Today the California Inspector General releases the results of its 2-month study on how registered sex offender and parolee Phillip Garrido was able to keep young Jaycee Dugard locked up in his backyard for 18 years, in spite of dozens of opportunities law enforcement had to discover the kidnapping. Even with parole officers visiting Garrido’s house, no one seemed to have a clue that a woman was being held captive in the backyard. How big of an indictment of California’s entire parole system is the Garrido case?
According to a recent study published in the “Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine” 49% of all U.S. children will be in a household that uses food stamps at some point in childhood. While it might be easy to point to the current recession as the main culprit of food stamps, the study finds children’s use of food stamps consistent over a 30-year period. In a nation as rich and prosperous as the U.S. how do so many kids and families need assistance to buy basic food supplies?
Hugely popular children’s author Sandra Boynton has a new book out. So what you say? Well, for starters she teamed up with B.B. King! And it comes with a DVD Boynton directs herself. What’s it about you ask? Losing a shoe, of course!
One year ago, November 4, 2008, Barack Obama won the White House in impressive and historic fashion—not only did he handily beat his Republican opponent John McCain, but he became the first African American president of the United States. Hope, anticipation and expectation were tangible last year as then President-elect Obama took the stage for his victory speech—and one year later, acrimony, partisanship and stalemate are some words that could describe the political mood of the country, in the face of bitter battles over healthcare, Afghanistan and the economy. How do you feel one year after Barack Obama’s election?
Drug companies write their own drug labels and submit the results of their clinical studies to the FDA. It’s then up to the FDA to review it and ensure that the most critical information makes it on to the drug label. But sometimes facts about side effects and effectiveness are left out and as a result clinicians aren't always getting the prescribing information they need. Is it a result of incomplete or badly organized information submitted by the drug companies or is the FDA's review process to blame?
What role should media and celebrity play in modern-day politics? That’s the question driving Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson’s documentary about the most significant presidential campaign of the 21st century. Following high-profile, politically active celebrities and powerful political figures, Poliwood offers a behind-the-scenes look at the influence Hollywood wields over today's political process and the thin line between politician and actor, news and entertainment, policy and tabloid.
Patt Morrison is known for its innovative discussions of local politics and culture, as well as its presentation of the effects of national and world news on Southern California.
