CHINESE NEW YEAR PARADES KEEP FALUN GONG OUT; HOW THE WORLD’S LARGEST COMPANY REALLY WORKS; FILMWEEK
CHINESE NEW YEAR PARADES KEEP FALUN GONG OUT
Organizers of Saturday’s Chinese New Year Parades in Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley will exclude the controversial sect Falun Gong from participating in the parades saying there is no room for groups such as Falun Gong, which China contends is an "evil cult" that aims to overthrow the Beijing government. The group, which is outlawed in China, has been barred by sponsors of the Feb. 11 events that draw thousands of people and cap a celebration of the Chinese New Year, which began Sunday. Larry Mantle talks with guests from both sides of the issue.
HOW THE WORLD’S LARGEST COMPANY REALLY WORKS
In his new book The WalMart Effect, business journalist and Fast Company senior editor Charles Fishman offers interviews with former Wal-Mart executives, workers and current suppliers putting readers inside the company’s penny-pinching mindset for reducing prices while giving a balanced approach to the WalMart story. Fishman likens the retail giant to US Steel or Standard Oil, calling its impact transformational, as the company’s success forces America to confront basic questions about what it values: freedom of business to devise how to serve customers, or good jobs for American citizens.
FILMWEEK
Larry Mantle and critics Jean Oppenheimer of New Times and Andy Klein, film editor and chief critic for both CityBeat and ValleyBeat discuss this week's new releases, including Something New, A Good Woman, Manderlay, and FAQs as well as The World's Fastest Indian and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, both getting a wider release this week. Ayuko Babu, Festival Director of the Pan African Film and Arts Festival, joins us for a preview.