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New York Times
White House correspondent for the New York Times
PROFILE
Gardiner Harris
Guest
FROM Gardiner Harris
To the Point
Another President Seeks Common Ground with a Former Enemy In Vietnam, Bill Clinton healed the wounds of war; George W. Bush stopped off to talk economics. Barack Obama has different reasons for visiting. Today in Hanoi, he announced the end of an arms embargo that dates back to 1975 — sending a message clearly intended for China. It's all about the South China Sea, where Chinese oil drilling and military expansion intrude on some of the world's most vital waterways. Mr. Obama did not let concerns about human rights get in the way. Human rights groups the end of the embargo to be conditioned on the release of political prisoners, an end to the beating of protesters and other human rights abuses.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Leaving New Delhi Here in Los Angeles, we have some of the worst air quality in the country. But our air is only a fraction as polluted as New Dehli, India, which has some of the worst air in the world -- twice as bad as Beijing's. It’s a hazard for everyone living there, but especially children. Half of all schoolchildren have irreversible lung damage. That’s more than 2 million children. And that’s why Gardiner Harris, a correspondent for the New York Times, is leaving . He’s moving his family back to Washington after three years in Delhi, because he believes staying would risk his children’s long-term health. He recently wrote about the decision for the Times, and joins Madeleine to talk about it.
Which Way, L.A.?
Cancer Drug Shortages on the Rise Doctors and pharmacists are reporting a record number of drug shortages this year, drugs needed to treat child leukemia, breast and colon cancer, and infections. It's a trend that's been building over the past few years. Hospitals with the raw ingredients in hand are sometimes resorting to mixing doses themselves and oncologists have had to prescribe medications in less-than-recommended amounts or to delay treatment altogether. Doctors' groups, lawmakers and federal officials are rushing to find solutions, including the creation of a national stockpile of cancer medicines. What's causing the shortfall, and how is it affecting treatments and the lives of patients? Is over-regulation part of the problem? Why have drug companies stopped making certain drugs?
To the Point
Cancer Drug Shortages on the Rise Doctors and pharmacists are reporting a record number of drug shortages this year, drugs needed to treat child leukemia, breast and colon cancer, and infections. It's a trend that's been building over the past few years. Hospitals with the raw ingredients in hand are sometimes resorting to mixing doses themselves and oncologists have had to prescribe medications in less-than-recommended amounts or to delay treatment altogether. Doctors' groups, lawmakers and federal officials are rushing to find solutions, including the creation of a national stockpile of cancer medicines. What's causing the shortfall, and how is it affecting treatments and the lives of patients? Is over-regulation part of the problem? Why have drug companies stopped making certain drugs?
Which Way, L.A.?
Putting on the Brakes: Are Government Regulators Doing Their Job? Safe food, safe drugs, safe cars, safe airplanes -- honest deals and bank loans. The federal government doesn't rely on people doing the right thing to make sure your world is safe; they regulate that world. Congress is trying to pass new financial regulations, and Wall Street is pushing back. Now, with Toyota in the news, and regulators checking out what the company knew when about a faulty gas pedal, the whole question of regulatory effectiveness is in the spotlight again. Are regulatory agencies doing their job? Have industries gained more influence with regulators in recent years? Is the problem not enough regulation or too much?
To the Point
Putting on the Brakes: Are Government Regulators Doing Their Job? Safe food, safe drugs, safe cars, safe airplanes -- honest deals and bank loans. The federal government doesn't rely on people doing the right thing to make sure your world is safe; they regulate that world. Congress is trying to pass new financial regulations, and Wall Street is pushing back. Now, with Toyota in the news, and regulators checking out what the company knew when about a faulty gas pedal, the whole question of regulatory effectiveness is in the spotlight again. Are regulatory agencies doing their job? Have industries gained more influence with regulators in recent years? Is the problem not enough regulation or too much?
Which Way, L.A.?
Pfizer Fined $2.3 Billion for Illegal Marketing of Drugs The Obama Administration today announced the largest fine ever levied for fraud in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The $3.2 billion penalty is part of a settlement reached with the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer over illegal promotion of drugs, including Bextra, a painkiller that has been withdrawn from the market. Gardiner Harris reports on public health for the New York Times .
To the Point
Pfizer Fined $2.3 Billion for Illegal Marketing of Drugs The Obama Administration today announced the largest fine ever levied for fraud in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The $3.2 billion penalty is part of a settlement reached with the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer over illegal promotion of drugs, including Bextra, a painkiller that has been withdrawn from the market. Gardiner Harris reports on public health for the New York Times .
To the Point
This Time It's Peanuts: Food Scares and Food Production In the largest food recall in US history, more than eighteen hundred products containing peanuts have been pulled from grocery shelves. A salmonella contamination in peanuts has been linked to nine deaths and six hundred illnesses. The outbreak is the latest in a long line of food scares. What went wrong at the Georgia processing plant that shipped peanuts that the owner knew were contaminated? Is the Food and Drug Administration doing enough to make sure food is safe? How do laws affect what we eat? Does the system itself need to be overhauled?
Which Way, L.A.?
Is Ideology Trumping Science in the Bush White House? More than a decade ago, Dr. James Holsinger wrote a paper for the Methodist Church claiming that gay-male sex was inherently unsafe. Now President Bush has nominated him to become the country's leading doctor . Facing tough questions at a Senate confirmation hearing this morning, Holsinger insisted his views had changed and that he held no biases against gay men or lesbians. However, his testimony came only a few days after statements by his predecessor that White House officials had fought his attempts to discuss issues like secondhand smoke and had tried to force him to repeatedly mention the president by name in his speeches. Richard Carmona's is just the latest in a string of charges that the Bush White House has been hostile to science and has put political biases ahead of sound health policy. Guest host Jim Sterngold explores the proper role the of science in making national policy.
To the Point
Is Ideology Trumping Science in the Bush White House? More than a decade ago, Dr. James Holsinger wrote a paper for the Methodist Church claiming that gay-male sex was inherently unsafe. Now President Bush has nominated him to become the country's leading doctor . Facing tough questions at a Senate confirmation hearing this morning, Holsinger insisted his views had changed and that he held no biases against gay men or lesbians. However, his testimony came only a few days after statements by his predecessor that White House officials had fought his attempts to discuss issues like secondhand smoke and had tried to force him to repeatedly mention the president by name in his speeches. Richard Carmona's is just the latest in a string of charges that the Bush White House has been hostile to science and has put political biases ahead of sound health policy. Guest host Jim Sterngold explores the proper role the of science in making national policy.
To the Point
Plan B Approved for Over-the-Counter Sales After three years and three different commissioners, one of the Food and Drug Administration's most contentious issues finally has been resolved. Plan B , the so-called "morning-after" contraceptive pill, will be sold over the counter to women 18 and older. Gardiner Harris is public health reporter for the New York Times .
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To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.