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June 4 - 8, 2007
Monday, June 4
The Assault on Reason
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In a comprehensive look at the state of democracy in America, Al Gore touches upon everything from the decline of engaged citizenship, the erosion of civil liberties, media consolidation and the current administration's use of fear, cronyism and secrecy, to explain how the country has become a place hostile to rational thought. His latest book, The Assault on Reason (The Penguin Press), argues the importance of civic education in the public sphere and urges greater emphasis on the responsibility of American citizens to reinvigorate self-government.
- Al Gore, Former Vice President and author, The Assault on Reason and An Inconvenient Truth, a best-selling book and Oscar winning documentary of the same title.
On July 7, Al Gore and SOS will host "Live Earth" concerts for a climate in crisis, in several cities around the world. For more information, go to liveearth.org
Tuesday, June 5
The Reagan Diaries
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Ever wonder what goes on in the minds of America's most powerful leaders? Throughout the duration of his two-term presidency, Ronald Reagan kept a daily journal in which he recorded his thoughts on his job, his relationships with other world figures such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher, as well as his personal life with family and his beloved Nancy. Renowned American historian Douglas Brinkley, author of influential works on Hurricane Katrina, Jimmy Carter and John Kerry, sifted through eight years of entries for The Reagan Diaries (Harper Collins), which offers a rare and revealing perspective of a monumental man as he made history.
- Douglas Brinkley, editor, The Reagan Diaries (Harper Collins). Brinkley is a professor in the Department of History at Rice University and a fellow in Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy. He is also author of The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War, and Jimmy Carter: The Unfinished Presidency.
Wednesday, June 6
The Dreaded "D" Word--Drought
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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa asked Angelenos today to reduce water usage by 10 percent and launched three citywide conservation programs that he hopes will combat the effects of what has been termed a "perfect storm"- the combination of all-time record low rainfall, the Eastern Sierra snowpack at its second lowest recorded level and a potentially hot summer could send Los Angeles into a major drought if measures are not taken to combat the conditions. As residents are asked to implement techniques such as inspecting their pipes for leaks and taking shorter showers, Patt takes a look at the effectiveness of these measures and asks whether enough is being done to enforce current water conservation regulations.
New Tactics Boss for the LAPD
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In the aftermath of violent confrontations between police officers and protesters at the May Day rally in MacArthur Park, LAPD Chief William Bratton has created the Critical Incident Management Bureau and assigned Deputy Chief Mike Hillman to run the new division. Hillman, who is considered a national expert on dealing with crowd-control situation, will help plan new LAPD strategies for managing and responding to large-scale events. Patt talks with him about his role in improving the LAPD response to future protest events.
- Deputy Chief Mike Hillman, new head of LAPD's Critical Incident Management Bureau.
Blue Jacaranda Trees in Bloom
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You may have admired them for their beautiful purplish-blue flowers as they come into bloom or perhaps you've cursed them for their sticky petals stuck to cars, rooftops and in pools around the Southland. Love 'em or hate 'em, Jacaranda trees are a colorful part of the landscape in spring and now is their prime time to blossom. We hear from a tree expert about their notable presence around Southern California.
Lord Stanley's Cup in So Cal
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Canadians could suffer a harsh indignation tonight-a Southern California hockey team winning the Stanley Cup, beating out a Canadian hockey team, no-less, for what has long been considered Canada's national sporting trophy. The Anaheim Ducks sit on the precipice of winning hockey's championship when they face off against the Ottawa Senators tonight at the Honda Center in Game 5; the Ducks hold a 3 games to 1 lead in the series. How are Canadians dealing with the possibility of losing Lord Stanley's Cup to a place where backyard ice rinks have never, and will never exist? Patt talks with a Hockey Night in Canada personality, and a former L.A. Kings goaltender, for the Canadian perspective.
Thursday, June 7
A Thousand Splendid Suns
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In his long-awaited follow up to the critically acclaimed novel Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini returns with a second novel based in his native Afghanistan. Using the upheaval of a nation in flux as background, A Thousand Splendid Suns (Riverhead Books), follows the lives and friendship between two generations of Afghani women in their struggles within a hostile and fundamentalist society.
- Khaled Hosseini, author, A Thousand Splendid Suns (Riverhead Books). Hosseini is also author of Kite Runner, which has become an international best-seller. In 2006 he was named a goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency.
Khaled Hosseini will be reading and signing his book on Wednesday, June 13th, at Duttons in Brentwood and on Thursday June 14th, at All Saints Church in Pasadena. Both events begin at 7 pm.
Friday, June 8
Paris Hilton Back in Jail
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One day after being sent home with an electronic monitoring device from a Lynwood detention facility for unspecified medical reasons, debutante Paris Hilton was summoned back to the courthouse by an LA County Superior Court Judge and ordered to complete her original jail sentence behind bars. The ruling came after angry outcries from the public and authorities who claimed that she received special celebrity treatment by being put on house arrest, while those in Hilton camp maintain that she is being unfairly punished.
Changes in War Leadership
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Today Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that he would not recommend the nation's top military officer, General Peter Pace for a second term as chairman of Joint Chief of Staff, citing political reasons. This comes a day after Lt. Gen. Douglas E. Lute stated during confirmation hearings to become the Bush administration's "war czar", that he would no longer be consulting the current national security advisor Stephan Hadley in matters regarding Iraq and Afghanistan. What does this shakeup in leadership mean for the National Security Council and the war?
- Peter Speigel, Defense correspondent for the Los Angeles Times
- David Rothkopf, Author, Running the World: The Inside Story of the National Security Council
Summer Jobs for Teens
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The teenager's summer - the beach, the movies...THE JOB. Summer work for teenagers can still be camp counseling or lifeguarding and mcjobs, but there are other career-path positions, and competition from older Americans who need the money. Patt takes a look at the state of summer jobs for teens.
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