February 25 - 29, 2008
Monday, Feb. 25
Campaign Mudslinging Rachets Up
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The recriminations in the Clinton versus Obama contest are heating up, with Senator Hillary Clinton saying "shame on you" to Obama, and accusing his campaign of Karl Rove-style mailings. The issue: flyers from the Obama campaign that say Clinton's healthcare plan would force poor Americans to buy health insurance even if they can't afford it. Meanwhile, a photo of Barack Obama in traditional Kenyan dress was circulated by the Clinton campaign, echoing the efforts of a campaign staffer who circulated an email that claimed Obama is a Muslim. In the last debate, Senator Obama said politics has entered "silly season." Maybe he should have said "slinging season." Larry asks Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, Political Analyst for KNBC and senior scholar at USC's School of Policy, Planning and Development, Tom Hollihan, Professor of Communications at the Annenberg School of Communication, and KPCC's listeners what they think.
Oscar, Oscar - Who's Got An Oscar
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Larry gets listeners reactions to the winners and losers at the 80th Annual Academy Awards that were presented Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
The State Of The Black Civil Rights Movement Today
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The lives of many African Americans have dramatically improved within the last generation from education levels to household income. However, millions have been left behind, living in poverty, in substandard housing, with little hope for economic advancement, educational opportunity or security. Black civil rights organizations have traditionally been charged with improving the lives of African Americans but there are those that claim that these groups are stuck in the past and have not adjusted to the realities of the 21st century. Larry Mantle moderates a panel of African American leaders who will discuss the relevance of traditional black civil rights organizations and the state of the black political leadership in America today. The panel includes, Ward Connerly, Former Regent of the University of California, author of Proposition 209, and Founder and Chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute, Blair Taylor, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League, Eva Paterson, President of the Equal Justice Society of San Francisco, and former Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, and Joe Hicks, Vice-President of Community Advocates, Inc.
Tuesday, Feb. 26
Immigrant Crime Debunk
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A new study from the Public Policy Institute of California seems to contradict a pillar of the argument for a tighter border--that immigrants bring crime. The study shows that foreign-born residents make up 35 percent of the state's overall population but only 17 percent of the adult prison population. And non-citizen men from Mexico are many times less likely to be in prison than the general population. The study did not, however, look at visa-status of immigrants, so there are no conclusions about undocumented immigrants. Still, the report authors say the results have strong implications for the immigration debate. Larry talks to Hans Johnson, Associate Director and Senior Fellow at the PPIC and KPCC's listeners about the results.
Bad Loan Bailout
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Home values continue to drop amidst the subprime loan debacle. Under a new proposal to be part of the Foreclosure Prevention Act, judges would be allowed to ease the terms of mortgages during bankruptcy proceedings. But lenders argue that the measure, which may be debated in the Senate today, could force them to raise mortgage rates across the board to cover losses from defaulters. Supporters argue that banks aren't doing a good enough job helping people stay in their homes. Larry asks KPCC's listeners what should take priority--stopping the wave of foreclosures or avoiding passing on the costs to the general public. Larry also talks with Eric Stein, Senior Vice President at the Center for Responsible Lending, and Scott Talbott, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the Financial Services Roundtable.
Hey, They Took My Laptop!
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Frequent search-and-seizures of electronic devices at U.S. borders have prompted protests and a lawsuit from civil liberties groups. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Asian Law Caucus plan to file the suit to force the government to disclose search policies. Larry Mantle speaks with Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post reporter, David D. Cole, professor of constitutional law at Georgetown University Law Center, and author, most recently, of "Less Safe, Less Free: Why America Is Losing the War on Terror," and Mark D. Rasch, J.D., Managing Director of Technology with F T I Consulting which is a technology and evidence consulting company, about the issues surrounding airport and border inspection of electronic devices.
"L.A. Outlaws"
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Award winning novelist T. Jefferson Parker joins Larry Mantle to talk about his new book which raises question about modern-day folk heroes and our obsession with celebrity. In "L.A. Outlaws" Parkers' main character is a Southern California teacher and mother of three whose alternate identity dons a mask and wig, steals expensive cars, and robs fast food joints but gives most of her loot to charity to court favor with media and establish her identity as a genuine folk hero.
Wednesday, Feb. 27
New Poll Shows McCain Strong
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A new LA Times-Bloomberg poll shows that John McCain will be a tough candidate to beat in the general election. In head-to-head contests, it finds McCain leads Clinton by 6 percentage points (46% to 40%) and Obama by 2 points (44% to 42%). The survey attributes the lead to McCain's experience. Political scientist, Raphe Sonenshein, and the director of the L.A. Times poll, Susan Pinkus join Larry to discuss what it means for the ongoing primary contest?
Transit Update
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Last night, the Los Angeles County MTA held a public meeting intended to update local residents and get public comment on a project to link four of LA's existing and future light rail lines through a "regional connector" through downtown. The proposal is to build a 1.6-mile connector that will allow trains to run directly from Pasadena to Long Beach and from the Eastside to Culver City. This is just one of many projects either under construction or under study by the MTA, including one to extend the subway to Santa Monica. How long will it all take to build? And how much will it cost? Larry talks about the various projects with Carol Inge, Chief Planning officer for Metro (MTA), and Dennis Zane, founder of the non-profits "Subway to the Sea Coalition" and "Move LA," a group looking to find the money for a robust transit system.
The Bible: A Biography
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The Bible is the most widely distributed book in the world, serving as the spiritual guide for one out of every three people. Written by numerous authors and transformed over time through translation and interpretation, its content and meaning has changed over time. How was the Bible conceived, and how did it evolve, and how did become the world's most revered book? Larry Mantle talks with acclaimed religion writer Karen Armstrong about her latest book "The Bible: A Biography." The book analyzes the climate in which oral history turned into written scripture, how this scripture was compiled into one work, and how it became accepted as Christianity's sacred text.
Thursday, Feb. 28
Federal Ruling on Ship Emissions
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Yesterday a federal appeals court barred California's Air Resources Board from enforcing a rule that requires ships to use low-sulfur fuel while running auxiliary diesel engines within 24 miles of the coast. The 9th Circuit's ruling means that California will have to get approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before imposing pollution limits on the thousands of cargo ships, cruise ships and other marine vessels that visit its ports. Larry talks with S. David Freeman, President of the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners, and Mike Scheible, Deputy Executive Officer of the California Air Resources Board.
Guilt By Association?
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Barack Obama has been criticized for his endorsement by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. John McCain was criticized for his introduction by Bill Cunningham. Are these examples of "guilt by association?" How vehement do candidates need to be when denouncing those who endorse them?
From Foster Care To Harvard
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"Hope's Boy," a new memoir by author Andrew Bridge, takes a somber look at today's foster care system. Bridge was taken from his impoverished and mentally unstable single mother when he was six after she slit her wrists in a suicide attempt. He eventually found his way to a foster home where he was the victim of a cruel foster mother. Later in life he went on to help foster care reform as director of the Alliance for Children's Rights. Larry talks with Bridge about the current foster care system's failings and his attempts to improve the lives of abandoned and abused children.
Friday, Feb. 29
California's Budget
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Faced with a projected $16 billion budget deficit, Governor Schwarzenegger has called for across-the-board cuts to most state programs. But yesterday, he said his administration "should go after" so-called tax loopholes in order to raise money for the state budget. In his speech, the Governor initially indicated his support for a proposal by the state's Legislative Analyst to close $2.7 billion in tax loopholes, but later tempered the statement while speaking to reporters, saying "I'm not for the recommendations ... necessarily." Larry and his guests Mac Taylor, Deputy in the Legislative Analyst's Office, and Evan Halper, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, discuss the possible cutbacks in tax breaks.
National Forests Lawsuit
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The state sued the U.S. Forest Service
Thursday for adopting a plan that allows the construction of roads and oil drilling in California's largest national forests. This would impact the Los Padres, Angeles, San Bernardino and Cleveland forests. Larry talks with California Attorney General Jerry Brown's press secretary, Gareth Lacy about the suit.
FilmWeek
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Larry and critics Claudia Puig of USA Today, Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com, and Charles Solomon of amazon.com review some of the last two weeks' new feature films including "The Other Boleyn Girl," "Semi-Pro," "Be Kind Rewind," "Vantage Point," "Charlie Bartlett," and "The Counterfeiters" as well as the documentary "Chicago 10."
