Senate moves health bill forward, while the House takes up domestic partner benefits for federal employees. Miracle on the Hudson dissected. Then Jackie MacMullan's book with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson recalls one of the great rivalries in professional basketball.
Senate health care debate
The Senate blew by a Republican filibuster on its health care reform bill Saturday, in a 60-39 vote along party lines. Some moderate Democratic backers say they wished to move to a floor vote, but will oppose the bill so long as it includes a government-run health insurance plan. Will the bill pass? And what will it look like when back room deals are done?
Guests:
Mark Barabak, political correspondent for the L.A. Times
Chris Frates, health care reporter for Politico
House to debate domestic benefits bill
It could be the next step in the gay marriage debate: Last Thursday, a House panel passed the Domestic-Partner Benefits Bill (H.R. 2517). Under it, domestic benefits would extend to the partners of gay and lesbian federal employees. Supporters call it a step forward for equality; critics say it’s an affront to traditional marriage. The proposal now moves to the full House. Larry talks with lawmakers about the bill’s broader implications.
Guests:
Congressman Xavier Becerra, (D-CA)
Tom McClusky, Senior Vice President of FRC action, Family Research Council
Box office bonanza
The new installment of the “Twlight” series, “New Moon” took in a whopping $140.7 million domestically and $258.8 million worldwide, making it the third largest opening weekend of all time. But, it wasn’t just the Twilight series that did so well this weekend. Sandra Bullock’s new film, “The Blind Side” took in $34.5 million, much larger than expected. What does this say about the success of films in the coming weeks? Will the box office continue to be big this holiday season? Larry finds out.
Guest:
Paul Dergarabedian, President of the Hollywood.com Box office division and expert in box office tracking and analysis
"Miracle on the Hudson" dissected
Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger has been called a hero for his much-lauded “miracle” landing on the Hudson River. Not so fast, says William Langewiesche. The Vanity Fair international correspondent and former commercial pilot claims that Sully's feat would have been impossible without his co-pilot, a quick thinking air traffic controller, and a remarkable plane. He talks with Larry about the human skill and Airbus engineering that made U.S. Airways Flight 1549 a marvel, not a miracle.
Guest:
William Langewiesche, author of "Fly By Wire: The Geese, the Glide, and the Miracle of the Hudson” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). He is an international correspondent for Vanity Fair.
Bird & Magic look back
In "When the Game Was Ours," Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson collaborate with sportswriter Jackie MacMullan to reveal personal histories and detail what drove one of the great rivalries in professional basketball. Whether it was personality, playing style, or skin color, it seemed that Bird and Johnson had nothing in common. But the two shared a competitive spirit that brought out the best in each player, and created a bicoastal feud between Bird's Boston Celtics and Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers.
Guest:
Jackie MacMullan, sportswriter and author with Larry Bird and Earvin Magic Johnson of "When the Game Was Ours" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).