March 12 – The Vatican’s Unholy Alliance; Elizabeth Warren Shames the Shameless; Bloomberg’s Ban Busted

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Part 1	We begin with the Vatican that is currently the subject of unprecedented and uncritical media attention in what amounts to a public relations bonanza for a scandal-plagued church, as the world press breathlessly focuses on what color smoke is coming out of a chimney. Barbara Crossette, who covers the United Nations for The Nation and was the New York Times bureau chief at the UN, joins us to discuss what the Vatican is up to at the UN joining with Iran and Russia to thwart efforts by the Commission on the Status of Women to protect women from violence and rape, arguing that traditional values justify violations of basic human rights.
Part 2	Then we look into two important confirmation hearings before the Senate Banking Committee on Richard Cordray to head up the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Mary Jo White to head up the SEC. Lisa Gilbert, the Director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch Division joins us to discuss today’s hearings where Senator Elizabeth Warren blasted her Republican colleagues for doing the bidding of big banks at the expense of regular people who have been cheated on mortgages, credit cards and student loans.
Part 3	Then finally we speak with Dr. Gary Bennett, a professor of Psychology, Global Health and Medicine at Duke University about Mayor Bloomberg’s ban on big sugary drinks set to go into effect in New York today that was blocked by a judge. We look into whether this is a victory for big business over big government and whether efforts to curtail the epidemic of obesity have been damaged by an apparent victory in the name of personal freedom, of corporate profits over people’s health.