As campaigns for California's general election kick into high gear, recent polls show that Republican Carly Fiorina is closing in on her race with incumbent U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, though Boxer has nearly 12 times the amount of cash on hand as Fiorina. In the gubernatorial race, Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman will be challenged to convince voters that they are the candidate that can best handle California's budget crisis. Statewide measures include Proposition 19, which if passed would legalize and tax marijuana; Prop. 23, which would suspend California's AB 32 environmental law; and Prop. 25, which would allow state budgets to be passed by a simple majority instead of a two-thirds vote. Larry looks at the campaigns and issues that will get voters out to the polls on November 2.
For 18 years, NPR’s science guy Joe Palca has covered everything from biomedical research to astronomy, human evolution to the physics of soccer balls. As if that’s not cool enough, he’s now working on a book about the science of what’s annoying (and boy do we have some insight for him on that front). Palca joins us in studio for our own mini Science Friday.
In her new book Come to Win, multiple Grand Slam tennis champion and entrepreneur Venus Williams serves up a series of essays from business leaders, media figures and creative executives that focus on how to turn the spirit of competition into success off the court. Larry caught up with Williams at a book signing Thursday for a bit of tennis talk and post-game wisdom.
Larry Mantle and critics Andy Klein of Brand X and Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com discuss the week’s new film releases including Inception, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Operation Endgame, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead, among others. TGI-FilmWeek!
Also, in light of the opening of Inception, Larry and the critics open up the phones to talk with listeners about highly anticipated film releases. Does all the hype really help? Or does it just hurt? What other manically marketed movies have gotten your hopes up? Did they deliver the goods…or not?
