Presidential Campaign Update; National Counter-Terrorism Academy; Paparazzi Culture; FilmWeek Reviews
Presidential Campaign Update
There's no such thing as no news in the Presidential campaign. Former Democratic Presidential candidate, Gov. Bill Richardson, endorses Senator Barack Obama this morning. A new poll finds that 1 in 5 Democrats would rather vote for John McCain than either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. And according to the Rasmussen Reports, McCain currently leads in a match-up against either Democratic candidate. Larry opens the phones and asks AirTalk listeners to weigh in with their thoughts on where the race stands now.
National Counter-Terrorism Academy
On March 10 the Manhattan Institute Vice President for Policy Research Howard Husock, along with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief William Bratton launched the pilot program of the National Counter-Terrorism Academy for state and local law enforcement. It's the first of its kind in the country. The academy is a partnership between the LAPD and the Center for Policing Terrorism at the Manhattan Institute, and will give state and local police officers training in counter-terrorism. The pilot class will run through July 30, and will bring counterterrorism training to nearly 70 students from more than 27 public agencies throughout the states of California and Nevada. The LAPD plans to expand the academy to include students from across the country and around the world. Larry Mantle talks to LAPD Deputy Chief Michael Downing, and Tim Connors of the Manhattan Institute.
Paparazzi Culture
Troubled pop star Britney Spears seems to be getting her life together, but does that mean the paparazzi will keep their distance? Not likely. Her downward spiral has made millions of dollars for the tabloids, websites, and photographers who follow her 24/7. Larry talks with paparazzo Nick Stern and with Atlantic Monthly writer David Samuels who wrote about the "snappers" who follow Spears. Both will explain how today's paparazzi work, their history, and how they plan to keep cashing in on our fascination with celebrity scandals.
FilmWeek Reviews
Larry and critics Andy Klein, of CityBeat, and Claudia Puig, of USA Today, review some of the week's new feature films including "Drillbit Taylor," "The Grand," "The Hammer," and "Under the Same Moon," as well as the documentaries "Fighting for Life" and "'Tis Autumn."