California's Jobless Rate Soars to 11.2%; EPA May Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions; President Obama Exempts CIA Interrogators from Torture Charges; Filmweek Reviews; The Life and Work of Vincent Minnelli
California's Jobless Rate Soars to 11.2%
California's unemployment rate hit 11.2% with the loss of 62,100 jobs last month, reaching its highest level since the government began keeping systematic records in 1976, the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Larry talks about the implications of the news with Stephen Levy, Director of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy.
EPA May Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The EPA is expected to formally declare carbon and other heat-trapping gases to be pollutants that threaten public health and welfare in a revamped effort to fight against global warming. It paves the way for the White House to regulate emissions from vehicles and effectively force the U.S. auto fleet to be cleaner and more efficient. Larry talks about the decision with Sean Hecht of UCLA's Environmental Law Center and Ken Green from the American Enterprise Institute.
President Obama Exempts CIA Interrogators from Torture Charges
President Barack Obama indicated that CIA operatives who carried out brutal interrogation techniques during the Bush administration will not be prosecuted because "nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past." Obama said the torture techniques, which included waterboarding and keeping detainees awake for up to 11 days straight, will never be used again. Human rights organizations reacted angrily to Obama's announcement. Larry talks about the development with Ronald Rotunda of Chapman University School of Law and Allen Weiner of Stanford Law School.
Filmweek Reviews
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Peter Rainer of The Christian Science Monitor and Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com review the week's new film releases including "State Of Play," "17 Again," "Lymelife," "Is Anybody There," "American Violet," "Sleep Dealer," "Enlighten Up!," and "Ballerina."
The Life and Work of Vincent Minnelli
Former Variety critic Emanuel Levy joins Larry Mantle to talk about his new book, the first full-length comprehensive biography of film director Vincente Minnelli. Minnelli directed some of Hollywood's beloved films including "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Gigi," "American in Paris," "Band Wagon," and "The Bad and the Beautiful."