Patt Morrison

In many states a pack of cigarettes costs $2.60, but California smokers may soon pay that just in taxes. Coalition for a Healthy California collected over 1 million signatures that should qualify a measure for the November ballot that would raise cigarette taxes from $.87 to $2.60. The proposed tax would go to fund tobacco prevention and health care costs, but is it fair to make smokers front the bill for these programs and pay $7 for a pack of smokes? Maria Robles, campaign spokesperson for Coalition for a Healthy California and Jacob Sullum, senior editor from Reason Magazine talk to Patt about it.

Today marks the official dedication of the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy (CARMA) facility. A joint venture of Caltech, UC Berkeley, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Maryland, the project involves moving the six existing 10-meter telescopes at Caltech's Owen's Valley Radio Observatory millimeter-wave array, along with the nine 6-meter telescopes at the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association array to the new Cedar Flat location, about 13 miles east of Big Pine. The facility will be used to observe molecular gas and dust in planets, star-forming clouds, planet-forming disks around other stars, as well as nearby and distant galaxies. Anneila Sargent, Rosen Professor of Astronomy at Caltech and CARMA director, joins Patt Morrison to give us a preview of the day's event.

AMEC, the international project management and engineering company, is near completion of the most sophisticated and sensitive telescope to this day. The telescope, known as the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, will be able to further investigations on how the universe has evolved since the Big Bang. By detecting remote microwaves the telescope will then procure a series of images that will enable scientists to study how the structure of the universe has changed over time. David Halliday, VP of special projects speaks with Patt Morrison about the pioneering telescope and the scientific marvels it will unveil.

In her novels, Denise Hamilton uses her experience as a reporter for the LA Times covering the break-up of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Berlin Wall, youth movements in Japan, and exploding Asian communities in Los Angeles. The latest thriller, Prisoner of Memory, finds her street-smart heroine, Eve Diamond, drawn to L.A.'s vibrant Russian immigrant community, where telling truth from fiction is a dangerous game.

Some call it Gringo de Mayo. Others, Cinco de Drinko. The actual holiday, Cinco de Mayo, was born on May 5, 1862, when a small Mexican army in the town of Pueblo defeated heavily armed French soldiers. In the 1960's, the Chicano movement was in full swing, and Mexican Americans wanted another reason to celebrate their culture besides September 16, which is Mexico's Independence Day. From there the holiday evolved, in part as an excuse for beer companies to sell mass quantities of cerveza. Gustavo Arellano, Staff Writer for the OC Weekly, joins host Patt Morrison to commemorate the holiday and talk about why it's celebrated more in the U.S. than in Mexico. Cinco de Mayo Celebrations: Cinco de Mayo Celebration and Health Fair 5/5 - 5/7 - 10am-6pm MacArthur Park 2230 W 6th St Wilshire Blvd LA, Ca. 90057 310 669-9922 Long Beach Symphony - Cinco de Mayo 5/06: 8:00PM Price: $25-$40 Museum of Latin American Art 628 Alamitos Ave. Long Beach, CA, 90802 562 437-1689 Children's Cultural Festival 5/07: 12:00PM-5:00PM Long Beach Museum of Art 2300 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, CA, 90803 562 439-2119