Today on AirTalk we'll look at the republican strategy for Senator Akin, what Jimmy Kimmel's jump to a new time slot means for late night television, foodies rejoice with the L.A. Times 'Taste of the Times,' what's wrong with the state of math education in the U.S., a controversial new technology sought to reverse the effects of global warming and a conversation with composer Richard Sherman whose work includes Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Plus, the latest news.
Republicans rush to distance the party from Akin
Yesterday, the deadline passed for Todd Akin to drop out of the race for a U.S. Senate seat in Missouri at 5 PM. This was much to the chagrin of Republican leaders, not just in Congress, but including the GOP’s presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, as well.
It’s abundantly clear that Akin’s own party has abandoned him, and in addition to the vocal opposition being expressed in the media to his choice to stay in and run, massive amounts of funds are being stripped from his campaign effort to the tune of $5 million. While the GOP has decidedly distanced itself from Akin, what hasn’t yet crystallized is what the party’s strategy will be in the long run. This is a very important seat for the GOP, and with vulnerable Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill still behind in the polls, they feel as if they are in striking distance to possibly regain a majority in the Senate.
With the deadline for filing passed, they can no longer run another candidate on the Republican ticket, but they could prop up a write-in candidate they believe has the chops to stand up to McCaskill. But how smart of a strategy is that? Would that hypothetical candidate just split the vote with Akin, leaving McCaskill victorious? What strategies are being thrown around by GOP consultants? Is Akin still (somehow) their best shot?
Guests:
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican strategist and former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson
Darry Sragow, attorney and long time Democratic political strategist
Jimmy Kimmel to compete with late-show stalwarts in ABC ratings race
Late night show host Jimmy Kimmel is getting a new and improved time slot starting January 8. He’ll be head to head with Jay Leno and David Letterman, immediately following the evening news at 11:35 p.m.
“Kimmel is seen as the future at ABC … with both David Letterman and Jay Leno in their 60s, by repositioning Kimmel into the same time period, ABC sets up a situation where Kimmel … is the incumbent,” said Brian Lowry, media columnist and chief TV critic for Variety.
The late-night audience is seen as an important one even in the ever-fracturing television climate. Leno is the leader with 3.7-million nightly viewers followed by Letterman at 3 million, The “Daily Show” has 2.1 million and Jimmy Kimmel with a later timeslot receiving 1.8 million viewers.
Lowry doesn’t think that Kimmel’s show will change much in the earlier time slot but that he will stick to his core comedy routine.
The move is seen, to some, as a slap in the face to ABC News — whose prestigious news magazine, "Nightline," takes a backseat at 12:35 a.m., starting in March. Lowry believes that the move is not totally surprising as the “Nightline” brand doesn’t have as much clout as it did 10 years ago under the leadership of veteran journalist Ted Koppel.
The show will also get a one-hour primetime slot on a weekly basis.
Weigh In:
What’s the future of late night? And why are these ratings so important to the networks?
Guest:
Brian Lowry, media columnist and chief TV critic for Variety
'The Taste' of the Times features field to fork menus
The end of summer doesn’t only bring school back to session and cooler weather, but some of the very best fruits and vegetables of the year. And here in California, we have a lot to choose from.
To mark the changing season – and all that delicious produce – the LA Times is hosting a series of food-related events Labor Day Weekend. From cocktails and beer to LA’s best restaurants, the panels cover a variety of topics.
For all the home chefs out there, the first session focuses on farmers’ markets, and includes a panel of growers, and cooking challenge among local chefs. Seasonal produce, specialty vegetables and fruits, home-grown grains make for delicious, handcrafted meals.
What are your farmer’s market favorites this time of year? And what are the fruits and veggies you’re dying to try, but haven’t yet found the perfect recipe? LA Times food editor Russ Parsons and chef David LeFevre are in the house to answer your burning food questions.
Guests:
Russ Parsons, food editor for the Los Angeles Times
Chef David LeFevre of the restaurant Manhattan Beach Post, formerly of Downtown LA’s Water Grill
Does math education need a makeover?
Compared to other countries, American students test poorly when it comes to math aptitude. Over the last sixty years, the proportion of math majors has declined by half.
A professor at Duke University, Jacob Vigdor says the strict testing requirements are bad for all students. The math curriculum currently calls for students to start studying algebra in 8th grade, which puts them on a trajectory to take calculus in high school.
Vigdor says many 8th graders aren’t ready to hit do coefficients and variables and should keep studying math fundamentals. Because students and teachers are pushed to excel at standardized tests, the entire math education system is compromised.
Is a one-size-fits-all curriculum bringing standards down? How should math education change and adapt? Is it practical to adapt entire school students to accommodate different ability levels?
Guests:
Jacob Vigdor, Professor of Public Policy and Economics at Duke University
Gary Lorden, Professor of Mathematics, California Institute of Technology
Could cloud brightening curb global warming?
With drought increasing and temperatures rising, the realities of global warming are becoming starker by the year. Scientists are scrambling to find ways to put a chill on the increasing heat. And now, one idea that wasn’t taken seriously when it was first proposed in 1990 is getting some traction.
Cloud brightening is the concept of seeding clouds over the ocean so their droplet size and their surface area are increased. The increased cloud cover would reflect the sun’s rays away from the earth like a big mirror. Some climate models show this could offset the temperature increases created by the burning fossil fuels.
Now, a group of scientists has proposed that this idea is credible enough to start launching experiments.
Could cloud brightening save us from melting polar ice caps? Is it time that scientists start taking more drastic measures to combat warming? What are the possible unintended consequences of playing with nature on this level?
Guest:
Robert Wood, Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at University of Washington
The music of Mary Poppins is still Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
We’ve all heard it said that it’s a small world. But nobody has said it in as many languages as Richard and Robert Sherman.
They penned the seemingly immortal Disney song “It’s a Small World (After All),” said to be the most translated and most performed song ever. They first came to Walt Disney’s attention with their hit “Tall Paul,” which was a Top Ten hit for Mouseketeer Annette Funicello.
Disney commissioned them to write a song for his 1965 New York World’s Fair Pavilion; that song became the theme of the Disneyland attraction “It’s a Small World.” Their long list of film music credits includes “The Parent Trap,” “The Jungle Book,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “The Aristocats.” But the Sherman brothers are probably best known for their Oscar-winning music for Disney’s 1965 film “Mary Poppins.”
Nearly forty years later the film was reimagined as a musical, using the Sherman brothers’ original songs, which premiered in London’s West End, went on to Broadway, and is currently playing at the Ahmanson. The brothers continued working together up until Robert’s death earlier this year.
Richard Sherman joins Larry to talk about seeing Mary Poppins fly on Broadway and what it’s like to write songs for Mouseketeers, cartoon orangutans and dancing chimney sweeps.
Interview Highlights:
On the new stage production of Mary Poppins:
“I never cease to be moved when I see the audience go rapturizing about the whole thing. It’s just a fabulous feeling.”
On the song ‘Feed the Birds’ from Mary Poppins:
“There was one little song, we had a sketch of the song, called ‘Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag’ and I played it for him. And he [Walt Disney] said afterwards, ‘Play that bird lady thing again’ so I played the song for him. And he said ‘That’s what the whole story’s about, isn’t it.’ Mary Poppins comes in and teaches the father how to give love to his kids.”
On Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious:
“Let’s give them [the kids] a crazy word like the kind of words we made up when we were kids...So basically all we did is want to come up with a super colossal word.”
On Walt Disney as a boss:
“Walt was very, very wonderful about his creative people because he would let them have their head and then he would steer it afterwards. He would give us something and say ‘how do you feel about it?’, he didn’t tell us what to do.”
On casting Julie Andrews:
“A lot of people said oh she’s too lantern drawed, she’s not photographic, she’s very good for stage but Walt was unafraid of that. He said she’s perfect. She has a terrific attitude, she’s gorgeous, she’s right.”
On the partnership with his brother, Robert Sherman:
“He’d come in from one direction and I from another. I was the exhuberant outward person, Bob was more interior. But he had a lot of gravitas, depth to things and I had a lot of the fun. We sort of blended together. It was a very warm combination of things.”
On the song ‘It’s A Small World’:
“People either want to kiss us or kill us with this one.”
Guest:
Richard Sherman, award-winning songwriter who, along with his brother Robert Sherman wrote the music for Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and many others