April 14 - 18, 2008
Monday, April 14
Obama: Elitist and Out-of-Touch?
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While speaking to a group of wealthy California donors in San Francisco on Sunday April 6, Senator Barack Obama made comments about small-town voters that have caused vehement responses from his opponents. Hillary Clinton and John McCain both attacked Barack Obama Friday, calling the comments arrogant, elitist and proof that the Senator is out of touch with mainstream Americans. What effect will these comments have on the Pennsylvania primary? Larry Mantle speaks with a veteran Democratic consultant Bill Carrick and listeners.
The Life and Times of Don Benito Wilson
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As the second mayor of Los Angeles, Benjamin Davis Wilson's legacy lives on most notably as the namesake of Mount Wilson. But Wilson was also a prominent war captain in 1846, a founding father of would-be University of Southern California and the grandfather of General George S. Patton Jr. In his biography of Don Benito Wilson, author Nat B. Read documents the mayor's lasting impact on Southern California, including his many landholdings, which would become Pasadena, Culver City, Beverly Hills and beyond. Nat Read joins Larry Mantle to talk about the life and times of Don Benito Wilson.
Immigration Crack-Downs on Los Angeles Businesses
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L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has asked the federal government to ease up on local workplace immigration crack-downs out of concern that it will affect the city's economy. Burt Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff has refused, saying that pain experienced by employers is a sign that the enforcement approach is working. Are workplace raids the best way to enforce our country's immigration laws? Larry Mantle takes listener calls on the issue.
Earthquake Forecast
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Larry Mantle talks with Tom Jordan of the Southern California Earthquake Center at USC about the latest earthquake forecast for the region.
Prize-Winning Poets Tom Sleigh and Janice N. Harrington
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Claremont Graduate University administers two major prizes for poetry each year, The Kingsley Tufts Award ($100,000) and The Kate Tufts Discovery Award ($10,000.) Larry Mantle talks with this year's recipients, Tom Sleigh and Janice N. Harrington.
Tuesday, April 15
The Pope's Visit
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On his way to the United States for his first official visit, Pope Benedict XVI opened up about the church's sex abuse scandals. He told reporters that he is "deeply ashamed" by the scandal and it is causing "great suffering." This morning Larry talks with church leaders and critics about these remarks and what else to expect from the Pope's visit to the United States. Larry's guests include, Father Joseph Fessio, founder and editor of Ignatius Press, Lisa Miller, Religion editor at Newsweek, and George Weigel, Catholic Theologian and contributing editor at Newsweek.
McCain's Economic Plan
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Senator John McCain outlined his economic proposals in a speech this morning at Carnegie Mellon University. The presumptive presidential nominee for the Republican Party called for tax cuts, higher premiums for Medicare and a gas tax break for the summer. Larry talks with analysts and callers to find out how McCain's ideas resonated with voters.
Sex And Science
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Scientists have always been fascinated by sex, from Leonardo da Vinci to Alfred Kinsey, from human intercourse to farm animal insemination. Author Mary Roach discusses the relationship of sex and science throughout history, in her new book "BONK: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex."
Wednesday, April 16
Supreme Court Rules On Execution By Lethal Injection
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This morning, the Supreme Court upheld Kentucky's method of executing prisoners by lethal injection. Kentucky's three drug "cocktail" is used to sedate, paralyze and kill inmates. Similar methods are used by over two dozen other states. The Court's 7-2 vote clears the way for states to resume executions that have been on hold for nearly 7 months. Larry and his guests John C. Eastman Dean of the Chapman University School of Law, Jesse Choper, Earl Warren Professor of Public Law at Boalt Hall, U.C. Berkeley, and Ellen Kreitzberg, Professor of Law at Santa Clara University School of Law, discuss the ramifications of today's ruling.
Special Order 40
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The current rules of the LAPD's Special Order 40 prevent officers from arresting or questioning a suspect on immigration status. In the wake of the shooting death of high school student Jamiel Shaw Jr. outside of his home, Councilman Dennis Zine along with the victim's father are calling for an amendment of Special Order 40. The suspect in custody for killing Shaw is a suspected gang member and illegal immigrant. Zine proposes LAPD officers be required to check the immigration status of all suspected gang members during questioning, whether they are being arrested or not, and that federal authorities be notified if the person is not a U.S. citizen. Some civil liberties activists say Zine's proposal will erode the human rights of immigrants and citizens alike. Larry talks with Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz, LAPD, Operations-Central Bureau, Peter Bibring, ACLU staff attorney, and Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch.
The Bin Ladens
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Perhaps no other family in our lifetime has achieved global notoriety like the Bin Ladens. But what's the untold story behind the family's rise to power and privilege in Saudi Arabia? Larry Mantle talks with two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Steve Coll about his new book, "The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century." Coll, a reporter on international terrorism, weaves a deeply compelling story about the Bin Ladens and how in the midst of their fascination with America, one Bin Laden wanted to see America fall.
The Cost Of China's Competitive Advantage
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Food, toys, clothing, and electronic goods: almost all have the tag "Made in China." What is the price we're willing to pay to keep the cost of these items down? Larry Mantles talks with Alexandra Harney, author of "The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage" which offers a disconcerting glimpse into China's factory system and exposes how competitive pressures for low prices jeopardize the well being of factory workers while putting consumers at risk.
Thursday, April 17
Pennsylvania Presidential Debate
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Cookies, pastors, pardons, and bitterness were some of the topics raised in last night's Democratic debate between Senators Clinton and Obama. Larry Mantle and Newsweek Senior Editor Jonathan Alter discuss the debate and what affect it could have on Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary.
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 OC Weekly staff writer Gustavo Arellano about the latest news events and developments in Orange County.
American Leadership in the Middle East
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What would it take to have peace in the Middle East, and why have successive U.S. presidential administrations failed to broker a lasting resolution to the conflict between Arabs and Israelis in that region? Larry Mantle discusses the United States' role in Middle East peacemaking with former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Egypt Daniel Kurtzer, and United States Institute of Peace Middle East researcher Scott Lasensky.
L.A. Times Columnist Steve Lopez
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Larry Mantle talks with Steve Lopez, columnist for the L.A. Times, about his new book, The Soloist: A Lost Dream, An Unlikely Friendship and the Redemptive Power of Music." The book chronicles the story of musician Nathaniel Ayers. Formerly a promising graduate from The Julliard School, he is now a mentally ill homeless man homeless man living on L.A.'s skid row.
Friday, April 18
Billboards in Koreatown
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Larry Mantle talks with LA City Councilman Jack Weiss and with AirTalk listeners about the pros and cons of allowing billboards to be erected in Koreatown.
Mental Illness in Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan
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In the first analysis of its kind, a new RAND study has found that nearly 300,000 service men and women who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan report symptoms of PTSD or major depression. And although 20 percent of military service members are suffering from these illnesses only slight more than half have sought treatment. Larry talks with the study's co-author, Terri Tanielian, and with Colonel Loree Sutton, Director of the Pentagon's PTSD Center.
Primate Brains
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What are the connections between different primate species and human behavior, and do certain human behaviors mirror traits of specific primate species? Cal State Fullerton is hosting "Which is Our Inner Ape? -Bonobos, Chimpanzees and Gorillas Revisited," a conference sponsored by the Southern California Primate Research Forum. Larry Mantle talks with primatologists Brian Hare of Duke University and Alexander Harcourt of UC Davis about the forum. For more information, go to:
The Film Industry's Response to the Iraq War
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In his recent article for The Atlantic, Ross Douthat examines how the Iraq War and President Bush have sent the movie industry back to the paranoid, cynical era of the 1970s. Larry talks with Douthat about his theory that the industry is again trying to connect with Americans who are trying to cope with a military quagmire, rising oil prices, ecological destruction, and political corruption.
FilmWeek Reviews
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Larry and critics Lael Loewenstein of Variety and Andy Klein of CityBeat review some of the week's new feature films including "88 Minutes," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "The Forbidden Kingdom," and "The Life Before Her Eyes," as well as the documentaries "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," "The First Saturday in May," and "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?" Then
animation critic and historian Charles Solomon joins Larry to talk about the life and career of Ollie Johnston. The animator, who was the last of Disney's "Nine Old Men," passed away this week at the age of 84.
