The California Coastal Commission; North Korea Update; The Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions; John Charles Fremont
The California Coastal Commission
A state appeals court in Sacramento just ruled that the California Coastal Commission is in violation of the state constitution, apparently because the Legislature has the power to appoint and remove the commissioners with a vote, who have executive power. The California Coastal Commission has thirty days to appeal the decision or to devise a way to comply with the order handed down by the Third District Court of Appeals. Joining host Larry Mantle to talk about what has happened and what this means are Gary Dehlson, a staff writer at the Sacramento Bee's Capitol Bureau, and Shirley Detloff, a California Coastal Commissioner appointed by Senator Burton.
North Korea Update
Larry Mantle talks with Time Magazine's Donald McIntyre about the latest developments in North Korea. Then, Thomas Henricksen, from StanfordÍs Hoover Institution, joins Larry to discuss the history of North Korea.
The Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions
Ben Mezrich went underground with the infamous M.I.T. blackjack team to observe how they beat the house to win millions in Las Vegas. Mezrich joins Larry Mantle to discuss his new book, Bringing Down The House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas For Millions (Free Press). It tells the true story of six M.I.T. students who turned into high rollers on weekends, using a sophisticated card counting system that the casinos in Vegas simply couldn't figure out.
John Charles Fremont
Most people living in California think of John Fremont as the Army Major who helped to annex California into the Union. Yet, Fremont was a man with many interests, documented by historian and journalism professor Tom Chaffin in his new book, PATHFINDER: John Charles Fremont and the Course of American Empire (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). Tom Chaffin joins host Larry Mantle to discuss the life of John Charles Fremont.