Times Square bombing suspect arrested. Study finds that human growth hormone makes you faster. California's high speed rail plan lacks funds. LA to close hundreds of marijuana dispensaries. And Molly Ringwald talks about getting the pretty back in life.
Suspect in Times Square bomb attempt arrested
Attorney General Eric Holder announced last night that federal authorities have picked up a suspect in this weekend’s car-bombing attempt in Times Square. Faisal Shahzad, the Connecticut naturalized citizen who owned the vehicle used in the botched bombing was at Kennedy airport on a plane bound for Dubai. Was the failed bombing part of a larger plot? Are any international terror groups involved? And how are New Yorkers taking the news of this latest brush with terror?
Guests:
Tina Susman, LA Times reporter covering the story from New York
Randy Parson, Los Angeles FBI former Special Agent in charge of counter-terrorism
Human growth hormone boosts sprint speeds
New research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine finds that injections of human growth hormone can boost sprint capacity in athletes. The study, funded by the World Anti-Doping Agency, reports that while strength and power were unaffected, human growth hormone improved the sprint capacity in men and women by 3.9 percent over a placebo group. When results in track competitions come down to fractions of a second, it's enough to make a last-place sprinter the winner. And while the substance cannot be detected in urine, it can be found in a blood sample if a test is performed within a few days of use. Should athletic organizations start testing for human growth hormone?
Guest:
Gary I. Wadler, M.D., internist with special expertise in the field of drug use in sports. He is the lead author of the textbook "Drugs and the Athlete." Dr. Wadler currently serves as the Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Prohibited List and Methods Sub-Committee and serves as an ex-officio member of WADA’s Health, Medicine, and Research Committee
Bullet train stuck at the station? Report shows high speed rail plan inadequately funded
In 2008, voters passed Prop. 1A, a $9 billion bond to launch the largest infrastructure project in the state’s history: a 200-plus mph bullet train to connect California’s largest cities. Planning is now under way for the first legs—from LA to Anaheim and from San Jose to San Francisco. But there’s a catch: it’s ultimately going to cost $42 billion and the High Speed Rail Authority hasn’t secured the Federal and private matching funds it will need to complete the project. And a report from the Joint Legislative Audit Committee warns the system may never be finished under current plans. What’s the key to getting the train completed? Or is it a boondoggle that should be stopped now?
Guests:
Elaine Howle, California State Auditor
Curt Pringle, Mayor of Anaheim, Chairman of the California High Speed Rail Authority
LA begins crack down on illegal pot shops
Los Angeles is starting to take action against hundreds of medical marijuana outlets across the city that don't conform to recently approved regulations. The City Attorney’s office plans to send cease-and-desist letters as early as today, ordering illegal dispensaries to shut down by June 7. That’s when the ordinance regulating LA’s pot shops, signed last week by Mayor Villaraigosa, takes effect. Twenty-one collectives have sued the city to block enforcement of the new law, but city officials are moving forward. What happens on June 8, if operators refuse to comply? And how will the City test and regulate the quality of cannabis dispensed by legitimate collectives?
Guests:
Jane Usher, Special Assistant to Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich
Joe Elford, Chief Counsel, Americans for Safe Access Now
David Lampach, co-founder, Steep Hill Lab in Oakland, CA, an independently owned and operated Medical Cannabis screening facility
Molly Ringwald’s still Pretty in Pink
You know her best as the ultimate adolescent, star of the John Hughes trifecta—Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. Now, Molly Ringwald is back with a book that combines personal reflections with the kind of advice most often whispered confidentially in ladies’ rooms. Molly Ringwald is in the house, talking with Larry about her career and tips for aging gracefully in her book, Getting the Pretty Back: Friendships, Family and Finding the Perfect Lipstick. We'll also sneak a listen to Ringwald singing "Exactly Like You," from her forthcoming jazz album.
Guest:
Molly Ringwald, author of Getting the Pretty Back: Friendships, Family, and Finding the Perfect Lipstick (It Books / an imprint of Harper Collins); she is also an actress and singer.
The Molly Ringwald Quintet will be performing at the Sacramento Jazz Festival & Jubilee on Saturday, May 29.