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June 30 - July 4, 2008
Monday, June 30
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
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Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is always on the move. He recently returned from his third international trip since taking office, officiated over a same-sex marriage, wrapped up his campaign for Hillary Clinton, and is well on his way to raising an estimated $1.5 million both for his re-election campaign and for his new pal, Barack Obama. But what has he been doing for the city of Los Angeles? The mayor of LA pauses long enough to chat with Patt about his proposed transit tax and LA's $300 million budget deficit.
Put It Down and Drive: Cell Phone Law Effective Tomorrow
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Blue Tooth? A wired headset? A speaker phone? One of those devices that broadcast's the cell phone through the car radio? Tomorrow it becomes illegal to drive while holding a cell phone to your ear. So if you want to keep gabbing and driving, that means a hands-free set. But with so many to chose from, and such a huge price range, what's the right one for you?
Big Sur Burns: Fires Raging Up North
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President Bush declared a state of emergency over the weekend for Northern California as more than a thousand wildfires continued to burn. Residents were ordered to evacuate homes in parts of Butte, Shasta and Trinity counties, according to the joint state-federal fire information center. And while the fires were up north, the consequences in terms of bad air quality, evacuations, and smoky skies are far from unfamiliar to the Southland.
- Krista Almanzan, reporter with NPR-affiliate KAZU in Pacific Grove
- Ruben Grijalva, director of the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CAL-FIRE); State Fire Marshall of California; former fire chief for the city of Palo Alto.
In Justice: Inside the Scandal that Rocked the Bush Administration
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The United States Justice Department scandal is not over. The firing of seven U.S. Attorneys in late 2006 - including Attorney General Alberto Gonzales - still remains as great a political debacle within the Bush Administration's drive to politicize the federal criminal justice system. A hiring audit found that in recent years Bush officials used a screening program to weed out job applicants who had liberal or Democratic ties, opting for those with conservative credentials instead of more qualified candidates. Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias was one of those federal prosecutors and now tells all in his book, "In Justice: Inside the Scandal that Rocked the Bush Administration." Iglesias describes what he and other attorneys were asked to do, the price they paid for not doing it, and the momentous consequences of their actions.
- David Iglesias, Former U.S. Attorney and author of "In Justice: Inside the Scandal that Rocked the Bush Administration"
Tuesday, July 1
Look, Officer, No Hands!
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As of today, it is illegal to hold a cell phone to your ear while driving. So how does it look out there? Are people biting their tongues, using their Bluetooth headphones, or just flouting the law? The California Highway Patrol reports back from the cell–phone front lines: LA's freeways.
The OC in China? Life in the 'Burbs of Shanghai and the Alleys of Beijing
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Gated communities with Hummers in the driveways and Starbucks in the town centers –– sounds like the San Fernando Valley or Orange County, right? Try suburban China instead. With growing affluence, China is making a "Short March" towards the suburbs, taking cues from the Southland all the way. At the same time, in the old neighborhoods of cities, residents are being evicted to pave the way for Walmarts and dense residential towers. Patt gets the lay of the land from two journalists, one who lives in the 'burbs and one who lives in an old backstreet of Beijing, to get a snapshot of how Chinese are living in the run up to next month's Olympics.
IndyMac v. Senator Charles Schumer
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The mortgage crisis bloodbath continues. Latest victim: Pasadena–based IndyMac. Senator Charles Schumer of New York is chairman of the Joint Economic Committee. He wrote a letter to the FDIC telling them, basically, to get ready for its collapse. IndyMac is furious, saying the letter has sealed their fate; it led to $100 million worth of withdrawals, adding to the 90 percent drop in shares that it has already endured. Either way, another hit to the taxpayer seems inevitable –– and thousands of IndyMac employees will also soon be out of jobs.
- Tom Petruno, writes on the economy and markets for the LA Times
- Jim Flanigan, business columnist for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and other publications
Rampart Scandal Revisited?
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"Be creative with your writing." That's what one LAPD officer told another, referencing to an arrest report that needed to be filled out –– it was all caught on a surveillance tape showing the two officers taking more than 20 minutes to find a box filled with cocaine. Deputy Public Defender Victor Acevedo says that the officers had planted the drugs on Guillermo Alarcon Jr., just as evidence from the tape was inconsistent with the officers' sworn testimony. As a result, Guillermo was exonerated of cocaine possession by an L.A. judge. With it all too reminiscent of the Rampart scandal, so it seems there's more reason to be doubtful of the LAPD once again.
In California it's a Slow Line on Death Row
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The time from death sentence to execution in California is 20 to 25 years. Compare that to the national average of 12 years. The state spends about $138 million a year on the death penalty and has executed 13 people over the last three decades. There are close to 400 inmates still on death row. Find that something doesn't seem to be adding up? A state commission has reported that California could save more than $100 million a year by replacing the death penalty with sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. It's causing some Californians to reconsider this seemingly 'dysfunctional' system.
Wednesday, July 2
Police Interrogations: Is it Okay to Lie?
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Everyone's familiar with the scenario from shows such as NYPD Blue, The Wire and Law and Order––detectives get a suspect to confess by making up evidence or convincing them that someone has already fingered them. That plot line is based on real interrogation techniques and cops say it works. But there's another side to this...take the tragic case of Martha Puebla. LAPD detectives, in an attempt to get a confession, told a gang member that Puebla had fingered him in a murder, when she hadn't. The result: another member of the gang killed her for snitching. Still, many crimes couldn't be solved if detectives didn't fib.
Looking for a Tropical Vacation? Try the Arctic Sea...
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OK, so global warming has not yet accelerated to the point of white sand beaches forming in northern Canada, but we may be getting closer to that reality. This summer might be the first time in human history when sea ice around the North Pole entirely disappears. The normally thick ice formed over many decades at the Pole has slowly melted away, replaced by huge swathes of thinner ice formed just over the past winter. Each summer the sea ice melts before reforming again during the long Arctic winter but the loss of sea ice last year was so extensive that much of the Arctic Ocean became open water. That prospect has ocean shipping companies salivating at the possibility of quicker routes for shipping and tanker vessels. Changes wrought by global warming are no longer an issue of the future; they appear to be here today.
Veepstakes '08: The Case for Evan Bayh
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A Christian conservative? Someone with experience in U.S. foreign policy? A woman? Even with the contenders for the top spot in the White House already set, the guessing game and fuss over the potential Vice Presidential candidates seems just as intense. After all, the stakes are high for the VP pick for both Senators McCain and Obama. The selection could help a candidate win over a swing state or even attract a whole subset of voters. We continue an on–going series taking a look at each of the potential VP picks for both candidates — and handicap how they could help (or hurt) their party's ticket. Next, one of the most watched Democratic contenders, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh.
San Francisco's Sanctuary City Policy Even Protects Crack Dealers
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It's been a bad month for San Francisco's juvenile probation department. After two of the department's probation officers were detained by federal marshals in late May, it was revealed this week that eight convicted juvenile drug dealers sent from San Francisco to a rehab clinic in San Bernardino unintentionally walked free. These somewhat bizarre run ins between San Francisco officials and the federal government can be traced back to the city's controversial sanctuary policy that promises to shield illegal immigrants from the reach of federal immigration authorities. While San Francisco went to extreme lengths to keep illegal immigrant juveniles away from ICE agents — even those juveniles already convicted for selling crack cocaine — the city might have gone too far this time in defying federal law.
Who Wants to be Governor?
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Brown, Poizner, Garamendi, Westly, Villaraigosa, Lockyer, O'Connell, Whitman...if you tossed a ball into a room filled with politicians and business leaders, you could hardly miss a prospective candidate for governor of California in 2010. And now Gavin Newsom has jumped ahead of them all by being the first to open a gubernatorial campaign committee, allowing him to start banking contributions for a highly competitive contest that some say could cost as much as $30 million. We parse his chances, and those of the pack that may soon be nipping at his heels.
Thursday, July 3
Cut Backs at the Times: What Happens On-line When the Papers Fall Away?
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In the latest sign of the declining newspaper business, the Los Angeles Times announced yesterday that it would cut 150 newsroom jobs, or more than one-sixth of the staff, and publish 15% fewer pages by Labor Day. In the past week alone, six major newspapers announced layoffs totaling around 900 positions. The downturn in the economy has compounded the flight of advertising dollars to online outlets. Yet online news sites and blogs openly depend on the reporting of mainstream news organizations as sources. Guest host and Los Angeles Times columnist David Lazarus asks how we will get our news online as the papers wither away.
Stefan Fatsis - Inside the NFL
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What does a middle-age reporter from the Wall Street Journal have in common with a 260-pound linebacker from the Denver Broncos? Well, in this case, everything. In "A Few Seconds of Panic," Stefan Fatsis, a 5-foot-8, 170-pound, 43-year-old sportswriter and best-selling author gives an insider-look into the NFL by playing in the NFL and hanging with the big guys. After more than a year spent working out with a strength coach, enduring training camp - and, of course, hazing rituals - Fatsis spent three months as a rookie kicker for the Broncos. In his book, he bridges the gap between the average man and average 260-pound professional athlete, finding that the celebrity-driven world for professional sports is not as glamorous, and certainly not as forgiving as it seems.
There's a Bear Eating Your Savings: Stocks Lose $2.1 Trillion This Year
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When the Dow Jones Industrial Average loses 20% of its value in any given period of time it has entered bear-market territory. That large, snarling bear you might seen brooding over your mutual fund statement the last few months was a good indication of where the stock markets were headed; yesterday, with a loss of 167 points, the Dow officially entered the bear-market phase. Stocks in just the first six months of this year alone have lost a staggering $2.1 trillion in value, and June by itself was the worst month for the market since the Great Depression. With so many Americans now invested in the stock market, either through their own day trading or pensions and mutual funds, can the nation survive the gut wrenching blow to our savings and retirement plans?
Dr. Roadmap Shows You the Streets
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There's probably no one else who knows the streets, freeways, and ins and outs of L.A. better than this man. If you're planning to get out of town for the holiday weekend, Dave Rizzo, D.P.M. aka Dr. Roadmap is the southland's expert on any and all shortcuts to get you out of traffic jams. Credentialed in transportation demand management, Dr. Rizzo also has tips for saving gas that range from the practical like keeping your tire pressure maintained to the little things you can do every day - like grabbing the first parking spot instead of circling the lot and shutting off the engine if you're idle for over 60 seconds. Whether you're heading to Las Vegas, Palm Springs, San Francisco, or work, Dr. Rizzo's got you covered with the better - and safest - route.
Friday, July 4
The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature
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Knowledge, friendship, ceremony, joy, comfort and love – these are the six evolutionary musical forms that provide a window into the human soul. In his recent book, "The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature," musical neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author Daniel J. Levitin tunes readers in to his theory of "six songs" and how our brains listen and play music today. Blending music and science, Levitin shows how human culture has evolved through the relationships and social ties that result when music and dance intertwine.
Reinventing Los Angeles
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Is there a green future for Los Angeles, an increasingly urban world of concrete and clogged freeways? In "Reinventing Los Angeles," Robert Gottlieb examines these possibilities, surfacing L.A'.s immense potential for green through all of the grime and grit. A scholar and activist himself, Gottlieb describes how grassroots, citizen-based efforts have and continue to improve urban life in three major areas: water use and the Los Angeles River; cars and freeways; and globalization and immigration. Through imaginative and innovative social movements, Gottlieb paints a critically realistic scenario of how we can create a more livable and sustainable L.A.
To The Internet and Beyond! Wired Founder Kevin Kelly Predicts the Future of Science and Technology
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In pre-War Belgium, inventor Paul Otlet set out to organize all of the world's information in an interconnected network of information that would allow people to search and view linked documents. Sound familiar? While conventional wisdom has it that the internet was invented not by Al Gore, but by the Department of Defense with their ARPANET in the late 1960s, it turns out we need to turn the clock back even farther. Founder and Senior Maverick at Wired magazine Kevin Kelly joins Patt to discuss Otlet's precursor to the Internet, the genius of hyperlinks, and what's ahead in science and technology's long march to help us understand and organize what we as humans know.
The Microbe in the Mirror: Learning about Ourselves from E. Coli
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While E. coli brings to mind fears of sickly spinach and tainted Taco Bell, maybe we shouldn't be so hard on the microbe. While some cases of E. coli infection have indeed been deadly, science writer Carl Zimmer believes that the bacteria isn't all bad. In his new book Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life, Zimmer explains how scientists are examining the bacteria's genome to unlock the mysteries of all living creatures, including ourselves.
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Carl Zimmer, science writer for The New York Times, National Geographic, Scientific American, and Discover. His new book is "Microcosm: E. coli and the New Science of Life."
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