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April 12 - 16, 2004
Monday, April 12
Westminster Update
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Kitty Felde speaks with KPCC reporter Rob Schmitz.
The Politics of Kidnapping
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Kidnapping is on the rise in Iraq. Why is it that hostage stories play so differently than stories about battles and casualties? Do kidnappings hold more power? Kitty Felde speaks with Dr. Gary Weaver, executive director of the Intercultural Management Institute and professor of international communication at American University.
Theater Critics Roundtable
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Kitty is joined in studio by theater Critics Steven Leigh Morris of the LA Weekly, Wenzel Jones of Backstage West and Paul Hodgins of the Orange County Register for a roundup of the latest offerings on stage in Southern California.
JPL Update
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Al Halderman joins Kitty for an update on the two Mars rovers who are now continuing their work, hopefully through the summer. How did 90 days turn in to more than 200? Halderman will share the latest.
Tuesday, April 13
Attorney General Ashcroft’s Testimony
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In a written report, Acting FBI Director Thomas Pickard said that Attorney General John Ashcroft told him in the summer of 2001 that "he did not want to hear" additional information about possible attacks. In fact, the 9-11 Commission has found that the bureau failed miserably over several years to reorganize and respond to a steadily growing threat of terrorism, and Ashcroft rejected an agency appeal for more funding on the day before al-Qaida struck, the commission said. Kitty will discuss the AG's testimony and what it indicates for future FBI and CIA collaborations. Joining her is Anna Nelson, professor of foreign relations at American University and was herself a member of a commission five years ago.
The Bushes
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In Peter and Rochelle Schweizer's The Bushes: Portrait of a Dynasty (Doubleday), we learn details about the Bush family, gathered from hundreds of hours of interviews with long-silent Bush family members and other members of their inner circle on topics including: the war on terrorism, the war on Iraq, the Clintons, George W. Bush's drinking, the relationship between "41" and "43", and also between the President and his brother, Jeb.
Peter Schweizer will be reading and signing books tonight at the Los Angeles Public Library (Central) at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 14
Workers’ Compensation
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After ninety minutes behind closed doors yesterday, Governor Schwarzenegger and State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez emerged hopeful that major obstacles in developing a plan for workers' compensation reform have been resolved. If the measure gets enough votes to leave the legislative conference committee, it would be open for floor votes in the Assembly and Senate by Friday.
Kitty Felde gets the latest from Vince Sollitto, Deputy Press Secretary for Governor Schwarzenegger and John Garamendi, Insurance Commissioner.
Is Same-Sex Marriage a Civil Rights Issue?
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A recent New York Daily News poll (3/15/04) found that 63% of African Americans believe same-sex marriage should be banned, whereas 50% of whites support the right of same-sex couples to marry. At the same time, leaders of the gay rights movement are adopting rhetoric and tactics of the civil rights movement of the 1960's, to the disapproval of some prominent black leaders. Is same-sex marriage a civil rights issue? Kitty discusses the question with representatives of both sides of the argument. Rev. Walter Fauntroy sits on the board of the Alliance for Marriage, which supports President Bush's proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Dr. Sylvia Rhue is on the board member of the National Black Justice Coalition, and opposes the ban.
Bruce Eric Kaplan
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In his hilarious cartoons for the New Yorker, Bruce Kaplan examines the lives and loves of anxious housewives, mournful insects, befuddled businessmen, crabby senior citizens, and more. He joins Kitty in-studio to talk about his newly published collection, This is a Bad Time (Simon & Schuster), and his adventures as a television writer for Seinfeld and Six Feet Under.
He'll have a book signing at Borders in Westwood on April 29th.
L.A. County Science Fair
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The 54th annual LA County Science Fair, the oldest and largest fair in the country, begins today and runs through this Thursday, the 15th at the Convention Center. The Fair will feature close to 900 projects with over 1,200 middle and high school students participating. Robert McRae, Jr. is a 7th grader at St. Paul the Apostle School in Westwood. He's entered his land-traversing hovercraft in this year's science fair.
Thursday, April 15
WGA Talks
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The Writers Guild contract is set to expire May 2nd. Contract negotiations began on April 5th, but the news has been quiet due to a media blackout. Kitty Felde speaks with KPCC reporter Rachael Myrow about what's on the table, the difference between now and 2001, and more.
Second Guessing GOP Convention Site
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Moving the GOP convention this summer out of New York City might be wishful thinking on the part of some Republicans given Richard Clarke, the 9/11 commission, and the scrutiny behind the handling of pre-9/11 intelligence. Will the time and location of the convention be a political relations nightmare for the Republicans? Kitty asks Republican political analyst Allan Hoffenblum of Hoffenblum and Associates.
Moneyball
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Just out in paperback, Michael Lewis' book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game (Norton) is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. Lewis spent the 2003 season deep inside the A's organization to give a behind-the-scenes look at the business behind America's favorite pastime.
Tax Update
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April 15th marks the day tax procrastinators loathe. Last minute income tax filers can get some last minute tips on unanswered tax questions, including how to file for an extension. Kitty Felde speaks with Michael Eisenberg, CPA and PFS.
Business by The Donald
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Tonight is the finale of this season's hottest show, "The Apprentice." Instead of getting fired, one of the two remaining contestants will be granted a job with the Trump Organization and a salary of $250,000. The rest of the "Apprentice" addicts, will take away the business lessons imparted by Trump throughout the show's 15-episodes. But how business-worthy are those lessons? Kitty asks Terri Egan, Associate Professor at the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University.
Friday, April 16
Agreement on Workers Compensation
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The Governor is holding a press conference on workers compensation today at 1 pm on the heels of both the state assembly and senate approving reform earlier this afternoon. Kitty gets the latest from Vince Sollitto, the Deputy Press Secretary for Governor Schwarzenegger, on the approved package.
East Coast Magazines Move West
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The Atlantic Monthly and MS Magazine have recently migrated west and opened offices in Los Angeles. MS Editor in Chief, Elaine Lafferty, defected from New York, and The Atlantic Literary Editor, Ben Schwarz, moved offices from Boston, where the magazine has been located for over 100 years. Kitty speaks with both, discussing the publications, and the influence the West Coast has had on their content.
Congressman Dreier Returns from South Asia
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Congressman David Dreier, Chairman of the House Rules Committee, just returned from leading a delegation to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and India. The focus of the trip was to examine regional security, humanitarian aid and to meet with leaders such as Pakistan's General Pervaiz Musharraf. Kitty talks to the Congressman for an update on the trip.
Poking Fun at Celebrity Autobiographies
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Comedy writer Eugene Pack has discovered that celebrities write funnier lines than he could ever dream up…not intentionally though. Pack trolls used bookstores for material from celebrity autobiographies for his stage production, "In Their Own Words: Celebrity Autobiography". He joins Kitty with his co-producer and performer, Dale Rehfeld, to share some of the laughs.
The next show will be this Sunday, April 18 at Room 5, 143 North La Brea Ave. (above Amalfi Restaurant). For tickets and more information, call 323-769-5511.
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