Patt Morrison for Wednesday, 8/18/2010

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

1:00 – 1:40

OPEN

 

 

1:40 – 2:00

Conversations with California’s congressmen and women – Rep. Brad Sherman in the chair.

Members of Congress are preparing to go back to DC after their recess ends in early September, and are preparing to face a number of hot-button issues.  Among them is the unprecedented rate of unemployment, the continuing economic downturn, and challenges in international relations with countries like Iran and Afghanistan. To top it all, mid-term elections are rapidly approaching, elections which could make or break the Democrats’ House majority. In the next few days, Patt talks with House representatives in a short series. Up first, Representative Brad Sherman discusses his plans for economic reform, mid-terms, and dealing with Iran.

 

Guest:

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-CA’s 27^th District, which includes the west San Fernando Valley cities of Sherman Oaks, Reseda, Northridge, and Porter Ranch.  He is Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade and is a member of the House Financial Services Committee.

HE CALLS US

 

2:00 – 2:20

Is 5 better than 3?

As it stands now, if a woman has unprotected sex and doesn’t want to get pregnant she has to rush to the pharmacy and get the “morning after” pill into her system as soon as possible.  The effectiveness of the pill is reduced each day she waits and is least effective after three days.  But now there is “ella”.  The FDA just unanimously approved the new emergency form of contraception for sale in the U.S. Ella, unlike Levonorgestrel (the morning after pill), is equally effective for preventing pregnancy five days after intercourse.  So a woman could take the pill on day 1 or day 5 and it’s just as likely to prevent an unwanted pregnancy.  The only hitch is it’s available only by prescription.   That leaves one to wonder, if the three day pill is available without a prescription why isn’t the five day version?  The retail price of the morning after pill is about $50.00. Will the five day version be substantially more, is it as safe, and will it be available at free clinics?

 

Guests:

Lisa Stern, nurse practitioner, for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles

CALL HER

 

2:20 – 2:40

OPEN

 

2:40 – 3:00

Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives

Americans like their zoos.  In fact, they like them more than their NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball Games, combined.  More than 175 million Americans flock to zoos and aquariums every year, for a close-up look at Sumatran tigers, South African elephants and chimpanzees.  But are zoos adequately equipped to care for these animals and is the spectacle—for some humans who may never travel to see these animals in their natural habitat—worth the money and effort it takes to keep the animals captive?  Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas French takes a microscope behind the scenes of some of the country’s major zoos to examine the morally complex and seemingly intractable dilemmas behind extinction, conservation and our notions of freedom and captivity. 

 

Guest:

Thomas French, former St. Petersburg Times Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter; his latest book is “Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives”

CALL HIM:  Essex House, NYC  212-247-0300 – registered under his own name

Backup:  727-744-7648-mobile.  Has LINE 12 and 866 as backup.

Contact: Christine F. Ragasa

HYPERION | Director of Publicity

917-661-2052 Phone

Christine.Ragasa@abc.com

 

 

Patt: We’re finished here, but the conversation continues on the Patt Morrison page at KPCC-dot-org and you can follow us on Twitter. You’re listening to 89.3 KPCC – Southern California Public Radio.

 

FROM THE MOHN BROADCAST CENTER, I’M PATT MORRISON