Is mental health being ignored in the aftermath of mass shootings?

Officials say alleged DC mass shooter Aaron Alexis exhibited signs of mental illness

As Tuesday reports revealed that Aaron Alexis, the alleged gunman in Monday's mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, showed signs of mental illness, the national debate about gun control and violence in the United States continues. Is mental health being ignored in the aftermath of mass shootings? Dr. Michael Stone, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and the author of "The Anatomy of Evil," and Dr. Alan Lipman, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at George Washington University Medical Center, will join Consider This host Antonio Mora to explore the topic.

Who are the rebels fighting Assad in Syria?

Defense analysts at IHS Jane's have estimated that secular fighters and nationalists make up a minority of the 100,000 rebels opposed to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Who are the rest? Kurt Volker, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO, Oubai Shahbandar, a member of the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army, and Ken Sofer of the Center for American Progress will join Antonio Mora to discuss the Syrian rebels.

Miss America and national diversity

Miss New York Nina Davuluri won the Miss America pageant on Sunday night, becoming the first Indian-American to win the title. At her first news conference in Atlantic City, N.J., Davuluri said, "I'm so happy this organization embraced diversity." While many people on social media supported Davuluri, the newly crowned winner also faced backlash. Alexis McGill Johnson, a Democratic Party strategist and the executive director of the American Values Institute, and journalist Sheila Marikar will join Antonio Mora to look at the Miss America pageant and the nation's changing demographics. 

Are e-cigarettes a safe alternative to regular cigarettes?

The percentage of middle students and high school students who have used electronic cigarettes more than doubled between 2011 and 2012, according to a poll released this month by the Centers for Disease Control. While advertisers say that e-cigarettes are healthier because they do not produce smoke, detractors are concerned over the amount of toxins in e-cigarettes, which include both nicotine and formaldehyde. Stanton Glantz, the director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, and Carl Phillips, the scientific director of the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association, will join Antonio Mora to look at this trend.

Updated at 9:45pm on Tuesday, September 17, 2013.