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January 8 - 12, 2007
Monday, Jan. 8
Governor Announces Health Care Plan
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In California, 6.5 million people - more than any other state - have no medical insurance for all or part of the year. A recent New America Foundation white paper estimates the average family pays about $1,186 a year in health insurance premiums to cover the uninsured. Today Governor Schwarzenegger announces his plans to reform California's broken health care system.
- Lisa Girion, staff reporter for the Los Angeles Times
- Sherry Bebich-Jeffe, Political Analyst for KNBC and senior scholar at the USC's School of Policy, Planning and Development
Amniotic Fluid in Stem Cells Show Therapeutic Promise
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Researchers have announced findings that some stem cells in human amniotic fluid may have therapeutic benefits similar to those of embryonic stem cells. Using these fluid stem cells in research may avoid the moral and ethical pitfalls surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells.
Made to Break
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Americans worship novelty. Whether the product is a cell phone, a computer or an automobile, we tend to buy, discard and buy again. In the book Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America, historian Giles Slade explores the country's love affair with all things next, and the potentially disastrous environmental results of our disposable culture. Then Patt is joined by a local fix-it man whose job it is to keep our gadgets and gizmos out of the nation's growing trash heaps.
- Giles Slade, author Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America (Harvard University)
- Scott Frasier, owner of Chuck's Appliance Service, Inc., on Fair Oaks in South Pasadena
For more information on recycling and disposing of hazardous waste go to L.A. City Hazardous Household Waste
Murdering 246 Gets Moroccan 15 Years
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An unusual, politically charged trial has been unwinding in Hamburg, Germany. Mounir el Motassadeq, a man who signed wills for Mohammed Atta and other perpetrators of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, has been convicted as an accessory to murder. Today, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the deaths of 246 passengers and crew members aboard all four jetliners. He did not face charges in the deaths of anyone in the World Trade Center or the Pentagon. The sentence is the result of three trials, in which prosecutors have struggled to make the charges stick.
Iraq: The Surge Question
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When President Bush gives his speech later this week on his new strategy for Iraq, one of the things he's expected to ask for is a temporary increase or "surge" of troops into key areas. He's following the recommendations of neo-conservative strategists such as Fred Kagan and William Kristol, who seem to repudiate the conclusions of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq study group report. As the security picture grows ever bleaker in Iraq, what is the solution, if any, to restoring stability in that country? Patt talks with military strategists about the next step in Iraq.
Tuesday, Jan. 9
Health Care Reform
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Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has now laid what is sure to be one of the biggest projects of his second term: a sweeping proposal to extend health coverage to nearly all of California's 6.5 million uninsured people. What are the state's problems, and how does the governor plan to solve them?
The Politics of Change
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How does Gov. Schwarzenegger plan to work with Republicans and Democrats to push his proposals for change through the legislature? Patt speaks with Democratic Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez and Republican Assembly minority leader Michael Villines about each party's agenda.
Behind the Bluster: The Budget
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Big visions in big speeches must be followed up by big bucks. In an easy re-election campaign, Gov. Schwarzenegger avoided questions about how he plans to balance the budget, pledging only to avoid raising taxes. Now, we'll ask where the money will come from to fund his agenda and see if he can keep his promises.
- H.D. Palmer, Deputy Director for External Affairs at the State Department of Finance
- Dan Weintraub, columnist for the Sacramento Bee
Mighty, mighty infrastructure
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During the November elections, California voters passed a number of bond measures to help rebuild the state's decaying infrastructure. Patt speaks with guests about how the money will be divided and what projects will take priority.
Writing the Speech
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The governor begins his second term following a landslide re-election and a checkered past of priorities. He has taken on a raft of conservative issues and been clobbered at the ballot box, followed by a move to the center marked by a swift pace in Sacramento that alienated some Republicans. With his mandate from November's big win, how will the governor talk the talk? What are the little things that go in this speech?
- Bill Whalen, Fellow at the Hoover Institution and former speechwriter for governors Wilson and Schwarzenegger
- Dan Weintraub, columnist for the Sacramento Bee
Wednesday, Jan. 10
LAPD officer pardoned
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Officer Steven Garcia, who shot and killed 13-year-old Devin Brown in an incident that sparked outrage against the LAPD two years ago, will not be punished by the department. The LAPD's board of rights voted to not discipline Garcia despite the ruling last year by the Police Commission, the LAPD's civilian oversight committee, that the shooting was out-of-line with department policy. We speak with guests about the ramifications of this decision and the developing internal policy for officer punishment.
The "Holy Grail" Flu Vaccine?
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Every year, the call goes out for the elderly and other vulnerable members of our society to get vaccinated. This is because the influenza virus mutates so rapidly, and there are so many strains, so that last year's vaccine is useless for this year's flu. It also means virologists have to play a bit of a guessing game when developing vaccines for that year's flu - and even then, there isn't much they can do until the first patients come down with it. But researchers are onto a promising new approach: human trials will begin shortly on what's being called the "Holy Grail" of flu vaccines, one that teaches the immune system to target proteins that are common to all strains. In the future, it might be possible to immunize children against the flu...doing away with that annual pin-prick once and for all. Patt talks to researchers and health professionals about this promising new development.
- Doctor Ashley Birkett, program project leader at Acambis
- Nicole Baumgarth, associate professor of Immunology at UC Davis
Breaking down the Budget
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It's always the big fight in Sacramento - agreeing on a budget and making it balance. In yesterday's State-of-the-State speech, the Governor promised a budget that would reduce the State's deficit without raising taxes, while still supporting a host of infrastructure projects and rolling out healthcare for all. Patt talks with experts about the budget released today and whether or not the numbers really add up.
The Psychology of a Hero
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What pushes a person to commit a heroic act? Through the lens of Darwin's "survival of the fittest" theory, these actions don't make sense. We speak with a hero who was awarded the Carnegie medal, discuss what it takes to receive one, and investigate what motivates modern day heroes.
Thursday, Jan. 11
The Call for More Troops
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The day after President Bush unveiled his plan to send 21,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he was requesting increasing the size of the Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 troops over the next five years. Where will these troops come from and how will the Army and Marine Corps recruit them?
The Troops Respond
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Now that the president and the secretary of Defense have announced their plans for the military and Iraq, it comes down to the grunts and officers to make it happen. The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is a New York-based organization that maintains a network of veterans and active-duty soldiers who give their perspective on the war and what it means to the foot-soldiers who fight it. Patt talks to them about their concerns.
- Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. He's also a lieutenant with the New York National Guard. He served in Iraq from '03 to '04
- Ray Kimball, an Army officer and a speaker for the group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. He also teaches history at West Point and served in Iraq from the initial invasion to June 2003
- Rob Timmins, Infantryman, Outreach Coordinator for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Trouble on a New Front?
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Early this morning, American forces raided an Iranian consulate in northern Iraq, detaining at least five employees and seizing property. While the move is the most direct recent confrontation between the United States military and Iranian interests in Iraq, it has also suddenly soured relations with the Kurds, who say Iranian interests are in Iraq under their sovereignty. Witnesses say American forces entered the consulate by force and disarmed Kurdish guards outside. Today, Kurdish authorities condemned the raid and there have been diplomatic and military confrontations.
- Ivan Watson, Foreign Correspondent, NPR
Fee vs. Tax
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Is it a fee or a tax? The California Supreme Court has decided which is which, but the governor and politicians may have very different views as they debate the newly proposed health plan.
Adult Literacy
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Most people don't think twice about picking up a newspaper or filling out forms at the DMV, but for some these can be daunting tasks. According to a recent report from the National Adult Literacy Survey, 24% of adults in California are at the lowest literacy level. And in Los Angeles County, an estimated 53% of the working-age population has low literacy skills. The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities for adults to improve their abilities for free. The Los Angeles Public Library is one of the main providers of adult literacy services in the area and has made a significant difference in the lives of many. Today Patt hears the stories of people who transformed their lives through learning how to read.
- Julian Pasillas, tutor at the Los Angeles Public Library's Adult Literacy Program
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Sanchez Shockley, former fashion designer and current student at the Los Angeles Public Library's Adult Literacy Program
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India Baker, former student at the Los Angeles Public Library's Adult Literacy Program
Beckham Stateside
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Brit David Beckham, arguably the world's most famous soccer player, has signed a $250 million deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy, leaving the Real Madrid club and European football behind. He is entering a whole new Hollywood world, with all the potential that holds to make him an even bigger celebrity worldwide.
Friday, Jan. 12
A Marshall Plan to end Gang Violence?
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A study released today by The Advancement Project quoted a former World Health Organization official stating "Los Angeles is to violence what Bangladesh is to diarrhea", and declared Los Angeles as "gang capital of the world". The study was the result of efforts by the Los Angeles City Council and its Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development to develop a comprehensive citywide gang reduction strategy. The report states that the city needs a Marshall Plan to end gang violence, claims that the very nature of the problem is misunderstood by many officials and urges a paradigm change from a reactive approach to a comprehensive solution that addresses the roots of the gang epidemic. Connie Rice, Co-Director of the Advancement Project, joins Patt to discuss the study's findings.
State of the Prisons: A Federal View
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California's prisons are stuffed with inmates, who frequently face mistreatment and violence behind bars. Their plight is now the focus of an $11 billion dollar proposal from the governor and the attention of a special master, appointed by the federal government, to improve medical treatment received by prison inmates. That man, Robert Sillen, is our guest today and we'll talk to him about the improvements and problems behind bars.
- Robert Sillen, Court-appointed Prison Health Care Receiver
The Supreme Court
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Jeffrey Rosen covered the Supreme Court as a journalist in the 1990s and what he found surprised him - personal temperament often shapes the Court's rulings as much as legal philosophy. In his book The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries that Defined America (Times Books - Henry Holt and Company), Rosen tells the history of this storied institution through the quirks and clashes of eight of the nation's most influential justices.
Rosen's book is a companion to the PBS series, The Supreme Court, that will be broadcast in two parts on KCET Wednesday January 31 and Wednesday February 7 at 9 pm. KOCE will broadcast the series on Thursday February 8 and Thursday February 15 at 9 pm.
Not Enough Indians
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Over the last three decades no man, woman or music genre has been safe from the biting wit of Harry Shearer. He lampooned the rock world in 1984's This Is Spinal Tap. He railed against the government's response to Hurricane Katrina in his blog on The Huffington Post. Now, in his first novel, Not Enough Indians (Justin, Charles & Co.), Shearer turns his satirical eye toward the booming business of Indian gaming.
Tonight at 7 pm, Harry will be reading from his book and signing copies at Vroman's Bookstore located at 695 E. Colorado Blvd in Pasadena.
- Harry Shearer, Author Not Enough Indians (Justin, Charles & Co.) and humorist. He's the voice behind Mr. Burns, Smithers, and Ned Flanders on The Simpsons, and is a Saturday Night Live alumnus, among many other credits and accomplishments.
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