February 18 - 22, 2008
Monday, Feb. 18
The Quest for a Global Nation
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What is a nation? Strobe Talbott joins Larry Mantle to tackle the question. In his new book, "The Great Experiment," the author and president of the Brookings Institutions looks back to the consolidation of tribes into nations – starting with Israel – and the absorption of those nations into the empires, through incessant wars of territory and religion, to modern alliances and the global conflagrations of the twentieth century. Talbott concludes his narrative with a biting critique of the worldview and policies of George W. Bush, whose presidency he calls a "consequential aberration" in the history of American foreign policy. Then, looking beyond the war in Iraq and the battle for the White House, he argues that the United States can regain the trust of the world by leading the effort to avert the perils of climate change and nuclear catastrophe.
America's Stuggle for Survival after Yorktown
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On October 19, 1781, Great Britain's best army surrendered to General George Washington at Yorktown. But the future of the 13 former colonies was far from clear. A 13,000 man British army still occupied New York City, and another 13,000 regulars and armed loyalists were scattered from Canada to Savannah, Georgia. Meanwhile, Congress had declined to a mere 24 members, and the national treasury was empty. The American army had not been paid for years and was on the brink of mutiny. In his riveting new book, "The Perils of Peace," Thomas Fleming moves elegantly between the key players in this drama and shows that the outcome we take for granted was far from certain. Not without anguish, General Washington resisted the urgings of many officers to seize power and held the angry army together until peace and independence arrived. With fresh research and masterful storytelling, Fleming breathes new life into this tumultuous but little known period in America's history. He joins Larry Mantle to talk about America's struggle for survival after Yorktown.
Lincoln Douglas Debates
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Larry Mantle talks with Allen Guelzo, author of the new book, "Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates that Defined America" (Simon & Schuster). This year marks the 150th anniversary of the debates, and this book is the first narrative history of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the campaigns that shaped them. Guelzo draws on newspapers, letters, diaries and vote ledgers of the time, and shows how these debates were the most momentous in American history and how they shaped today's elections and debates.
Gamble & Huff
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Song writers and producers, and the creators of "Philly Soul," Gamble & Huff join Larry to talk about their extraordinary careers in the music industry, and about their pending induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Tuesday, Feb. 19
Fidel Castro Steps Down
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Larry talks with Tom Gjelten, NPR correspondent, Lisa Garcia Bedolla, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and Chicano/Latino Studies Program at University of California at Irvine, and Ray Walser, Senior Policy Analyst for Latin America at the Heritage Foundation about today's announcement that Fidel Castro is stepping down as the President of Cuba.
America and Islam After Iraq
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In his new book, "Marching Toward Hell," veteran CIA counterterrorism officer Michael Scheuer argues that America is still unsafe from terrorists, not only because of the war in Iraq, but also because of U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. The author contends that for the past 30 years, American policymakers on both sides of the aisle have remained in Cold War thinking and as a result have failed to sufficiently address national security concerns, leaving our nation increasingly susceptible to attack. Scheuer joins Larry Mantle to explain how our foreign policy has made our enemies stronger and our country more vulnerable.
Alternative And Complementary Cancer Treatment
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Larry Mantle talks with Jeffrey D. White, M.D., Director of the Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Cancer Institute, and Barrie Cassileth, PhD, Chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center about the differences between alternative and complementary treatments for cancer, what clinical trials are currently taking place in this area, and what appears to be working and not working in the non traditional treatment of various cancers.
Wednesday, Feb. 20
Wisconsin And Hawaii Primary Analysis
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Senator Barack Obama won both the Wisconsin primary and the Hawaii caucuses yesterday bringing his winning streak to 10. Senator Hillary Clinton is now facing a must-win scenario in Democratic contests in Texas and Ohio on March 4th. Larry and his guests discuss the ramifications of yesterday's races and what Clinton plans to do to win the Democratic nomination. Larry talks with Mark Barabak, political correspondent for the L.A. Times, Tom Hollihan, Professor of Communications at USC's Annenberg School of Communications.
Portrait Of The Bush Presidency
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In his new book, "The Bush Tragedy," Slate editor in chief Jacob Weisberg uncovers the "black box" from the crash of the Bush presidency. Using in-depth research, revealing analysis, and keen psychological acuity, Weisberg explores the whole Bush story, distilling all that has been previously written about Bush into a defining portrait. Weisberg joins Larry Mantle to explore the fateful choices and key decisions that George W. Bush has made throughout his presidency, that have led to his historic downfall.
Prostate Cancer Treatment
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Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in American men and the third leading cause of cancer deaths. According to the American Cancer Society there were nearly 220,000 new cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in the U.S. in 2007 and over 27,000 deaths. Larry and his guests discuss new treatments, developments, and thoughts about prostate cancer. Larry guests include Dr. David Agus, research director of the Louis Warschaw Prostate Cancer Center and director of the Spielberg Family Center for Applied Proteomics at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, Dr. Chris Rose, Chief Technology Officer of Vantage Oncology and Medical Director of Radiation Therapy Center for Radiation Therapy, Beverly Hills, and Dr. David Josephson, clinical assistant professor of urologic oncology and robotic surgery at City of Hope. For more information go to Prostate Cancer Foundation, or Revolution Health.
Thursday, Feb. 21
New York Times' John McCain Story
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Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, is on the defense because of an article published today in The New York Times. The story, largely based on un-named sources, implies that McCain had an inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist during his first run for the Presidency in 2000. Larry and his guests Ron Elving, NPR's Senior Washington Editor, Kelly McBride, Ethics Group Leader at the Poynter Institute, and Dan Schnur, Lecturer in Political Science at UC Berkeley and USC and a Republican political strategist discuss the political ramifications of the accusations, McCain's denial he did anything inappropriate, and The New York Times' journalistic choice to run the story.
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.
Pakistan
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Larry Mantle and guests Mark Sappenfield, correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, Sumit Ganguly, Professor of Political Science at Indiana University at Bloomington, and Adjunct Scholar at the Pacific Council in Los Angeles, and Husain Haqqani, Director of the Center of International Relations at Boston University discuss the latest news regarding the election in Pakistan.
Why We Suffer
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Larry talks with author Bart Ehrman about his latest book, "God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer," that explores the Bible's reasons, or lack thereof, for why there is so much suffering in the world.
Friday, Feb. 22
Gang Violence In Glassell Park
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Two people were dead at the end of a six hour shootout in Northeast Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon. The gunfire between police and members of the gang Avenues began around noon when a 37-year-old man was shot and killed by suspected gang members. Dozens of city blocks were shutdown during the standoff, leaving residents stranded and locked in buildings. Larry talks with Richard Winton, LA Times staff writer, Tony Rafael, author of "The Mexican Mafia," and Eric Garcetti, LA City Council President.
Filmweek's Oscar Preview
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Larry Mantle and all the FilmWeek critics gather at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood for a preview of the 2007 Academy Awards. Larry is joined by FilmWeek critics Andy Klein of CityBeat; Lael Loewenstein of Variety; Wade Major of boxoffice.com and CityBeat; Jean Oppenheimer of Village Voice Media; Claudia Puig of USA Today; Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor, Henry Sheehan of HenrySheehan.com, and Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com.
FilmWeek's Oscar Preview
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FilmWeek's Oscar Preview continues
