Workers of the world! ... are unemployed. Will defenders of Prop 8 have any legal standing in their 9th Circuit appeal? Smoking weed on the job... how bad could it be? Then, T-G-I-FilmWeek! Our critics review the week's new movies including Eat, Pray, Love; The Expendables; and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Later, are spiritual or personal journeys on film compelling, or dull?
Workers of the world! ... are unemployed
We are a year into the recovery but still suffering from the most serious employment crisis since the Great Depression. The recovery shows signs of losing steam and with 14.6 million workers formally unemployed and nearly half of them unemployed for more than 26 weeks, organized labor is calling for action from the Obama administration, Congress and the Federal Reserve. This week, the Senate voted to give states $26 billion to keep thousands of teachers, firefighters and public safety officers from being sacked, but the AFL-CIO would like government to do more. What does big labor want Obama to do about jobs and the economy?
Guest:
Richard Trumka, National AFL-CIO President
Prop 8 proponents hit a legal wall
US District Judge Vaughn Walker yesterday set an expiration date of August 18th for his stay to repeal Prop 8, the controversial ballot measure that prohibits gay marriage in California. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is Prop 8 proponents’ last chance, but the defendants named in the losing case, governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown have stated that they will not appeal Vaughn’s ruling, effectively prohibiting the case from being heard by a federal court. Opponents of gay marriage would also need evidence that gay marriage caused injury to be eligible for an appeal. These strict legal rules may mean that Judge Walker’s decision will once again legalize gay marriage in California. Will the 9th Circuit take the case? And however they rule, will the Supremes step in?
Guest:
John Eastman, Donald P. Kennedy Chair in Law, and Former Dean, Chapman University School of Law
Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Prop. 19: marijuana and the workplace
An analysis by the California Chamber of Commerce released Thursday found that Prop 19 would allow employees to smoke pot in the workplace. And, employers would have to prove marijuana actually impaired workers’ job performances before taking any disciplinary action. Laura Preston, an advocate for school administrators against Prop 19, suggests that a bus driver suspected of being stoned could not be stopped from driving until after an accident. But, current federal law states employers must prevent the usage of controlled substances, including marijuana, at work. Would the passage of Prop 19 severely change today’s workplace? If you were allowed to toke up on the job, would you do it?
Guest:
Dan Rush, a director with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 5 (California, Arizona and New Mexico) in Oakland; supporter of Prop 19
FilmWeek: Eat, Pray, Love; The Expendables; Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein of Variety and Claudia Puig of USA Today discuss the week’s new films, including Eat, Pray, Love; The Expendables, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World; Lebanon and more. Later, critic Peter Rainer shares tales from Ingmar Bergman week on the Swedish island of Faro. And Larry and the critics mark the passing of actress Patricia Neal.
Guests:
Claudia Puig, , film critic, KPCC and USA Today Lael Loewenstein, film critic, KPCC and Variety Live tweeting this week's reviews:
A character goes on a journey. Are we supposed to care?
Some movies solve a crime. Some fight a war. In some, it’s a love story. And some…well, in some movies there’s very little action, but instead they focus on the protagonist’s interior, personal journey. These movies can be incredibly meaningful when they work…and incredibly boring when they don’t. Eat, Pray, Love is the latest feature about a character’s search for meaning. Other movies that might fit the bill vary from Doubt, to A Beautiful Mind, to High Fidelity. Larry asks KPCC’s listeners: what personal journey movies touched you? Does the pursuit of faith or self-knowledge shine—or fall flat—on screen?
Guests:
Claudia Puig, , film critic, KPCC and USA Today
Lael Loewenstein, film critic, KPCC and Variety