January 21 - 25, 2008
Monday, Jan. 21
Nevada Caucus and South Carolina Primary Results
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In the latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll, John McCain has soared to the front of a crowded GOP field while last year's national front-runner, Rudy Giuliani, has seen his standing plummet over the past month. Among the Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton is still in the lead, but rival Barack Obama has begun to close the gap. Larry Mantle and guests discuss the results of Saturday's Nevada Caucus and the South Carolina Republican primary.
Proposition 93 Debate
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Larry moderates a debate between guests on Prop 93, also known as the Term Limits and Legislative Reform Act. If passed, Prop 93 will extend the number of years that current California state legislators can stay in office. It is one of seven ballot measures Californians will vote on during the February 5 primary election.
Test your knowledge of Prop 93 and learn more with our interactive quiz
The Slave Ship
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Larry Mantle talks with Marcus Rediker, author of The Slave Ship: A Human History (Viking), that explores all the facets of the slave ship. From transporting human cargo, to its fighting capabilities, to its psychological terror, the Slave Ship amidst all of its terrible drawbacks helped to create the "African American" identity in the United States of America.
A Slave No More
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There are only a handful of first-person accounts by slaves who ran away and freed themselves. Historian David Blight brings to light two newly uncovered narratives and the biographies of the men who wrote them. Larry talks with Prof. Blight about his new book, A Slave No More, which tell the stories of Wallace Turnage and John Washington from their escape from slavery to the protection of the occupying Union troops, and their climb to black working-class stability in the north.
Tuesday, Jan. 22
Interest Rate Cut And The Global Markets
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Many economists continue to say we're not facing a recession, but the global markets are following the Dow with serious declines. Japan's Nikkei stock average closed at 5.65 percent today, the biggest drop in nearly a decade. And the Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 8.65 percent a day after showing its biggest losses since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. US markets have shown some rebound today, but are still down. This prompted the Federal Reserve to issue a rate cut of 3.5 percentage points, the biggest since 1982. And Washington is talking about a second economic stimulus package. What does the future hold for the global and local economy? Larry talks with experts Steve Gelsi, reporter for MarketWatch, and Chris Thornberg, Principal, Beacon Economics.
New Frontline Documentary, Growing Up Online
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Larry Mantle talks with Frontline co-producer Rachel Dretzin (with John Maggio) about their new documentary film, Growing up Online that explores the world of a cyber-savvy generation that often times finds itself spending hours online with no parental supervision or involvement.
Super Delegates And The Choice Of A Democratic Presidential Nominee
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In 1982, Democratic Party leaders created positions called super delegates, which include Congressional members, governors and all of the elected members of the Democratic National Committee. Each one is granted a vote at the party convention. When they passed this rule, Democratic Party leaders assumed it would help them retain considerable control over the process and provide them with the bulk of political favors that historically flowed from supporting the winning candidate at the convention. In 2008, the 796 super delegates will make up about 20% of the entire convention. Will the super delegates be the "deciders" in this year's Democratic Convention if there is no clear front-runner at the end of the primary season? Larry Mantle talks about super delegates with Joshua Spivak, an attorney who writes on election issues.
Academy Awards Nominations
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The Oscar nominations were announced early this morning. In the best picture category: Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, and There Will Be Blood. Larry talks with film critic Henry Sheehan, of HenrySheehan.com, and John Horn, film writer for TheEnvelope.com from the Los Angeles Times, about who they think should take home the statuette and who was overlooked.
Wednesday, Jan. 23
Update On The WGA Strike
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The horror of watching reruns and reality shows may be coming to a close, as there are finally signs of progress in the three-month-old writers' strike. Writers and producers will hold informal talks today and the guild has dropped demands to unionize writers of animated movies and reality TV shows. They also agreed not to picket the Grammy Awards. But the strike may still hurt the Oscars if celebrities refuse to attend and fundamental issues remain between producers and writers. Larry gets the latest from Joe Adalian, TV Editor for Variety, and writers, Collin Freisen, Steve Skrovan and Peter Barsocchini.
Economic Stimulus Plan For Los Angeles
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15 months ago Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed The Los Angeles Economy and Jobs Committee, a panel of 26 business, labor and academic leaders, to research the city's economy and find ways to create new high-quality jobs and strengthen the economy. The committee's chairman, Russell Goldsmith, CEO of City National Bank, joins Larry Mantle to examine the report's 100 recommendations to improve economic prospects in the City of Los Angeles. The committee presented its recommendations to the Mayor this morning at City Hall.
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, Orange County Register senior editorial writer and columnist, Steven Greenhut, and Gustavo Arellano, OC Weekly staff writer about the latest news events and developments in Orange County.
God In The White House
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In his new book, God in the White House: A History - How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush (HarperOne), author Randall Balmer tackles the question of how we got from John F. Kennedy declaring his firm belief in the separation of church and state to George W. Bush's declaration that Jesus is his favorite philosopher. In this examination of the "religionization" of politics, Balmer offers a new lens through which to view our current political situation. Balmer joins Larry to talk about faith, politics and the American presidency.
Gang Leader For A Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes To The Streets
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...is the story of Sudhir Venkatesh's seven years spent with one of the most violent crack-dealing gangs in some of the worst projects in the country. While researching his book, Venkatesh met prostitutes, squatters, hustlers, Housing Authority workers, good and bad cops, drug dealers, gang bosses - and learned first-hand how the community inside the projects worked together to survive. The author joins Larry in studio to discuss real life in urban war zones.
Thursday, Jan. 24
Primary Concerns: California Speaks Up (Hour 1)
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...a special live, two-hour statewide broadcast looking at the issues that are most important to California voters. KPCC teams up with sister public radio stations KQED, KXJZ, and KPBS looking at issues that are of concern to California voters.
Hour 1: KQED Forum host Michael Krasny and Jeffrey Callison, host of Capital Public Radio's Insight talk to Jed Kolko of Public Policy Institute of California and take calls from listeners across the state about how well the campaigns are addressing the economic concerns of California voters.
Primary Concerns: California Speaks Up (Hour 2)
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Hour 2: Tom Fudge, host of These Days on KPBS and AirTalk host Larry Mantle talk with pollster Mark DiCamillo about the recent Field Poll looking at the importance of illegal immigration and the war in Iraq to California voters. The hosts will also take calls from throughout California about how well the presidential primary campaigns are addressing voters' concerns about these issues.
Friday, Jan. 25
Drought Doubt
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It's wet and it's cold and it's taking a toll on the region, but will it help stave off a drought come spring and summer? From freeway closures to the danger of floods and mudslides, Larry talks with the experts about the rain.
Economic Stimulus and Jumbo Loans
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Part of Washington's economic stimulus plan will provide almost a year of cheaper loans for Californians to refinance higher-cost homes. This is designed to deal with the event that started the economy's decline--the fall of the housing market. Larry talks about the jumbo loan portion of the stimulus plan.
Gas Guzzler Tax? Assembly Proposes Clean Car Discount Bill
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At the end of the month the California Assembly will vote on the "Clean Car Discount Bill" (AB 493), which would offer rebates for "clean cars" and would impose tax penalties on large, inefficient vehicles. This is in response, say the bill's proponents, to the Bush Administration's efforts to delay the State's attempts to regulate CO2 emissions. Larry talks with advocates and opponents of the Clean Car Discount Bill.
Otto Preminger
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Nothing about filmmaker Otto Preminger was small, trivial, or self-denying. In his new biography, "Otto Preminger: The Man Who Would be King" (Knopf), Foster Hirsch gives readers a full account of the controversial, greatly admired, yet often underrated, director/producer who was known as "Otto the Terrible." Larry talks with Hirsch about his book which includes 100 new interviews with Preminger's family and co-workers.
Filmweek Reviews
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Larry and critics Claudia Puig, of USA Today, and Henry Sheehan, of henrysheehan.com discuss many of the past two week's new films including the features "Cassandra's Dream," "27 Dresses," "Untraceable," "The Air I Breathe," "Mad Money," "Rambo," and "Cloverfield," and the documentaries "Taxi to the Dark Side," and "The Business of Being Born."
