Patt Morrison schedule for Thursday, July 26, 2012

 

1:06 – 1:19 – OPEN

1:23 – 1:39

President Obama looks to drum up support from African American voters

President Obama is looking to energize the black vote. On Thursday he will announce that he is creating the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans during a speech to the National Urban League. The program will coordinate efforts to harmonize programs for African American students.

 

Guests: TBA

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30
Baja California’s Secretary of Tourism talks up visiting south of the border

With all the drug violence, It might be one of the toughest jobs around: the director of tourism for Baja, Mexico. He’ll tell us how he does it.

 

Guests:

Juan Tintos, Baja California’s Secretary of Tourism

 

Hugo Torres, owner of the Rosarito Beach Motel; former mayor of Rosarito; member of the Baja Image Committee

 

 

2:06 – 2:19
The growing spectacle of the Olympic opening ceremonies
The 2012 Olympics get underway tomorrow (Friday) with opening ceremonies that start at 1pm California time. Along with the closing ceremonies, the inauguration of the Olympic Games is a gargantuan spectacle with much on the line for the host country when it comes to bragging rights. The 2012 ceremony in London will feature a dedication by The Queen of England and the traditional lighting of the torch - along with speculation that celebrities like soccer star David Beckham, Paul McCartney and Mary Poppins will make appearances. The current James Bond, actor Daniel Craig, is slated to appear in a taped short film from Buckingham Palace. Director Danny Boyle and games chief Sebastian Coe promise a celebration befitting the nation of Britain. But this grandiose production wasn’t always the case.  The first opening ceremony took place in Athens in 1896 and didn’t feature the pyrotechnics of modern opening ceremonies.  The torch relay that saw the flame begin in Greece and end at the ceremonies in the host city of Berlin, Germany began in 1936.  The 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China set the bar pretty high with nearly 14,000 participants and an awe-inspiring show. How big can the Olympics opening ceremony get? How have the opening ceremonies become another way for countries to compete?  

Guests: TBA

 

 

 

2:21:30 – 2:39

The Olympics provide a gambler’s playground
For some, betting is like breathing. Devoted gamblers will wager anything - like whether or not it will rain or a roll of the dice at a casino. But the biggest draw for people who favor chance is sporting events, and the upcoming summer Olympics provide a veritable feast for those looking to place bets. Opportunities range from the absurd – like whether or not the torch bearer will trip as they make their way to the flame – to the marquee – like whether or not the Jamaican Usain Bolt will retain his title as the fastest man in history in the 100-meter dash. Online gambling on the Olympics is prohibited in the U.S., but it is big business elsewhere in the world… really big business. The online betting realm is a $9 billion industry in Britain alone. Fears of match-fixing raises concerns for the International Olympic Committee, but is it possible to stop people from gambling on the biggest event in international sports? Should gambling be allowed on the Olympics?

Guest: TBA

 

 

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30 - OPEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Producer - Patt Morrison
89.3 KPCC - Southern California Public Radio
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626-583-5171  – office
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jarmstrong@kpcc.org