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The Brian Lehrer Show / February 22, 2007

The Brian Lehrer Show

Thursday, February 22, 2007
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    Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

    Your average teen uses the internet to research school papers or update her myspace page. But a growing number are visiting “pro-ana” pages—websites that promote anorexia as a lifestyle choice, not a disease. What does the proliferation of these sites mean, and what can parents and schools do? Also: a summit convenes to combat the high school dropout crisis, and out-of-state telecommuters rise up against New York State’s commuter tax.

Strange Bedfellows

At least 20 states are considering mandatory vaccination of young girls against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. But the backlash has been fast and furious--and has led to some unlikely alliances. Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, and Moira Gaul, director of women's and reproductive health at the Family Research Council, talk about their opposition to mandatory inoculation. Sheila Krumholz, executive director, Center for Responsive Politics, talks about the lobbying efforts and legislative influence of the pharmaceutical industry.

Anti-Social Networking

Lynn Grefe, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association talks about the proliferation of "Pro-Ana" websites.

Tune In, Don't Drop Out

Robert Jackson, member of the New York City Council (D-Manhattan), Malaika de Jesus, a high school junior, and Elizabeth de Jesus, a high school senior, talk about the high school dropout epidemic and the LINK Directions for Our Youth summit convened to create a prevention campaign.

Does Not Commute

Rob Plattner, a tax attorney in Albany and the author of the New York State Tax Handbooks, and attorney Nicole Belson Goluboff, advisory board member of the Telework Coalition, a Washington-based advocacy group for telecommuters and the author of The Law of Telecommuting (American Law Institute, 2001), explain why telecommuters pay taxes to New York for money they earn working from their out-of-state homes.

A person dressed as a bear to represent a bear market performs outside the New York Stock Exchange on October 6, 200 in New York. Wall Street tumbled after the opening bell as fallout from the credit crisis triggered concerns about the economy and the Dow fell below 10,000 for the first time in four years.

Uncommon Indicators

The Brian Lehrer Show

The Brian Lehrer Show wants to hear how the economy is affecting the little things in your daily life. Share your stories and photos of the downturn.

Just Launched! The Uncommon Economic Indicators Video Contest. All the details here!

Ray Young, General Motors Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

The Rocky Road Ahead

The Brian Lehrer Show

Ray Young, the chief financial officer of General Motors, talks about GM’s bankruptcy.

Then, Damon Lester, president of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers, and Greg Williams, former owner of the recently closed Huntington Chevrolet in Huntington Station, NY., discusses the effect GM’s bankruptcy has had on dealerships and their employees.

paper trail small

Tweet If You Use Twitter

The Brian Lehrer Show

Farhad Manjoo, Slate's technology columnist and the author of True Enough: Learning To Live in a Post-Fact Society talks about what Twitter means and how different groups use it.

What's your take on Twitter? How do you use it? Comment below!

(<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexerde/80417539/">alexerde</a>/flickr)

Don't Say That, Literally

The Brian Lehrer Show

John Flansburgh of the band They Might Be Giants discusses the running list the band keeps of "things we can no longer say." (a few examples: "my bad" "don't go there" "one hundred and ten percent" and "voted off the island")

What would be on your list of banned words or phrases? Comment below!

happiness

From Denmark with Love

The Brian Lehrer Show

Jesper Grunwald, senior managing editor with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, talks about the Danish economy, biking to work, and why the Danes are allegedly the happiest people in the world.

Judge Sotomayor

Squatting, Then and Now

The Brian Lehrer Show

As former squats in the East Village make the transition to coops, making homes from abandoned housing is again an issue. Andrew Reicher executive director of Urban Homesteading Assistance Board, Frank Morales an Episcopal priest involved in East Village/Lower East Side squatting and homelessness activism since the late '70s, and Rob Robinson, a leader of the Housing Campaign of Picture the Homeless, discuss the return of squatting.

Video Picks

The Brian Lehrer Show

Check out some recent video clips of interviews with guests and Brian Lehrer's weekly Web video picks.