The latest on the arrest of director Roman Polanski; Larry talks to Bruce Lisker, who spent 26 years behind bars for the murder of his mother before his conviction was overturned last month; Did officials underestimate the Station fire?; News about Iran's long-range missile tests; A look at plans for NASA's next frontier: Mars.
Roman Polanski arrested in Switzerland
Director Roman Polanski was arrested in Zurich last weekend on a warrant from the L.A. County district attorney's office. Since 1978 Polanski his lived in France, protected from extradition to the United States due to his guilty plea in a child sex case. Larry Mantle finds out what's next for the film director.
Bruce Lisker's legal odyssey
An LA judge has dismissed the murder case against Bruce Lisker after prosecutors said they don’t have the evidence to try him for the 1983 murder of his mother. Lisker spent 26 years behind bars before a federal judge in August overturned his conviction, ruling that he had been prosecuted with "false evidence." The judge's findings mirrored those of a 2005 LA Times investigation. Larry talks with the LA Times' writers and Bruce Lisker about the long legal odyssey, which ultimately led to his freedom.
Guests:
Bruce Lisker
Matt Lait, staff writer, Los Angeles Times
Scott Glover, staff writer, Los Angeles Times
Station fire underestimated?
Records show the fire officials scaled back their efforts battling the Station fire before it intensified. Did the U.S. Forest Service and the L.A. County Fire Department miscalculate the severity of the fire? Larry Mantle examines the decision-making process and looks at plans for better preparedness.
Guest:
Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times staff writer
Iran tests advanced missiles
Just days after Iran revealed the existence of a second uranium enrichment plant, the country's Revolutionary Guard has tested its most advanced long-range missiles, capable of striking Israel and U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf. Larry Mantle finds out about the developments ahead of plans for a meeting this Thursday between Iran and six other countries.
Guests:
Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University, and Co-Director of the Iran Democracy Project at the Hoover Institution
Deepti Choubey, Deputy Director, Carnegie Non-Proliferation Program
One way ticket to Mars?
40 years ago man first set foot on the moon. Ever since then, advocates of manned space exploration have had their eyes on the next logical destination...the planet Mars. But the technological challenges of going to Mars are much, much greater. Any voyage would take over a year. The radiation encountered in interplanetary space would probably doom the astronauts to a short lifespan. And the costs would be, well, astronomical. But the single biggest hurdle isn't, surprisingly, getting to Mars. It's getting back. Now some are suggesting a one-way journey, where NASA would continue to rocket supplies to Mars for the lifetime of the astronaut volunteers who would establish a base and live out the remainder of their lives doing science on the surface of Mars. Sounds crazy, but some are seriously advocating for the idea.
Guest:
Lawrence Krauss, Director of the Origins Initiative at Arizona State University