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December 24 - 28, 2007
Monday, Dec. 24
Los Angeles Homicide Numbers Drop in 2007
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For the first time in nearly four decades Los Angeles is expected to see a drop in the number of killings. So far this year, the city has experienced only one-third the number of homicides it did in 1992. Officials have said that the decline is most likely a result of better policing, improved medical care, and the gentrification of neighborhoods that were once considered high-crime, such as Venice and Echo Park. Lt. Ruben Delatorre of the LAPD joins us to talk about what the numbers mean and if we can expect this trend to continue into the New Year.
Is A "Fair Tax" Feasible?
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Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is just the latest politician to promote a national retail sales tax as an alternative to the federal income tax. The idea's proponents, who like to call it "the fair tax", argue that it would eliminate the IRS, spur economic growth, and turn April 15th into just another day on the calendar. A number of economists, however, several of them political conservatives, deride the idea as regressive, misleading, and rife with incentives for avoidance. Guest host Ted Chen gets more information on what such a plan might entail.
- Len Burman, director of the Tax Policy Center, a joint venture of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution
Flickipedia
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When the weather gets cold, nothing beats curling up on the couch with a great movie. But which one? Depending on your frame of mind you may want to settle down with a tearjerker, a fast-paced action thriller or a total chick flick. Flickipedia is a guide for film lovers who want their movie to match their mood. Authors Michael Atkinson and Laurel Shifrin join guest host Ted Chen to talk about why from philosophical crises and wedding days, to broken hearts and new parenthood, there's a movie out there for every occasion.
Inside the Mind of James Lipton
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Though he's led a storied life of his own, James Lipton is best known for hosting the long-running Bravo series "Inside the Actor's Studio" and interviewing famous thespians from Robert De Niro to Julia Roberts. Lipton's new memoir, Inside Inside, details his experiences in the world of showbiz and beyond. In the book he talks about his hardscrabble upbringing, his years studying drama and acting, and even reveals a bit about his adventures while working in Paris' red light district. Today, the interviewer becomes the interviewee as James Lipton joins guest host Ted Chen.
How DO those Christmas Lights get into such a Twist?
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An elegant attack on a physics problem has resulted in the first explanation of why your Christmas lights, though carefully packed away, become a frustrating and seeming inexplicable mess. Two researchers from UC San Diego came up with the answer to: why does a string tangle when you shake it, and published the results in their paper, "Spontaneous Knotting of an Agitated String." Ted Chen untangles the mystery with a scientist who came up with the answer.
The report was published in the October issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Tuesday, Dec. 25
King of Kitsch on the Holidays
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From the kitsch to the classic, Charles Phoenix is a mid-century America and holiday aficionado. He recently finished a slideshow jubilee, featuring vintage pictures from the 1950s through the 70s, documenting all of the bizarre holiday celebrations some would rather keep in the past. Phoenix is also famous on Youtube for his instructional video on how to create a festive Astro Weenie Christmas Tree. He joins Patt to talk about how to be the bell of any holiday ball.
- Charles Phoenix: "Histo-tainer" and bestselling author. His latest book is Americana the Beautiful, Mid-Century Culture in Kodachrome (Angel City Press). He just wrapped up the Charles Phoenix Holiday Jubilee at REDCAT
The History of the Snowman
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The snowman appears on practically everything... greeting cards, holiday sweaters, and knickknacks galore. But where did this icy icon with a top hat get his start? Humor writer Bob Eckstein tells the story of the jolly snowman -- pure as the snow he's made of -- with a dark past filled with political intrigue, sex, and violence.
- Bob Eckstein: humor writer and author of The History of the Snowman (Simon & Schuster). His weekly columns appear in Newsday, the Village Voice, and Time Out New York.
Swimming with a Gray Whale
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How does one find a mother whale in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean? One woman made this her personal quest when she found herself swimming with a lost baby gray whale along the California coast.
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Lynne Cox: Champion swimmer and author, Grayson (Knopf)
Tinsel Tales: NPR Christmas Favorites
This year a new radio tradition - stories from the NPR archives that touch on the meaning of Christmas. David Sedaris, Bailey White, John Henry Faulk - these and other NPR voices, past and present, tell stories of the season. The special program is hosted by NPR's Lynn Neary. Enjoy!
Wednesday, Dec. 26
Christmas Sales and the Retail Debrief
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'Tis the season that can make or break the retail sector. Now that the big pre-Christmas push is over, Guest-host Jon Beaupre checks in with economists and retail experts for a retailing debrief.
Take it Back! Retailers Tired of Getting Burned by Serial Returns
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Christmas is the time of giving...and of giving gifts to people who don't want them. That's why retailers have long held very generous return policies. It gets people back into the stores and, ultimately, gets them spending more money. But what about serial returners: for example, people who buy a winter coat and then return it in the spring? Lately, big retail chains started cracking down on returns abuse...but are innocent people getting stuck with stuff they can't return as a result? What are your rights when it comes to returns?
- Edgar Dworsky, founder of consumerworld.org. He is also a consumer lawyer and former Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General in consumer protection
More Gene Tests Lead to More Questions
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The discovery of the human genome seven years ago was an amazing scientific breakthrough that has altered humans' perception of their own biology. Now, companies are trying to cash in on the popularity of genetics by selling gene tests of their own to consumers, with about 1,400 on the market. The tests run from discovering a "sweet tooth" gene to other more serious conditions, and today we take a look at the validity of such tests.
- Gautam Naik, writer for the Wall Street Journal based in London
- Dr. Harry Ostrer, a medical geneticist. He is currently at NYU working on launching a business on predictive medicine
For Better of Worse: How is California Doing?
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In a recent Sacramento Bee article, columnist Dan Weintraub made a strong case that Californians are better off than they were ten years ago, a statement he supported with a slew of statistics on improvements in healthcare, salaries and other indicators. Meanwhile, a study from the Department of Finance shows that, despite intense immigration, people are also fleeing the state at an ever increasing rate. So if they're better off, why are they running away? We get to the bottom of the conundrum and asks KPCC's listeners - are you for better, or worse?
Why We Eat What We Eat
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Spices, sweeteners, fats, butter...why do we eat what we eat? In Food: The History of Taste, editor Paul Freedman collects a cornucopia of photos and essays about the origins of recipes, flavorings, and cuisines. Guest-host Jon Beaupre takes KPCC's listeners along for a taste.
- Paul Freedman, Professor of Medieval History at Yale University and Editor, Food: The History of Taste (University of California Press). He is also the author of the upcoming book, Out of the East, Spices in the Medieval Imagination (Yale University Press)
Thursday, Dec. 27
Benazir Bhutto Killed in Rawalpindi
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A suicide bomber riding a motorbike shot and killed former Pakistani Prime Minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto today, before blowing himself up, killing 20 others. Now the questions begin: who is responsible? How did security allow the assassin to get so close? What will it mean for the upcoming elections and the internal power struggles going on in Pakistan? And how will this impact the US relationship with Pakistan, a key player in the war against Al Qaeda? Patt continues NPR's coverage of Bhutto's death.
China's Float a Lightning Rod for Critics
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For the first time in the 119 year history of the Rose Parade, China will have its own float. But critics of that country's human rights record are objecting and want to mount their own march down Colorado Boulevard. When California tradition and China’s politics collide, where should the line be drawn?
- Bill Bogaard, Mayor of Pasadena
- Shizhong Chen, spokesman for the Pasadena Coalition for Human Rights and president of the Conscience Foundation, a Chinese human rights group headquartered in San Diego
A Complicated Leader
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Benazir Bhutto was a deeply polarizing figure in Pakistan's turbulent recent political history. Her own upbringing was equally turbulent: her political ambitions were fueled by the India-Pakistan war over Kashmir, yet she attended university at Harvard and Oxford and was the first in her family to not wear a veil. Her father (once Pakistan's prime minister) was executed when she was 26, and her two brothers were involved in violent terrorism under the banner of the Pakistan Liberation Army. She was a charismatic political force both while in power and during her exile, yet despite her reputation as a glamorous and well-traveled diplomat, she could never fully escape allegations of corruption in her native country. Patt looks back at the life story of this complex and fascinating figure.
- Greg Myre, adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute and correspondent for the New York Times and Associated Press. He was Islamabad bureau chief for the AP in the 1990's and interviewed Benazir Bhutto numerous times.
So You Want To Be President
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So you've gotten yourself elected president--now what? Help is here in the form of an imaginary memo from your former professor, who refers to Aristotle, Plato, Machiavelli, and contemporary scholarship to address the strengths, limitations, and possibilities of leadership. Scholar Michael Genovese tackles presidential character and personality, political institutions and opportunities, power versus leadership, and sources of and limits to presidential power. Is an effective presidency possible without undermining the essence of a democratic republic?
Iowa the Decider
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It's one week away from the Iowa caucuses, but is anybody in the Hawkeye state listening? Just eight days before voters meet all across the state to make their choice, the candidates have no option but to try to lock down supporters and woo the many Iowans still undecided. Strategically, the week presents a variety of challenges. How much are voters prepared to hear from the campaigns? Are the candidates prepared to take the risk of going negative in the final week? We ask what will keep Iowans focused on January 3rd, and what might backfire.
Friday, Dec. 28
Prayer Service for Bhutto
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Pakistani and Muslim leaders will hold a special prayer service for former Pakistani Prime Minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto at the Islamic Center of Southern California. Patt checks in with KPCC Reporter Brian Watt who's at the scene.
- Brian Watt, KPCC Reporter
More Reasons to Hate the IRS: Late Refunds This Year
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Actually you can't blame this one entirely on the IRS. When our darling representatives in Congress promised this year to enact a sweeping reform of the goofy Alternative Minimum Tax and predictably failed, they didn't leave much time to put a patch for this year's AMT to spare several million taxpayers. As a result, more than 3 million people will have to wait until February to get their tax refunds because of Congress' late fix to the AMT. Congress' procrastination means that as many as 13.5 million people will have to wait until February 11th to start filing with the new five AMT-related forms. Instead of breaking out the tax documents this weekend to get an early start, kick up your feet and open up another bottle of champagne instead-and be sure to write that off as a business expense!
- Robert Goldstein, tax attorney in San Francisco
Tragedy at San Francisco Zoo
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The big cat exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo is cordoned off as a crime scene as investigators try to find out if Tatiana, the 300-pound Siberian tiger that killed a visitor, escaped from her high-walled pen on her own or got help from someone, inadvertent or otherwise. Experts say it's unlikely she could have leaped the walls, but the incident will force U.S. zoos to reassess their tiger enclosures.
The Santa Gene: Evolution and Why we Give Gifts
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Evolution is all about the rule of the jungle and survival of the fittest, right? So why is there altruism? Why do we feel so darned good when we give gifts? Evolutionary biologists have long pondered this question and it turns out it comes down to the survival not of the fittest individuals, but of the fittest genes. And genes for altruism, it turns out, do rather well under the right circumstances. Patt chats with Jay Phelan, a biologist at UCLA, about why we like to give.
- Jay Phelan, Evolutionary Biologist from UCLA
Tourism of Doom
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A new trend in tourism has emerged... tourism of doom. Travelers are choosing their destinations based on what they fear will disappear or change significantly within the next generation. Instead of traveling to places to see and study the history of a locale (think old European cities), travelers want to see history in the making - places that are changing by the minute. Countries like China and Africa top the list. Eco-tourism? That's old news... the hot new vacation itinerary - the tourism of doom. We talk about the latest trend in traveling.
- Kenneth Shapiro, Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West
- Eric Maryanov, Travel agent and owner of All-Travel.com
- Sara Benson, free-lance travel journalist. She has written about disappearing destinations for Lonely Planet guidebooks
For information on eco-tourism visit The International Ecotourism Society
Perfection Almost Achieved: Patriots Go For Unbeaten Record
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The New England Patriots, already a NFL dynasty team with three Superbowl victories since 2002, are looking to top a record that many football experts thought would never be beat. The 1972 Miami Dolphis went unbeaten in the regular season, going 14-0, and went on to a perfect season winning their playoff games and the Superbowl. Due to schedule changes in the modern NFL the Patriots need two addition wins and must win their last game this Sunday against the Giants to go 16-0. In an NFL built on parity among teams, the Patriots have been amazingly dominant this year, not merely beating teams but often destroying them. Can they achieve total perfection with a Superbowl win, or will the undefeated regular season merely be a tease for New England fans?
- Ron Rappaport, sports commentator for NPR
Stu Nahan Remembered
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Longtime Los Angeles sportscaster Stu Nahan died yesterday at the age of 81. He started his career as a goaltender for minor league hockey teams in Pittsburgh and LA, and then became a play-by-play announcer for the Modesto Reds. In 1968 he came to Los Angeles for KABC-TV and announced for various TV and radio stations until he retired in 2004. He even appeared in all five Rocky films. Ron Rappaport, sports commentator for NPR, remembers.
- Ron Rappaport, sports commentator for NPR
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