The National Football League last week suspended Baltimore Raven running back Ray Rice for two games without pay for assaulting a woman who is now his wife in an Atlantic City elevator.  The incident was caught on video tape.  Rice was charged with felony aggravated assault and has entered a diversionary program that will keep him out of jail and possibly expunge his criminal record.

Critics said the suspension wasn't enough considering the NFL suspends players twice as long for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

The situation rose to another level when ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith said on a network program that women have to make sure they don't "provoke" men.

On Friday's Smart Talk, Peg Dierkers of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence addresses whether the Rice suspension is indicative of an attitude toward domestic violence and Smith's comments about blaming the victim.
Also, State Senator Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) has introduced legislation to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use. 

Leach recently visited Colorado, at taxpayers' expense, to observe a state where pot is legal. He appears on Smart Talk to discuss what he found.  Leach admits he legally smoked marijuana while in Colorado.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are reviewing legislation that would ban drones from being used to hunt game and to also make it illegal to observe hunters with drones.  Sen. Richard Kasunic (D-Fayette) joins us.

Finally, WITF Capitol Bureau Chief Mary Wilson has the week at the capitol and Ken Rudin, the Political Junkie will be with us too.

Smart Talk 8/1/14 B: Domestic Violence

Written and produced by Will Eastman and Nick Garcia for WAMU

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Smart Talk 8/1/14 B: Domestic Violence

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