Which Way L.A.?

Healthcare Reform in Washington; Education in California

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

King hospital gets new life, but the state's latest $21 billion shortfall poses another threat to education. We hear what it could mean for LA Unified and what's being done to qualify for the President's Race-to-the Top money. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, Democrats want their healthcare reform bill on the Senate floor before next week's Thanksgiving vacation. Republicans will do all they can to prevent that from happening.

Global Warming, Higher Education in California

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

A 32 percent increase in student fees now seems inevitable at the University of California. What does that mean for California?s middle class and the state?s role in the knowledge economy? Also, KCRW's General Manger Ruth Seymour is stepping down. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, world leaders now agree that next month?s meeting in Copenhagen will not produce a binding agreement for action on global warming.

Closing Guantanamo, Opening Up the LAUSD

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

Charlie Beck starts his first term as Chief of the LAPD and the LA School District begins farming out schools to outside operators. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, to make good on his promise to close Guantanamo Bay, President Obama needs to re-locate more than 200 prisoners. One likely location in northwestern Illinois has set off a political firestorm.

For Obama, Job One; In Southern California, Art and Pot

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

The LA City Council debates a question other cities answered long ago: how to regulate medical marijuana. Also, Eli Broad's massive collection of contemporary art could mean prestige and money for Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, in the "jobless recovery," the President says "Job One" is creating jobs. What can he do? Can he do it before the mid-term elections?

Diplomacy in Asia and Partisan Politics in California

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

Republicans Pounce on Attorney General Jerry Brown, whose press secretary might have broken state law by taping a phone conversation without asking permission from the other party. Also, the brown pelican is off the endangered species list. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, as President Obama goes to Asia, the US is still in deep trouble while China is riding high.

Iran and Diplomatic Confusion; LA Veterans Home from the Wars

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

In addition to the visible wounds of combat, hundreds of thousands of veterans come home from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries nobody else can see. What?s happening to those with PTSD and brain damage as they try to adjust to life in LA? On our rebroadcast of To the Point, political divisions inside Iran appear to be threatening a nuclear deal with the west, even though competing Iranian factions may want it to happen.

Fort Hood Killings; Swine Flu; Political Reform for California

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

There's a shortage of H1N1 vaccine in LA County and a shortage of information about how many people are dying from swine flu. We hear about that and some bad news for efforts to reform government in California. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, 13 people were gunned down last Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas. Were they victims of terrorism? Could the incident have been prevented?

It Was 20 Years Ago Today: The Fall of the Berlin Wall

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

There are huge celebrations in Berlin, as world leaders gather to mark an event that changed the face of the world. It was twenty years ago today that the Berlin Wall came down. In this rebroadcast of today's To the Point, guest host Sara Terry asks whether the past two decades have lived up to the promise of that moment, and how the end of the Cold War era shaped the political and economic realities of today. Also, the Supreme Court considers life sentences for children, and why pro-choice activists are upset with the vote on healthcare reform.

Global Warming and National Security

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

Nobody doubts that dealing with global warming will be expensive, so supporters of climate change legislation are raising questions of national security. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, is that a diversionary tactic or will climate change increase terrorism, force mass migration and destabilize entire regions? Also, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas threatens to retire. On Reporter's Notebook, we ask the man who ran Barak Obama's "perfect" campaign what happened on Tuesday.

Off-year Election Results and Water for California

podmaster@kcrw.org (Warren Olney) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:00:00 EST

Anthony Villaraigosa talks about his choice for a new chief of the LAPD and the rest of his own term as mayor. Plus, the State Legislature finally passes a water program, including $11 billion in bonds that will have to get voter approval. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, Republicans took governorships from Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. A Democrat took a congressional seat from the GOP in upstate New York. Maine voters said "no" to same-sex marriage. What messages do "off-year elections" carry for national politics?