A roundup of the regional and national elections, and a talk with GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Campbell. Next, California lawmakers reach a water deal. Nicholas Christakis discusses the power of degrees of separation and his book "Connected."
National election results
Republicans claimed gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia yesterday, while Democrats picked up a traditionally Republican House seat in New York. In California, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi won the 10th District's open Congressional seat. Are the GOP gains a referendum of the Obama administration?
Guests:
Robert McCartney, Washington Post Columnist
Mark Barabak, political correspondent for the L.A. Times
Tom Campbell: GOP candidate for governor
He's a former Congressman and the former dean of the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley. He'd like his next job title to be Governor of California. But he's got less than $1 million in his campaign war chest...against millionaire Steve Poizner and billionaire Meg Whitman. Can Campbell overcome the money challenges and defeat his rivals for the Republican nomination? And then what about going head-to-head with Jerry Brown, currently the only major contender for the Democrats?
Guest:
Tom Campbell, candidate for Governor
California approves landmark water legislation
Sacramento lawmakers worked through the night to approve an overhaul of the state's water system. The comprehensive package includes measures to improve conservation, restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and manage groundwater supplies, as well as an $11 billion water bond. Critics of the historic bills say they don’t go far enough and that the water bond will be a financial disaster for California. Larry wades through the pros and cons with stakeholders and environmental activists.
Guests:
Julie Small, KPCC Sacramento reporter
Barry Nelson, Senior Water Policy Analyst, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
Steven Evans, Conservation Director, Friends of the River
S. David Freeman, interim General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Mike Wade, Executive Director, California Farm Water Coalition
Connected: the power of social networks
Could someone you've never met influence your happiness or cause you to gain weight? In “Connected,” Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler say yes. The authors argue that friends of friends can profoundly alter our health and behavior, even if we’ve never met them. Nicholas Christakis talks with Larry about social networks and how they can impact things like voting behavior, nut allergies, and even suicide prevention.
Guest:
Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, co-author of "Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives" (Little, Brown, and Co.). He is a professor at Harvard University with joint appointments in the Departments of Health Care Policy, Sociology, and Medicine. In 2009 he was named on of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.