaut, how can you ever hope to get there?

100-Year Starship is an organization that hopes to answer that question. Its mission: To take civilians to outer space within the next 100 years. Leading the program is astronaut Mae Jemison, who famously became the first black woman to travel in space when she boarded the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.

This Week's Agenda: Trouble in the Euro Zone, Latino Voter Litmus Test for Romney in Texas, New Unemployment Numbers and Annan in Syria

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Tue, 29 May 2012 02:42:55 PDT

Problems continue to plague the Eurozone this week, as the Spanish government tries to convince outside analysts that their banks won't require outside investment, even as mortgage defaults continue to pile up. Across the continent, the outlook isn't any sunnier in Greece, where Prime Minister Lucas Papademos warns that the country's public finances could collapse as early as next month.

Meanwhile in the U.S., Mitt Romney is set to sew up the Republican nomination after today's primary in Texas, but his support among Latino voters in the state is far from certain. A few hundred miles north, in Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker will debate his Democratic challenger, Tom Barrett, ahead of the recall election on Tuesday, June 5th.

Finally, Kofi Annan, joint special envoy to Syria, travels to Damascus this week after a Syrian government massacre killed 108 villagers in the town of Houla.

Exploring these stories and the rest of the news for the week ahead are Callie Crossley, host of The Callie Crossley Show on WGBH, and Marcus Mabry, editor at large at The International Herald Tribune, the international edition of our partner, The New York Times.

Preview of the new Brian Lehrer Show series "End of War"

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:37:08 PDT

Is war inevitable? That question has been put to professionals from all backgrounds in the new Brian Lehrer Show series "End of War," which questions the conventional wisdom behind explanations for mass violence. Celeste sat down with Brian Lehrer, host of our co-producer WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show," and John Horgan, author of "The End of War," to discuss what – if anything – can be done to stop future wars.

Cannes 2012: This Year's Film Festival In Review

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:17:29 PDT

On the surface, the Cannes Film Festival is the classiest of the annual film showcases; it’s French, after all. But in reality, it’s known for rowdy audiences who aren’t afraid to boo down Hollywood sweethearts like Sofia Coppola, or give 20-minute standing ovations to loose-cannon documentarians like Michael Moore.

Sharon Waxman just got back from Cannes, which wrapped up last night, and she joins to report on all the festival’s biggest films and oddest happenings. Waxman is the founder and CEO of TheWrap.com.

Massacre Near Homs Puts Pressure on US Role in Syria

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:17:29 PDT

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting yesterday afternoon to discuss a massacre that took place over the weekend in the Syrian town of Houla.

The Syrian government insists that its tanks and artillery were not responsible for attacks that killed at least 90 villagers – including 32 children – in a rebel-controlled village near the city of Homs. But monitors who visited the village after the attacks said they found spent tank shells, evidence that the Syrian military fired on civilians.

President Obama has said he will push for the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad under a model proposed after Yemen’s transition. In an election year, however, the question of what steps the U.S. should take in Syria is becoming an increasingly political one. Over the weekend, Senator John McCain criticized the Obama administration sharply on Fox News. "Horrible things are happening in Syria," he said. "This administration has a feckless foreign policy which abandons American leadership."

Amr Al Azm, member of the Syrian opposition and professor of history and anthropology at Shawnee State University and Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, react to the latest news from Syria.

'The Bonfire of the Vanities' Revisited with Alvin Hall

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Mon, 28 May 2012 18:17:28 PDT

It's Memorial Day, and we're looking back at some of our favorite Takeaway conversations from the last year.

We spoke with Alvin Hall in March, shortly after he had completed a five part series for our partner the BBC called "Alvin Hall in the Bonfire of the Vanities." Twenty-five years ago, in 1997, the novel “The Bonfire of the Vanities” was published. Written by Tom Wolfe, the book tells the story of a greedy, white Wall Street trader who accidentally kills a black teenager in the South Bronx, then deliberately flees the scene of the accident. Along the way, we meet a nosy British ex-pat journalist, a media-obsessed Jewish D.A., an ambulance-chasing Irish American defense attorney, a divisive black evangelical pastor, and every New York archetype in between.

Highlighting issues of class privilege, racism, greed, and politics, the book was a commercial and critical success, and came to define an era in New York City and in America. Alvin Hall looks back and asks: How much has New York changed in 25 years?

This interview was originally broadcast on March 22, 2012.

James Clementi on the Real Story of His Brother's Tragic Suicide

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Mon, 28 May 2012 06:53:07 PDT

On this Memorial Day Monday, we’re going back and playing some memorable Takeaway interviews from the last year.

In February, we spoke with James Clementi, older brother of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University student who killed himself in September 2010 after discovering his roommate, Dharun Ravi, had used a webcam to spy on him during an intimate encounter with another man. Just last week, Ravi was sentenced to 30 days in jail for his actions; he escaped a much harsher punishment, as he faced up to ten years in prison.

Tyler and James’ mother, Jane Clementi, gave an emotional statement in court on May 21, the day of Ravi's sentencing. "My question is why didn’t his roommate just request a roommate change?" she said. "Why was he so arrogant, so mean spirited and evil that he would humiliate and embarrass Tyler in front of Tyler’s new dorm mates, the very people Tyler was trying to meet and become friends with? How could they all just go along with such meanness? Why didn’t any one of them speak up and stop it?"

James also spoke to the court, saying "Mr. Ravi appears untroubled in any way by what he did, how he made my brother suffer." He continued: "To be honest, there is a time when an apology would have actually meant something to me, but now it is clear that anything of the sort would be empty, rehearsed words, spoken without empathy."

James spoke to us back in February after writing an article for OUT magazine about his brother's death and the case that galvanized national concern for suicide among gay teenagers.

James spoke to us on February 3, 2012 after writing an article for Out magazine about his brother's death and the case that galvanized national concern for suicide among gay teenagers.

A Conversation with Lena Dunham, Creator and Star of HBO's Girls

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Mon, 28 May 2012 06:52:47 PDT

On this Memorial Day, we’re revisiting some of our favorite Takeaway interviews from the last year, like our conversation back in April with Lena Dunham, creator and star of the hit series Girls.

We spoke with Lena when her show had just hit HBO. Since, Girls has taken off in popularity, but not without its fair share of controversy. The show has been criticized for being too white, too privileged, and too sex driven. But still, the series has been widely lauded for its raw, humorous, and refreshing take on young women living in New York City. Call it the antidote to Sex and the City.

There are three more episodes to go in Season 1, and the show has already been renewed for a second season.

This interview was originally broadcast on April 9, 2012.

The History of Memorial Day

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Mon, 28 May 2012 06:50:25 PDT

It’s Memorial Day, a day that Americans often conflate with Veterans Day, but in fact, it has its own unique history.

Just to clarify: Memorial Day, once known as Decoration Day, was founded just after the Civil War; Veterans Day, once known as Armistice Day, was founded after World War I. Veterans Day is in November. And Memorial Day, of course, is the last Monday in May.

To give us a more comprehensive history of the origins and evolution of Memorial Day, Kenneth C. Davis joins. Davis is the author "Don't Know Much About History" and the forthcoming "Don't Know Much About the American Presidents."

Record Number of Veterans Applying for Disability

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Mon, 28 May 2012 02:11:06 PDT

Of the 1.6 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, nearly half are applying for disability benefits. New numbers show that 45 percent of vets are claiming service-related psychological and physical injuries. That's far more than ever before. So why now?

Greg Jacob is a combat veteran and the policy director for Service Women's Action Network.

The Secret World of Espionage Comes to New York

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:49:31 PDT

John Hockenberry visits the new spying exhibit at the Discovery Center in Times Square. He peruses hundreds of artifacts from the CIA, FBI, and National Reconnaissance Office with Tim Weiner, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former New York Times reporter who wrote the definitive history of the CIA.

Skee-Ball Stars Vie for Championship

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:35:21 PDT

While athletes from around the world gear up for the summer Olympics, competitors of another sort have been polishing their moves for the national Skee-Ball championship. This weekend in Brooklyn, 64 of the country’s best skee-ball rollers face off at the Brewskee-Ball National Championship, a weekend-long festival of beer, bands, foods and skeeball. Eric Pavony, Skee-E-O and founder of Brewskee-Ball, the first ever national Skee-Ball League, explains what the competition will entail.

Man Arrested In Death of Etan Patz

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:35:01 PDT

An arrest has been made in the 1979 disappearance of six year-old Etan Patz, who went missing on his way to school 33 years ago today. The arrest may bring the cold case that first got America talking about missing children to a close.

New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced yesterday that Pedro Hernandez, a former Manhattan store clerk who once lived in the same New York neighborhood as Etan, was under arrest in connection with the boy’s murder.

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the day Etan disappeared. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan declared May 25 National Missing Children’s Day.

The arrest may bring the 33-year-old cold case that first got America talking about missing children to a close.

Lisa Cohen, journalist and author of “After Etan: The Missing Child Case that Held America Captive”, joins the show.

New Movie Releases: 'Men in Black 3' and 'Moonrise Kingdom'

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:34:29 PDT

This week’s biggest release is “Men In Black 3” starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin as a young Tommy Lee Jones. We also have “Moonrise Kingdom,” the newest film from Wes Anderson.

Rafer Guzman and Kristen Meinzer are The Takeaway's Movie Date team. In addition to hosting the podcast, Rafer is film critic for Newsday and Kristen is culture producer for the Takeaway.

Spain Crosses its Fingers During Eurovision Contest

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:29:44 PDT

It's the most wonderful time of the year in Europe. It's a time that Europe collectively gathers around the TV to watch and vote in a competition called "The Eurovision Song Contest". Young and old, good and bad take to the stage. But this year there's real concern over who might win.

Tradition dictates that the winner gets to host the event the following year, but due to its high cost many in Spain are are hoping their entry does not win. Paddy O'Connell of the BBC reports from the competition in Baku, Azerbaijan.

How Do Banking Regulations Get Written?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:59:09 PDT

Earlier this month, JPMorgan disclosed that it lost at least $3 billion in trading as a result of sheer mismanagement. "We ended up with a strategy that was flawed, complex, poorly conceived, poorly vetted and poorly executed," JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon told investors. "This should've never have happened." The news ignited a fresh debate on financial regulation – specifically on the Volcker rule, a measure Dimon had vocally opposed.

Yet it's not certain the final Volcker rule would prohibit the kind of trades that led to JP Morgan's losses. What's more, four years after the financial crisis, it's not clear that the country possesses the regulatory tools to prevent fiascos like JPMorgan's in the future.

How are banking regulations written in the first place? Paul Schultz, Professor of Finance at the Center for the Study of Financial Regulation at Notre Dame, explains.

C-Sections May Lead to Childhood Obesity

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:37:38 PDT

When it comes to childhood obesity, there are a lot of factors that have been blamed: processed food, portion sizes, and poverty, to name just a few. But what if childhood obesity isn’t simply about how kids live, but the manner in which they are born? A new study suggests that children delivered via C-section are twice as likely to be obese by their third birthdays than those delivered vaginally.

Dr. Matthew Gillman is the senior author if the new study and director of the Obesity Prevention Program at Harvard Medical School. Rachael Larimore believes that studies like Dr. Gillman’s should be taken with a grain of salt. Rachael is managing editor at Slate.com and she’s had three Cesarean sections.

Companies Don't Have to Go Public, So Why Do They?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:12:06 PDT

By going public, Facebook joined a diverse group of companies. Some, like Apple and Amazon, have had huge success selling pieces of their company to the public. Others, like Enron and Tyco, couldn't take the public scrutiny and failed as a result. Since taking a company public requires jumping through a lot of hoops, fewer companies are doing it. So why go public at all?

Adrian Wooldridge is the Schumpeter columnist and management editor at The Economist.

Should the Olympics Champion Gay Rights?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:52:00 PDT

The Olympic Games are intended to be a celebration of athletics with politics set aside. In fact, the Olympic Charter expressly opposes the clash and politics and sport. But over the years, the Olympics have served as a political forum as much as they’ve served as an athletic arena.

This year, at least one person is calling on the London Games to continue in this tradition and go political. Mark Stephens is a British lawyer. He recently published a piece in The Guardian calling for the London Games to serve as a forum for the promotion of LGBT rights.

Follow Friday: Facebook, JPMorgan, Layoffs, Attack Ads, and Fair Punishment

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:41:18 PDT

Our panel of social, political and pop-cultural experts to tell us about the stories you may have missed this week. Ron Christie is a Takeaway contributor and Republican political strategist, and Louise Story is an investigative reporter for our partner The New York Times.

A Look Ahead to the NBA Playoffs

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:32:42 PDT

The Spurs and the Clippers have staked out their places in the NBA Western Conference Finals. The Eastern Conference is still up in the air, though, with four teams embroiled in close battles for only two spots in their conference finals. Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin lays out what to expect for the rest of the playoffs.

A Defense of Private Equity, and of Romney's Years at Bain

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:55:21 PDT

As the race for the presidency heats up, President Obama's reelection team continues to attack Mitt Romney's career at Bain Capital, while questioning private equity's role in the American economy. In a speech at Keene State College yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden said that Romney's work at Bain "no more qualifies him to be President than being a plumber."

Earlier in the week, at the NATO Summit in Chicago, President Obama told reporters, "When you’re President – as opposed to the head of a private equity firm – then your job is not simply to maximize profits. Your job is to figure out how everybody in the country has a fair shot."

Edward Conard, former managing director at Bain Capital and author of "Unintended Consequences: Why Everything You've Been Told about the Economy is Wrong," worked with Mitt Romney throughout the Republican candidate's years in private equity. Conard explains why he believes Romney's experience in private equity will prove essential should the Republican candidate take the White House this fall.

Facebook and Morgan Stanley's New Legal Issues: What's at Stake?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 24 May 2012 18:53:36 PDT

Since Facebook's underwhelming IPO debut last week, at least three separate shareholder lawsuits have been leveled against the company and its IPO’s lead underwriter, Morgan Stanley. They allege that the company has provided misleading assessments and left significant omissions in their IPO registration statement. On the same day, Massachusetts Secretary of Commonwealth William Galvin issued a subpoena to Morgan Stanley in response to allegations that the underwriter offered information about the IPO to only several of its institutional investors, not all — information that may have convinced the investors to hold off on picking up Facebook shares.

Peter J. Henning is a professor at Wayne State University Law School who specializes in white collar crime, corporate and securities law and legal ethics, co-wrote an article about this for the New York Times' DealBook.

Death On Everest: A Mountaineer Explains The Psychology of Peril

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:18:02 PDT

This past Saturday, three people died and two others disappeared while descending from the summit of Mount Everest. But it wasn’t an avalanche or a snow-storm or a deadly fall that led to the tragedy. Instead, they had simply started climbing too late in the day, due to a traffic jam of climbers trying to get to the summit during a short window of good weather. As a result, they ran out of supplemental oxygen before they could safely return to base camp. They died of altitude sickness and exhaustion, mere hours after standing at the top of the world.

Ed Viesturs has climbed Mount Everest seven times, including one summer in 1996, when 11 fellow climbers perished on the mountain. He is also the author of "No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing The World’s 14 Highest Peaks," and he lays out the combination of factors – both physical and psychological – that all too often lead to tragedy.

Women Trafficked from Mexico to Queens

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:30:26 PDT

Every year, thousands of women, many between the ages of 11 to 14, are lured are smuggled from Mexico into the United States and forced to become sex workers.

For a majority of the women, they have no idea what they are getting into. They are seduced by traffickers who promise them a better life, big houses and cars, a coverup for the life of sexual exploitation they will soon endure. Many of these women end up in Queens, New York where they work live and work in brothels and answer only to their pimps. Others are advertised on "chica cards," which includes a phone number customers can call to request sexual services from the women.

The BBC's Laura Trevelyan followed the sex trafficking route from Tenancingo, Mexico to Queens, New York and spoke with female victims, pimps and law enforcement officials along the way.

Do Kids Need Homework?

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:25:41 PDT

All this week, we've been talking about how students are learning both in and out of the classroom. Our conversations have looked at cell phones as educational tools and at whether college students are studying less now than they did 40 years ago.

Today, we take a closer look at the study habits of primary and middle school students. In the past several years, a growing number of parents, teachers, and researchers have argued that kids are being assigned too much homework. After eight hours in school, they wonder if studying for hours at home afterward is really necessary.

Diane Lowrie is one of those parents. When her son was in second grade, she felt he was receiving too much homework and relocated him to another school. He’s now in fifth grade, and doing a lot less homework than he used to.

Jessica Lahey is also a parent, as well as a middle school Latin and English teacher. But unlike Diane, she thinks the backlash against homework is misinformed.

Pakistani Who Helped CIA Hunt Bin Laden Sentenced For Treason

listenerservices@thetakeaway.org (Public Radio International and WNYC Radio) — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:22:58 PDT

A hero to some, a traitor to others.

Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, who helped the CIA hunt down Osama Bin Laden, was convicted of treason yesterday by a tribal court in northwestern Pakistan. He has been sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Dr. Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA in Abbottabad in an effort to verify the Al Qaeda leader’s presence at the compound he was killed in last May. U.S. officials and lawmakers have roundly criticized Dr. Afridi’s detention and have lobbied with the Pakistani government to gain his release.

The sentencing is sure to add new strains to an already troubled U.S.-Pakistan relationship. Hassan Abbas, a Bernard Schwartz Fellow at the Asia Society, joins us to discuss. Hassan is a former Pakistani government official, serving in the administrations of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and President Pervez Musharraf. Former Department of State spokesperson P.J. Crowley also joins. He is currently the Omar Bradley Chair in Strategic Leadership at the Penn State Dickinson School of Law and School of International Affairs.

Former Department of State spokesperson PJ Crowley also joins us. He is currently the Omar Bradley Chair in Strategic Leadership at Penn State's Dickinson School of Law. Former Department of State spokesperson PJ Crowley also joins us. He is currently the Omar Bradley Chair in Strategic Leadership at Penn State's Dickinson School of Law.