February 27 - March 3, 2006
Monday, Feb. 27
Death Of Otis Chandler
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Otis Chandler, the former publisher of the Los Angeles Times who transformed his family's provincial, conservative newspaper into a respected national media voice, died early Monday at his home in Ojai. He was 78. Chandler, who suffered from a degenerative brain disorder known as Lewy body disease, was the scion of a family that wielded financial and political power in the Los Angeles area for decades. As publisher, he spent most of his career chafing against what he sensed was an East Coast bias against Los Angeles and fought to elevate the Times to a par with Eastern rivals. Larry talks with members of the media who knew and worked with Otis Chandler. Guests include Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times columnist, and Jonathan Kirsch, Contributing Writer to the L.A. Times Book Review, has written for the Times since 1968, author of 11 books primarily on the history of religion, and publishing attorney.
State GOP Conference
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At the annual State GOP conference over the weekend, The California Republican Party sought to defuse criticism of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and rally support from a divided membership at the start of a pivotal election year. Larry talks with Kevin McCarthy, Republican State Assemblyman representing California’s 32nd district, and Mike Spence, President of the California Republican Assembly.
San Onofre Tollway Riles Locals
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Directors of Orange County's toll road agency on Thursday approved construction of a six-lane, 16-mile tollroad through San Onofre State Beach--a popular coastal park. After extensive study, including a $17-million environmental review, board members for the Transportation Corridor Agencies in Irvine voted 12 to 3 to approve the route for the Foothill South extension, which should open by 2011. The projected cost is $875 million. The tollway would begin at Oso Parkway in Rancho Santa Margarita and connect with the I-5 at Basilone Road south of San Clemente. Larry talks with supporters and opponents of the project. Larry talks with Ken Ryan, Chairman of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency, and James Birkelund is a staff attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
South Dakota Crusade Against Roe V. Wade
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South Dakota lawmakers approved a ban on nearly all abortions Friday, setting up a deliberate frontal assault on Roe v. Wade at a time when some activists see the U.S. Supreme Court as more willing than ever to overturn the 33-year-old decision. The bill would make an exception to save the life of the mother. However, it makes no exceptions for rape or incest. It is now sitting on the governor’s desk. Republican Gov. Michael Rounds said he was inclined to sign it into law. Larry talks with Cara Hetland, Minnesota Public Radio Reporter with KRSD, based in Sioux Falls, Roger Hunt, representative in the South Dakota state legislature, Amy Everitt, State Director of NARAL Pro-Choice California, and Daniel McConchai , Vice President of Americans United for Life.
Are We Born To Be Religious?
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For a growing number of people, there is nothing more important than religion. It is an integral part of their marriage, child rearing, and community. In his new book, author Daniel C. Dennett takes a hard look at this phenomenon and asks why. Where does our devotion to God come from and what purpose does it serve? Is religion a blind evolutionary compulsion or a rational choice? In Breaking the Spell, Dennett argues that the time has come to shed the light of science on the fundamental questions of faith.
Tuesday, Feb. 28
SUPREME COURT RULING IN ABORTION CLINIC PROTEST CASE
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The Supreme Court dealt a setback Tuesday to abortion clinics in a two-decade-old legal fight over anti-abortion protests, ruling that federal extortion and racketeering laws cannot be used to ban demonstrations. Anti-abortion groups brought the appeal after the 7th Circuit had asked a trial judge to determine whether a nationwide injunction could be supported by charges that protesters had made threats of violence absent a connection with robbery or extortion. The 8-0 decision ends a case that the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had kept alive despite a 2003 decision by the high court that lifted a nationwide injunction on anti-abortion groups led by Joseph Scheidler and others. Larry Mantle speaks with the opposing parties in the case.
STEM CELL AGENCY FIGHTS FOR ITS LIFE
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Three taxpayer groups filed a pair of lawsuits claiming the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is not a legitimate state agency because it lacks proper oversight. The trial that began Monday could determine the fate of the agency, which was created after Proposition 71 was approved by 59 percent of voters in 2004, authorizing the agency to dole out an
average of $300 million in research grants annually over 10 years The agency has yet to hand out a dime because legal troubles. The head of California's stem cell research institute is expected to take the stand when the trial that could determine the fate of the institute resumes today. Larry Mantle talks with LA Times staff writer Lee Romney.
LEAN TUESDAY
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Today’s culmination of the eight-day pre-Lenten bash falls nearly six months to the day after the Aug. 29 storm that smashed thousands of
homes and killed more than 1,300 people, the vast majority of them in New Orleans. Despite partly sunny weather and temperatures in the 70s, the crowds were smaller than usual in a city that still has less than half its pre-storm population of almost a half-million. Larry Mantle talks with LA Times national correspondent Scott Gold about this year’s Mardi Gras. He also talks with New Orleans attorney Michael Sullivan by cell phone from the French Quarter. Michael has entered today’s Bourbon Street Awards Contest in the Best of Show competition. He is dressed as the Renaissance artist, Michaelangelo, to signify New Orlean’s re-birth.
IRAQ UPDATE
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Although sectarian violence has receded somewhat since the wave of attacks that shook the nation last week, tensions remain high between majority Shiites and minority Sunnis, with religious leaders on both sides calling for unity and an end to attacks on each other’s mosques. Sunnis meanwhile appear interested in resuming talks to form a new Iraqi government. They walked out last Thursday following the Askariya shrine bombing that sparked attacks against Sunni mosques in Baghdad, Basra and elsewhere.
AMERICANS FAMILIES ON THE HOMEFRONT
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In her new book Kristin Henderson shares the story of what life is like for the diverse women and men who are married to the military when a loved one is deployed. She exposes the often-difficult aspects of military culture on and off America's bases. She is a journalist, an author, and a military spouse; Henderson participates in the Marine Corps' family readiness program, the Key Volunteer Network. She is the Key Volunteer for the company in which her husband serves, passing information between the company's commanders and spouses and acting as a resource for spouses in need of help or service.
Wednesday, March 1
Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony
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Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony said he would instruct his priests to defy a proposed federal requirement that churches check the legal status of parishioners before helping them. The U.S. House of Representatives included the requirement in an immigration bill that the Senate Judiciary Committee is to begin debating this week. The legislation also would penalize social organizations that refuse to meet its requirements. Larry Mantle talks with Cardinal Roger Mahony of the LA Catholic Archdiocese and others about the immigration bill’s requirements and the Church’s reaction to the proposed restrictions.
Concerns About How Hinduism Is Portrayed In California Texbooks
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A subcommittee of the California Board of Education has recommended several changes to the portrayal of Hinduism and ancient India in sixth-grade history books. Various Hindu groups regard the current text as inaccurate and unfair depictions of their faith. Meanwhile dozens of scholars and secular groups are against the proposed changes, saying they were unscholarly attempts to fabricate history and gloss over unpleasant aspects of Hindu practice. Larry talks about both sides of the controversy with UCLA Professor of History and Asian Studies Vinay Lal and Cal State Northridge Professor Emeritus of Ancient Indian History Shiva Bajpai.
The Ethics of Clinical Trials
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When it comes to fighting disease, clinical trials of new drugs and treatments play a critical role. But balancing the risks of new treatments against our dire need for cures can be tricky, and financial ties between some researchers, FDA advisors, and drug companies can cast doubt on results. Also, did you know more and more clinical trials are being conducted in developing countries where oversight is questionable? Larry Mantle moderates a special panel discussion on the ethics of clinical trials. Panelists are City of Hope Cancer Center President and CEO and former FDA acting Commissioner Dr. Michael Friedman, Pacific Center for Health Policy and Ethics Co-Director and USC Chief of Geriatric and Internal Medicine Dr. David Goldstein, UCLA Assistant Professor of Medicine and clinical trials researcher Dr. Steven Applebaum, and Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights Health Care Policy Director Jerry Flanagan.
Click here for more audio from our discussion on [clinical trials]
Thursday, March 2
NUKE AGREEMENT WITH INDIA
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On his first trip to India, President Bush and his Indian counterpart, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, agreed Thursday on a landmark nuclear energy agreement in which the United States would share its nuclear know-how and fuel with India. Bush acknowledged it will be difficult to persuade Congress to support the agreement but said he's confident it will be approved so India can power its fast-growing economy without expanding world demand for oil. Critics in Congress say the United States is making an exception for India, which has nuclear weapons but won't sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Larry Mantle talks with several guests about the agreement and its impact on questions of global nuclear proliferation.
ORANGE COUNTY JOURNALISTS ROUNDTABLE
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Larry Mantle 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.
CONSERVATIVE ECONOMIST ATTACKS BUSH PRESIDENCY AND POLICIES
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Bruce Bartlett, a highly respected Republican economist and alumnus of the Reagan White House and the George H.W. Bush Treasury department, supported Bush in 2000 and helped craft his early tax cuts. But in October of 2005, he was fired from the National Center for Policy Analysis, a Texas based conservative think tank, for writing his most recent book, Imposter: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy, a detailed critique of Bush’s policies that include expanding the size and scope of government, letting immigration go unchecked, and allowing the federal budget to mushroom out of control. Bartlett joins Larry Mantle to discuss the failures of the Bush presidency.
CREATING CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN POSTMODERN CULTURES
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Fuller Theological Seminary professor Ryan Bolger joins Larry Mantle to talk about his new book Emerging Churches, co-authored with Fuller professor Eddie Gibbs. Based on years of field research and interviews, the authors examine the ways in which emerging churches attempt to be relevant to contemporary culture, and uncover important patterns among these new congregations which including decentralized leadership, an emphasis on relationships over structure, and generosity in service.
Friday, March 3
MySpace.com
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A middle school student faces expulsion for allegedly posting graphic threats against a classmate on the popular MySpace.com Web site, and 20 of his classmates were suspended for viewing the posting, school officials said. Police are investigating the boy's comments about his classmate at TeWinkle Middle School as a possible hate crime, and the district is trying to expel him. According to three parents of the suspended students, the invitation to join the boy's MySpace group gave no indication of the alleged threat. They said the MySpace social group name's was ``I hate (girl's name)'' and included an expletive and an anti-Semitic reference. Larry Mantle talks with experts and listeners about the myspace.com. Experts include Andrew Brandt, Editor, PC World, expert on online and cyberspace issues, and Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist at the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
FILMWEEK’S OSCAR PREVIEW
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From the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Larry Mantle and critics
Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com,
Ella Taylor of the L.A. Weekly,
Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com,
Jean Oppenheimer of New Times,
Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic of both
CityBeat and ValleyBeat,
Scott Foundas, film editor for the L.A. Weekly,
Lael Loewenstein of Variety,
and
Peter Rainer of the Christian Science Monitor discuss the Academy Award nominations.
FILMWEEK CONT'D
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From the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, Larry Mantle and critics
Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com,
Ella Taylor of the L.A. Weekly,
Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com,
Jean Oppenheimer of New Times,
Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic of both
CityBeat and ValleyBeat,
Scott Foundas, film editor for the L.A. Weekly,
Lael Loewenstein of Variety,
and
Peter Rainer of the Christian Science Monitor
discuss the Academy Award nominations.
