February 26 - March 2, 2007
Monday, Feb. 26
And the Oscar Went To:
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Larry and his guests (John Horn, film writer for TheEnvelope.com from the Los Angeles Times; Peter Rainer, Film Critic for the Christian Science Monitor) discuss the winners, and losers, at Sunday night's Academy Awards.
U.S./Mexican Trucking Agreement
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A pilot program will begin this April allowing Mexican trucks to carry cargo throughout the U.S., rather than just inside the border area. This provision was supposed to happen seven years ago under NAFTA, but pressure from the Teamsters union prevented its implementation. Larry and his guests (Sam Atwood, spokesman for the South Coast Air Quality Management District; James P. Hoffa, General President, of the Teamsters Union; John Hill, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation) discuss the costs and benefits of the program.
Los Angeles County's Chief Administrative Officer
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Just what does a county Chief Administrative Officer do? The position's list of responsibilities may be changing. The administrator currently acts as an advisor to the County supervisors but does not have decision-making power. Other populous California counties have strong chief executives with broad authority to set policy as well as to hire and fire. L.A.'s current CAO, David Janssen, had hoped to retire by now, but after two top candidates turned down his job, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to temporarily rehire Janssen. At the same time they agreed to consider dramatically expanding the power of his post, making almost all county department heads report to the administrator rather than the board itself. Larry talks with Janssen about his current responsibilities, the changes that are in the offing, and the search for his successor.
Why is it so hard to talk about race?
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Talking about race can be difficult. Though our society aspires to be "color blind," we often slip into stereotypes and group each other in terms race or ethnicity. Larry and his guests (Gustavo Arellano, staff writer with OC Weekly and author of Ask a Mexican!; Sandra Tsing Loh, writer and performer whose books include A Year in Van Nuys, Aliens in America, Depth Takes a Holiday, and If You Lived Here ,You'd Be Home By Now; Joe Hicks, Vice President of Community Advocates, Inc.).
The discussion from our panel on race continues here.
Tuesday, Feb. 27
405 Carpool Lane Funded
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One week after L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa went to Sacramento to lobby for more transportation money, state officials have recommended that funds be earmarked for a carpool lane on the 405 Freeway. The project will receive $730 million and the widening project on the 5 Freeway will receive $387 million. However some transportation projects were cut from the list, including the 605-10 Freeway interchange. Carol Inge, Chief Planning officer for the MTA; Director of Countywide Planning and Development for the MTA David Yale; and Norm King, Director of the Leonard University Transportation Center at CSU San Bernardino join Larry to discuss the issue.
Preschool Space For California's Children
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Though the "Preschool for All" initiative was defeated by California voters last year, there is still public support for making preschool accessible to our children. One of the issues that remains to be addressed is whether the state has enough facilities for all preschoolers. Larry talks with Molly Munger, co-director of The Advancement Project, about the organization's recent examination of California's preschool space challenge.
LAUSD District 7 Election
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Four of the LAUSD's seven board seats are up for election in March. Larry talks with the three candidates running to replace Mike Lansing for the District 7 seat, which includes Lomita, Carson, Gardena, and surrounding areas. The District 7 candidates are Public Schools Advocate Jesus M. Escandon, Educator Neal B. Kleiner, and retired LAUSD Superintendent Dr. Richard A. Vladovic.
Are Democrats In Congress Trying To Thwart California Redistricting?
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Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is spearheading a movement to discourage Democrats in the California legislature from supporting a redistricting effort backed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Governor supports a plan to redraw the state's congressional and legislative districts. Congressional Democrats don't want to risk their majority status, which could occur if California districts are redrawn. Larry talks with Cynthia Bryant, Governor Schwarzenegger's Deputy Chief of Staff; Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren; and Raphael Sonenshein, Professor of Political Science at CSU Fullerton.
Brain Researcher Antonio Damasio
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Larry talks with renowned scientist, Antonio Damasio, whose Brain and Creativity Institute at USC is entering its second year. Damasio's research group has begun to produce major papers. His study showing that smokers who experience damage in a specific part of the brain suddenly stop smoking will appear in Science. Damasio's work that finds patients with certain types of frontal lobe lesions lose the ability to make compassionate moral judgments will appear in the journal, Nature. Larry talks with Damasio about his work and the goals of USC's Brain and Creativity Institute.
Wednesday, Feb. 28
How Immigrants Affect the Economy
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According to a new study by the Public Policy Institute of California, the wave of immigrants into California since 1990 has helped increase wages and job opportunities for native-born workers. Larry and his guest (Steven Camorota, Director of Research at the Center for Immigration Studies) discuss the results of the report, released on Tuesday, that challenges the common belief that immigrants take jobs from Americans.
Generation "Me"
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New research finds that narcissism is on the rise among college students. The study suggests that too much self-esteem building in elementary school may be a root cause. It also points the finger at permissive parenting, and an increasingly materialistic and celebrity-obsessed culture. Larry Mantle talks with the study's lead author, Jean Twenge, Associate Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University and author of the book Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans are Confident, Assertive, Entitled - And More Miserable than Ever Before (Free Press).
Krista Tippett
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Krista Tippett is known to the public radio audience as the creator and host of the weekly program Speaking of Faith. Her new book, by the same name, is part autobiography, part thoughts on the issues of the day. It begins with a discussion of the death of "secularization theory" then goes on to reveal Tippett's own intellectual and spiritual formation. Larry talks with Tippett about her life and studies as well as the conversations she has had with other notable scholars about what faith means to us today.
Thursday, March 1
A Savings Account for Every Child in California?
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Is your child saving enough for college? A new bipartisan bill was proposed Wednesday in the State Senate that would provide every child born in California after Jan. 1, 2008 with a $500 savings account that would fund the individual's future education or housing. The legislation would cost taxpayers about $285 million a year and California would be the first state in the nation to enact such a law. State Senator Dean Florez who co-authored the bill, and Kathryn Mangu-Ward of Reason Magazine, join Larry to discuss the pros and cons of the bill.
Orange County Journalists Roundtable
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Larry Mantle talks with William Lobdell, City Editor of the Orange County Edition of the Los Angeles Times, and Orange County Register senior editorial writer and columnist, Steven Greenhut, about the latest news events and developments in Orange County.
Wordplay
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The documentary Wordplay offers a look into the life of both crossword composers and solvers. Centered around the 28th annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, where nearly 500 competitors vie for the title "Crossword Champ", the film reveals the world behind the practice, creation, and history of the crossword puzzle. Featured in the film is Will Shortz, Crossword Editor of the New York Times and NPR's Puzzle Master, who joins Larry to talk about his work and the film. Wordplay is now out on DVD.
Friday, March 2
California National Guard Called To Iraq
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Larry Mantle and guests discuss the announcement that 800 California National Guard soldiers will be called to Iraq to support President Bush's surge of 20,000 additional troops in the region.
Measure L
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This proposal, which appears on the March 6th ballot would create a commission to review LAUSD board members salaries, which are currently $24,000 a year. Measure L would also limit board members to three four-year terms and limit campaign contributions to $1000 each. Larry and his guests discuss the measure.
LAUSD District 1 Election
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Four of the LAUSD's seven board seats are up for election in March. Larry talks with Johnathan Williams, who is running against incumbent, Marguerite Poindexter Lamotte, for the District 1 seat, which includes
schools in Palms, Mid-city, Hawthorne, and much of S. Los Angeles
FilmWeek
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Larry Mantle and critics Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media, and Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com discuss this week's new releases including Wild Hogs, Zodiac, Black Snake Moan, Full of It, Avenue Montaigne, Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams, and Tears of the Black Tiger.
