Can Science and Medicine Help Prevent Violent Crime?
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Can Science and Medicine Help Prevent Violent Crime?

The latest mass killing has renewed multiple controversies about mobilizing science and medicine to prevent violent crime. On this archived edition of To the Point, we look at the legal and ethical issues, and the prospects for unintended consequences Also, Is Europe's economy headed off a cliff? On Reporter's Notebook, why are producers, actors and others hoping for this year's Oscars making stops in Washington, DC?

Making News

Is Europe's Economy Headed Off a Cliff? ()

Economists around the world anticipated decline in the economy of the Eurozone in fourth quarter of last year, but it turned out to be much bigger than expected. Robin Harding is US economics editor for the British newspaper, the Financial Times.

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Main Topic

Crime Prediction and Its Unintended Consequences ()

With a big push from Governor Cuomo, the New York State Legislature passed a law this week requiring psychotherapists to report any client thought "likely to engage" in violent behavior, so authorities can confiscate weapons. That has produced a backlash from some practitioners. President Obama and Congress are looking for ways for mental health agencies to share information so law enforcement can take action. Is the next step preventive detention for people who've never committed crimes? Is prediction possible, or is there no choice but to wait for violence to happen? We hear about the scientific, legal and ethical controversies provoked by outrage over a rash of mass killings.

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Reporter's Notebook

Political Movies at the Oscars ()

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has more than 6000 members. Only 21 live in Washington, DC. So the national capital is usually not a big stop for Hollywood stars and producers looking for prestigious awards. They typically go from festivals in Telluride and Toronto, to media events and critical honors in New York City, and finally to Hollywood for the Oscars. But in Senate and Congressional cloakrooms this year, they're talking Hollywood Oscars, with Lincoln and Argo playing for political audiences and Zero Dark Thirty producing demands for corrections. Michael Cieply writes about the business of entertainment for the New York Times.

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