Congress reaches a deal on sweeping financial reform bill. Then, without an extension of federal unmployment benefits, what's next for the jobless? And TGI-FilmWeek! Guest host David Lazarus and the critics review the week's new releases, including Knight and Day, Grown-Ups, The Killer Inside Me, Restrepo, and Let It Rain. Later, actress Pam Grier looks back on her life in three acts.
House and Senate lawmakers reach deal on financial reform
After two weeks of negotiations, members of a House and Senate conference committee have reached an agreement on measures to regulate the country's financial system. The bill would create an independent consumer protection bureau, limit the types of derivatives that banks could trade, and grant the government power to seize and dismantle firms on the verge of collapse. Congress is expected to approve the bill next week, making it the most far-reaching set of financial reforms since the Great Depression. What measures were included or left out of the bill, and will it be enough to reform Wall Street?
Guest:
Jamie Court, President of Consumer Watchdog and author of "Corporateering: How Corporate Power Steals Your Personal Freedom...And What You Can Do About It"
Senate unemployment extension bill fails - what now?
Senate Republicans and a lone Democratic Senator have blocked a bill that would have extended long-term jobless aid for the nation’s unemployed. According to the National Employment Law Project, 1.2 million Americans will lose their benefits by the end of the month if Congress does not act. The $112 billion measure also would have increased Medicaid reimbursements to states and provided extra cash to California and others. What happens now for the 12.4% of unemployed Californians? Are you unemployed? How do you manage? Are you going to hit the limit on your unemployment check?
iPhone 4 cometh
Apple fanatics arrived in droves at Apple stores everywhere on Thursday to get their hands on the coveted iPhone 4. Some even camped out for hours just to own the gadget. Thanks to tech-critic buzz surrounding the phone, it was a hit before it hit shelves. New features include the drool-worthy FaceTime app that allows you to “video chat” with the phone’s high-res camera and iMovie lets you edit video clips that can immediately be uploaded to YouTube. Plus, it’s now the thinnest – and sleekest – smart phone in the world. How does it perform at making calls? Can iPhone 4 possibly live up to all the hype? And, has Steve Jobs created the next cultural phenomenon?
Guest:
David Sarno, Los Angeles Times technology reporter
FilmWeek
Guest host David Lazarus and KPCC film critics Jean Oppenheimer and Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com discuss the week’s new film releases including Knight and Day, Grown-Ups, The Killer Inside Me, Restrepo, and Let It Rain among others. TGI-FilmWeek! Later, Pam Grier is here with Larry.
Guests:
Jean Oppenheimer, FilmWeek critic Henry Sheehan, KPCC and henrysheehan.com film critic Live tweeting this week's reviews:
Pam Grier lets her hair down
Larry talks with actress Pam Grier about her candid new memoir detailing her life and career. She shares her thoughts on being a “Blaxploitation” star, (describing herself as “Chekhov in a wet T-shirt!”), working with Roger Corman and Quentin Tarantino, remembers her relationships with Richard Pryor, Freddie Prinze and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and talks openly about her childhood and her battle with cancer.
Guest:
Pam Grier, actress and author of "Foxy: My Life In Three Acts" (Springboard Press). Her movies include Foxy Brown, Coffy, Sheba Baby and Jackie Brown. Your purchase on Amazon supports KPCC