Lobbyist Abramoff Pleads Guilty To Fraud; Workers Compensation Law Revisited; A Park For Downtown Los Angeles; Myelin And The Brain; Battlestar Galactica
Lobbyist Abramoff Pleads Guilty To Fraud
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff will plead guilty to federal charges in Washington and Miami, clearing the way for him to cooperate in a massive government investigation of influence peddling involving members of Congress, lawyers said Tuesday. As part of the deal, prosecutors filed conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion charges against the embattled lobbyist. The filing outlined lavish gifts and contributions that it said Abramoff gave an unnamed House member, identified elsewhere as Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Administration Committee, in return for Ney's agreement to use his office to aid Abramoff clients. Larry talks with Gail Chaddock, Congressional Correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.
Workers Compensation Law Revisited
California’s Democratic lawmakers would like to reverse some of the recent reforms made to the workers compensation law. Republican-backed changes made in 2003 and 2004, as well as changes made by Governor Schwarzenegger last year, have saved the state billions of dollars. But top democratic legislators say injured workers are no longer receiving the care they need to return to work. They have pledged to reverse some of the reforms beginning this session. Larry talks with Steve Maviglio, Spokesman for Democratic Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, Chuck Poochigian, Republican State Senator, and Peggy Sugarman, Executive Director for Voters Injured at Work.
A Park For Downtown Los Angeles
Included in the redevelopment project for Bunker Hill is a 16-acre civic park that would stretch from City Hall to the Music Center. The Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority has been developing a plan for this public space. Meanwhile, Martin Kaplan, an associate dean at the USC Annenberg School’s Norman Lear Center isn’t happy with the process, so his school created the “Grand Avenue Intervention” contest to develop alternate ideas for the park’s design. Now people are asking: should the park look like the Mall in Washington DC or more akin to the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris? How about including a nature preserve? Larry discusses some of the controversial new suggestions that emerged from this end-run around the planning process. Larry talks with Marty Kaplan, director of the Lear Center at the University of Southern California. He launched the “Grand Avenue Intervention”, a contest to solicit design idea for the park planned for the space between LA City Hall and the Music Center on Bunker Hill. He also talks with Bob Sipchen, an editor of the Current section of the Los Angeles Times, and City Councilwoman Jan Perry of the 9th District.
Myelin And The Brain
A new UCLA imaging study shows a strong relationship between the genetic predisposition for Alzeimer’s disease and breakdown of myelin, the fatty insulation coating the brain’s internal wiring. The findings suggest that genetic testing coupled with brain imaging may lead to the discovery of treatments for the prevention of Alzeimer disease. Larry Mantle talks with UCLA neuroscientist George Bartzokis about the study, and about the growing body of evidence showing the importance myelin plays in proper brain function.
Battlestar Galactica
From 1978 to 80, the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica aired on ABC but failed to find a mainstream audience. Twenty five years later, producers Donald Moore and David Eick teamed up to shoot a new version. They tapped Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell to play the leads. Time magazine called Battlestar Galactica the best show of 2005. It received three Emmy nominations and was the subject of a feature story in The New York Times magazine. This Friday, January 6th at 10pm, the show returns to the SciFi channel with the answer to a truly tense cliffhanger. Larry talks with one of the show’s creators, David Eick, and cast member Mary McDonnell.