Millions of Iraqis—many more than expected—turned up at polling stations yesterday to vote in what the international community has deemed the nation's parliamentary elections. Sporadic violence was responsible for the deaths of at least 38 people, but early reports indicate the election was largely viewed as a success by the international community. President Obama called the vote a "milestone" on Sunday, But will these election trigger sectarian violence, similar to the days following Iraq's 2005 elections? Patt checks in with reporters on the ground. Sunday's election was just one small step in a series of small steps that will bring greater security to Iraq- but says that it is the first election in the Middle East in fifty years that was not decided before voting took place.
After withering political pressure and a flood of pragmatic concerns—everything from crowd control to fears of another terrorist attack—it appears that the Obama Administration is backtracking on its pledge to try the self-proclaimed mastermind of 9/11, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, in a civilian court in New York City. Key administration aides are pushing to move Mohammed’s trial back to a military commission. “It is politically untenable,” said one official. “No place wants to hold a trial.” While the political equation will remain extremely difficult for the president, what are the practical differences in carrying out a terror trial in a military vs. a civilian court?
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Scholastic Inc. teamed up last spring to conduct a massive survey of K-12 teachers in every state to add their input to the debate over education reform. The survey of 40,000 plus teachers showed that most were much more concerned with the well-being of their students than with their own compensation. The inclusion of tougher academic standards to be applied across the country was also a goal, and many teachers want a system based more on career preparation than on standardized testing. We talk to a survey expert from the Scholastic Foundation and collect our own input from local teachers.
When Barack Obama was elected President conservative gun rights activists went into a frenzy: reports of huge spikes in sales of guns and ammunition came in across the country, on the fear that the new liberal president would move quickly to impose new gun restrictions. Ironically the opposite has happened in the first year under President Obama: several states have begun to scale back gun restrictions (allowing guns in bars, guns in national parks and allowing people to carry concealed weapons without a special permit) and the federal government is so far looking the other way. In fact, President Obama himself stated last year that he will not be seeking to reinstate the assault weapons ban, which expired back in 2004. Could Barack Obama go down in history as a protector of gun rights?
“I am gay,” said State Sen. Roy Ashburn on radio station KERN in Bakersfield this morning. “And so, those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long.” It took a DUI arrest last week in Sacramento and the ensuing controversy to bring the conservative Republican Senator out of the closet, but the questions are just beginning for a now admittedly gay man who has a staunch record of voting against any gay rights legislation. Sen. Ashubrn explained his anti-gay rights votes as part of his duty to represent his constituents—the reliably conservative 18th District, which includes Bakersfield and most of San Bernardino county—and said that the revelation of his sexuality will not affect how he does his job. How will his Republican colleagues in the legislature, and his home district, deal with the newly outted Sen. Ashburn?
The gut-wrenching novel, ‘Push’ by Sapphire (2008) was adapted into the powerful and heartbreaking screenplay Precious by Geoffrey Fletcher. The film was nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture of the Year and Fletcher himself won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. He tells Patt about how he brought this tragic story to the silver screen.
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.
