Patt Morrison Mon, 1/5

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Monday, January 5, 2009

1-3 p.m.

 

1:00 – 1:40

OPEN

 

 

 

1:40 – 2:00

Doomsday Diamonds

Scientists have long blamed climate change for a mass extinction about 12,900 years ago. Something dramatic happened that wiped out a culture of Paleo-Americans known as the Clovis people and most of the largest animals in North America, including horses, mammoths and giant armadillos. A more recent, controversial scientific hypothesis suggests that a comet was to blame – a comet that broke into fragments, turning the sky ablaze. New evidence for the theory? Nanodiamonds. An author of the paper, which appears in the current issue of Science, explains.

 

Guest:

James Kennett, co-author of the Science article and earth scientist at UC Santa Barbara.

Call him @

 

 

 

 

2:00 – 2:20

Bush's Legacy

9-11. Iraq. Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Katrina. Eight years ago, President Bush was sworn into office with a $237 billion budget surplus and relative economic prosperity. He now presides over a $438 billion deficit, two wars, and a severe economic downturn. According to a Pew survey released this month, only 11 percent of Americans rate Bush as an "above-average president," compared with 44% for Clinton. How did the Bush Administration come to this place? How will the history books view the Administration? As part of a series looking back at the Presidency--and looking forward to the next one--Patt checks in with political consultants who worked with President Bush and reviews the turning points and tribulations of America's 43rd president.

 

Guests:

Matthew Dowd, Bush's pollster and chief strategist in 2004 (further title TK)

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2:20 – 2:40

OPEN

 

 

 

 

2:40 – 3:00

Wicked Wit of the West

Groucho Marx dubbed screenwriter Irving Brecher the "Wicked Wit of the West." Known for his rapid-fire patter and acid wit, Irv convinced Judy Garland to star in "Meet Me in St. Louis," wrote "Bye Bye Birdie," and gave Jackie Gleason his first TV series and a new set of teeth. In The Wicked Wit of the West, he and biographer Hank Rosenfeld chronicle Irv’s juicy tales about Hollywood legends including John Wayne, George Burns, and of course, Groucho, Harpo, and Chico.

 

Guests:

Hank Rosenfeld: Author, The Wicked Wit of the West

IN STUDIO

 

NOTE: Irv passed away in November of this year