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January 22 - 26, 2007
Monday, Jan. 22
New Passport Rules Take Flight
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Air travelers coming to the U.S. from Canada or Mexico must now carry a passport, as a new federal law takes effect on Tuesday. Until now, travelers were able to use birth certificates, social security cards,
drivers licenses or other documents to fly between the nations of North America and Bermuda. Long lines formed at the Mexican consulate this morning and we'll check in with KPCC's Doualy Xaykaothao, who was there.
- Doualy Xaykaothao, KPCC reporter
Medical Marijuana
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Medical marijuana patients, caregivers and activists protested today at the downtown Federal Building and other cities across the country. The protesters are upset over recent federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California. KPCC reporter Patricia Nazario was there.
- Patricia Nazario, KPCC reporter
What To Do About Container Congestion?
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The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are among the busiest in the world. Ships wider than football fields unload containers at a rate that's becoming difficult for ground transportation to handle. Now, one railroad company has proposed an ambitious project that has raised concern for some of the ports' neighbors.
Decline in Cancer Deaths for Second Year
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For the second year in a row, the American Cancer Society has reported a decline in cancer deaths, which dropped by nearly 3,014 in 2004. While the death rates were lowered in all four of the major cancer types - lung, colorectal, prostate, and breast, the biggest cancer killer, lung cancer, made a noticeable decline, which can be contributed to a drop in the rate of male smokers. Although this signifies important achievements in cancer prevention, treatment, and awareness, experts still warn that the rise of obesity and lack of inactivity in the population could reverse such gains.
Tuesday, Jan. 23
All The President's Plans
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In his State of the Union speech tonight, President Bush is expected to detail a plan to help Americans get health insurance. The proposal includes tax breaks to help the uninsured afford coverage, as well as a tax increase for about one-fifth of the population. How will this plan affect California, where the health care debate is already in full swing?
Study Shows Learning Can Slow Alzheimer's
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UC Irvine researchers who examined the brains of mice bred to develop Alzheimer's disease have confirmed that exercising the brain slows development of plaques and tangles that are hallmarks of the illness, according to a report being released today. What does this mean for people who face the possibility of developing this disease?
Power, Faith, and Fantasy
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In a history often unknown by many Americans, the relationship between the United States and the Middle East has been intertwined for over two centuries - the region was deeply influential in the shaping of the U.S. Constitution and the creation of the Navy, America's first foreign battle was fought there and Thomas Jefferson even declared the area to be his main overseas concern. In a comprehensive work, Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present (W.W. Norton & Company), examines the political, intellectual and military interactions in the Middle East from the presidencies of George Washington to George W. Bush.
Wednesday, Jan. 24
Teachers Ready to Strike
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After months of negotiations, the president of the teachers union has rejected the latest offer from the Los Angeles Unified School District and has scheduled a strike
authorization vote for mid-February.
Reality Check: President Bush's Energy Vision
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The president followed his State of the Union speech, in which he proposed reducing U.S. gas consumption by 20% in 10 years, by visiting an ethanol research center in Delaware today. Bush hopes to promote research into renewable fuels and raise the miles-per-gallon requirements that automakers must use when building new cars. Is this the beginning of an important new federal effort to curb carbon emissions and global warming?
- Terry Tamminen: Former head of the California EPA and Author, Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction (Island Press)
- Clarence M. Ditlow, Center for Auto Safety
- Kevin Smith, Editorial Director for Edmunds.com. He is also Editorial Director for Inside Line, an automotive enthusiast website also at Edmunds.com.
Kerry's Out
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Senator John Kerry (D-MA), who lost to George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential race, has announced he doesn't intend to run in the 2008 presidential elections. It had appeared as though Kerry had been gearing up for another White House bid as he continued campaigning and fundraising to place himself at the head of the Democratic Party. But with a botched joke at the military's expense last year and 51 percent of Democrats now saying they would not want him to run again, we speak about the surprising, and then again not-so-surprising, turn of events.
The Christian Right and the War on America
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In his new book, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America (Free Press), Chris Hedges outlines the dangers that democratic societies face when they tolerate the intolerant and discusses the growing influence of right-wing Christians throughout the nation. Hedges uses the psychology and sociology of fascism and cults to draw parallels between movements in 20th Century Germany and Italy and influential sects within the evangelical population in America today.
- Chris Hedges, Author, American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America (Free Press)
Chris Hedges will be reading and signing from his book tonight at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena at 7 p.m. and tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena.
Thursday, Jan. 25
Cracking down on "Straw Purchasers"
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Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announced that an investigation into almost 900 confiscated weapons from gang members in Compton found that even though a number of them were not in the hands of the registered owner, only a few had been reported stolen. He says the explanation is "straw purchasing," when a person who can legally buy a firearm turns around and sells a gun to someone who cannot. Baca wants to formulate a new plan to halt this practice. In Washington D.C., Villaraigosa has asked for federal funds to help finance this crackdown. But this complex process carries across county and state borders, which may make it difficult to effectively enforce any plan.
Educated, Wealthy Immigrants Less Likely to Seek Citizenship
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A new study published by the Social Science Quarterly has revealed surprising findings about immigrants in America. According to the study, immigrants with high levels of education tend to be less content with life and culture in the United States. Additionally, immigrants owning property and at the top socio-economic levels are less likely to seek citizenship. Patt Morrison looks at why greater achievement does not always equal satisfaction for these immigrants.
- Doug Massey, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs at Princeton University
Nano News - Minute Memory Circuit Developed
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The densest computer memory circuit ever fabricated - a microscopic unit the size of a white blood cell - has been developed by a Caltech-UCLA team. This molecule-sized invention holds great promise for the further development of memory circuits in smaller and smaller dimensions, but don't expect to see it in laptops any time soon.
Professor Heath will participate in a panel discussion called "Nanotechnology: Small World - Big Issues," starting at 1:30 this Saturday, January 27th, at the California Science Center.
Friday, Jan. 26
Long Beach Hate Crime Decision
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KPCC reporter Adolfo Guzman Lopez gives the latest news from the Long Beach Juvenile Courthouse minutes after the decision is announced. Later in the hour we take a deeper look at the verdict.
- Adolfo Guzman Lopez, KPCC Reporter, from the Long Beach Juvenile Courthouse
Behind the Lens
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Each year, World Press Photo honors the photojournalists that have captured the pictures that silently speak volumes about the world around us. Currently, the Behind the Lens exhibit can be viewed at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and features the winners of the 2006 contest along with other indelible images from Iraq, Lebanon, Africa and beyond.
- Finbarr O'Reilly, Reuters, Winner of World Press Photo of the Year 2006
- David Hume Kennerly, 1972 Pulitzer Prize Winner for his Vietnam War photographs,
Contributing Editor, Newsweek Magazine
To view the winning photos, please visit World Press Photo online.
The Annenberg School for Communication at USC is hosting an exhibition of 200 award-winning images from World Press Photo 2006 through February 1, 2007.
Making Music with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
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The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra's music director, Zubin Mehta, has been conducting the orchestra since they were both 25 years old. He, along with a number of talented musicians, has taken their music to Japan, Argentina, Russia, China and now bring it back to Los Angeles to celebrate the orchestra's 70th anniversary at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Patt speaks with Mehta about his years at IPO's conducting podium.
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, sponsored by the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, will play Monday, February 5 at 8 pm in the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Long Beach Hate Crime Decision, Cont.
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Today, a judge in Long Beach found eight of 10 youths involved in an attack against three women on Halloween guilty of a hate crime. The youngest defendent, a 12-year-old girl was aquitted of any involvement. We hear reactions from the community and attorneys on both sides.
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