Breaking down President Obama's State of the Union address with lawmakers and policy experts. High speed rail in California. An update on the Prop. 8 trial. Toyota halts vehicle sales and expands recalls. Later, Richard Reeves on the daring young men of the Berlin Airlift.
Obama delivers State of the Union address
His focus was job creation and economic growth, but President Obama outlined many policy goals in first State of the Union address last night, including expanding nuclear power, overturning the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, and freezing discretionary spending beginning in 2011. How successful will he and Congressional Democrats be in implementing these goals? Is there any hope for health care? What did you like--or dislike--about the President's message? Was his criticism of the Washington political process appropriate or disingenuous? We break down President Obama's State of the Union address with lawmakers and policy experts.
California gets a big chunk of stimulus funds for high speed rail
California will receive $2.25 billion from the federal government to fund a high-speed rail line between Anaheim and San Francisco. The state has promised to match federal grants dollar-for-dollar, in addition to a $10 billion bond measure approved by voters. How soon might we be zipping from Disneyland to the Golden Gate bridge? Larry Mantle looks at the future of high-speed rail in California.
Guest:
Speaker Karen Bass, California State Assembly
Richard Katz, serves on the boards of Los Angeles Metro, MetroLink and the High Speed Rail Authority; former state legislator
Testimony ends in Prop. 8 trial
Testimony concluded yesterday in the federal trial on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage. Both sides in the case now have until February 26 to file post-trial documents, after which closing arguments will be scheduled. Larry Mantle discusses the final testimony of the case, which supporters of both sides expect to be appealed until it reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.
Guest:
Bob Egelko, reporter, covering the Prop. 8 trial for the San Francisco Chronicle
Toyota halts vehicle sales
Toyota is stopping the sale and production of eight of its models, including the Camry and Corolla, over concerns that gas pedals can get stuck and cause out-of-control acceleration. The faulty gas pedals are blamed for at least 19 deaths and scores of injuries over the past decade. Larry Mantle finds out how Toyota is addressing the problem as well as the options available for owners of affected vehicles.
Guests:
David Welch, Detroit Bureau Chief for Bloomberg BusinessWeek
Ken Bensinger, Business staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. He has been investigating safety concerns with Toyota and Lexus vehicles since September 2009.
Food in flight: Berlin Airlift
World War II officially ended in 1945, but with a power vacuum in Germany and increasingly aggressive Soviet Union, in 1948 President Harry Truman ordered fighter pilots back to Berlin—this time with food, not bombs. Richard Reeves profiles the Americans who flew over Soviet blockades, shuttling supplies in a mission known as the Berlin Airlift. He takes with Larry Mantle about his book, Daring Young Men.
Guests:
Richard Reeves, author of "Daring Young Men: the Heroism and Triumph of the Berlin Airlift: June 1948-May 1949" (Simon & Schuster).