A federal agency is proposing that states lower the threshold for drunken driving to the point where a woman could be charged for driving after one drink and a man after two in a move officials say would save thousands of lives.

The National Transportation Safety Board recommended that all states drop the blood-alcohol level at which motorists can be charged with driving drunk to .05, down from the current rate of .08 that all 50 states impose. The threshold is a matter of state law, but the federal government can pressure states to meet its standard by threatening to withhold highway funding.

GUEST ALERT: Melva Sine with the Utah Rest. Assoc. joins Rod at 6:05 to discuss the impact this could have on restaurants.

Read More Here:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/14/feds-recommend-lower-drunken-driving-threshold/?test=latestnews#ixzz2TIvPtLxG

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said on Tuesday that he had ordered the Justice Department and the F.B.I. to open an investigation into whether Internal Revenue Service officials broke any criminal laws by singling out conservative groups for special scrutiny.

GUEST ALERT: Congressman Jason Chaffetz at 4:05, Utah Tea Party Organizer David Kirkham at 4:20pm.

Read More Here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/us/politics/facing-trio-of-crises-white-house-dodges-questions.html?hp&_r=0

In promoting Obamacare to Congress and the American public, President Barack Obama and other backers of universal insurance coverage frequently said that people lacking health insurance have worse health than those who have health insurance. As it turns out, the first meaningful study of that claim says there’s little difference.

The New England Journal of Medicine has published a study by a group of Harvard and MIT researchers evaluating the physical and mental health impact of having Medicaid versus having no insurance. Because of a unique program in Oregon, they were able to conduct a random control test of how Medicaid affected mental and physical health in about 12,000 Oregonians.

GUEST ALERT: Royce Van Tassell joins Rod at 6:05pm to discuss expanding Medicaid in Utah.

Read More Here:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/56274126-82/medicaid-health-coverage-insurance.html.csp

Letter: Forced to pledge

Last year, the Utah Legislature required all high schools in addition to elementary schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day. As a student at Bingham High, I have never talked to a fellow student who enjoys saying the pledge every single day.

Most students don’t even pay attention to what they are saying or don’t even say it at all. If a student doesn’t want to stand and say the pledge, they need a note from their parents! Yeah, that makes sense.

Doesn’t the pledge say "with liberty and justice for all"? Students should not be forced to say the pledge.

I enjoyed it when we said the pledge with the whole school once a week. That was meaningful and unifying.

Before they force students to say something they should have a choice about, lawmakers should look at the Bill of Rights.

TALK TOPIC: Rod weighs in and hopes to hear from you on this student's letter. Does he have a point? Listen at 5:20pm.

An IRS campaign to apply additional scrutiny to conservative groups went beyond targeting "Tea Party" and "patriot" groups to include those focused on government spending, the Constitution and several other broad areas. 

The additional guidelines created by the agency were part of a timeline, obtained by Fox News, from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, which is looking into the controversial IRS practice. IRS officials apologized Friday for the scrutiny, but new information suggests senior leaders were apprised of the effort as early as 2011 despite public denials from the top. 

Republican lawmakers have vowed to investigate and hold hearings, calling the revelations deeply troubling. 

"The conclusion that the IRS came to is that they did have agents who were engaged in intimidation of political groups," Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers told "Fox News Sunday." "I don't care if you're a conservative, a liberal, a Democrat or a Republican, this should send a chill up your spine. It needs to have a full investigation."

GUEST ALERT: Matt Kibbie with Freedom Works joins Rod at 4:20pm to discuss the IRS controversy.

Read More Here:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/13/irs-scrutiny-went-beyond-tea-party-criteria-broader-than-thought/#ixzz2TD0P8XGB

 A Philadelphia doctor was found guilty Monday of murdering three babies born alive in an abortion clinic, Fox News confirms. He was acquitted in the fourth baby's death, and found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the overdose death of an adult patient. 

Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, was convicted of first-degree murder and could face execution in the deaths of three babies who authorities say were delivered alive and then killed with scissors at his grimy clinic, in a case that became a flashpoint in the nation's debate over abortion.

Gosnell was cleared in the death of a fourth baby, who prosecutors say let out a soft whimper before he snipped its neck.

Gosnell was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the drug-overdose death of a patient who had undergone an abortion.

Gosnell appeared hopeful before the verdict and calm afterward; jurors and lawyers on both sides were more emotional.

GUEST ALERT: Maureen Ferguson from the Catholic Association joins Rod at 4:35 to discuss political implications of the verdict.

Read More Here:

 http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/13/jury-split-on-2-counts-in-trial-abortion-doctor-kermit-gosnell/#ixzz2TCzkTvXO

Supporters of the Senate’s immigration bill rebuffed repeated Republican attempts to verify border-security gains before any immigrant here illegally could gain legal status.

The fight over this "trigger" became the first contentious battle in what are expected to be weeks of debate within the Senate Judiciary Committee

"The triggers in the bill that kick off legalization are weak," said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the committee’s top Republican. "No one can dispute that this bill is legalization first, enforcement later."

Grassley and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, were among those who offered the border-security amendments, which met opposition from the committee’s 10 Democrats and the two Republicans — Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jeff Flake of Arizona — who helped draft the bill. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, supported the border security amendments.

WATCH: Sen Lee's Opening Remarks on Immigration

Talk about high expectations for a newborn: King and Messiah are among the fastest-rising baby names for American boys.

They’re just a little behind Major, the boy’s name that jumped the most spots on the Social Security Administration’s annual list of popular baby names.

Jacob is the most popular for boys — again — and Sophia is the top name for girls, according to the list released Thursday.

It was Jacob’s 14th straight year at the top. Next were Mason, Ethan, Noah and William. Liam cracked the top 10 for the first time, coming in at No. 6. Daniel slipped out of the top 10 for the first time since 1998, to No. 11.

Read More Here:

http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/pages/printerfriendly.csp?id=56287137