August 12 - China's Currency in Freefall; Coca Cola's Phony Research Exposed; The North Korean Leader's Childish Tantrums Claim Another High Official

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with the second devaluation of the Chinese currency in two days and speak with an expert on the politics of Chinese banking policies,Victor Shih, a Professor of Political Science in the 21^st Century China Program at the University of California, San Diego. We examine the extent to which China is involve in currency manipulation as U.S. politicians charge, or whether this is a blow to China because the renminbi was seen as one of the most stable emerging market currencies and it remains to be seen whether there will be more devaluations and whether the Central Bank of China can adapt to a new system of determining exchange rates.

Part 2

Then we speak with Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health and a Professor of Sociology at New York University, about a New York Times investigation into how Coca Cola hired researchers to find that the obesity epidemic in America is not caused by too much sugar in the diet but rather by lack of exercise. We discuss her new book “Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning)” and her article in the UK Guardian, “Coca Cola says its drinks don’t cause obesity, Science says otherwise”.

Part 3

Then finally we look into reports that the young North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has executed a vice-premier because he had expressed discomfort over Kim’s forestation policy.Sue Mi Terry, the former National Intelligence Officer for East Asia at the National Intelligence Council and the Director of Japan, Korea and Oceanic Affairs at the National Security Council joins us to examine this latest of 70 senior officials killed under Kim Jong-un’s rule following the recent execution of a Defense Minister who was blown to bits by anti-aircraft fire.