Five at 8: May 21, 2009

Let's go over that, again: A Florida radio station made the announcement. Radio. Old media. The BBC reports, "It is not the first time Swayze has had to deny reports about his health - in December US tabloids reported the star had just weeks to live." Tabloids. Old media.

New media, however gets credit for the best headline of the last 24 hours, "Patrick Swayze claims he is not dead."

Now the weather. There'll be a goat-killing wind in Taiwan.

WHAT WE'RE DOING

I'm driving up to Pelican Lake today to have lunch with Betty Ryan. Betty writes for the Lake Country Echo. She's 81 and has been writing about her neck of the woods for a fair number of years. So the newspaper industry isn't entirely dead and I'm guessing she's an interesting person. News Cut loves interesting people. So I may not post much today.

Midmorning -- MPR has set up a new program -- the MPR News Fellows and they're going to talk about health care. Which reminds me, Tom Bodett is talking about health care, too.

Midday -- In the first hour, former Sen. David Durenberger, who chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee, will be in the MPR studios to discuss the controversy over intelligence gathering, interrogation and torture. In the second hour, we'll replay this morning's speech by Barack Obama on national security.

Talk of the Nation - In the first hour, a discussion about the GAO report on how special needs kids are restrained in schools. I wrote about it on Tuesday (The Silent Scandal). Second hour: Is it possible to change your mind about abortion? Good question. Is it? Give me your answer below.

All Things Considered -- The unemployment report for the state is out today. It's bad, of course. How much more is there to say about it? MPR's Tom Robertson reports that weatherization programs get so much stimulus money local staff can't handle the expected activity. Can prayer heal? NPR will look at evidence of the biology of prayer and healing.

Comments (6)

250 rods.

Posted by brian | May 21, 2009 8:25 AM

I don't know if I've ever met anyone who's changed their view on abortion, but I know plenty of people who have become more understanding of others' views on this issue. I think that is a more practical goal for advancing the debate.

Posted by LK | May 21, 2009 8:56 AM

Maybe we should see what Patrick has to say about this story....

Posted by Brian | May 21, 2009 9:07 AM

I think a person's opinion on abortion may change if they, or someone close to them, was faced with an unplanned pregnancy. I do have a friend who changed her mind and decided abortion is wrong; after becoming a mother she decided life was too precious. But I'm pro-choice and I can't imagine I would ever change my mind. Maybe it depends on how strongly held your opinion was originally?

Posted by Katie | May 21, 2009 9:35 AM

It's possible to change your mind about anything, but changing one's mind doesn't change the reality of right and wrong.

Thankfully, I never faced the situation of being told my child might have some severe physical or mental birth defect. I can say, vis-a-vis abortion, how I hope I might react, but I cannot tell you how I would react. However, irrespective of my decision, the moral question of abortion does not change.

Posted by Craig Westover | May 21, 2009 9:50 AM

Moral questions may not change. Our answers can change as we gather information and experience throughout our lives. Hopefully, that is a good thing (that we continue to learn).

At one point, it was acceped that women were not fit to vote. It's all well and good to say that we are more "culturally advanced" today, but that advancement came through learning. What beliefs do we have today that will seem barbaric in 100 years?

Posted by kennedy | May 21, 2009 11:30 AM