Rain continues to pummel Southern California. The top news stories of 2010. Los Angeles' rich history told in maps. Jerry Brown plans to shut Office of Inspector General. How does one define rich? The neuroscience of magic.
Storms continue to hammer region – what’s the fallout?
As monster storms continue to pound the Southland, hillsides have collapsed, roads are denuded with mud, evacuations have been ordered and several dramatic rescues have occurred. Rain will continue through tonight, and not only that – thunderstorms, hail and possible tornadoes are also in the forecast. What areas will be hardest hit?
Guests:
Frank Garrido, LA County Fire Captain
Mike Harris, Public Information Officer with the California Highway
Shirley Jahad, KPCC reporter covering flooding and street closures in Laguna Beach
David Wert, Public Information Officer with San Bernadino County
Top stories of 2010
The Gulf oil spill, health care overhaul, the midterm elections and the Tea Party movement were a few of the top stories that filled web browsers and the airwaves this year. There was tragedy, with the Haitian earthquake in January that killed at least 230,000 and left millions more homeless. The recession officially ended, but unemployment remains above 9 percent and the housing market remains soft. Wikileaks kept the blogosphere going with arguments about whether Julian Assange, the website’s founder, is a hero or a villain for publishing classified documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention secret and embarrassing diplomatic cables. And then there was the miraculous, feel-good story of the 33 trapped Chilean miners, who spent 69 days underground last August but were finally rescued one-by-one in front of an entranced global audience. What, to you, were the most important stories of the year? How did they impact you? And what stories didn’t get the attention they deserved?
Los Angeles’ rich history told in maps
Los Angeles has a storied past, but in a city of so much change and growth, a lot of that history seems to get swept away and rebuilt. The good news is there’s a treasure trove of L.A.’s history under the care of Glen Creason, the map librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library, that’s alive and well. Creason’s new book, “Los Angeles in Maps,” shows us 70 reproductions of historic documents – providing snapshots of topographic surveys, tourist guides, real estate maps, aerial views, and sprawl and growth that helps us understand how what came before informs who we are today. How have you seen L.A. change during your lifetime? What can maps show us about our history that we don’t know?
Guest
Glen Creason, Map Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library; author of Los Angeles in Maps
Brown gives Chick the boot & plans to shut Office of Inspector General
Governor-elect Jerry Brown says California’s $28-billion budget short fall demands drastic cuts in spending. One of the first items on the chopping block is the state’s Office of Inspector General, which Brown is eliminating, according to a statement released Monday. Headed up by L.A.’s former City Controller Laura Chick, the watchdog office has been in charge of overseeing the spending of $50-billion in federal stimulus funds. Brown’s office said the operation is redundant and closing it will save the state’s General Fund more than $700,000. But Chick argues the Capitol needs more oversight, not less. Given the severity of the state’s budget crisis, is this a good move by Brown? Or might it cost Californians more, in the end? What will come of the six remaining audits Chick’s office is still working on?
Guest:
Laura Chick, California Inspector General
How does one define rich? – and by the way, if you have to ask, you’re probably not
During his presidential election campaign, then candidate Obama stated that couples with incomes less than $250,000 would not be subjected to tax increases. This income level became a focal point for debate over what defined the middle class. It came up again in the compromise on extending the Bush-era tax cuts. Either way, it’s easy to say “tax the rich,” but when does one stop being middle class and start being wealthy? In Butte, Montana, if you’re a single person making $250,000, you’re rich. But in San Francisco, if you’re supporting a family with three kids, mortgage payments, medical bills, and college loans, not so much. So what are the criteria for defining “rich?” And when does someone cross that threshold from financially comfortable, to sitting pretty?
The neuroscience of magic
There’s a lot more to magic than pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Fooling the eye and the brain is an exercise in neuroscience and the techniques used in magic tricks can be hijacked by hucksters for more nefarious purposes. But the study of these same skills also gives us insight into how the brain works and may help us understand autism or improve education. Scientist Stephen L. Macknik magically appears in studio to talk with Larry about his new book, “Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions.”
Guest:
Stephen Macknik, co-author of Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions