Brewer To LAUSD: Buy Me Out; The Auto Bail-Out; Illinois Governor Arrested For Corruption; Piracy And Terrorism; Chicano Rock And Mexican American Mojo
Brewer To LAUSD: Buy Me Out
Bowing to pressure from the School Board, LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer says he'll leave his post, but only if the board honors the buyout clause in his contract of $500,000. Can the cash-strapped district afford these terms? And who will replace Brewer? Larry finds out from KPCC reporter, Adolfo Guzman Lopez, and David Menefee-Libey, professor of politics at Pomona College, and co-author of "Learning from L.A.: Institutional Change In American Public Education."
The Auto Bail-Out
Democrats in Congress have a proposal out for a bailout for the auto industry. It'll involve a Car Czar to force them to build fuel efficient vehicles. But with gas prices suddenly dropping from record highs to record lows, will that force them to build more cars that people don't want? Larry finds out the politics and business from Jack Shaw, Capitol Hill Reporter for Market News International and David Welch, Detroit Bureau Chief for Business Week. Then Larry asks KPCC's listeners: with gas prices coming down, what kind of car will you buy? Will you pay the premium for a hybrid with gas prices now so low? Larry finds out.
Illinois Governor Arrested For Corruption
U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald this morning announced federal corruption charges against Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris. Apparently, Blagojevich was caught on tape selling Barack Obama's Senate seat. Larry gets the latest from Ben Calhoun, political reporter for WBEZ, public radio in Chicago.
Piracy And Terrorism
The increase of well-funded, well-organized pirate brigades operating outside the nation-state system has shipping companies and multi-national naval forces scrambling to maintain control of a major shipping route. This year, pirates have attacked more than 90 vessels and seized more than 36, everything from ships carrying crude oil and chemicals to luxury yachts. Larry Mantle talks about the problem with Retired Marine Colonel G.I. Wilson, and Martin Murphy from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
Chicano Rock And Mexican American Mojo
What propelled the explosion of the vibrant post-war Chicano music culture in America and especially in Los Angeles? Larry Mantle talks with two experts who explore this question, one in print and the other in documentary form. Jon Wilkman has produced, written and directed a one-hour PBS documentary which tells the little known story of how young Mexican Americans in East Los Angeles, caught between two cultures, found their own identity through rock 'n' roll music. Anthony Macias is the author of a new book that examines the complexity of Mexican American urban culture in postwar Los Angeles as seen through the evolution of dance styles, nightlife and popular music.