Children Fly Without IDs And Buy Tickets With Cash

An 11-, 13- and 15-year old bought airline tickets at the Jacksonville International Airport with the cash they had earned babysitting. They then cruised through security, with no identification, and flew off to Nashville. After landing, they called home and, with police involvement, flew back to Jacksonville that evening. Reporter Erin Hawley spoke with the kids and their parents. She’s with First Coast News, the ABC/NBC television affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida.

Three Jacksonville Children Buy Tickets, Fly Solo to Nashville

Prof. Gets On Planes And Into Conversations About Race

Mary Beth Gasman‘s seat mates are usually surprised to find out she studies African American history – mostly because she’s white. But Gasman says it also frees people to ask questions they wouldn’t otherwise, like: What is a black college? Why do we have black colleges? Why are young black people empowered by a black president? She even gets asked questions that bother her like, Why are young black men more promiscuous than other men? Gasman is an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania; she has written about her mid-air conversations for “The Chronicle of Higher Education.” Her new book is “The History of U.S. Higher Education.”

JFK Library: Full text, audio of Robert F. Kennedy’s Capetown speech

Flood Waters Continue To Rise In Pakistan

Pakistani villagers flee their homes due to heavy flooding in central Pakistan on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010. Pakistan estimates 13.8 million people are affected by the floods and will need short-term aid or long-term assistance to recover. (AP)

Flood levels in Pakistan are expected to surge even higher along parts of the already dangerously swollen Indus river. The region’s worst flooding in 80 years has affected 14 million people and killed 1,600, according to the UN, and doctors say that malaria, diarrhea and gastroenteritis are growing threats. The BBC’s Mike Wooldridge reports.

Some of the Nation’s Wealthy Say ‘Tax Me More’

Congress is set to debate what to do with the tax cuts passed during the Bush administration that expire this year. President Obama wants some of the cuts to continue, but he wants them to expire for people earning over $200,000. Others say if taxes on the nation’s wealthy increase, the nation’s economy will suffer. Mike Lapham explains what members of his group, Responsible Wealth, would like to see happen. He represents wealthy people who want to be taxed more — through higher income taxes and estate taxes.

Year By Year Tax Rates On The Wealthy

Hitchcock’s Psycho Still Scares At 50

Actress Janet Leigh in the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic thriller "Psycho." (AP)

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller “Psycho” celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Two Here & Now regulars — Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr and our pop culture critic Renee Graham — stop by to explain why the film still thrills them.

Here & Now: The Music in Hitchcock’s Movies
Here & Now: Ty Burr’s book, “The Best Old Movies For Families”
Movie Nation: Ty Burr’s and Wesley Morris’ film blog

Music From The Show

Air, “Mike Mills”

Freddie Hubbard, “Little Sunflower”

The Lickets, “Serial East”

Volcano Choir, “Sleepymouth”

Les McCann, “Let’s Gather”

Joe Jackson, “Steppin’ Out”

Bernard Herrmann and Joel McNeely “Prelude from Psycho (The Complete Soundtrack)”

GJ Schultz

Ms. Young said that a video or audio of RFK’s South Africa speech was on the show’s page. I can’t find it. Where is it?
hitesh

Hello–hitesh here, one of the producers. The link to Robert F. Kennedy’s speech is now up–just below the story. Thanks.
peter

I do not understand why anyone would be surprised that a couple of teenagers took some money and went on a trip. In our society of divorce, gazillions of kids fly every day to see one parent or another.
Your show had a guest a while back who explained that the statistics prove that the risk of a child being abducted if left alone for 2 secondes is lower than ever and that parents are the paranoid ones. You can’t blame kids for going on an adventure that is most probably, totally safe, OR the airlines for allowing, ACCORDING TO ACCEPTED POLICY, teenagers to fly without adult security ID. 14 year old terrorists??? Still pretty far fetched.
It’s a non news event as far as I’m concerned.
CBunnies

How would a 15 year old have an easier time bringing a bomb on a plane than an adult? The entire volume of hyper-reactionary questions from that piece was simply pathetic. Just kids doing what kids do – relax.

Also, when do those of us who have completely adjusted to the post-race era get to stop listening to people who are having trouble adjusting?
Richard Saunders

Thank you for airing the interview with Mary Beth Gasman. Growing up in 1970s Oregon, our variety of racism was aimed toward anyone with a California license plate. After moving to the South I found myself drawn to an aspect of rural American life that I did not know as a boy. Now as a white professor involved myself with black rural history, I hope my students and readers open their eyes, and their hearts, a little wider.
http://none Chris M

Post-race era? Please.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2003/resume.html

Study repeated last year with similar results.

Open your eyes CBunnies (and others). Your perception of our progress is not only off-base, but perpetuates a still significant problem by pretending it doesn’t exist (presumably in order to expiate your feelings of guilt).

I’m truly sorry that you get a choice to “stop listening.” But hey, that’s white privilege.