Has the Oil Bubble Burst?

Oil prices took a dramatic nose dive this week, dropping $10 over the last two days. That’s the biggest drop in oil since January of 2007. The stock market rallied on that news yesterday. But if cheaper oil is here to stay when will that translate into lower prices at the gas pumps where unleaded is going for about $4.11 a gallon? Vahan Janjigian, Chief Investment Strategist at Forbes, helps explain the topsy turvey oil market.

Mentally Ill Kids Stuck in the ER

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When Lynda Cuttrell’s son had a psychotic break, she was told to take him to the emergency room. But after waiting for four hours, they were simply turned away. She’s not alone. Nationwide, children with mental illnesses are not getting treatment because hospital staff are undertrained and beds are hard to find. We explore the causes and effects with Lynda and with reporter Carey Goldberg, who who covered the story in The Boston Globe.

McCain Facing Ageism

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Senator McCain, if elected, would be the oldest president to take office (at age 72), and that may hurt his chances. A recent political science experiment shows that voters on average prefer younger candidates. We speak with the author of that study, Furman University Political Science professor Liz Smith, to see why this happens and whether it’s ageism.

How Green is Fake Grass?

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In the midst of a severe drought, towns in California are giving homeowners subsidies to replace their grass lawns with fake turf. But synthetic grass contains toxic chemicals and can get extremely hot. To find out whether the health risks of fake grass outweigh the water savings, we talk with Lisa Amaral, water conservation manager for Roseville, California.

Music in Alfred Hitchcock’s Films

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A look at the music that gave depth to films such as “Vertigo” and “Psycho.” We speak with Jack Sullivan, the author of “Hitchcock’s Music.”