August 22 - 26, 2005
Monday, Aug. 22
The California Performance Review: One Year Later
(Listen)
One year after the California Performance Review was issued, many of the recommendations have yet to be implemented. Guest host Patt Morrison discusses this issue with LA Times Staff Reporter Jordan Rau.
Are Orange County Cities Getting What They Pay For?
(Listen)
An Orange County Register investigation found that cities paying the O.C. Sheriff’s Department for protection get fewer officers and wait longer for help than cities with their own police departments. Patt Morrison talks with O.C. Register writer, Tony Saavedra, about the article he co-authored.
The Iraqi Constitution
(Listen)
Monday is the new deadline for the Iraqi constitution is to be handed to parliament by the drafting committee. Federalism appears to be the most contentious issue. Other constitutional issues to resolve includes the role of religion and the status of women. Patt Morrison talks with Dan Murphy, Arab World Correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, Jonathan Morrow, Program Officer for the Rule of Law Program at the United States Institute for Peace, and Basam Al-hussaini is an adviser for Iraqi Prime Minster, Dr. Ibrahim Aljaffary about the Iraqi constitution, scheduled to be finalized today.
Are We Running Out Of Oil?
(Listen)
Patt Morrison talks with New York Times Magazine contributing writer Peter Maass about his cover story The Breaking Point. Maass talked with U.S. and Saudi oil experts who predict an impending oil crisis that will dwarf anything seen before.
A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, And The Quest For The Color Of Desire
(Listen)
Amy Butler Greenfield’s new book is a blend of history, science, and art. A Perfect Red reveals the way that something as elusive as color can change the course of civilization. Patt talks with Amy about the power of red.
Tuesday, Aug. 23
State Court Gives Gays Parental Rights
(Listen)
On Monday, the California Supreme Court granted full parenting rights and obligations to gays and lesbians who have children. In three closely watched cases, the justices delivered a ruling that guaranteed that children born to gay couples have two legally recognized parents. Each of the cases involved a lesbian couple who had children and later split up. Patt Morrison and guests Courtney Joslin, Senior Staff Attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and David Cruz, professor of law at USC School of Law examine the ruling and its implications for the gay rights movement in America.
State Assembly Passes Dog Breed Regulatory Bill
(Listen)
A bill that would allow cities to require the spaying and neutering of certain dog breeds passed in the State Assembly yesterday, and is headed for the Senate. Guest host Patt Morrison talks with Richard Steffen, aide to the bill’s sponsor, Senator Jackie Speier, and Tim Sterbentz, owner of North Coast Pit Bulls in Humboldt County.
Congressman Adam Schiff’s Visit To China
(Listen)
Guest host Patt Morrison talks with Congressman Adam Schiff about his recent trip to China where he focused on intellectual property theft, human rights and national security issues. The group also made a stop in Tibet where the Congressman visited several monasteries and had the opportunity to observe the treatment of Tibetans by the Chinese government.
The Future Of Gaza
(Listen)
As Israel completes its historic disengagement from Gaza, many questions about its future persist. Palestinians, half a million of whom live in crowded camps in the Gaza Strip, welcome the withdrawal – but are they ready? Guest host Patt Morrison speaks with Prof. Shibley Telhami, Professor, Middle East expert, University of Maryland, Rafi Dajani, Executive Director, American Taskforce on Palestine, and Omar Dajani, professor of law at University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law about the many challenges facing the Palestinian people now.
Kate Mulgrew As Kate Hepburn
(Listen)
In "Tea at 5," Kate Mulgrew plays Katherine Hepburn, one of our country’s most intriguing stars, from Hepburn’s turbulent childhood to her 27-year love affair with Spencer Tracy. Patt Morrison talks with Ms. Mulgrew about portraying a legend in this one woman tour de force.
Wednesday, Aug. 24
Pat Robertson’s Call For Assasination Of Hugo Chavez
(Listen)
Patt Morrison takes listener calls about Pat Robertson's comments regarding the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Reforming The CAFE Standards
(Listen)
On Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta proposed a new fuel economy plan for light trucks and SUVs that could save motorists 10 billion gallons of gasoline in years to come. According to the plan all vehicle manufacturers will be required to produce more fuel-efficient light trucks by 2011. Patt talks with guests about the proposal and its implications for the environment and the auto industry. Patt talks with Charlie Territo, Director of Communications for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Dan Lashof , Director of the Climate Center at the DC office of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Katie Kerwin, Detroit Correspndent for Business Week magazine.
Dam Politics: Water, Power, And Preservation In Hetch Hetchy And Yosemite
(Listen)
Suspicious tactics were used by supporters of the O’Shaughnessy Dam and Hetch Hetchy reservoir, built in the early 20th century in the middle of Yosemite Valley to supply water to residents of the San Francisco Bay area. The controversy continues today, with an ongoing debate over whether to manage, refurbish, repair and enlarge the damn, or to tear it down and restore the Valley to its natural splendor. Patt Morrison talks with John Warfield Simpson about the politics of Hetch Hetchy and Yosemite, and about what they reveal about American attitudes toward growth, development, and environmental stewardship.
The People’s Tycoon
(Listen)
Patt Morrison talks with historian Steven Watts about how a Michigan farm boy from modest circumstances became not only one of America’s richest entrepreneurs, but also a folk hero to millions of ordinary citizens: Henry Ford. Watts is the author of the new book, The People’s Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century.
Thursday, Aug. 25
NAIL SALON REGULATION
(Listen)
A bill authored by California State Assemblyman Leland Yee, Democrat from San Francisco, would require more stringent rules for disinfecting for manicure equipment and disposing of water from spas where customers soak their hands and feet. The bill passed the Assembly and goes before the before the state Senate Appropriations Committee in the next week. Assemblyman Yee’s legislation is aimed at cracking down on salons that don't follow state safety standards for manicure equipment and he believes that posting health inspectors' reports in windows would educate the public and serve to keep the salons in line. Patt Morrison discusses the bills impact on the nail business and the State’s ability to regulate practices in nail salons. Guests include State Assemblyman Leland Yee, Nails Magazine publisher Cyndy Drummy and Gina Zari, Chief of Staff for Assemblywoman Mimi Walter.
NEW L.A. TIMES BOOK EDITOR DAVID ULIN
(Listen)
Patt Morrison talks with new L.A. Times Book Editor David Ulin about his plans for the L.A. Times Book Review.
ORANGE COUNTY JOURNALIST ROUNDTABLE
(Listen)
Patt Morrison talks with Los Angeles Times staff writer Jean Pasco, Orange County Register op-ed column editor Steven Greenhut, and OC Weekly senior editorial writer and columnist, Gustavo Arellano about the latest news events and developments in Orange County.
SCIENCE NEWS WITH MICHAEL SHERMER
(Listen)
Patt Morrison delves into an hour of science with Scientific American columnist and Skeptic Society founder Michael Shermer. Together they delve into the innermost places in the brain, where it turns out humans can manufacture their own kind of marijuana. They also talk about the tension between science and anti-abortion legislation with research finding that the fetus is incapable of feeling pain until about the 28th week. And finally, they cast their conversation to the outer reaches of the solar system -- does that big body really qualify as the tenth planet of the solar system? And if it isn’t, does Pluto get booted out of the solar system club too? All that and more...
Friday, Aug. 26
Hey! Who Turned Out The Lights?
(Listen)
It’s hot. People are cranking their air conditioners. And blackouts are back. Yesterday, California officials ordered rolling blackouts from Ventura to Costa Mesa, after the failure of a transmission line in Oregon. Guest-host Pat Morrison talks to Gregg Fishman, spokesman for the California Independent Systems Operator, a Folsom-based not-for-profit that overseas the State’s power grid, Michael Shames, executive director of Utility Consumers Action Network, and Dan Walters, political columnist for the Sacramento Bee.
The Area Code Conundrum
(Listen)
Guest host Patt Morrison talks with USC Annenberg School for Communication Professor and telecom expert A. Michael Noll. With news of the change in the 310 area code, Professor Noll will reveal why we’re running out of area codes so quickly, and why, in ten years, area codes may have 4 digits instead of 3. He’ll also talk about why sound quality on telephones is deteriorating, why disconnects are increasing, and what, if anything, can be done about it. Patt will also talk with John Parsons, Redondo Beach City Councilman and member of a coalition community groups and regional elected leaders organized to stop the new area code, and Ken Muche, spokeman for Verizon Wireless.
FilmWeek
(Listen)
Guest host Patt Morrison and critics
Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com and
Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic of both
CityBeat and ValleyBeat
discuss this week's new releases, including The Brothers Grimm, Dirty Deeds, The Cave, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress,
Tony Takitani, The Memory of a Killer, Matando Cabos, and El Crimen Perfecto.
