Swine flu cases increase in LA County; The sliding dollar is helping American businesses; A medical study suggests that smoking bans work to decrease the risk of heart disease for non-smokers; It's FilmWeek on AirTalk. Larry and the critics discuss the week's new movies, including Where the Wild Things Are, Law Abiding Citizen, Black Dynamite, and New York, I Love You.
Swine flu ramping up
Outbreaks of the H1N1 virus are way up throughout California since the start of the school season. Local health officials from over half the counties are seeing unusually high numbers of patients with flu-like symptoms, with children and young adults the hardest hit. In the last week alone, nearly a hundred people have been hospitalized. H1N1 leads the pack, accounting for 95 percent of the cases reported.
Guest:
Dr. Jonathan Fielding, Director of Public Health and Health Officer, LA County Department of Public Health
Could a weak dollar help the economy?
The dollar's value against other currencies is at its lowest level in more than year, and is expected to fall in the coming months. While a weaker dollar may lead to inflation, it also is helping American companies compete overseas and is making domestic products cheaper than foreign ones. It could also boost tourism by foreign travelers, who may find visiting the U.S. a bargain. Larry Mantle looks at what the sliding dollar means for the economy.
Guest:
Albert "Pete" Kyle, Professor of Finance at University of Maryland
Thank you for not smoking
An Institute of Medicine study suggests that smoking bans in public places decrease heart disease in nonsmokers. In the years since many restaurants and bars have prohibited smoking, researchers sponsored by the Center for Disease control found nonsmokers had fewer heart attacks, suggesting that a reduction in secondhand smoke was the primary factor in the decrease.
Guests:
Dr. Lynn R. Goldman, a professor in the environmental health sciences department at Johns Hopkins University. She was chair of the committee that produced the report.
Jacob Sullum, senior editor of Reason Magazine and author of "For Your Own Good: The Anti-Smoking Crusade and the Tyranny of Public Health".
FilmWeek
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Claudia Puig of USA Today, Henry Sheehan of henrysheehan.com, and Charles Solomon of amazon.com discuss the week’s new film releases, including Where the Wild Things Are; Law Abiding Citizen, Black Dynamite; New York, I Love You; Visual Acoustics; Trucker; and Bronson.
Guests:
Claudia Puig, USA Today
Henry Sheehan, henrysheehan.com
Charles Solomon, amazon.com