August 16 - 20, 2004
Monday, Aug. 16
John Garamendi
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Guest host Patt Morrison talks with John Garamendi, Insurance Commissioner for the State of California.
Family Cars
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Choosing a family car is a huge decision. You want your family to be safe; you want economy, and you want a car that everyone will like. Many people think that they are being safe by putting their family into an SUV. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration just released the 2004 Rollover Tests. Guest host Patt Morrison discusses choosing a family car with Rae Tyson, spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; Bill Wright, managing editor of LACAR.COMand Brian Moody, Road Test Editor at Edmunds.com.
Bush Speech Announces Troops Coming Home from Europe and Asia
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President Bush just gave a speech to say that he plans to shift as many as 70,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in Europe and Asia, bringing them back to the US or reassigning them to Eastern Europe. Guest host Patt Morrison talks with Lawrence Korb, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and a Senior Advisor to the Center for Defense Information.
Maureen Dowd
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In her new book Bushworld: Enter at Your Own Risk (Putnam), Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd draws upon some of her most perceptive and hilarious columns to skewer the Bush administration’s follies at home and abroad. Dowd offers penetrating insights into the presidency of George W. Bush and the baffling relationship with his father and surrogate father, the Vice-President, which she believes has trapped the world in "the most astonishing and dangerous subordination of American history to particular psyches." Guest host Patt Morrison talks with Maureen Dowd.
The Cultural Split Between Northern and Southern California
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Jon Winokur joins Guest Host Patt Morrison to discuss his new book on the war of words between Northern California and Southern California-The War Between the State (Sasquatch Books).
Tuesday, Aug. 17
Governor To Sign New Gaming Pact
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is preparing to sign new gambling agreements with several Indian tribes, including one that could spawn California's first major urban casino — something the governor has said he opposed. The Bay Area facility, a short drive from Oakland and San Francisco, could be one of the world's largest gambling halls, as large as five Costcos, with up to 5,000 slot machines, multiple sources said Monday. Guest host Patt Morrison talks with Rod Wilson, public relations council to a number of tribes in California, the Reverend Harvey Chinn, Executive Director of the Coalition Against Gambling, a California organization formed recently to fight Propostions 68 and 70, and Jill Stewart, syndicated columnist about the issue.
Measuring The Wind
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Long-time NPR contributor Scott Huler joins Guest Host Patt Morrison to talk about his new book Defining the Wind: The Beaufort Scale, and How a 19th Century Admiral Turned Science into Poetry. He follows the life of Sir Francis Beaufort, the man who invented the Beaufort scale.
Former Olympians
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Guest Host Patt Morrison talks about the Olympic experience with former Olympians living in the Southland including Rafer Johnson, 1960 Olympic Decathlon Gold Medalist; Denise Curry, Assistant Basketball Coach at Long Beach State, and 1984 Gold Medalist in women’s basketball; Terry Schroeder, Four time Olympian in Water Polo; Ed Richards, International Fencing Champion and Coach. Mr. Richards competed in the 1964 Olympics in Men’s Foil; Sammy Lee, who won the 1948 Gold Medal in 10 meter platform diving and again in 1953. He coached Bob Webster and Greg Louganis; and John Naber, 1976 Olympic swimming champion. He won 4 Gold medals and 1 silver. He is the current president of the Olympic Alumni Association.
The Roles Of Greek Gods And Godesses In Contemporary Life
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Guest host Patt Morrison discusses the Greek Gods and Goddeses roles as cultural archetypes throughout the contemporary world with Agapi Stassinopoulos, author of Gods and Godesses In Love, and Conversations With The Godesses.
Wednesday, Aug. 18
King Drew Update
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Los Angeles Times staff writer Charles Ornstein joins Patt Morrison to give us an update on the continuing difficulties at King Drew Medical Center.
Owens Valley Land Conservancy
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In July, Mayor Hahn talked about creating a land conservancy, an easement, to protect the Owens Valley from future development. The Department of Water and Power (DWP) president, Dominick Rubalcava, opposed the conservancy, and Mayor Hahn visited the Owens Valley to meet with all interested parties. That was in late July. What happened to the Owens Valley plan after Hahn’s visit? Patt Morrison talks about Mayor Hahn’s plan to protect the Owens Valley from development with Doane Liu, Deputy Mayor for the City of Los Angeles, Scott Kemp, cattle rancher and current President of the Inyo-Mono Cattlemen’s Association and Julie Bear, Executive Director for the Eastern Sierra Land Trust.
Science News with Michael Shermer
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Guest host Patt Morrison talks with Michael Shermer, founder and publisher of Skeptic magazine and columnist for Scientific American, about the latest science news.
Thursday, Aug. 19
Imam Muqtada Al-Sadr Accepts Peace Plan
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Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr accepted a peace plan on Wednesday that may put an end to the ongoing standoff in the holy Shiite city of Najaf. The National Council, meeting in Baghdad, sent a delegation to negotiate peace with Sadr and his followers. Guest Host Patt Morrison talks about the story with Alissa Rubin, staff writer for the LA Times and Brian Bennett, Time magazine correspondent, both in Baghdad.
Two Episcopal Parishes Break With National Church
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Guest host Patt Morrison discusses the issue of two Southern California Episcopal parishes, All Saints Church in Long Beach, and St. James Church in Newport Beach, breaking off from the national church over the issue of homosexuality. Patt is joined by Larry Stammer, L.A. Times Staff Writer.
Orange County Journalist “Roundtable"
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Patt Morrison talks with Orange County journalists, Chris Reed, Orange County Register op-ed column editor, Jean Pasco, Los Angeles Times staff writer and Gustavo Arellano, Staff Writer for the OC Weekly about the latest news events and developments in Orange County.
Decision on Gaming License for Hawaiian Gardens:
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Today in Sacramento, the state Gambling Commission will conduct a hearing and vote on the application for a permanent gambling license request by Dr. Irving Moskowitz who now operates a non-profit bingo club in Hawaiian Gardens. Community activists from the Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem oppose the application. Patt will speak with Chuck Greenberg, Long Beach attorney and member of the advisory committee for The Coalition for Justice in Hawaiian Gardens and Jerusalem, and Bion Gregory, the attorney representing Dr. Irving Moskowitz.
Campaign Ads
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The Bush and Kerry ad campaigns are in full swing. AirTalk guest host Patt Morrison spins the spin with USC Annenberg’s Tom Hollihan, author Ben Fritz, and political strategist Arnold Steinberg.
Friday, Aug. 20
Assembly Bill 2040
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California State Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) introduced a bill that would require L.A.’s seaports to keep air emissions at, or below, 2004 levels. It passed the California State Senate today. The Port of Long Beach, the California Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Transportation oppose this bill, saying it will curtail the port’s growth and limit jobs. Groups like the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the American Lung Association support the bill. Joining Guest Host Patt Morrison to discuss the story is Alan Lowenthal, California State Assemblyman (D-Long Beach), Gus Hein, Director of Government Affairs for the Port of Long Beach and Noel Park, president of the San Pedro and Peninsula Homeowner’s Coalition.
Bipartisan Reaction to Governor Schwarzenegger’s Signing of the Pact with the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians
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Patt Morrison discusses the Governor's agreement allowing the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians to open a Bay Area casino with Ray Haynes, Republican Assemblyman from the 66th district, which includes parts of Riverside, Temecula, Murrieta, and Lake Elsinore, and Joe Canciamilla, California Democratic Assemblyman from the 11th District, which includes Antioch, Baypoint, Bayview and other East Bay communities.
FilmWeek
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Guest Host John Rabe and critics
Peter Rainer of New York Magazine and
Jean Oppenheimer of New Times
discuss this week's new film releases, including Without a Paddle, Mean Creek, Rosenstrasse, Last Life In the Universe,
Nicotina, Superstar In a Housedress (The Life and Legend of Jackie Cooper) and Imelda.
The
5th Annual Festival of Fantasy, Horror & Science-Fiction and
IDA's 8th Annual InFACT™ Theatrical Documentary Showcase
were highlighted and film composer Elmer Bernstein was remembered.
