Shinzō Abe

On Today’s Show: Former Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, issued an 11-page statement condemning Pope Francis’ handling of the sex abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church. Tokyo Medical University admitted to lowering the test scores of female applicants to bar them from being admitted into the university This year marks the 20th Annual World Music Festival Chicago that will take place September 7-23.

Earlier this month the prestigious Tokyo Medical University admitted to lowering the test scores of female applicants to bar them from being admitted into the university. This has systematically been occurring for the past eight years. Despite efforts from the Abe administration, Japan currently ranks 114th in gender equality according to the World Economic Forum. Joining us to discuss gender discrimination in Japan is Linda Hasunuma, a Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Bridgeport. She is currently facilitating the Japan-America Women Political Scientists Symposium that takes place from August 28-31.

On Today’s Show: On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, announced that President Trump would revoke security clearance from former CIA director John Brennan. Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011, Japan still experiences devastating consequences. Purnima Nath’s passion for singing, community engagement, and India’s culture drove her to create IndiaFest Milwaukee, a one-day celebration of India’s Independence Day, highlighting Indo culture, food, history and community.

Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011, Japan still experiences devastating consequences. The UN recently reported that tens of thousands of citizens, including workers in charge of decontaminating the nuclear plant, are at extreme risk of radiation exposure. Activists in Japan are trying to raise awareness about the real threats nuclear radiation exposure can have on a person’s health. They are being met with resistance by the Japanese government. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe claimed “with regard to health-related problems [of the Fukushima accident], I [Abe] will state in the most emphatic and unequivocal terms that there have been no problems until now, nor are there any at present, nor will there be in the future”. Critics view the Japanese government’s blatant denial about harmful effects, and its insistence of the safety of Fukushima, as a cover-up to ease tensions ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Joining us to discuss what they view as an unfolding disaster is Norma Field, professor of Japanese Studies in East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, and Yuki Miyamoto, an ethicist and associate professor of religious studies at DePaul University.