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June 26 - 30, 2006
Monday, June 26
Mayflower - Ship of Destiny
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A hundred years before signing the Declaration of Independence, a bloody war between the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony and Native Americans brought into focus issues of race, violence, religious identity, and economic opportunity that would determine the course of our nation's future. National Book Award winning author Nathaniel Philbrick has written the startling tale of our country's origins in Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War (Viking), and joins Patt in discussion about this amazing history.
Tuesday, June 27
Flag Protection Amendment
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Senate supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration are closer than they have ever been to ratification. Both supporters and opponents say the amendment is within one vote of winning Senate approval (the House approved the amendment last year). The Senate wraps up debate on the issue this morning and may vote tonight. Patt speaks with NPR political editor, Ken Rudin.
The Meaning of Tingo - and Other Extraordinary Words
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English is a rich and innovative language, but you can't help feeling we're missing out. Adam Jacot de Boinod celebrates the joy of foreign words with no English equivalent in his new book, The Meaning of Tingo (The Penguin Press). And having pored over 280 dictionaries and trawled 140 websites, he is convinced that a country's dictionary says more about a culture than a guide book. Hawaiians, for instance, have 108 words for sweet potato, 65 for fishing nets - and 47 for banana. Which brings us back to de Boinod's title: tingo is an invaluable word from the Pascuense language of Easter Island meaning "to borrow objects from a friend's house, one by one, until there's nothing left". Today he shares his favorites with Patt.
Wednesday, June 28
The Great Deluge - Katrina and Its Aftermath
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Historian Douglas Brinkley, a professor at Tulane University, lived through the destruction of Hurricane Katrina with his fellow New Orleans residents. He helped with rescue efforts and began the task of collecting oral histories of the catastrophe. In The Great Deluge(William Morrow) he has written one of the first complete accounts of that harrowing week, sorting out the bewildering events of the storm and its aftermath and telling the stories of unsung heroes and incompetent officials alike.
Thursday, June 29
Transplant Problems at the Federal Level
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Analysis by the Los Angeles Times finds that 1 in 5 federally funded transplant programs fail to meet minimum standards. The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has allowed 48 of the centers to operate despite substandard conditions. Funding for organ transplant systems can be revoked if the centers do not meet specific criteria for survival rates, however the agency rarely pulls certification for these programs. Dr. Barry Straube, Chief Medical Officer at the Medicare agency and Congressman Xavier Becerra join Patt.
Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime
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Lonely Planet's recent book, Code Green: Experiences of a Lifetime, details 82 amazing journeys that can have a positive impact on your destination. It is an alert to the need for change in the way we move around the world, from basic budget backpacking to serious luxury. Don George, global travel editor for Lonely Planet, tells how we can tread lightly on the environment, immerse ourselves in the culture, and have a positive economic benefit for the local community we are visiting.
Friday, June 30
Drilling on the California Coast?
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Congress has taken a major step toward allowing oil and gas drilling in coastal waters that have been off limits for a quarter-century. California Congressman Richard Pombo's legislation, Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006, was approved in the House yesterday by a 232-187 vote. The bill would end an Outer Continental Shelf drilling moratorium that Congress has renewed every year since 1981. Congressman Sam Farr voted against the bill, Congressman Brian Bilbray voted for it. The two debate the issue with Patt.
Eminent Domain - What is Fair?
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A year ago the Supreme Court ruled that private land could be taken for private economic development under eminent domain, but a measure that just qualified for the November ballot here in California seeks to guard against this ruling. Under the proposed ballot measure, the government would either have to occupy seized land themselves or rent it out for public use. But how would this measure affect municipal redevelopment agencies? Michael Shaw, California assistant state director at the National Federal of Independent Business and Tom Adams with the California League of Conservation Voters join Patt to discuss the pros and cons of the Protect Our Homes Act.
Interstate System turns 50
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Fifty years ago this week, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill creating the nation's interstate system. The act was designed not only to connect the booming populace and create uniformity out of the growing mess of roads, but with national security in mind as the miles of concrete were figured into evacuation plans and provided the military with emergency landing strips. Over the last half-century our interstates have provided a backdrop for the great American road trip, in film, word, and reality but also as a lighting rod of contention between environmentalists, developers, automobile manufactures, and city planners. Matt Roth, historian at the Automobile Club of Southern California discusses some of the more exciting road bumps in the 47,000 miles of concrete that make up The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.
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