November 13 - 17, 2006
Monday, Nov. 13
Los Angeles City Council to Expand Living Wage
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The City Council is poised this week to grant the wish of the hotel workers, and for the first time apply the city's living wage ordinance to private companies that have no business relationship with the local government. The proposal, the first-of-its-kind, calls for the expansion of the city's decade-old living wage ordinance to hotels near Los Angeles International Airport. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has indicated his support.
Saving the Salton Sea
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The state of California has recently released 10 proposals for restoring the shrinking Salton Sea, a large body of salty water in Southeastern California created by a levee break in 1905. Although the Sea is man-made and fed mainly by irrigation runoff, millions of migrating birds have come to rely on its habitat, as farming, population growth, and development have swallowed up the wetlands they had used for millions of years. The Department of Water Resources is now accepting public input on the proposals, which range in cost from roughly 2 to 6 billion dollars, before presenting a final recommendation to the state legislature. Larry Mantle talks about the alternatives with Sandy Cooney of California's Resource Agency, Rick Daniels of the Salton Sea Authority, Michael Cohen of the Salton Sea Coalition and Michael Morgan of the Imperial Group.
Andrew Sullivan
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Andrew Sullivan has been a major conservative voice in U.S. politics for 15 years. In his new book, The Conservative Soul, he attempts to rescue conservatism from the excesses of the Republican far right which, Sullivan says, risk making the GOP the first fundamentally religious party in American history. Larry talks with Sullivan about his argument that conservatives cannot continue to support a party that believes in its own God-given mission to change people's souls, instead of protecting their liberties.
The Power of Film
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UCLA film professor Howard Suber's new book, "The Power of Film," provides an A to Z course on the intricacies of motion pictures and examines the patterns and principles that make films popular and memorable. Larry talks with Suber about the power of film in our lives.
Tuesday, Nov. 14
Insurers Propose To Close Gap
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Monday the insurance industry unveiled a proposal to extend coverage to nearly 47 million uninsured persons. Larry Mantle talks with an insurance industry representative and a consumer advocate about the initiative.
OCTA Study - Traffic Congestion On The I-5
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Larry Mantle discusses the recent OCTA study about projected traffic congestion in Orange County on the I-5 and how the proposed Foothill Toll Road extension will affect that projection.
Early Release Rules Revised
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Larry Mantle discusses efforts by Los Angeles County law enforcement officials to make sweeping changes to L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca's early jail release policy.
Inside Iraq's Green Zone
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The Washington Post's former Baghdad bureau chief Rajiv Chandrasekaran explores the Zone: a bubble, cut off from wartime realities, where the task of reconstructing a devastated nation competed with the distractions of a Little America-a half-dozen bars stocked with cold beer, a disco where women showed up in hot pants, a movie theater that screened shoot-'em-up films, a parking lot filled with shiny new SUVs, and a snappy dry-cleaning service, much of it run by Halliburton. Most Iraqis were barred from entering the Emerald City for fear they would blow it up. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and internal documents, Chandrasekaran tells the story of the people and ideas that inhabited the Green Zone during the occupation, from the imperial viceroy L. Paul Bremer III to the fleet of twentysomethings hired to implement the idea that Americans could build a Jeffersonian democracy in an embattled Middle Eastern country.
Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder Of Apple
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Larry talks with Steve Wozniak about his new book, iWoz: From Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It. Wozniak discusses the history behind co-founding Apple with Steve Jobs, inventing the personal computer, and how these two events have transformed the world.
Wednesday, Nov. 15
New RNC Chairman Mel Martinez
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Larry talks with experts about the controversial appointment of Mel Martinez to lead the Republican National Committee. Larry Mantle talks with Pomona CollegeProfessor of Politics David Menefee-Libey and former California Republican Party Chairman Shawn Steel.
LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer
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Larry Mantle talks with the new Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, David L. Brewer, about his first day on the job here in Los Angeles.
Inland Empire Journalists Roundtable
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Larry Mantle talks with LA Times Inland Empire edition editorPhil Willon and Riverside Press Enterprise columnist Cassie columnist about the latest news events and developments in the Inland Empire.
The Girl Scouts Gets a Makeover
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The Girl Scouts is undergoing its first transformation in more than 30 years. After more than 2 years of research, the group has decided that it must address current issues relevant to young girls such as bullying, over-scheduling, and teen pregnancy. An effort will also be implemented to reach out to Latinas whose mothers were most likely not in the Girl Scouts. Larry talks with Courtney Shore, Senior Vice President of Girl Scouts of the United States of America.
Walt Disney
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Larry Mantle talks with author and writer Neal Gabler about his biography of Walt Disney that was seven years in the making and meticulously researched. Gabler is the first writer to be given complete access to the Disney archives. This is the full story of a man whose work left a brand on our culture but whose life has largely been enshrouded in myth. Gabler takes the reader through Disney's childhood, to his reinvention of animation, and beyond. It was Disney, first with Mickey Mouse and then with his feature films—most notably Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi—who transformed animation from a novelty based on movement to an art form that presented an illusion of life.
Thursday, Nov. 16
Lawsuits Against Kaiser Permanente for Patient Dumping
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Larry Mantle talks with Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and ACLU Los Angeles Director Mark Rosenbaum about the charges filed by the city against the hospital for dumping patients on skid row.
Vernon City Officials Charged with Voter Fraud, Corruption
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Prosecutors filed voter-fraud charges against Leonis Malburg, who has served as the Mayor of the industrial city of Vernon for more than 50 years. Charges have also been filed against the Malburg's wife and son, all of whom prosecutors say lived in Hancock Park but voted in Vernon elections. In addition, Bruce Malkenhorst Sr., the city's former business administrator, is accused of misusing $60,000 in city funds for personal expenses. Larry talks with Shelby Grad of the LA Times about the latest charges against Vernon’s government officials.
Iraq Withdrawal Timetable
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Democratic Senator Carl Levin, who is expected to chair the Senate Armed Services Committee next year, is urging the government to set a timetable for withdrawing US troops from Iraq. Meanwhile General John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, is warning against it. Larry and his guests discuss the practical and political implications of a timetable for withdrawal.
The Coming Draft
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With our military stretched while in the midst of a frustrating war, some say the stage has been set for the resumption of the draft. In his new book, "The Coming Draft," Philip Gold discusses why selective service should never come to pass. Larry talks with Gold about the path that brought the military to this point, the historical flaws of forced enlistment, and Gold's suggestions of more effective methods to protect our country.
Milton Friedman Dies
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Larry Mantle talks with CATO Institute Chairman William A. Niskanen about the death of influential economist Milton Friedman.
Prisoner Sex Abuse in the U.S.
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Writer and human rights activist
T. J. Parsell tells his own story as part of his mission to end sexual abuse in prisons. Larry talks with Parsell about his book, "Fish: A Memoir of a Boy in a Man's Prison," the story of his coming of age behind bars that also gives voice to countless others who have been abused while incarcerated.
Friday, Nov. 17
Grand Avenue Project Developers Want Tax Rebates
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The Grand Avenue developers are over budget and behind schedule and for the project. Will they be able to get the needed tax breaks from the city? Larry talks about it.
Possible 2008 Presidential Candidates
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Larry talks with Democratic and Republican strategists about who is likely to run in, and who could win, the 2008 Presidential election.
FilmWeek
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Larry Mantle and critics
Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com,
Lael Loewenstein of Variety, and
Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com
discuss this week's new releases, including Casino Royale, Happy Feet, Bobby, For Your Consideration, Fast Food Nation,
Sweet Land, Cave of the Yellow Dog, Forgiving Dr. Mengele, Hannari - Geisha Modern,
and Iraq in Fragments.
