May 5 - 9, 2008
Monday, May 5
Microsoft/Yahoo - Deal Or No Deal?
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Larry talks with Ina Fried, Reporter at CNETnews.com about the break down in the negotiations between Microsoft and Yahoo.
SAG Negotiations Update
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Negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild and Hollywood studios are scheduled to resume today, three days after the union backed off some of its demands. The current three-year contract covering 120,000 film and TV actors expires on June 30. Larry talks with Steve Gorman of Reuters about the state of the negotiations.
L.A.'s Sewers Exposed
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For all we know, sewers are garbage-filled, rodent-infested pipes that pollute our beaches and ocean; but what don't we know about Los Angeles' sewer system? Larry Mantle talks with Anna Sklar, author of "Brown Acres: An Intimate History of the Los Angeles Sewers," an historical narrative that examines the complex and alarming story of one of the major metropolitan sewage networks in the country. From its development in the nineteenth century to today, Sklar traces how key players-politicians, engineers, environmentalists-had high stakes in our city's sewers.
Primary Preview
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Larry Mantle and guests Mark Barabak of the the Los Angeles Times, Mary Hartnett, News Director for WFYI in Indianapolis, and Jack Betts, Associate Editor of The Charlotte Observer, provide a preview of the upcoming primary elections in both Indiana and North Carolina.
Can Intelligence Be Learned?
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Intelligence has always been considered principally an inherited trait. Whatever you're born with, is what you get. But a new study flies in the face of that commonly held belief and shows that it's actually possible to increase one's brainpower. The key, researchers say, is training in working memory, the kind that allows memorization of a phone number long enough to dial it. Larry talks with Susanne M. Jaeggi, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at the University of Michigan and co-author of the study "Improving fluid intelligence with training
on working memory," and Nahmoo Soh, a junior at the University of Michigan who participated in the training.
Tuesday, May 6
Indiana And North Carolina Primaries
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Larry gets the latest news from Indiana and North Carolina on primary day. Guests include Mark Barabak, political correspondent for the L.A. Times, and Jim Morrill, Political writer for The Charlotte Observer.
L.A. Unified Middle School Assistant Prinicpal Charged With Sex Crimes Against Students
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An LA Unified middle school administrator has been charged with 13 felony sex-related counts involving three teenage girls. 39 year-old Steve Thomas Rooney, an assistant principal at Markham Middle School in Watts, has been charged with three counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child, six counts of lewd acts upon a child and four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse. Rooney had been investigated for molesting a student before while at Fremont High School, and he had actually been arrested for waving a gun at the accuser's step father. Although LA Unified officials removed the Assistant Principal from Fremont right after that incident, he was transferred to Markam Middle School soon after. Larry Mantle talks with LA Times staff writer Howard Blume about the story.
Mansionization Ordinance
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The proliferation of oversized homes on small lots could come to an end in some parts of Los Angeles under an ordinance that will be considered today by the Los Angeles City Council. Under the "Mansionization Ordinance," single-family houses could have a maximum square footage half the size of their lots. The ordinance has been proposed by City Councilman Tom LaBonge, who is concerned that oversized buildings are destroying the character of L.A. neighborhoods. But the Chief Legislative Analyst found that limiting home sizes could have a negative impact on the local economy. Larry Mantle takes calls from listeners on the topic.
Myanmar Cyclone
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Tragedy struck Myanmar on Saturday as a cyclone pounded the country for 10 hours, leaving behind a slew of destroyed boats, wreckage, flooded streets, and devastated families. 22,000 people have been killed so far, with another 41,000 missing. Myanmar officials are calling this the deadliest natural disaster in the country's history and a state of emergency was declared Sunday. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is located in Southeast Asia and is ruled by a military junta criticized for driving the nation into reclusion. Larry gets the latest from David Montero, correspondent for Christian Science Monitor, Rachel Wolff, Disaster Response communications for World Vision, Pyi Maung, a political refugee who left Burma 7 years ago and now lives in Southern California, Nyunt Than, President of the Burmese American Democratic Alliance, and Grace Michael, a Burmese American Political activist and member of U.S. Campaign for Burma.
Theatre Of Genocide
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Kitty Felde, KPCC's Special Correspondent, spent two years covering the war crimes trials for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. When she came home, one of those stories wouldn't leave her alone. Her award winning play, "A Patch Of Earth," has just been published. She and Larry talk about the intersection between journalism and art.
Wednesday, May 7
Indiana & North Carolina Primary Analysis
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Larry Mantle talks with David Menefee-Libey, Professor of Politics at Pomona College, and Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, Political Analyst for KNBC and senior scholar at the USC's School of Policy, Planning and Development about the outcomes of last night's primary elections in both Indiana and North Carolina.
Democracy By Initiative
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It's not the simplest electoral process, but ballot initiatives have shaped and reshaped the lives of California citizens for almost 100 years. A new report, issued by the Center for Governmental Studies (CGS), calls the process "outmoded, inflexible, confusing, complex, difficult for citizens to use and excessively dominated by money." Larry talks with Bob Stern, the Center's President, and Raphe Sonenshein, Professor of Politics at CSU Fullerton, about how to bring California's system of "direct democracy" into the 21st Century. Larry will also get Raphe's and Bob's thoughts about the dueling redistricting plans introduced by Governor Schwarzenegger and Fabian Nunez.
Hazards Of Healthcare
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We've all heard the horror stories of people who died or suffered needlessly because of some test they put off or some treatment that was too expensive, thanks to problems with the American healthcare system. In his book "Sick: The Untold Story of America's Healthcare Crisis--and the People who Pay the Price," Jonathan Cohn, senior editor at The New Republic, chronicles and documents the history and hazards of American Healthcare. He combines the real-life stories of ordinary people with reporting from Washington, and talks about the political underpinnings of the only developed country with no guaranteed access of medical care. Larry speaks with Cohn about his book and some possible solutions for the American healthcare crisis.
Revealing Your Past To Your Kids
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Larry Mantle talks with experts and takes listener calls about whether or not parents should reveal their youthful indiscretions to their kids. Joining Larry are Judy McCleese, marriage, family and child therapist and director of student support and counselor at Westridge School for Girls in Pasadena, and Mark Schuster, co-author of "Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They'd Ask)," Chief of General Pediatrics and Vice Chair for Health Policy Research at Childrens Hospital Boston and Harvard University.
Thursday, May 8
Tejon Ranch and Environmental Groups Reach Land Deal
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After years of legal tussles, environmental groups have agreed not to challenge proposed development on the sprawling Tejon Ranch north of Los Angeles in exchange for close to 240,000 acres. The deal that would set aside the largest parcel of land for conservation in California history. At 375 square miles, the preserve of desert, woodlands and grasslands would be eight times the size of San Francisco and nearly the size of Los Angeles, Tejon Ranch sits atop the Tehachapi Mountains 60 miles north of Los Angeles and is home to elk, wild turkeys, coyotes, bears and eagles, as well as a critical habitat for condors. Larry talks with Bill Corcoran of the Sierra Club and Eileen Anderson of the Center for Biological Diversity about the news.
Should Hillary Clinton Withdraw from the Race?
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Her money drained and her options dwindling, a resolute Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed Wednesday to press on with her presidential bid even as she and top advisers were hard-pressed
to describe a realistic path for her to wrest the nomination from Barack Obama. Some Clinton want her to stay in the race, while other believe it may be time for her to bow out. Larry Mantle takes listener calls on the question.
Inland Empire Journalists Roundtable
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Larry Mantle talks with KPCC's Inland Cuevas, Riverside Press Enterprise columnist Cassie MacDuff and L.A. Times staff writer David Kelly about the latest news, events, and developments in the Inland Empire.
Israel Turns 60
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It has been 60 years since the establishment of the state of Israel, the world's first, and only, Jewish State. Larry and his guests discuss how the original vision on which Israel was founded compares with the country today. Jacob Dayan, Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, Foreign Policy magazine senior editor Carolyn O'Hara, Middle East Institute scholar Paul Scham, Shalem Center senior fellow Daniel Gordis and Atlantic Monthly staff writer Jeffrey Goldberg participate.
Friday, May 9
California Lawmakers Propose Tax On Beer And Goods
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Democratic lawmakers in California recently proposed a sales tax on beer, adult entertainment venues and goods, grocery bags, gas-guzzlers, iTunes downloads and other "conveniences" as a solution to balance the state budget. Currently, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger estimates the state deficit to be as high as $20 billion. Larry talks with Evan Halper from the L.A. Times and takes calls from listeners on what to tax.
Senator Jack Scott Named Next Community College Chancellor
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Democratic State Senator Jack Scott has been selected as the next Chancellor of the California Community College system. Senator Scott will take over as Chancellor of the 109 campuses with 2.6 million students on January 1, 2009 after completing his senate term at the end of 2008. Larry talks with Senator Scott about becoming Chancellor.
Socialism Is Great
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Larry talks with international journalist Lijia Zhang about her new memoir: "Socialism Is Great!" Zang chronicles the dramatic changes in her life that went from Communist Youth League member and Chinese missile factory worker to Tiananmen Square protest organizer.
Too Many Movies; Too Little Time?
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Every week, nearly a dozen movies open in the U.S. Most are independent films that won't ever see more than two weeks in a theater. Some think there are too many independent movies, too many bad movies, too many festivals, too many critics, too many awards shows and too many multiplexes. Larry and our FilmWeek critics Wade Major and Andy Klein discuss if there are too many movies today and ask our listeners to weigh in as well.
Filmweek Reviews
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Larry and critics Wade Major, of boxoffice.com and CityBeat, and Andy Klein, of CityBeat, and Charles Solomon, animation critic for amazon.com review some of the week's new feature films including Speed Racer, The Fall, A Previous Engagement, Before the Rains, and the French film OSS 17 - Cairo, Nest of Spies.
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