The Factor Rundown
Unresolved Problems Segment
Book Mentions
Want KILLING REAGAN Free?
Comments
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Tsunami telethon
"George Clooney has invited me to participate in the tsunami telethon this coming Saturday, but not before saying my interest in overseeing public fundraising is driven by greed and other unfortunate character flaws. The letter is entertaining and has gotten the telethon some quick publicity, which was probably Clooney's intent. There is a serious point here--distributing money to victimized people is not easy. Only strict oversight by the media and responsible governments can forestall wrongdoing. That being said, I am going to do the telethon. NBC is funneling the donations to the American Red Cross, which is a good and honest agency. Unfortunately, Mr. Clooney will be in LA and I'll be here in New York, so we'll just have to continue to be long distance pen pals, although he's welcome on The Factor any time."
Transcript: FoxNews.com
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FL gay adoption ban
Guests: Mathew Staver, Liberty University & Patricia Logue, Lambda Legal
The Supreme Court has allowed a Florida law that bans gay couples from adopting children to remain. Mathew Staver of Liberty University said the Florida law is a sound one. "The ideal gold standard is a mom and a dad. Florida has chosen a preference to placing children in a home with a mom and a dad." Patricia Logue of the Lambda Legal Defense Fund took issue with that assertion. "Lesbian and gay couples raise children as well as anyone else, and they should be allowed to adopt in Florida as they are in every other state. The moral issue here is that children need permanent homes."
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KKK crimes reopened
Guest: Mark Potok, Southern Poverty Law Center
Mississippi has charged 79-year old Edgar Ray Killen with murdering three civil rights workers in 1964 while he was reportedly a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center said the modern Klan's influence is negligible. "Back in 1925, there were 5-million members of the Klan," Potok told The Factor, "Today we're looking at 46 different Klan groups, and among them maybe a total of eight-thousand people." Potok said bringing Killen to justice is a case of better late than never. "It may not be the most gratifying thing in the world to go after a man who is near death, but this is good for democracy. It's good to understand that even if you have to wait for four decades for justice, in the end it will happen."
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California weather worsens
Guests: Capt. Larry Collins, Los Angeles Fire Department & Bill Harbison, R.N.
Heavy rainfall and mudslides have killed at least a dozen Californians, and many others are still missing. Larry Collins of the LA Fire Department helped rescue numerous people in the devastating floods, including an 8-week old baby. "We basically used some rescue techniques we've learned through the years," Collins told The Factor. Registered Nurse Bill Harbison also performed heroics when homes in his neighborhood were buried in a mudslide. "I saw an entire hill coming down," Harbison said. "I started climbing through the wreckage of what used to be someone's home. I heard two faint voices, climbed down towards them, and found two women who were buried."
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Tsunami preparedness
Guest: Kevin Bachar, National Geographic Channel
Tsunamis can hit nearly anywhere, but few communities on the east coast of the United States are prepared. Kevin Bachar has produced a program on tsunamis for the National Geographic Channel. "The Pacific has been hit? a lot," Bachar told The Factor. "But people felt the Atlantic didn't need early warning systems." He advised that all communities need some system of early warning. "Sometimes it's as simple as a siren--a warning sound that alerts people to get to high ground."
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Death penalty controversy
Guest: Sister Helen Prejean, author
The morality and legality of the death penalty remain as controversial as ever. One leading opponent of capital punishment is Sister Helen Prejean, author of "Dead Man Walking." "I've studied this," Prejean said, "and there is no deterrent value in the death penalty. The first role of prisons is to keep citizens safe from violent offenders." The Factor agreed in principle, but suggested the alternative to execution should not be a life in prison lifting weights. "I don't believe in the death penalty, but I don't think what we have now is enough. When you kill a human being you should be forced to work for the rest of your life in a harsh environment."
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You are what you eat
Guest: Model & author Carol Alt
Former supermodel Carol Alt has written a book about her radical raw food diet, which she suggests helped her beat cancer. "Cooked food does not feed the body," Alt claimed. "Anything you eat cooked I can find you raw. If you can introduce raw into your diet, you'll be healthier." The Factor noted that 44-year old Alt is a walking advertisement for her book and her diet. "Whatever you're eating, people are going to want to eat to look like you."
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Check out the books mentioned during this show.
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Eating in the Raw: A Beginner's Guide to Getting Slimmer, Feeling Healthier, and Looking Younger the Raw-Food Way
by Carol Alt & David Roth
Read more...
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Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States
by Helen Prejean
Read more...
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The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions
by Helen Prejean
Read more...
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