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Rundown 7/8

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Igor Sutyagin behind bars in 2004 in a Moscow court.  (AP)
Igor Sutyagin behind bars in 2004 in a Moscow court. (AP)

Russia And U.S. Reportedly Begin Prisoner Swap

A Russian convicted of spying on Moscow for the west is reportedly in Vienna, in what appears to be the first part of a prisoner swap involving ten suspects in the U.S., whom the FBI accused of spying.  Sutyagin is a scientist and the Russian government says he passed secrets about Russian weapons to the CIA.  Sutyagin has said that he's innocent, and only gave public information to what he thought was a London firm. We speak with Olexiy Solohubenko, Europe editor for the BBC World Service.

An Internet scam touting teeth-whitening products.
An Internet scam touting a teeth-whitening product.

From Offers For Teeth Whitening Products, To Garage Repairs: Scams Flourish On The Internet

There are thousands of ways unsuspecting consumers are scammed every day, either by door-to-door salespeople, or on the Internet. Scammers and unscrupulous businesses will offer to fix your garage door, sell you teeth-whitening products, or promise a free credit report. Our guest is Dave Lieber, watchdog columnist for the Fort Worth Star Telegram, founder of WatchdogNation.com, and author of "Watchdog Nation: Bite Back When Businesses and Scammers Do You Wrong."

Scientists Worry About Methane Bubble Forming In Gulf

The focus has been on the oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, but scientists estimate that between 40-70% of the eruption is made up of methane gas. We speak with John Kessler, assistant professor of Oceanography at Texas A&M University about the impact of so much methane in the ocean, and how it could lead to dead zones, or areas with little to no oxygen. Kessler just got back from a 10-day expedition in the Gulf.

Where Is The Waste From Oil Skimmers Going?

The Taiwanese skimmer dubbed "A Whale" uses a containment boom system designed to direct greater volumes of oily water into the 12 vents or "jaws." (AP)
The Taiwanese skimmer dubbed "A Whale" uses a containment boom system designed to direct greater volumes of oily water into the 12 vents or "jaws." (AP)

Not your 'Twilight' Vampires

Justin Cronin's best selling book "The Passage" takes place in a post-apocalyptic future. A U.S. government experiment in prolonging life goes horribly wrong, letting loose twelve vampires, or "virals" on the world. A hundred years later, there are only a handful of human survivors, and their only hope is a little girl who was also part of the experiment. "The Passage" was inspired by Justin Cronin's nine year old daughter who wrote the book with him. We caught up with Justin at a reading at the Brookline Booksmith in Brookline Massachusetts.

Music From The Show

  • The Wee Trio, "About a Girl"
  • Thelonius Monk, "Caravan"
  • The Lickets, "Meat City"
  • Christian McBride, "Theme for Kareem"
  • Medeski, Martin and Wood, "Bloody Oil"
  • Sonny Rollins, "Get Happy"

This program aired on July 8, 2010.

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