Today on Kresta - March 30, 2009

3:00 – White House forces GM Chairman out – What will this accomplish?
President Barack Obama is sending a blunt message to Detroit automakers: To survive - and win more government help - they must remake themselves top to bottom. Driving home the point, the White House ousted the General Motors chairman as it rejected GM and Chrysler's restructuring plans. Michigan Gov. Governor Jennifer Granholm called Wagoner a sacrificial lamb, and many are wondering why not CEO of Wall Street have been told to step aside as a condition of receiving government assistance. James Gattuso is here to expound.

3:20 – TBA

4:00 – Defending Life and Women at United Nations
From March 2 to 6, Franciscan University of Steubenville faculty, students, and alumni participated in the 53rd Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York City. This is the fifth year in a row that Franciscan University has sent a large delegation to the commission, which deals with women’s issues. The group was led by Dr. Brian Scarnecchia, director of the Legal Studies Program and assistant professor of human life issues at Franciscan University as well as visiting professor of law at Ave Maria Law School . The Cmmission marked the first major opportunity for the new U.S. administration to outline its priorities at the U.N. The Franciscan group met with numerous U.N. delegates and NGOs and advocated on behalf of issues facing women, with an emphasis on upholding Catholic social teaching in the critical areas of protecting life and the traditional family. We talk with Brian about the outcomes.

4:40 – Jury finds Tiller not guilty
Infamous late-term abortion practitioner George Tiller has been found not guilty of violating Kansas laws requiring a second physician to independently verify that the abortions are supposedly medically necessary. Tiller had relied on an employee to justify the late-term abortions. Tiller relied on fellow abortion practitioner Kristen Neuhaus, an employee of his, to provide the okay for the abortions instead of using an independent physician. Tiller had been charged with 19 counts of violating a state law that requires an independent physician to sign off on the legitimacy of late-term abortions. However, the jury acquitted him on Friday. We talk with Cheryl Sullenger of Operation Rescue who lives in Wichita and is as familiar with the notorious career of Tiller as anyone in America.

5:00 – Conscience rights at risk – Bishops Urge Action
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is inviting public comment on a proposal to rescind an important federal regulation issued in December. The regulation implements and enforces three federal laws protecting the conscience rights of health care providers, especially those at risk of being discriminated against because of their moral or religious objection to abortion. The USCCB is calling on all Catholics to speak out to protect Catholic doctors, nurses and hospitals. We talk with Dr. John Brehany of the Catholic Medical Association about the implications.

5:20 – TBA