Patt Morrison - Schedule for Monday, 10/3/2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Monday, October 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

 

 

 

1:00 – 1:30

OPEN

 

 

1:30 – 2:00

Is Obama losing his black voting base?

As election season rapidly approaches, President Obama seems to be defending his record. What’s different about this instance is that it’s not just to his opponents, but to his own political base, specifically African Americans. In the 2008 election, black voters turned out in record numbers across the country to vote for the then Democratic nominee, and up until five months ago, Obama’s support among African Americans was high – 83% of those polled said they held “strongly favorable” views of the President. But now, that number has dropped to 58% according to a poll conducted by the Washington Post and ABC news. Some leaders in the black community have even publicly criticized his performance, but President Obama has been quick to brush it off, defending his administration’s efforts during a tough economic climate and basically saying he’s had opponents and critics from the beginning and he always will. Nevertheless, the President is reaching out to black voters, granting an interview to BET News. With the election coming up quickly, will the President’s  efforts be enough, or has he alienated his base too much at this point?

 

Guest:

CRITICAL OF OBAMA

Michael Fauntroy, author, blogger (MichaelFauntroy.com), and associate professor of public policy at George Mason University.

CALL HIM@

 

SUPPORTIVE OF OBAMA:  GUEST TBD

 

 

2:00 – 2:40

Big brother is back, and this time he’s in your phones and Facebook accounts

Facebook has undergone yet another facelift, but what may not be as obvious as the layout changes are changes to much of the popular social networking site’s privacy settings. Now you may be sharing even more information about your “likes” and various other browsing without really wanting to. What’s more, there have been allegations that the site was tracking users’ moves even after they logged off. The changes have prompted organizations including the Electronic Privacy Information Center, American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Digital Democracy, and Consumer Watchdog to send a letter to the Federal Trade Commission urging an investigation for privacy infringement. You might be saying to yourself, “Well that’s Facebook. At least I have my handy dandy, safe, private cell phone, right?” Wrong. A Department of Justice document recently obtained by the North Carolina ACLU under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request reveals that cell phone companies are holding onto some pretty personal information – who you text, what you text, and where you were when you used your phone. Law enforcement officials say the information retention is crucial for them to properly do their jobs, but the revelation has consumer advocate groups in an uproar. So are your “private” conversations and internet activities ever really private? And if the answer is no, will that ever change?

 

Guests:

ON FACEBOOK PRIVACY

Karen North, director of the online communities program at USC’s Annenberg school of Communications and Journalism

CALL HER @

 

ON CELL PHONE PRIVACY (TEXT MESSAGES)

Kevin Bankston, senior staff attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a consumer advocacy group

CALL

• EFF is a donor-funded nonprofit. Blending the expertise of lawyers, policy analysts, activists, and technologists, EFF achieves significant victories on behalf of consumers and the general public. EFF fights for freedom primarily in the courts, bringing and defending lawsuits even when that means taking on the US government or large corporations.

 

 

 

2:40 – 3:00

The Mozza Cookbook – you can make excellent Italian at home

Nancy Silverton is a rock star in the foodie community.  As if the cred garnered from being the founder of La Brea Bakery and the former owner and operator of Campanile wasn’t enough, the revered restaurateur founded Mozza, an Italian restaurant that is currently the hottest table in Los Angeles - and perhaps far beyond. Silverton also has written a handful of books on food, but her new book, The Mozza Cookbook: Recipes from Los Angeles’ Favorite Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria, brings some of her epicurean recipes and chef’s tricks to everyone’s kitchen. Care to try your hand at making squash blossom, tomato and burrata pizza or butterscotch budino with caramel sauce and maldon sea salt? Then this is the book for you.

What makes a good dish great? What are your favorite Italian dishes that you wish you could make at home?

 

PATT:  Nancy is in conversation with Evan Kleiman at the Skirball Cultural Center this Wednesday, October 5^th, at 8pm.

 

Guests:

Nancy Silverton: co-owner of Mozza Pizzeria in Los Angeles, founder of La Brea Bakery, and original dessert chef at Spago.  Her new book is “The Mozza Cookbook.”

IN STUDIO

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patt Morrison Live from the AltCar Expo in Santa Monica, Friday 9/30/11

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Friday, September 30, 2011

1-3 p.m.

LIVE FROM THE 2011 ALTCAR EXPO IN SANTA MONICA!

 

1:06 – 1:18: OPEN

 

 

1:23:00 – 1:39

Bank of America soon to charge customers $5 to use their debit card

If you’re a customer of a major financial institution, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that since the passage of stricter financial regulations, banks can't charge as much in overdraft fees. The bad news is that those fees were a huge source of revenue. So, Bank of America has announced a new fee: beginning early next year, customers will have to pay $5 per month to use their debit cards. A Bank of America spokesperson says "the economics of offering a debit card have changed." Not a B of A customer? Many of the large financial institutions including Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase and Sun Trust Banks are considering new charges on the convenient and often-used piece of plastic as well. Citibank customers, however, need not fear. The head of banking products for Citi's U.S. consumer bank told Reuters that the fee would be "a huge source of irritation" to their customers. Is $5 a reasonable amount to pay for the convenience of being able to access your checking account to buy goods and services almost anywhere? Or is $5 too much to pay for something that used to be free? Did Citibank get it right? Is it a huge source of irritation? And if so, will you stay with your bank?

 

Guests:

ALL UNCONFIRMED:

TBD, Bank of America

 

TBD, Consumers Union

or

TBD, Center for Responsible Lending

or

TBD, U.S. Pirg to the BofA

 

 

1:41:30 – 2:58:30

Live, from the 2011 AltCar Expo

Patt takes some of the newest alternative fuel cars for a spin…

 

Guest:

Rick Sikes, fleet superintendent, City of Santa Monica

 

 

2:06-2:39

Live from the 2011 AltCar Expo: What’s holding back green cars?

Development of alternative fuel vehicles in the last several years has been spurred in large part by the federal government—through tax credits and exemptions, grants, and mandatory renewable fuel standards. In California, the goal of AB 32 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 means more cars and buses will run on alternative fuel. It potentially means more options for car buyers, less dependence on volatile gas prices and fewer air pollutants. But that’s all contingent on whether all the moving parts can begin to work together and current infrastructure can be updated to support those cars. The power grid’s in a sorry state. You don’t see hydrogen fuel stations on every corner. And how well do plug-and-play electrics really work? After green energy scandals like Solyndra, who is going to foot the bill for these upgrades and invest in green technology? Live from the 2011 AltCar Expo in Santa Monica, Patt surveys the newest hybrids, electrics, fuel cells and considers what obstacles sustainable infrastructure must overcome. Whether you’re in the market for an altcar, or just concerned about the future of gas prices and traffic in Los Angeles, tune in and call up with questions.

 

Guests:

Rick Teebay, fleet and transportation specialist, Los Angeles County Office of Sustainability; former chair of the National Association of Fleet Managers' Fuels and Technology Committee

• Earlier this year, Rick pulled together more than 20 agencies and with LA DWP, submitted a $3.2 million application to the Energy Commission to install a network of more than 1,200 chargers throughout the region, but the application was rejected

 

Peter Ward, department head of Alternative Fuels and Vehicles, California Energy Commission

• A long time advocate of reducing petroleum use and a front runner in putting together funding for CA’s  test projects
• Why did his commission reject Rick Teebay’s application to install 1200 chargers across the region?

 

Enid Joffe (like Coffee), president, Clean Fuel Connection, one of the companies installing electric vehicle chargers and natural gas fueling stations across the region; formerly with Edison

 

UNCONFIRMED, DO NOT PROMOTE YET:

Matt Maiyasato (Mia-SA-tow), assistant deputy executive officer, Science and Technology Advancement Division, Air Quality Management District (AQMD)

 

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

Live from the 2011 AltCar Expo: Beyond cars, how public transportation and biking could transform Southern California

Beyond cars, what will the future public transportation and bike landscape of Southern California look like? In November 2008, California voters approved Measure R, committing a projected $40 billion to traffic relief and transportation upgrades throughout the county over the next 30 years. The Expo light rail line, the Crenshaw-LAX light rail line and Gold line extensions to Azusa have all broken ground under this measure, which is expected to greatly improve connectivity across the region and increase ridership. There are currently 1.4 million passengers boarding bus and rail throughout the county—rail accounts for 300,000 of those boardings. That ridership is expected to double by the time Measure R projects are completed. In addition, what will be the future of biking in the region? What’s been the impact of events like CicLAvia?

 

Guests:

Richard Katz, director for Metro and board chair for metro link

• Expo light rail line – first phase from downtown LA to Culver City is almost complete, they’re testing trains and second phase from Culver City to Santa Monica should be finished by 2015.
• After Measure R projects are completed, ridership is expected double. There are currently 1.4 million passenger boarding bus and rail – of that, rail accounts for 300,000 boardings. After Measure R projects are complete, that’s expected to jump to 600,000 rail boardings.

• Subway to the sea  - final environmental impact report should be out this fall
• Metro board last week just approved final Crenshaw-LAX light rail environmental docs, paves way to start construction in about a year
• Gold Line extension from Pasadena to Azusa is under construction, should open 2015-2016
• Metro Orange Line bus way will soon open an extension to Chatsworth

 

Claire Bowin, city planner with the Los Angeles City Planning Department

• She spearheaded the city’s green building ordinance, drafted an update to the bicycle plan and is writing a transit district parking ordinance

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org

 

Patt Morrison for Thurs, 9/29/2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, September 29, 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

 

1:00 – 1:40    

Realignment begins: California counties prepare for influx of state parolees

Beginning this Saturday, California’s “realignment” plan takes effect. In order to alleviate overcrowding and comply with a US Supreme Court order, the inmate population at state prisons must be reduced by 40,000. To meet that mandate, prisoners who get parole will be monitored at the local level, by county officials. That translates to thousands of additional cases for county probation departments over the next few months. Additionally, anyone convicted of a non-non-non felony—that is, non-violent, non-sexual, and non-serious—will now be sent to a county jail, rather than a state prison. What preparations have counties made? What will it mean for already-crowded prisons in Southern California? And what will housing convicted felons in county jails mean for people accused of a crime, who are locked up, awaiting trial?

 

Guests:

CONFIRMED

Frank Stoltze, KPCC’s political reporter

 

Robert Weisberg, director of the Criminal Justice Center at Stanford Law School

CALL HIM:

 

NOT CONFIRMED – DO NOT PROMOTE

Lee Baca, LA County Sheriff

 

NOT CONFIRMED– DO NOT PROMOTE

Stanley Sniff, Riverside County Sheriff

 

NOT CONFIRMED– DO NOT PROMOTE

Reaver Bingham, LA County Probation, Department of Adult Services. Overseeing implementation of the probation department’s realignment plan

 

NOT CONFIRMED– DO NOT PROMOTE

Charlie Beck, Chief of the LAPD

 

 

1:40 – 2:00

Scientists see what’s in your mind and reproduce it on screen

Have you ever wondered what’s in someone else’s mind? Researchers at U.C. Berkeley have developed a technology that allows them to reproduce the moving images a person is looking at by tracking their brain activity. The hope is to be able to then reproduce the moving images that a person isn’t seeing, but rather thinking—say, in a dream, thought or memory. The implications of this technology could eventually mean being able to use a computer to read the minds of people who are unable to communicate their thoughts, such as stroke victims, coma patients and people with neurodegenerative diseases. Even further, there’s hope that it could lead to enabling people with cerebral palsy or paralysis to guide a computer with their minds. If visually producing thoughts, dreams or memories becomes a reality, could there be practical implications in the field of psychology or criminology? Would you want to watch your own dream on YouTube?

 

Guests:

Jack Gallant, neuroscientist and professor of psychology, UC Berkeley; co-author of brain imaging study

CALL HIM:

 

Martin Monti, Ph.D., assistant professor, cognitive psychology, UCLA; researches consciousness and cognition in coma, vegetative and minimally conscious state

CALL HIM:

 

2:00 – 2:30

Who’s had the worst recession? Boomers, Millennials and Gen-Xers debate

Gen-Y has the worst unemployment. Boomers have the least time to recover their lost savings before heading into retirement. Gen-Xers are in the doldrums—stuck between paying off debt in a stagnant economy and taking more on. But who’s had the worst recession? Millennials will point to the long-term effects these downturns can have on  recent graduates—as lower starting salaries beget two-tiered wage systems, downsized pensions and possibly even shorter life-spans. But then again, millennials have their whole lives to make up lost wages. It’s the boomers (they’ll argue) who’ve been hit worst; they took massive hits to their 401(k)s and nest eggs just as they needed them most. And what about the 46 million Americans in the 33-46 year-old range? In the prime of their careers, they now find few promotions or options in sight—both exacerbated by boomers lingering in their jobs. There’s no clear winner in sight and arguments to be made for each. Patt takes a look at employment, income and overall wealth.

Call in with your experience.

 

Guest:

Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic and author of “Who’s Had the Worst Recession: Boomers, Millennials, or Gen-Xers?”

 

2:30 – 3:00

Governor Jennifer Granholm with “A Governor’s Story”

Several years before the Great Economic Collapse of 2008, Michigan’s economy was already sputtering along in the wake of a struggling auto industry – the state’s main economic engine.  When the recession hit in force, Michigan was already a microcosm of the new normal…with high unemployment, a crumbling infrastructure, and health care and educational systems in chaos.  Michigan had elected its dynamic first female governor, Jennifer Granholm, in 2002.  A forward thinker, Granholm instituted some revolutionary programs in order to try and pull the state out of the ditch and back onto the road to the future – including some unprecedented private-public partnerships and a “No Worker Left Behind” jobs program.  In her new book, “A Governor’s Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future,” the former governor outlines the challenges she faced and steps she took to attempt to revitalize Michigan.  What can cash-strapped California learn from Michigan’s example?  Can similar programs work in other states?  And how much influence can an elected leader have in moving a state’s economy forward?

Guests:

Jennifer Granholm, former governor of Michigan; author, with her husband, of “A Governor’s Story”

 

Dan Mulhern, professor in the business and law schools at UC Berkeley; Governor Granholm and he are married.

IN STUDIO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patt Morrison for Wednesday, 9/28/2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, September 28, 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

 

 

1:00 – 1:30

OPEN

 

1:30 – 2:00

Regulation _______s jobs! ProPublica investigates

“Stop job-killing regulations!” is a well represented refrain on Capitol Hill these days. Just last month, President Obama intervened to ask the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to back off its ozone regulations for fear that those “regulatory burdens” would unduly saddle industry in hard times. But a new investigation conducted by ProPublica finds the claim that regulation kills jobs to be unfounded. To begin with, there’s little quantitative research on the subject, but the evidence so far shows that while regulations do destroy some jobs, they create others so that the overall effect isn’t one of “killing” so much as shifting jobs within the economy. But is the shift worth the cost and which regulations make the biggest waves?

 

Guests:

Marian Wang, reporter/blogger for ProPublica

CALL HER @

 

NOT CONFIRMED – DO NOT PROMOTE THIS GUEST:

Roger Noll, professor of economics, emeritus; co-director,  Program on Regulatory Policy at The Stanford Center for International Development

 

• Says regulation redistributes jobs – some lost, others gained.

 

2:00 – 2:40

Are college athletes taken advantage of? Should they be paid?

In his Atlantic piece “The Shame of College Sports,” Taylor Branch compares college athletes to slaves. He writes, “To survey the corporations and universities enriching themselves on the backs of uncompensated young men, whose status as ‘student-athletes’ deprives them of the right to due process guaranteed by the Constitution, is to catch an unmistakable whiff of the plantation.” Branch argues that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) scandalizes instances of college athletes receiving SUV’s and tattoos and imposes strict punishments—like mandating that USC’s Reggie Bush return his Heisman for accepting free airfare and limo rides—to cover up the real scandal: that these athletes, a large percentage of whom are African Americans, are being exploited under the guise of “amateurism” and “student-athlete.” In response, the NCAA and the Knight Commsion on Intercollegiate Athletics state that student athletes are getting the most meaningful form of payment: a free, or nearly free, education. They argue that paying student-athletes will corrupt the appeal and purity of college sports and teammate bonds. With millions made from television contracts and athlete likenesses in films and video games, is it fair to keep all profits from the athletes themselves? Or will paying college athletes change the sport for the worst?

 

Guest:

Taylor Branch, author of the Atlantic piece "The Shame of College Sports" and new e-book “The Cartel: Inside the Rise and Imminent Fall of the NCAA.”

CALL HIM:

 

2:40 – 3:00 

How Ronald Reagan’s fight with air traffic controllers forever changed labor relations

In 1981, air traffic controllers at Washington Dulles airport called an illegal strike. Ronald Reagan, who had been in office less than a year, fired the striking workers. After decades of tension between management and air traffic controllers, the strike marked a turning point in labor’s power and influence with the public, according to history professor Joseph A. McCartin. In his new book, “Collision Course,” McCartin chronicles the accidents that led to the foundation of a union for air traffic controllers – and why since the 1981 protest the public tends to criticize striking workers, rather than take up their call to action. 

 

Guest:

Joseph A. McCartin, associate professor of history at Georgetown and author of “Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike that Changed America”

CALL HIM:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patt Morrison for Tuesday, September 27, 2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

1-3 p.m.

 

 

1:06 – 1:30 OPEN

 

1:30 – 1:58:30

Berkeley’s diversity bake sale: cheaper cookies for students of color

Protest an affirmative action bill…with brownies? College Republicans at UC Berkeley are taking heat for a stunt they called a “diversity bake sale.” The students—who oppose a bill (SB185) on the Governor’s desk that would let California’s public universities take race and gender into consideration in college admissions—are planning to sell baked goods on a sliding scale. White students will pay the most for the sweet treats, $2, with Asian, Latino, black and Native American students each paying less. Women of all races will also be given a discount on cookies and brownies. Student leaders are condemning the bake sale, though the Berkeley College Republicans say they plan to move forward despite the resistance. Is this an acceptable form of protest? Affirmative action has been prohibited in the Cal State and UC systems since a Supreme Court decision in 1978. Is it time to bring it back? Or should Governor Brown veto the measure? 

 

Guests:

OPPOSED TO THE BAKE SALE:

Joey Freeman, external affairs vice president, Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC)

 

NOT CONFIRMED:

Senator Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), authored SB185, which would allow the University of California and California State University to consider race, ethnicity and gender in student admissions; it’s sitting on Governor Brown’s desk

Shawn Lewis, president, Berkeley College Republicans, they are hosting the “Increase Diversity Bake Sale”

 

2:06 – 2:40

The cost of raising a kid may make you want to cry

Ever wonder how much you have to shell out to raise a kid these days?  The answer is a lot more than it did a decade ago.  The cost of raising a child has gone up 40%  or $60,000 in ten years.  It now costs just under $227,000 for a middle-income, two-parent family to raise a child to the age of 18 in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And in case you were wondering, that doesn't include college, or one dime of related expenses after the child turns 18.  One number that provides a stark comparison, median household income has fallen 7 percent in the last decade. The increase in food, gas and health care costs have contributed to the expense associated with raising a child as well as the high cost of child care. Some financial advisors suggest putting the college savings account on hold until a new parent has gotten a handle on the day-to-day expenses that can creep up especially in the first year. Is it possible for an average family in today's economy to have a child, own a house and a start a college fund without massive debt like it was the previous generation? Will these numbers make you rethink having a child?

 

Guests:

Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder, Families and Work Institute in New York

 

UNCONFIRMED

Mark Lino, a senior economist at the USDA

Ginger Ewing, a financial adviser with Ameriprise Financial

 

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

Scientists see what’s in your mind and reproduce it on screen

Have you ever wondered what’s in someone else’s mind? Researchers at U.C. Berkeley have developed a technology that allows them to reproduce the moving images in a person’s brain. While a subject is watching an image of a hummingbird flutter around a flower, for example, researchers are monitoring their brain’s activity and actually recreating a blurry image on a monitor.  The implications of this technology could mean eventually being able to use a computer to read the minds of people who are unable to communicate their thoughts, such as stroke victims, coma patients and people with neurodegenerative diseases. Even further, there’s hope that it could lead to enabling people with cerebral palsy or paralysis to guide a computer with their minds. If visually producing memories and dreams becomes a reality, could there be practical implications in the field of psychology, or criminology. 

 

Guest:

Jack Gallant, neuroscientist and professor of psychology, UC Berkeley/UC San Francisco Graduate Group in Bioengineering; co-author of brain imaging study

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patt Morrison for Monday, September 26, 2011

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Monday, September 26, 2011

1-3 p.m.

 

 

1:06 – 1:30: OPEN

 

1:30 – 1:58:30

Now that the red light cameras are gone, should yellow traffic lights be longer?

Now that the city of Los Angeles has ditched its red light cameras, City Council members are instead looking to manipulate traffic light times in an effort to improve safety and reduce ticketing. Last week the city council proposed studying the effects of increasing yellow light times at 32 intersections where red light cameras used to automatically photograph and ticket drivers running the red. The city of Loma Linda extended lights in 2009 and while there aren’t any stats yet on whether it improves safety, it did reduce tickets by 90%. Still, city and county engineers are wary—they say tinkering with traffic is more complicated than that and worry about moving cars through a shorter green light. Would you be a safer driver if you had just one more second to sail through that yellow? Would it change the way you drive? And is it about fewer tickets or increased safety?

 

Guests:

Jay Beeber, director of Safer Streets LA

 

Rhodes Rigsby, Mayor of Loma Linda, which lengthened their yellow light times in 2009 and saw tickets decrease by 90%

 

Rock Miller, national vice president for the Institute of Transportation Engineers and principal engineer with Stantec Consulting

 

*The LA Department of Transportation and the LA County Public Works declined our requests for an interview

 

• Currently, most yellow lights in LA County are 3.2 seconds long. It’s determined by a formula so it’s proportional to the speed limit
• One concern about extending yellow lights is cutting green lights. Some engineers fear this will make fewer people move through an intersection and

 

2:06 – 2:30

Marijuana and crime: do they go hand and hand?

Conventional wisdom often dictates that drugs and crime go hand-in-hand, but a new report by the RAND corporation calls into question that logic, at least when it come to marijuana. The Santa Monica-based think tank conducted what they called a thorough and independent examination of crime rates near medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles and their findings are a bit surprising, if not counterintuitive.  The study showed that crime rates actually increased after the pot shops were shut down. Yes, you read that right, the crime rate increased. The city attorney’s office didn’t mince words when asked by the L.A. Times to react to the news, calling the findings “highly suspect and unreliable” and based on “faulty assumptions, conjecture, irrelevant data, untested measurements and incomplete results.” So based on that reaction, it seems unlikely that any of the medical marijuana dispensaries that were shut down will be reopened any time soon, but if the results of the study are accurate should they be? A spokesperson for the LA County Sheriff’s Office argues their numbers indicate that the crime rates actually decrease in surrounding neighborhood when the dispensaries are removed.  So whose numbers are accurate? How was the RAND study conducted and were all the relevant factors considered?  If the science holds, does it mean that the “gateway drug” is a gateway into nothing more than very hungry couch potatoes? Does this research give more credence to the push for legalization of the drug? If so, it may not be an easy case to make.  According to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, 51% of voters oppose the idea. 

 

Guests:

Mireille Jacobson, the lead author of the medical marijuana study conducted by the RAND Corporation

 

UNCONFIRMED

Los Angeles City Attorney and/or Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Representative from NORML or the LA Times

 

2:30 – 2:39: OPEN

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30
1493 – When worlds collided

Though populated by numerous indigenous peoples, the pre-Columbian “new world” was geographically isolated from more advanced European civilization. For 200 million years prior to Columbus’ famous expedition in 1492, the Americas had completely different flora and fauna from the rest of the world. With Columbus came radical change and the effects were stunning and long-reaching. Charles C. Mann’s new book, 1493, chronicles the “ecological imperialism” of European conquests. Using DNA testing, mathematical simulations and other modern technological tools, Mann explores the monumental biological, ecological, political and social changes that exploration and colonization had on both continents. What happens when non-indigenous species, customs and ideas arrive in a new ecosystem? Which changes more, the colonized or colonizers?     

 

PATT: Tonight [MONDAY] at 6pm, Charles Mann is appearing at ALOUD at the Los Angeles Central Library.

 

Guests:

Charles C. Mann, author, 1493; his book 1491 received the U.S. National Academy of Sciences' Keck Award for best book of the year.

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org

 

Patt Morrison for Wednesday, September 22

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, September 22, 2011

1-3 p.m.

 

1:06 – 1:39 OPEN

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

Operation Mend: to reconstruct soldiers and marines wounded in war

On July 5, 2007, Army Specialist Joey Paulk’s vehicle was hit by 3 mines in Afghanistan. The vehicle flipped and the fuel tank ignited. Paulk’s team leader lost his life and Paulk sustained burns to 40% of his body and face. The smoke he inhaled paralyzed his vocal chords and he lost all 10 of his fingers. Since then, he has had to relearn how to walk, talk, swallow and maneuver through life without fingers. None of that would have been possible without the help of Operation Mend—a partnership between the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas and the VA of Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. Together, and with the help of philanthropist Ron Katz, "Operation Mend" offers free reconstructive surgery to U.S. military personnel severely wounded during service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Patt talks with their lead surgeon and his patient, Joey.

 

Guests:

Dr. Timothy Miller, chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UCLA; he leads Operation Mend’s surgery team and is himself a military veteran

Joey Paulk, Army specialist; he’s undergone 5 surgeries through Operation Mend since sustaining burns to 40% of his body and face while serving in Afghanistan

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

Welcome to the City of Los Angeles, what can we do to help you? 

Anyone who has ever tried to get a building permit in the City of Los Angeles can attest the fact that city agencies are not renowned for their stellar customer service.  In fact, some city employees could likely place high in the rankings for “Most Disagreeable Customer Service Representative Ever.”  But Councilman Mitch Englander wants to change all that.  As city government is essentially a service-based industry, Englander feels that it is time to up the ante and start treating citizens like valued customers.  The idea is hardly a new one – Former Councilman Joel Wachs proposed a plan to get city employees smiling back in 1996, but the $500,000 plan was deemed too expensive.  This time around, Englander is considering hiring customer satisfaction gurus J. D. Power and Associates to gauge the city’s performance.  The Councilman feels that he can turn the boat around without spending precious dollars.  Is it possible?  Can you imagine a world in which you’re greeted by a smile at city offices?

 

Guests:

Mitch Englander, Los Angeles City Councilman (representing CD-12, North West San Fernando Valley, includes Northridge, Encino and Van Nuys)

Richard Close, president, Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association

 

 

2:30 – 2:39 OPEN

 

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

“We Were Here”

The documentary “We Were Here” tracks the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic in the Castro district (the gay Mecca) of San Francisco that began in the mid-1970s. The film follows the personal and emotionally compelling stories of some of the people who lived through the tumultuous time.  We watch as they express the pain of loss and the confusion surrounding the disease, which was initially referred to as the “gay cancer.”  Through the pain, and the “avalanche of death” the gay community came together with love and compassion while at the same time mounting a fierce political battle to keep AIDS infected patients from being stigmatized and even quarantined. The relentless struggle to find a cure and the grace with which the community dealt with the disease became known as “The San Francisco Model.”  “We Were Here” received a perfect 100 score on Rotten Tomatoes and is the highest rated movie on Metacritic. Patt talks to the filmmaker about his highly praised film and checks in on the status of HIV/AIDS research.   

 

Guests:

David Weissman, director and producer of the documentary “We Were Here”

• The film is currently playing at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood

 

UNCONFIRMED

Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus, director of the center for HIV Prevention Treatment and Services at UCLA

-         OR –

Representative from Aids Project Los Angeles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RE: Patt Morrison for Wednesday, September 21

 

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

1-3 p.m.

 

 

1:06 – 1:30 OPEN

 

 

1:30 - 1:58:30

Is your mortgage check in the mail? Bank of America is increasing foreclosure filings in California

Bad news for homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payment, Bank of America is ratcheting up foreclosure proceedings in states where a court action isn’t required to repossess a home—and California is one of those states. In fact, the nation’s largest mortgage servicer has already started.  In one month, between July and August, Bank of America increased the number of default notices sent to homeowners by 182% in California. That amounts to 6, 478 homes. The bank claims the dramatic increase is due to a backlog that was on hold until foreclosure procedures could be streamlined. But the troubling news for those on the financial brink is that Bank of America may not be alone, other banks may soon follow.  Jumana Bauwens, a spokeswoman, for Bank of America told the LA Times that the increase in foreclosure activity could be a “potential harbinger for housing market recovery.” Will the push to get these homes up for sale help the housing market recover or do other factors like unemployment and lending play into the mix?

 

Guests:
John Karevoll, analyst with DataQuick, a San Diego-based research firm that tracks foreclosure activity

Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research
Lisa Sitkin, staff attorney for Housing and Economic Rights Advocates, a California statewide, not-for-profit legal service and advocacy organization. Their core practice areas are predatory or unfair mortgage lending, foreclosure prevention and fair housing.

 

• HERA provides direct legal representation services primarily in Northern California, with technical assistance, training and counseling services available by telephone statewide. Can answer questions consumer questions, not just for Northern CA.

 

UNCONFIRMED:

Bank of America

 

 

2:06 – 2:30

Xanax, OxyContin, and Vicodin overdoses at record highs. Is prescription drug abuse a health epidemic?

If you’re using Xanax, OxyContin, or Vicodin as a coping mechanism, you aren’t alone. Health professionals have noticed a dramatic uptick in the number of people using and addicted to prescription drugs in the United States and are using words like “epidemic” to characterize the problem. According to the LA Times analysis of government data, there are now more deaths attributed to prescription narcotic overdoses than to auto accidents.  Deaths due to overdoses of painkillers and anti-anxiety medication tripled between 2000 and 2008. Another startling fact, these drugs now cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. One warning public health experts want to drill home is that just because a prescription is written by a doctor and gets filled at the pharmacy doesn’t mean it is safe. One case and point is a relatively new painkiller is called Fentanyl--it’s 100 times stronger than morphine. In Hollywood, the painkiller OxyContin (known on the street as OC, O and hillbilly heroin) is becoming one of the most abused drugs in town. Michael Jackson was addicted, Courtney Love overdosed in 2003 and Heath Ledger was taking the drug before his death. The scary news is that many health professionals don’t know how to stem the tide of prescription drug deaths. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy this year introduced a few initiatives to try and tackle the problem including offering voluntary courses to train physicians about the risks associated with prescription drug use.  In Los Angeles recently 4 alleged “prescription mills” were raided and shut down for illegally dealing addictive painkillers.  Can more be done? Is the new war on drugs taking place in a plastic bottle with a child proof cap?

 

Guest:

Steve Opferman, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. and head of a county task force on prescription drug-related crimes

 

UNCONFIRMED

Larissa Mooney, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA

 

 

2:30 – 2:58:30

How to teach math? One size may not fit all

Most high school math is completely useless to the majority of adults and "most citizens would be better served by studying how mortgages are priced, how computers are programmed and how the statistical results of a medical trial are to be understood." At least that’s the argument two mathematicians are making. They suggest that current math curriculum doesn’t benefit all students. Some students will excel at math geared towards those with a future in the sciences, but others would be better off with some basic applied math. They also worry that students who feel overwhelmed by more complex math will be turned off to the subject entirely and won’t learn the basics they need to get by in the real world. But how can those students be identified? Is it helping or hurting to close the door on jobs that heavily use math and science—jobs that are often some of the best paying? Is the problem not the math but the way it’s being taught? And is this the right time to change math education in the US, when the US routinely falls behind other countries in the math and sciences? 

 

Guests:

Sol Garfunkel, executive director of the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications about the piece he co-wrote for the New York Times

 

NOT CONFIRMED:

Representative, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), which annually ranks the US and 64 other countries’ education systems

 

• According to PISA’s 2010 results, the United States ranks 17th in science and a below-average 25th in math.  The best educated students – those in Korea, Finland, Shanghai-China, and Hong Kon-China – by age 15 are a year ahead of their American counterparts in math and science.