Homicide Rates Are Up in L.A.; Capitol Update; The National Intelligence Estimate and the Future of Iraq; CBS Apologizes
Homicide Rates Are Up in L.A.
There is a 4% rise in homicide rates this year, causing debate about how crime is being fought by both the Mayor and Chief Bratton. Curiously, the number of people struck by bullets has declined by 4%. Chief Bratton and criminologist Richard Rosenfeld join Host Larry Mantle to discuss the rise in homicide rates.
Capitol Update
Governor Schwarzenegger has appointed a Council of Economic Advisors, and he has vetoed two controversial bills. One bill would have raised the minimum wage, and the other would have required local governments to prepare economic impact reports before green-lighting the construction of big box stores. Larry Mantle talks with one of the newly appointed members of the governor's Council of Economic Advisors, Chapman University President Dr. James Doti. He also talks with Jean Ross of the California Budget Project, Sarah Lee of the California Chamber of Commerce, and Sacramento Bee political columnist Dan Walters.
The National Intelligence Estimate and the Future of Iraq
Information from a classified National Intelligence Estimate appeared in the press last week. It gives a pessimistic view of the situation in Iraq. Experts familiar with the content of the document say that it outlines the current situation as being the best case scenario and that there is no strategy for making things better in the increasingly-violent post-Saddam Iraq. Host Larry Mantle talks with guests about the latest degradation in the security situation in Iraq. What is happening? Will the country devolve into civil war? And how will free and fair elections be conducted in January? Joining Larry Mantle is Joseph Cirincione of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Brian T. Kennedy, President of the Claremont Institute.
CBS Apologizes
CBS has apologized for using possibly forged memos during a 60 Minutes story which questioned President Bush's service in the National Guard. A larger question still remains: did the news organization make an honest mistake, or was its "oversight" politically motivated? Larry Mantle talks with Jonathan Taplin of USC's Annenberg School of Communication, and Tim Graham, Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.