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August 21 - 25, 2006
Monday, Aug. 21
The Democrats Prepare for Elections
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Polls show that Americans are weary of the war and worried about the economy, but can democrats capitalize on that? Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader, details how her party can win this fall. NPR political editor Ken Rudin and Democratic strategist Jenny Backus analyze their chances.
The I Chong
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Tommy Chong, from legendary comedy duo, Cheech and Chong, joins Patt to discuss his new book, The I Chong, Meditations from the Joint (Simon and Schuster). After spending nine months in prison as part of the DEA sting that took down producers of drug paraphernalia, Chong recounts his colorful life and wrongful incarceration.
Patt and Tommy Chong
Tommy will give a talk and sign books at 7 pm tonight at Vromans, 695 East Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, and again at Borders-Westwood, 1360 Westwood Blvd on Friday, August 25 at 7 pm.
Tommy & Shelby Chong will be perfoming live at The Improv in Brea from September 7 - 10, and at The Improv in Ontario from September 17-20.
Tuesday, Aug. 22
LA City Workers on Strike
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Hundreds of city employees represented by the Engineers and Architects Association are on strike in Los Angeles today in protest of a long-standing wage dispute with city hall. The 7400-member union is demanding pay raises of at least 3%, equal to the increase DWP workers were granted last fall. The strike puts Mayor Villaraigosa, normally considered labor-friendly, in a tough spot. Patt gets the latest from KPCC Frank Stoltze and Michael Davies, president of the Engineers and Architects Association, then talks about the political implications for the mayor with political writer Harold Meyerson.
The Looming Tower
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As the fifth anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks approaches, are we any closer to knowing who the terrorists were, and what brought them - and the world - to that critical Tuesday morning? How much of this was about the terrorists' political grievances... and how much about their tangled personal lives? What did intelligence agencies know individually that, together, might have forestalled catastrophe? Author Lawrence Wright takes us back to September 11 in his book The Looming Tower (Knoph).
Bradbury Birthday
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It's Ray Bradbury's birthday today. The irrepressible author of Fahrenheit 451 and hundreds of other stories, novels, plays, screenplays, and television scripts is turning a youthful 86. Bradbury describes his secret for staying young simply: "Live a life in which you cram yourself with all kinds of metaphors, all kinds of activities, and all kinds of love. And take time to laugh -- find something that makes you truly happy -- every day of your life." Patt chats with Bradbury about his work and his unquenchable enthusiasm for life.
Wednesday, Aug. 23
Senate Backs Plan to Give Presidential Votes on Popular Vote
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California may grant all of its powerful 55 Electoral College votes to the winner of the popular vote for president. A bill designed to do this passed the senate yesterday, but still needs approval of the assembly. It would only go into effect if other states with combined electoral votes of 270-enough to win the election-passed similar amendments. The plan is the brainchild of Dr. John Koza, a computer scientist and founder of National Popular Vote, he joins Patt along with Samuel Issacharoff, professor of Constitutional Law at NYU.
Western States Gaining More Electoral Power
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Over the weekend the Democratic National Committee agreed to add Nevada as a key state in deciding the presidential nominee for 2007. Does this shift represent a power shift to the west for the Dems? Art Torres, Chairman, California Democratic Party join Patt.
Military Recruiting Violations
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Sexual assault cases involving military recruiters are on the upswing. According to a recent six-month investigative study by the Associated Press, more than a hundred women expressing interest in joining the military were preyed upon by their recruiters in the past year. The victims were generally between the ages of 16-18, and often met the recruiters at their high schools. The report indicates that the increase in sexual misconduct ranges from inappropriate romantic relationships to rape. Patt Morrison talks with Wade Sanders, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and Congressman Pete Stark (CA-13) about recruiting pressures and the violations that can result from them.
Dodger Column Winner
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Meet the winner! Seth Amitin wrote the column about the LA Dodgers voted best in the Daily News online contest. He tells Patt how he did it.
Thursday, Aug. 24
Bolsa Chica Restored
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A bulldozer reopened the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach to the ebb and flow of the ocean today for the first time in a century. The tidal flow, which will flood about 367 acres twice a day, will help restore the habitat, which is important for spawning fish and migrating birds. Officials are calling this the largest wetlands restoration in California. Patt speaks with KPCC environmental reporter Ilsa Setziol and Dr. Richard Ambrose, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences and Director of the Environmental Science and Engineering program at UCLA.
Panic Over Pluto
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Normally quiet, serious astronomers butted heads today in Prague over a question that's caused an uproar in the solar system. Amid much controversy, the International Astronomical Union, which decides such things, voted to strip Pluto of the planetary status it has held since it was discovered in 1930. Pluto will now be called a "dwarf planet." That designation will also apply to the icy rock 2003 UB313 (otherwise known as "Xena") discovered by Cal Tech, astronomy instructor Michael Brown. That discovery led astronomers to question the definition of a planet and ultimately to today's decision. Patt speaks with Brown along with Dr. Richard Binzel, a member of the Planet Definition Committee, and Chuck Hillinger, a former writer at the Los Angeles Times who interviewed Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh in 1983.
Friday, Aug. 25
Teacher Trouble at Crenshaw High
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The teacher's union chapter chairman at Crenshaw High School got word yesterday that he will be transferred to Emerson Middle School in Westwood for the new school year. Union leaders are furious about the decision, saying it is an attack on organizing, but LAUSD officials argue that the health of the troubled high school is of utmost concern.
Superintendent Roy Romer of Los Angeles Unified School District, A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers of Los Angeles, transferred teacher Alex Caputo-Pearl, and LA Times reporter Mitchell Landsberg talk about the issues in play.
School Bill Hits a Snag
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The Senate delayed until next week a vote on Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's attempt to gain control over the city's school district. KPCC Sacramento reporter Tamara Keith has the story.
Katrina Brought Them Here: First of Three Stories
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A year ago Bethel Brown was woken by her television with orders to evacuate her home in Slidell, Louisiana. Leaving her home with only her heart medication and a pair of mismatched shoes, she drove across town through whipping winds and blinking lights, until she finally reached her family's home where they were preparing to travel to Baton Rouge. Unable to reach the state capital, Brown flew to Los Angeles with the help of her friends, and she has resided here ever since. In the first of three stories of survivors of Hurricane Katrina, Brown joins Patt Morrison to tell her experience.
Want a Nobel? Follow These Simple Steps
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Nobel Prize winner Peter Doherty speaks with Patt about his book, The Beginner's Guide to Winning the Nobel Prize (Melbourne University). His witty account of life as one of the world's leading scientists, offers readers an insider's guide into his world. Along the way he offers advice for aspiring Nobel laureates.
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