Bush Press Conference; Grand Avenue Project is Approved; Latino Assimilation; Credit Cards for Illegal Immigrants; The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers
Bush Press Conference
Bush held his first press conference of the year this morning, as the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives debated a measure opposing his decision to send some 21,500 additional troops to Iraq. At the press conference, the President shrugged off the congressional debate on his Iraq policy, noting that the measure was nonbinding and mostly symbolic. President Bush also said he's convinced that the Iranian government is supplying deadly weapons to fighters in Iraq, and said "I'm going to do something about it." Larry Mantle talks with Christian Science Monitor Washington Editor Peter Grier, who attended the press conference.
Grand Avenue Project is Approved
Larry talks with guests (Paul Novak, Planning Deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who represents the 5th district; Jan Perry, Los Angeles City Councilwoman representing the 9th district; Eli Broad, L.A. civic leader, philanthropist and co-chairman of the Grand Avenue Committee; Bill Witte, President of Related Companies of California) about the Downtown L.A. Grand Avenue Project.
Latino Assimilation
Governor Schwarzenegger has received some heat lately for comments he made last year about the integration of Mexicans into American culture. According to the LA Times he said "I made an effort...but Mexicans don't make that effort." Latino rights activists were angered, and anti-immigration activists were delighted, but is there any truth to his comment? Larry Mantle explores the issue with Professor Ali Modarres from the Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles.
Credit Cards for Illegal Immigrants
51 branches of Bank of America throughout Los Angeles County will offer credit cards to Spanish-speaking immigrants who may not have social security numbers, angering critics of illegal immigration. Larry Mantle and guests (Ira Mehlman, Media Director, Federation for American Immigration Reform; Katherine Mangu-Ward, columnist and associate editor at Reason magazine; Raphael Bostic, Professor of Real Estate and Urban Economics at USC's School of Policy, Planning, and Development) talk about the pros and cons of the program soon to go national.
The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers
We buy more flowers than Big Macs, so it's no surprise that there is a $40 billion global industry devoted to making flowers flawless. In her new book Flower Confidential (Algonquin Books), author Amy Stewart takes us inside the flower trade - from the hybridizers, who create new varieties in the laboratory, to the growers, who produce flowers by the millions, to the Dutch auctioneers who set the bar and the prices, and ultimately to the neighborhood florists who cater to the ever-increasing demands of consumers on Valentine's and Mother's Day. Amy Stewart joins Larry Mantle from the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle to talk about her new book and the business of flowers.