October 15 - 19, 2007
Monday, Oct. 15
I-5 Reopened After Fiery Crash
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The southbound 5 Freeway was reopened after Friday's horrific crash in the Newhall Pass shut down all lanes over the weekend. The truck tunnel, where the crash occurred, will remain closed for months while repairs are made. Larry Mantle talks with KPCC reporters Frank Stoltze and Doualy Xaykaothao about the morning's commute. He also talks about the rebuilding effort with Caltrans Regional Director Douglas Failing and Jim Moore, Director of USC's Transportation Engineering Program.
Governor Schwarzenegger Signs Many Bills into Law
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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed and vetoed many bills over the weekend. Larry Mantle talks with Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters and Los Angeles Daily News reporter Steve Geissinger for the latest.
The Founding Fathers and the Separation of Church and State
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The debate over the separation of church and state in the U.S. has existed as long as the country itself. In his new book, So Help Me God, author Forrest Church explores the early conflicts between religion and politics in America, with a focus on the first five presidencies. As it turns out, the truth is more complicated than the popular beliefs that the U.S. was either founded by a bunch of puritans, or by strict secularists. Larry talks with Church about the history of this long debate which continues to be relevant today.
Tuesday, Oct. 16
Southland Home Sales Drop to Lowest Level in Two Decades
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Larry talks with John Karevoll of DataQuick Information Systems about the decline in home sales in Southern California.
Labor And Consumer Groups Oppose Governor's Health Plan
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California labor unions are set to campaign against Governor Schwarzenegger's healthcare plan, stating that it is too expensive for workers. Larry discusses the plan with Daniel Zingali, Senior Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger, and LA Times Staff Writer Jordan Rau.
Keep Los Angeles Traffic Moving
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In an effort to ease traffic congestion, Mayor Villaraigosa, Governor Schwarzenegger and Speaker Nunez announced a plan today to synchronize every traffic light in Los Angeles. There are also plans to increase the number of left turn signals, and a proposal to turn Olympic and Pico boulevards into one-way streets. Larry discusses the plan with Rita Robinson of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.
Jeffrey Toobin on the Supreme Court
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Bestselling author and legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin joins Larry to talk about his new book entitled The Nine: The Secret World of the Supreme Court (Doubleday). Through exclusive interviews with the Chief Justices, Toobin reveals the complex personalities of the nine people who decide the law of the land.
Wednesday, Oct. 17
Antibiotic-Resistant Staph Infections on the Rise
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It now appears a dangerous type of staph infection is probably killing more Americans each year than AIDS. It's resistant to standard antibiotics, and the government reports that this superbug now sickens more than 90,000 Americans annually. The drug-resistant germ goes by the nickname MRSA, short for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. The bacteria can be carried by healthy people, living on skin or in noses, but can be deadly if it spreads inside the body. How concerned should you be? Larry Mantle talks with Los Angeles County epidemiologist Dr. Elizabeth Bancroft and UCLA-Olive View ER physician Dr. Gregory Moran.
Disney to Overhaul California Adventure
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The Walt Disney Company announced that it will overhaul its California Adventure theme park to the tune of $1.1 billion. Since the park was built 6 years ago, it has never drawn the crowds like its more popular neighbor theme park, Disneyland. Disney is hoping to change that by giving the park more attractions and more defined areas, much like the original Disneyland. Larry Mantle talks about the story with Orange County Business Journal editor Michael Lyster.
Mining Claims Threaten California's National Parks
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The Environmental Working Group released a report Monday stating that more than 21,300 mining claims have been staked within 10 miles of California's national parks and monuments. These claims pose a threat to the environment due to the toxic nature of mining as well as the large amount of water mining requires. Larry discusses the report with Dusty Horwitt of the Environmental Working Group and Laura Skaer of the Northwest Mining Association.
Steven Pinker on Language As a Window Into Human Nature
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In his latest book, Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker looks at language and what it tells us about the way we think. Language, he argues, reflects the very nature of our brain structure. Pinker analyzes the flow of information into our brains and discusses the significance of how we name things, how we put sentences together, and the importance of swearing and politeness. Larry talks with Pinker about his latest look at human nature and its manifestation in language.
Thursday, Oct. 18
Mayor Villaraigosa's Affordable Housing Plan
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Mayor Villaraigosa has unveiled a plan that would require housing developers in Los Angeles to include affordable units. Larry Mantle discusses the pros and cons of the idea with City Councilman Ed Reyes, San Francisco's Housing Director Matt Franklin, Building Industry Association CEO Holly Schroeder and Lisa Payne, Policy Director for the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing.
The Best of the Atlantic Monthly
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Larry Mantle talks with Robert Vare, editor at large for the Atlantic Monthly, about the magazine's new compilation of writings called The American Idea: The Best of the Atlantic Monthly; 150 Years of Writers and Thinkers Who Shaped Our History. The Atlantic Monthly was founded in 1857 and its contributors have included some of the most prominent thinkers, commentators, journalists, historians, and writers of our time.
Friday, Oct. 19
Pakistan Bombing
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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto says there were two attackers in the bombing that killed at least 136 people at her homecoming celebration yesterday in Karachi. She blamed militants for trying to kill her and said she would not "surrender our great nation" to them. Bhutto says her guards also found a third person with a pistol and another with a reported suicide vest. Ahead of her arrival, Bhutto said, she was warned suicide squads were dispatched to kill her. Larry talks with Middle East expert Vali Nasr about the attacks and the future of Pakistan.
Chris Matthews
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Chris Matthews is one of the most recognizable personalities in political punditry. Not shy about asking tough questions, his all-business, rapid-fire delivery is the hallmark of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews and NBC News' The Chris Matthews Show. Matthews joins Larry to talk about politics, punditry and his new book Life's a Campaign (Random House).
The Origins of the Americans with Disabilites Act
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Every day people walk by something that is a direct result of Richard Pimentel's efforts: wheel chair ramps, parking spaces for the disabled, handicapped bathroom stalls, etc. Pimentel is a deaf Vietnam veteran who pioneered training people in how to work with the disabled, which eventually led to what is known today as the Americans with Disabilities Act. A new film, Music Within, covers Pimentel's difficult battle for acceptance and equal rights for the disabled community. The film documents his own experience going to jail for being out in public with his best friend Art Honneyman, who was wheelchair-bound, violating "Ugly Laws," ordinances that were in effect as late as the 1990's that punished the disabled community. Those laws have since been recanted thanks to Pimentel's efforts. Larry talks with Pimentel and the film's director, Steven Sawalich.
FilmWeek
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Larry and critics Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com, and Lael Loewenstein of Variety, discuss the week's new releases including the feature films Things We Lost in the Fire, Rendition, Reservation Road, Gone Baby Gone, and Broken, and the documentaries The Price of Sugar, and The Unknown Soldier.
