405 Carpool Lane Funded; Preschool Space For California's Children; LAUSD District 7 Election; Are Democrats In Congress Trying To Thwart California Redistricting?; Brain Researcher Antonio Damasio
405 Carpool Lane Funded
One week after L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa went to Sacramento to lobby for more transportation money, state officials have recommended that funds be earmarked for a carpool lane on the 405 Freeway. The project will receive $730 million and the widening project on the 5 Freeway will receive $387 million. However some transportation projects were cut from the list, including the 605-10 Freeway interchange. Carol Inge, Chief Planning officer for the MTA; Director of Countywide Planning and Development for the MTA David Yale; and Norm King, Director of the Leonard University Transportation Center at CSU San Bernardino join Larry to discuss the issue.
Preschool Space For California's Children
Though the "Preschool for All" initiative was defeated by California voters last year, there is still public support for making preschool accessible to our children. One of the issues that remains to be addressed is whether the state has enough facilities for all preschoolers. Larry talks with Molly Munger, co-director of The Advancement Project, about the organization's recent examination of California's preschool space challenge.
LAUSD District 7 Election
Four of the LAUSD's seven board seats are up for election in March. Larry talks with the three candidates running to replace Mike Lansing for the District 7 seat, which includes Lomita, Carson, Gardena, and surrounding areas. The District 7 candidates are Public Schools Advocate Jesus M. Escandon, Educator Neal B. Kleiner, and retired LAUSD Superintendent Dr. Richard A. Vladovic.
Are Democrats In Congress Trying To Thwart California Redistricting?
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is spearheading a movement to discourage Democrats in the California legislature from supporting a redistricting effort backed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Governor supports a plan to redraw the state's congressional and legislative districts. Congressional Democrats don't want to risk their majority status, which could occur if California districts are redrawn. Larry talks with Cynthia Bryant, Governor Schwarzenegger's Deputy Chief of Staff; Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren; and Raphael Sonenshein, Professor of Political Science at CSU Fullerton.
Brain Researcher Antonio Damasio
Larry talks with renowned scientist, Antonio Damasio, whose Brain and Creativity Institute at USC is entering its second year. Damasio's research group has begun to produce major papers. His study showing that smokers who experience damage in a specific part of the brain suddenly stop smoking will appear in Science. Damasio's work that finds patients with certain types of frontal lobe lesions lose the ability to make compassionate moral judgments will appear in the journal, Nature. Larry talks with Damasio about his work and the goals of USC's Brain and Creativity Institute.