Will Mexico legalize drugs? Pay to play: is gift giving still out of control in politics? Later, T-G-I-FilmWeek! Our critics review the week's new movies including The Other Guys, The Extra Man, Flipped, Twelve and more. Later, which films and performance get gay right, and which are dead wrong?
Mexican drug war: is it time to surrender?
Since the Mexican government announced a crackdown against drug cartels in 2006 more than 28,000 people have been killed in escalating violence, including as many as 1,234 in July - an all time high. These harrowing statistics have prompted Mexican president Felipe Calderon to consider debating the legalization of drugs south of the border. Although Calderon is personally opposed to legalization, the war raging against the cartels has exposed long running corruption in the Mexican government, prompting him to consider the debate. Is Calderon’s suggestion pragmatic or an unconditional surrender? Does this spell trouble for Calderon's PAN party in the next election? How do you think Mexican drug legalization would affect the drug war in America?
Guests:
Juan-Marcos Gutierrez, Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles
Sam Quinones, staff writer for the LA Times, and author of Antonio's Gun and Delfino's Dream: True Tales of Mexican Migration
Maureen Meyer, Associate for Mexico and Central America, Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)
Pay-to-play: is gift-giving and lobbying out of control?
It’s only the latest scandal—lobbyists, fighting to get environmental laws waived for a new football stadium, gave $400 in Lakers playoff tickets to state lawmakers. Critics call it bribery and say it should be weeded out of politics. Political action groups argue there’s a legitimate need to educate politicians about their causes, which sometimes involves taking them out for meals to discuss issues. Or buying them gifts. Or taking them on junkets. But when does it cross over from a legitimate interaction to pay-to-play bribery? What, if anything, are government reformers, themselves lobbyists, doing to stop political conflicts of interest?
Guest:
Bob Stern, President, Center for Governmental Studies
FilmWeek: The Other Guys, The Extra Man, The Middle Men, Flipped
KPCC film critics Henry Sheehan, Andy Klein of Brand X and Claudia Puig of USA Today review the week’s new film releases including The Other Guys, The Extra Man, The Middle Men, Flipped, and Twelve among others. TGI-FilmWeek!
Guests:
Henry Sheehan, henrysheehan.com Andy Klein, film critic for Brand X Claudia Puig, film critic, USA Today Live tweeting this week's reviews:
Box office depictions of gay characters
With Judge Walker’s suspension of Proposition 8, the question of gay marriage is once again in the headlines. It’s also often on the marquee, most recently with The Kids are All Right starring Annette Bening. Hollywood has struggled for years to realistically portray gay characters. Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they fail miserably. Which movies get gays right? Which are dead wrong? And which ones are just so campy and fun, you love them regardless?
Guests:
Henry Sheehan, henrysheehan.com
Andy Klein, film critic for Brand X
Claudia Puig, film critic, USA Today