April 21 - 25, 2008
Monday, April 21
Pennsylvania Primary Preview
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Larry Mantle gets a preview of tomorrow's Pennsylvania primary from Peter Nicholas, Los Angeles Times staff writer in Philadelphia, and Steve Westly, California state co-chair of the Barack Obama campaign.
Former L.A. Times Editors Speak Out
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What is it really like to run one of the largest daily newspapers in the country? Writer R.J. Smith learned quite a bit about it when he spoke with all the living former editors of the Los Angeles Times. Larry talks with Smith about his conversation which marked the first time all six gentlemen were in the same room at the same time. Smith's piece, "Ripped from the Headlines," appears in the May issue of Los Angeles Magazine.
President Jimmy Carter's Meeting With Hamas Officials
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Larry Mantle discusses Jimmy Carter's meeting with Hamas with Salam Al Mariyati, Director and Co-founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and Seth Brysk, Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee in Los Angeles.
"Bully-Proofing" Your Child
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Bullies have long been a problem on the playground, and now they can even reach your child at home through the internet. Many schools have adopted bully-prevention programs, but they have met with limited success. While it may be difficult to prevent bullying behavior, is there a way to shield your child from being hurt by it? Larry Mantle talks with bullying expert Sherryll Kraizer about her book "Ten Days to a Bully-Proof Child." The book is a step by step guide to teaching children assertiveness skills in order to better prepare them for run-ins with their predatory peers.
Tuesday, April 22
Pennsylvania Primary
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Larry checks in with Jeff Zeleny who writes "The Caucus," The New York Times' political blog, and Dante Chinni, Project Director of the Christian Science Monitor's "Patchwork Nation" to discuss voter turnout for the Pennsylvania primary.
Where Should Sex Offenders Live?
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Since Jessica's Law went into effect last year, registered sex offenders must live at least 2000 feet from schools or parks in California. Yet last week, 10 day care centers and foster homes were shut down when registered sex offenders were found living in them. How serious were the offenses of the 10 former perpetrators? And if most urban areas are off limits to sex offenders, where should we put them? Larry talks with Suja Lowenthal, councilwoman for the 2nd District in Long Beach, and Dr. Tom Tobin, Vice Chairman of the California Sex Offender Management Board.
NAFTA Revisited
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Larry Mantle talks with Chris Thornberg, of Beacon Economics, and Robert Scott, Senior Economist for the Economic Policy Institute, about the pros and cons of NAFTA, and about its resurgence as an issue in the Presidential election.
Climate Change And The Rise And Fall Of Civilizations
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From the tenth to the fifteenth centuries the earth experienced a rise in surface temperature that changed climate worldwide-a preview of today's global warming. In some areas, including Western Europe, longer summers brought bountiful harvests and population growth that led to cultural flowering. In the Arctic, Inuit and Norse sailors made cultural connections across thousands of miles as they traded precious iron goods. Polynesian sailors, riding new wind patterns, were able to settle the remotest islands on earth. But in many parts of the world, the warm centuries brought drought and famine. In his new book "The Great Warming," anthropologist and historian Brian Fagan reveals how subtle changes in the environment had far-reaching effects on human life and how the power of climate change may disrupt our lives today.
Wednesday, April 23
Pennsylvania Democratic Primary Results
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Larry and guests Jeff Mason, Reuters political reporter, Marc Cooper, professor at USC Annenberg School for Communication, Chris Lehane, democratic political consultant, and Tony West, attorney and a senior strategist with the Barack Obama campaign provide analysis of Tuesday's Democratic primary results in Pennsylvania.
Can A Modern Islamic State Grow Out Of Shari'a Law?
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Western powers say terrorists use it to justify crimes. But that isn't stopping Islamist politicians from winning elections on its platforms. Shari'a law is Islam's ancient religious law and constitution. Can a modern Muslim world find its place while clinging to the laws of the past? Author Noah Feldman answers this question in his new book: "The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State." Feldman talks with Larry about the history of Shari'a law and the renewed promise it could hold for Muslims and Westerners alike.
The Port Of Los Angeles
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In 2007 the port of Los Angeles celebrated its official founding as well as the Centennial of the Board of Harbor Commissioners. To commemorate this event, writers Veronique de Turenne and Ernest Vasquez created "Port of Los Angeles: An Illustrated History from 1850 to 1945." Larry Mantle talks with de Turenne about the book and the early history of the port of L.A.
Thursday, April 24
Co-Sleeping with an Infant
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The county of Los Angeles has issued a warning to parents about the dangers of co-sleeping with an infant. Larry talks with Deanne Tilton Durfee, director of the Los Angeles County Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, Dr. William Sears, pediatrician and co-author of "The Baby Sleep Book: The Complete Guide to a Good Night's Rest for the Whole Family," Dr. Charles Sophy, Medical Director for the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services, and Dr. James J. McKenna, Director of the Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Lab at The University of Notre Dame.
The Price Of Rice
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The rising price and falling availability of rice, wheat, corn and other commodities has caused riots in some developing countries. Now comes news that some local retailers are struggling to meet the demand for rice here in the United States. Economists have cited increasing demand, declining supply, rising energy costs, speculative buying, and hoarding as possible causes for the sudden shortage. Should you worry? Larry talks with Jerry Hirsch, staff writer for the L.A. Times, Tim Johnson, President and CEO of the California Rice Commission, and Eugene Kunda, agricultural and consumer economist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Business Of Law
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Larry Mantle talks to Stanford Law School Dean, Larry Kramer about the business of law. Dean Kramer believes that law firms have grown too large, the ratio of associates to partners too high, and that profitability has trumped skill as the measure of success and prestige among lawyers. Is the legal profession in need of reform?
Rescuing Children From Hyper-Parenting
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Larry Mantle talks with author Carl Honore about his new book, "Under Pressure: Rescuing Our Children from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting." In it he examines the dangers of micro-managing our children and how to find the balance between too little and too much when it comes to parenting.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
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A rare interview with Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, conducted by NPR News Legal Affairs Correspondent Nina Totenberg, will air Monday, April 28, on Morning Edition. Justice Scalia will discuss the release of his upcoming book "Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges," which was co-written with legal writing expert Bryan Garner. Larry Mantle speaks with Nina Totenberg about Justice Scalia.
Friday, April 25
Lead Found in some LAUSD Drinking Fountains
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Last night Joel Grover, reporter for KNBC, Channel 4 in Los Angeles, aired an investigative report into kids' lead exposure in LAUSD school fountains and the pipes connected to them. He found that schools aren't flushing the taps on the fountains as they're supposed to do under an 18 year old directive - and some plant managers at the schools are faking logs that the district started to require last fall. Grover's team tested 30 schools and found lead in 9 of them. All schools where they didn't flush the pipes had lead in the water. The district claims that some of the paperwork regarding these logs is missing and it can't find test results it did at its then accredited in-house lab that showed that hundreds of fountains were tainted. Larry talks with Joel Grover and David Holmquist, Chief Operating Officer for the LAUSD about this investigation.
Dodger Stadium Revamp
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Larry talks with Dodgers owner, Frank McCourt, and LA Times Architecture Critic, Christopher Hawthorne, about the $500-million redesign of the 46-year-old Dodgers Stadium. The stadium is the fourth oldest in the major leagues. The renovations plan to honor the landmark's history while adding attractions, landscape elements and parking structures.
Analysis of Last Night's Mark Ridley Thomas-Bernard Parks Debate
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Larry Mantle talks with KPCC reporter Frank Stoltze about last night's debate between Mark Ridley Thomas and Bernard Parks. The two are running for the Supervisor's seat being vacated by Yvonne Burke.
Body Of War
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This new documentary chronicles the story of Tomas Young, a 26-year-old soldier who was shot and paralyzed from the chest down after serving in Iraq for less than a week. The film was produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro. It follows Young as he deals with his disability and ultimately becomes an anti-war protestor and what he describes as a "political irritant." Larry talks with Donahue and Spiro about the film.
FilmWeek Reviews
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Larry and critics Wade Major, of boxoffice.com and CityBeat, and Jean Oppenheimer, of Village Voice Media, review some of the week's new feature films including Then She Found Me, Baby Mama, Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay, Four Minutes, Jellyfish, as well as the documentaries Constantine's Sword and Body of War. Animation critic and historian, Charles Solomon, also joins Larry to talk about the Best of the Ottawa International Animation Festival at REDCAT.
