Tax Day
Listen
More Americans are filing their own income taxes to save money, but for many struggling taxpayers, preparing a return is more complicated this year. We hear why from Sandra Block, Personal Finance Reporter for USA Today. And we speak with Rick Klein, Senior Political Reporter for ABC News, about what’s behind the anti-tax, anti-spending events known as “tea parties,” which are being held nationwide today.
Drug Companies and Doctors
Listen
We look at two sides of the debate over whether close ties between doctors and drug companies compromise patient care. Our guests are Dr. Jerome Kassirer, Distinguished Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine and author of “On the Take: How Medicine’s Complicity with Big Business Can Endanger Your Health,” and Dr. Tom Stossel, Director of Translational Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
A woman is welcomed by relatives after arriving from the U.S. at the Jose Marti airport in Havana, Tuesday, April 14, 2009.(AP)
Obama Eases Cuba Restrictions
Listen
The U.S. government is easing a number of sanctions, including lifting restrictions on family visits by Cuban Americans. We speak to the BBC’s correspondent in Havana, Michael Voss.
A Star is Born
Listen
We talk with Andrew Billen, television critic for the London Times about the “TV Moment” that happened when a “Plain-Jane” from Scotland blew away the audience and judges of the British TV reality show “Britain’s Got Talent” with her amazing voice.
Leon Kirchner
Listen
One of America’s greatest living composers, Leon Kirchner, turned 90 this year. Robin Young visited when Kirchner was honored at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. As well as speaking with Leon Kirchner about his work, Robin also hears from flutist Paula Robison and cellist Yo-Yo Ma about Kirchner’s impact on them.
Music from the show
- The Lickets, “Meat City”
- Ahmad Jamal, “Patterns”
- The Doors, “Peace Frog”
- Lickets, “Serial East”
- Ashley MacIsaac, “Sleepy Maggie”
- Andrew Lloyd Webber, “I Dreamed a Dream” sung by Sarah Boyle
- Leon Kirchner, “Flutings for Paula” performed by Paula Robison
- Leon Kirchner, “Duo No. 2” performed by Jeremy Denk and Corey Cerovsek
- Igor Stravinsky, “Disparition du Palais et des Sortileges de Kastchei, Animation des Chevaliers Petrifies” performed by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
- Leon Kirchner, “Music for Cello and Orchestra” performed by Yo-Yo Ma and the Philadelphia Orchestra
- Leon Kirchner, “Piano Sonata No.1” performed by Leon Fleisher
- Leon Kirchner, “Trio No. 2” performed by the Claremont Trio
- Arnold Schoenberg, “Verklarte Nacht Op. 4”
- Johann Sebastian Bach, “Cello Suite No. 1 in G” performed by Yo-Yo Ma
Re: Doctors and Drug companies
Wait, wait, wait. Let’s hear some intelligent follow-up, and evidence of adequate prior research. When Dr. Stossel says he is offended that you would even suggest he could be influenced by promotional drug activities, how about mentioning the research that shows that physicians are affected by drug promotions Even Though They Themselves Are Not Aware Of This?????? I’m a psychologist, and can attest that this is good research and accurately quoted.
Posted by Tanya Castiglione, on April 15th, 2009 at 12:35 pmHi guys – Love the show. I was wondering if you knew the artist/title of the music interlude at 1:49 ET today, or if you could tell me how to find it.
Posted by Meg Detweiler, on April 15th, 2009 at 1:10 pmThanks so much!
Dr. Stossel said that doctors are not influenced by pens and other trinkets that drug companies give them. If that is true, why do the drug companies give the pens and trinkets to the doctors? Do they think the medical profession is short of ball point pens? If that is true, I think it would be easier for physicians to simply buy more pens.
However, I do not think that is true. I do not know if pens influence doctors’ decisions, but I am sure that the drug companies think they do. What other motive would they have? I find it hard to imagine one pharmaceutical executive saying to another, “Let’s send out 5,000 pens with the name of our new wonder drug to physicians so that they won’t be influenced.” Maybe drug executives say that every day, but I am skeptical.
Posted by Russell Brooker, on April 15th, 2009 at 1:19 pmHear and Now – Debra becker
During your story about beat variances and the market, your guest suggested that there may be something we feel about the
market, which predates the turns in the market.
The answer to this question is “Yes,” by that I mean, some of us have seen the problems coming in the market that predates
where we are now because the market is a man made thing, and any lack of regulation, or better put “laws,” will without a
doubt lead to crime. LAW: laws in the United States were designed to protect a society from those living in that society who
lack conscience, moral, or ethic restraints on their behavior within society. By calling “laws” “regulations” allows their
intent to be weakened.
Back then, when your guest said the music was predicting the future stock market, I was expounding on my own postulates about
where we were heading in this nation. Understanding what has happened in the past (man’s history) and watching the reduction
in regulations (Laws) in this nation; the truth of where we were heading was clear.
Many laws were designed to prevent corporate and white collar crime, bank fraud, and fraud in the market, after the crimes
which lead to the collapse in the stock market in 1929. Ask yourself what purpose a reduction in the laws designed to protect
the public from white collar crime, has in serving the public?
Anyone with a basic understanding of finance can see how those changes “regulation” and a lack of enforcement of usury laws,
would lead to the situation this country faces today. It is not difficult to see what actions our government takes serves or
fails to serve the public and its interests.
When a program like yours, does not ask the real questions, the pertinent questions derived by combining what really happened
during the last 8 years “specifically” and the last 30 years “generally,” and even now “immediately,” then you are only
playing lip service while aiding those who have committed great crimes against all the people of this nation.
Such failure makes you suspect of being in one of two camps, foolish or culpable. Silly stories that lack the proper
scientific method are a joke. Treating the financial man-made disaster in this country and around the world as some sort of
natural phenomenon only guessed through metaphysics, is nothing but a con.
Why don’t you just do a story on the black people who have been indicted on a $25 million real estate fraud here in
California, while the real criminals who have perpetrated 7,500+ X $25 million in crimes against the people of this nation and
then to take more of the wealth in a second crime? You would then be able to support the prejudice which destroys the balance
necessary to have a real democracy.
You can either serve the public honorably and truthfully, or be understood to be less for the people and more for some
ideological purpose that would never be supported by our Constitution.
Sincerely,
Mark S. Drummond
Posted by Mark S. Drummond, on April 15th, 2009 at 2:45 pmArtist, hacker, tinker, thud
vectorart@cox.net
Hi Meg,
Here is a list of the interludes from today’s show— hopefully this is what you need! It’s generally posted by around 3pm. Sorry for the delay and thanks for your interest in the show,
Jill Ryan
The Lickets, “Meat City”
Posted by jryan, on April 15th, 2009 at 3:37 pmAhmad Jamal, “Patterns”
The Doors, “Peace Frog”
Lickets, “Serial East”
Ashley MacIsaac, “Sleepy Maggie”
Andrew Lloyd Webber, “I Dreamed a Dream” sung by Sarah Boyle
Britain’s Got Talent is NOT the UK version of “American Idol.” The U.K version of “AI” was “Pop Idol,” which became “The X Factor” after Simon Cowell had a falling out with the show’s producer.
Posted by Barrie-John Murphy, on April 15th, 2009 at 8:02 pmWhat a beautiful piece on Leon Kirchner!
Posted by Paula Robison, on April 20th, 2009 at 2:35 pmWe who participated have been hearing from listeners all
over the country, and we are so happy that this great man
has been honored in such an intelligent, lively, and moving way. THANK YOU.