Hurricane Weather In The Gulf; First Katrina, Now Rita; The Roberts Vote; Study Linking Asthma With Freeways; Basra Explodes; Gaza Update; The Environment Of The Arctic
Hurricane Weather In The Gulf
NOAA research meteorologist Stan Goldenberg joins Larry Mantle to talk about why this season’s hurricanes in the Gulf have been so violent.
First Katrina, Now Rita
With their infrastructure already shattered by Hurricane Katrina, now the Gulf States are bracing for Rita, another powerful storm that promises 155 mile per hour winds and more flooding and destruction. Larry talks to Chris Axtman, reporter for the Christian Science Monitor, who has been traveling throughout the region. She arrived this morning in Galveston, Texas.
The Roberts Vote
How are the Democratics expected to vote for John Roberts? How will Robert’s expected confirmation affect President Bush’s next nominee, the justice to replace Sandra Day O’Connor? Larry talks with Gail Chaddock, Sr. Congressional Correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor.
Study Linking Asthma With Freeways
Larry Mantle talks with lead author of the study, and associate professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, James Gauderman about the study that found that children that live close to Southern California freeways have a greater risk of being diagnosed with asthma.
Basra Explodes
Tension is building in Basra, a city of about 1.5 million that has been spared much of the violence gripping the rest of the country. Militiamen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr took to the streets Saturday demanding the release of a local al-Mahdi Army commander. Then, on Sunday, an Iraqi journalist working for The New York Times was killed after men claiming to be police officers took him from his home. In a related incident, British forces used armored vehicles to break into a Basra jail to free two of their colleagues, but Iraqi authorities denounced the operation as ``very unfortunate.'' The Iraqis said the British soldiers were detained Monday after opening fire on police in the southern city, killing one officer. A government spokesman, however, said Tuesday that the men, wearing civilian clothes, were arrested because they were “acting very suspiciously'' and trying to gather information. Larry Mantle talks about the volatile situation in Basra with Peter Khalil, an analyst with Eurasia Group, a consulting firm that focuses on political-risk analysis for industry research about Mid-East policy.
Gaza Update
A week after the Israeli pullout from Gaza, and the Palestine authority has found it difficult to impose order. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is facing a no-confidence vote in parliament. Hamas, meanwhile, is parading its private army in the streets. Will the Palestinian authority succeed in Gaza? Larry talks to Ziad Asali , President of the American Task Force on Palestine, and a non-partisan organization dedicated to bringing about lasting peace and stability in the Middle East by establishing the state of Palestine alongside Israel, and Ken Ellingwood, Los Angeles Times staff writer in Gaza.
The Environment Of The Arctic
Larry Mantle talks with L.A. Times Environmental Reporter Marla Cone about her new book, Silent Snow: The Slow Poisoning of the Arctic. Cone was awarded a major grant to travel the Arctic from Greenland to the Aleutian Islands to study the deteriorating environment.