Phil Spector Trial; We're Number One! - In Traffic Jams; Interest Rate Cut and Alan Greenspan; James Conlon
Phil Spector Trial
Larry Mantle discusses the latest news about the Phil Spector trial. The jury is split 7 to 5 on whether Spector is guilty of second-degree murder. The judge in the case is deciding whether or not the jury should decide on a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. Joining Larry to discuss the trial is Jean Rosenbluth from the USC School of Law.
We're Number One! - In Traffic Jams
According to a study released by the Texas Transportation Institute yesterday, Los Angeles and Orange County drivers spent an average of 72 hours in rush hour traffic in 2005, marking a 20 hour increase since 1985. Nationally, Los Angeles and Orange Counties have placed No. 1 in traffic congestion for 23 of the last 24 years, although the Inland Empire and Ventura County are rapidly catching up. Larry talks with the co-author of the study, a representative from SCAG, and takes listener calls about why we do sit through so many traffic delays, and what can be done about it.
Interest Rate Cut and Alan Greenspan
Stocks rose dramatically yesterday, following the Federal Reserve's decision to cut interest rates by half a percentage point. Many see the rate cut as a positive reaction to the summer's market plunge, although there is continued concern over possible inflation and an overall shaky economy. Up until about 20 months ago, it was former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan's job to decide whether to raise or lower interest rates. Greenspan, a conservative who is a polarizing figure among republicans and democrats, has just released a book entitled The Age of Turbulence, in which he is highly critical of the economic policies of the Bush administration. Larry talks with experts about what yesterday's rate cuts mean for the U.S. economy, as well as Greenspan's criticism of the government's current economic policies.
James Conlon
Larry talks with the Music Director for the Los Angeles Opera, James Conlon about the Opera's current season.