Patt Morrison for Friday, June 3, 2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Friday, June 3, 2011

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

 

 

 

1:06 – 1:19

OPEN

 

 

1:21:30 – 1:39

From hiker to political prisoner:  Sarah Shourd and her year in Iranian captivity

It was an allegedly innocent hiking trip in Iraqi Kurdistan back in July of 2009—three Americans, all of whom with backgrounds in anti-war activism, were detained by Iranian border guards when they, according to Iran, wandered across the border.  Sarah Shourd, who was teaching English in Damascus, Syria when she went on vacation in Kurdistan, says she and her two compatriots (Shane Bauer and Joshua Fattal) didn’t realize they were even close to the border when they were confronted by Iranian soldiers, who took them into custody.  She was charged with spying against Iran and was held in solitary confinement, her case becoming a political tool in the ongoing enmity between Iran and the United States.  Having been released on bail in September of last year, Sarah was supposed to go back to Iran for her trial but has no intention of returning.  Sarah Shourd is here in studio to tell her story of imprisonment in Iran, her engagement to her boyfriend Shane Bauer while they were in jail and about her role as a pawn in a stewing international conflict.

 

Guest:

Sarah Shourd, English teacher in the Middle East & prisoner in Iran from July, 2009 – September, 2010

IN STUDIO

 

 

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

Summertime, and the cookin’s easy

Tomatoes, peaches, watermelon, sweet corn—summer is here, and so is Angeleno chef Susan Feniger. She joins Patt in-studio with some fresh summer recipe ideas that will keep you on a budget and out of a hot kitchen. Whether you’re headed to a BBQ or the beach, Susan has culinary tips to share for every summer occasion. Call or tune-in to learn what’s best to buy at your local farmers’ market or how to assemble the perfect Bento box for a night out at the Hollywood bowl.

 

Guest:

Susan Feniger, owner of Street restaurant and co-owner of Border Grill and Ciudad

IN STUDIO

 

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

Are America’s elite colleges shutting out low- and middle-income students?

Elite colleges have steadily increased their efforts to admit low-income students in recent years, and 22% of students currently receive federal Pell Grants, an increase of 9% since 2005. However, a recent report by the advocacy group Education Trust found that only 5 colleges of the 1,186 surveyed adequately serviced low-income students—and they aren’t the ones you might expect. Some have called the report’s benchmarks abnormally high, but Education Trust’s conclusions have undoubtedly challenged university procedure and the efficacy of widespread measures to equalize admissions.  Just look at the class of 2010—at the country’s 193 most selective colleges only 15% of the students came from the bottom half of the national income distribution. What can four-year colleges and our tax dollars do to enroll more low-income students? Are elite universities enabling students from less-affluent families to achieve the American dream, or is their under-representation contributing to the country’s widening income gap?

 

Guests:

Anthony Carnevale, director, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce

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Richard Kahlenberg, senior fellow, Century Foundation

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Kevin Carey, policy director, Education Sector

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2:30 – 2:39

A-B-C-D-E-F-G – oh right, it’s more complicated than that – the challenge of the National Spelling Bee

In the spirit of the National Spelling Bee, which wrapped up last evening in Washington D.C. [Thursday, 6/2], we decided to test the orthographic skills of our listeners. Are you smarter than the 275 young challengers who have practiced for months and years and are competing for the 2011 championship? Their favorite words are tchotchke, pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, and weissnichtwo. Does that give you pause? Don’t be shy – call in and find out who’s smarter – we dare you.

 

OPEN PHONES

 

 

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

Divinity of Doubt: the God question

As a prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi has taken on such big names as Charles Manson, O.J. Simpson and Lee Harvey Oswald. His next trial is weighed against a distinctly higher profile figure: God. The Divinity of Doubt calls the big man to the stand, but can He stand up to Bugliosi’s critical mind? Thankfully God is not alone in this trial by book; Bugliosi’s analytical eye is also turned upon pinnacles of atheism such as: Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and Richard Dawkins. Bugliosi’s conclusions may not be typical and his answers might not satisfy, but if the critics are to be trusted – his judgment are fair and without bias.

 

Guest:

Vincent Bugliosi, author of “Divinity of doubt: the God question”; attorney best known for prosecuting Charles Manson and other defendants accused of the Tate-LaBianca murders

IN STUDIO

 

 

 

Jonathan Serviss
Senior Producer, Patt Morrison
Southern California Public Radio
NPR Affiliate for Los Angeles
89.3 KPCC-FM | 89.1 KUOR-FM | 90.3 KPCV-FM
626.583.5171, office
415.497.2131, mobile
jserviss@kpcc.org / jserviss@scpr.org
www.scpr.org