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April 19 - 23, 2004
Monday, April 19
Budget Round-up
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This morning LA mayor Jim Hahn delivers his state of the city address and LA county chief administration officer David Janssen presents the county's 2004-05 budget draft. Kitty takes a moment to check in on budget proposals for the city of LA, Los Angeles County, Orange County and the state with KPCC reporters Frank Stoltze and Rachael Myrow, Orange County Register reporter Dennis Foley and Capital Public Radio bureau chief and reporter Mike Montgomery.
Guidelines for Catholic Politicians
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Some Catholic leaders are demanding penalties for Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, stem cell research, gay marriage, and other positions that go against the Church's teachings. Father Thomas Rausch, of Loyola Marymount, joins Kitty to discuss the politics and theology behind the efforts of a U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops taskforce to adopt "best practices" for those in the political arena.
Chasens
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Hollywood's greatest legends and brightest stars celebrate Chasen's glory days in the documentary directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Former maitre'd, Raymond Bilbool, and Berman offer delicious insight into this dining mecca of the famous.
CHASEN'S LEGENDARY CHILI RECIPE:
½ lb dried pinto beans
water
½ cup butter
2lbs beef chuck, coarsely chopped
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 lb pork shoulder coarsely chopped
1 large green bell pepper chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cups onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup chili powder
1 tbsp salt
1 ½ teasp. pepper
1 ½ teasp. Ground cumin
Rinse the beans, picking out debris.
Place beans in a Dutch oven with water to cover. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand one hour. Drain off liquid.
Rinse beans again. Add enough fresh water to cover beans. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for one hour or until tender.
Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Simmer five minutes. In a large skillet sauté bell pepper in oil for five minutes. Add onion and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and parsley. Add mixture to bean mixture. Using the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté beef and pork chuck until browned. Drain. Add to bean mixture along with chili powder, salt, pepper and cumin.
Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for one hour. Uncover and cook 30 minutes more or to desired consistency. Chili shouldn't be too thick-it should be somewhat liquid but not runny like soup. Skim off excess fat and serve.
Makes 10 cups, or six main dish servings.
Lakers in the Playoffs
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The Lakers have done it again. They are in the Pacific region playoffs. Do they have what it takes to win a title this year? Or is the team still a bundle of loose ends? Kitty Felde speaks with Los Angeles Magazine writer Elizabeth Kaye.
Tuesday, April 20
Congresswoman Jane Harman
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Congresswoman Jane Harman joins Kitty Felde in discussion about U.S. Iraq policy, the pending transfer of power, and her call for Intelligence reform.
A Pair of Gambling Initiatives
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Two high-stakes gambling initiatives stand to compete on the ballot this November: "The Gaming Revenue Act of 2004" and "The Indian Gaming Fair-Share Revenue Act of 2004". The debate is heated due to the conjectural consequences of their passing. How much does California stand to make off the possible expansion of casinos, card rooms, and race tracks? How much does California stand to lose?
The discussion includes: Garry South, Democratic political consultant; Glen Craig, retired sheriff of Sacramento County; and Gene Raper, spokesman for the Agua Caliente tribe and the Indian Gaming Fair Share Revenue Act.
Playwright Amy Freed
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Safe in Hell is Amy Freed's dark comedy about 17th century Puritan preachers Increase and Cotton Mather, a father and son team who lived in Massachusetts around the time of the Salem witch trials. It's now on stage at the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. Kitty sits down with the playwright to discuss her third consecutive new script to be commissioned, developed and premiered by South Coast.
Safe in Hell is on stage at the South Coast Repertory, through May 9. For tickets and show information, call 714-708-5555.
Cal-OSHA and Adult Entertainment
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The recent positive HIV testing of two adult film actors has put a moratorium on adult film making for the time being. The county and state heath agencies may launch an inspection on the industry and require actors to wear condoms. Kitty Felde speaks with Susan Gard, spokeswoman for Cal-OSHA.
Wednesday, April 21
Population Swells and Recycling Old Neighborhoods
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In a mere three years one million new residents are living in Southern California, according to the US Census Bureau. How will the continued population growth affect the city's transportation, environmental, and housing structures that are already under strain? Kitty explores the issues with Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Department Chair and Professor of Urban Planning at UCLA.
Kitty also speaks with former U.S Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros on "infill development", one solution to the growing demand for housing.
Amy Goodman
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Recently Amy Goodman flew to Africa as part of an American delegation to bring back Haitian President Aristide to Jamaica. Her combination of activism and journalism is both envied and reviled. Kitty explores the idea of subjective journalism and what happens when you make the news you cover?
Amy Goodman is co-author of The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media That Love Them (Hyperion). She'll be signing tonight at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, 3300 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 7 p.m.
40 Watts from Nowhere
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Sue Carpenter (a.k.a. Paige Jarrett) quit her job as a receptionist in order to become a DJ, but the station Sue worked for wasn't exactly owned by Clear Channel. Broadcasting out of her own closet on pirate radio station KPBJ, Sue's one-DJ station grew in popularity as an underground phenomenon, with bands like Flaming Lips and Red Hot Chili Peppers lining up to spin or perform. Sue shares her story with Kitty--from the beginning, when she literally welded together her own transmitter, up until the FCC silenced the station. Carpenter also shares music from The Fiery Furnaces and Coco Rosie.
Sierra Club Vote
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On the eve of Earth Day, one of the nation's most influential environmental groups, the Sierra Club, is electing five new members to its board. The resulting candidates elected to the board will influence whether or not the club will take a position going forward on the controversial topic of limiting immigration. Kitty checks in with Larry Fahn, president of the Sierra Club.
Thursday, April 22
Voting Systems in CA
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A Secretary of State advisory panel convenes a second day of hearings on electronic voting, with recommendations expected on possible disciplinary action against machine maker Diebold Election Systems and scrapping touch screen voting for the Nov. 2 election. Kitty talks with guests Jenny O'Mara, Capitol Bureau reporter for Capitol Public Radio; Eric Anderson, KPBS reporter; Gretchen Wenner, County government reporter for the Bakersfield Californian; and Supervisor Chris Norby who represents the communities of La Habra, Fullerton, Placentia, Anaheim and Buena Park.
Cokie Roberts
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Cokie Roberts, political commentator and senior news editor for NPR, joins Kitty to talk about the November election and the situation in Iraq. Her latest book on the women behind the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, battled the British and framed the Constitution is called, Founding Mothers: The Women who Raised Our Nation (William Morrow)
Celebrating Political Documentaries
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Laemmle Theaters celebrates political documentaries with a festival of films airing for the rest of the month. Kitty speaks with director Laurel Greenberg about her film on the 2000 elections called "Trouble in Paradise". Using five very different Floridians as the vehicle, she brings to light many unknown facts and facets of the massive voter disenfranchisement that, she argues, continued into later elections as well.
Trouble in Paradise airs TODAY and TONIGHT at Laemmle's Fairfax 3
Barbie Loves LA
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Greg La Voi, Emmy-nominated costume designer, has photographed Barbie at pleasure points all over the world. In Barbie Loves LA, the fashion doll icon, dressed in her vintage finest, shows us her favorite spots, from Pink's Hot Dogs to the Hollywood Bowl and Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
Friday, April 23
Kenneth Starr
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Kenneth W. Starr, independent council in the Whitewater investigation, was recently named dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law. Kitty talks to Starr about his new post and about the now-defunct position of independent council.
Bookworms in the White House: pleasure reading or policy research?
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Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry's vacation reading list included historical biographies and award-winning fiction; the Los Angeles Times also reported that he was spotted purchasing Perfectly Legal by David Cay Johnston. How much effect do the books read by candidates and presidents truly have on policy? Historically, what are some of the books that have influenced policy? Kitty gets the scoop from the Los Angeles Times Calendar editor Steve Wasserman.
Recommended books:
From Steve Wasserman: Our Man in Havana and The Quiet American both by Graham Green and an article by Brent Kendell published in the Washington Monthly last year on presidential reading selections. Listener suggestions: Icons of Democracy by Bruce Miroff; The Paradoxes of the American Presidency by Michael Genovese; The Soul of Capitalism and Who Will Tell the People both by William Greider; The Great Unraveling by Paul Krugman; Watership Down by Richard Adams; From Bierut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman; Civil Disobedience by H.D. Thoreau; and, On Liberty by John Locke. Howard Dean's pick is Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey.
Photos of American War Dead
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First Amendment activist Russ Kick received photos of American war dead through the Freedom of Information Act. But when he posted the photos on his website, the Department of Defense barred the photos' release to other media organizations, claiming that the photos violated the privacy of soldiers' families. Kitty talks with USC professor Erwin Chermerinsky to get some legal clarity and historical context for the action taken by the Department of Defense.
Music in the Air
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Spring flowers, open air, and music: that's what Descanso Gardens has to offer this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, organs and their players will be positioned throughout the gardens to fill the gardens with music. Players will also answer questions about their unique instruments. Frank Nix, an organ aficionado and organizer of the event, gives a preview of the weekend.
Festival of Flowers: Organ Rally Weekend takes place this weekend April 24th & 25th at Descanso Gardens (1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge). For more information, call 818.949.4200.
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