Which Way, L.A.?
Subscribe to this Podcast:
Award-winning moderator Warren Olney leads lively. thoughtful and provocative discussion on the issues Southern Californians care about. Which Way. L.A.? draws from newsmakers around Los Angeles, the state, North America, and from around the world to present all sides of the issues.
RECENT SHOWS
Can Governor Schwarzenegger Slash the Payroll to Keep a Promise?
Legacy Player:
In the recall election against Gray Davis, Arnold Schwarzenegger promised to end the annual budget crisis once and for all. But once again this year there’s no state budget, and the revenue shortfall is 15 billion dollars. Schwarzenegger’s public opinion rating has dropped to 40% and the legislature’s is a lot lower than that. Now Schwarzenegger says he’s cutting the salaries of state workers—down to the federal minimum wage.
Alcohol is a 'Catastrophe' for California
Legacy Player:
A new study claims that one person dies every hour in California because of alcohol. The total economic cost is 38 billion dollars, 90% due to violent crimes. Traffic accidents account for just 20%. On Reporter’s Notebook, California’s mortgage-default rate has hit a record.
A Big New Park in a City that Needs Many More
Legacy Player:
Downtown Los Angeles has its first new park since 1895. It’s called Vista Hermosa, with a beautiful view of the steel-and-glass skyline. It’s ten and a half acres of open space and green technology but, among major American cities, LA remains last in accessible parkland especially in communities of color. Tonight, we’ll hear about the new park and how come there aren’t more like it.
Health Insurance: Will You Get What You Think You Paid For?
Legacy Player:
A health insurance policy cancelled just when you need it most is a nightmare come true. Blue Cross and Blue Shield will pay 13 million dollars to settle claims investigated by the Governor’s Department of Managed Health Care, but consumer groups claim that’s not enough for leaving policy-holders stuck with tens of thousands in medical bills.
The Politics of Energy in California
Legacy Player:
Seventy-eight percent of Californians are driving less, 68% are spending less--and substantial numbers are more willing than they used to be to consider nuclear power and even drilling for oil and gas off shore. Also tonight, there’s still no budget, but the legislature’s gone home. On Reporter’s Notebook, a 5-day strike at campuses of the University of California may end before the rest of the world knows it began.
Mayor Villaraigosa Speaks Out
Legacy Player:
The Mayor of Los Angeles was out of town for two out of four weeks last month, visiting Israel, supporting Barack Obama and raising money for his own re-election campaign next year. Tonight we’ll ask Antonio Villaraigosa how he’s tending to city business on gangs, underperforming schools, the LAPD and increasing fees for city services. We’ll also hear the latest on the IndyMac bank—now under an FBI investigation for fraud.
On the Streets of Los Angeles, It's Biker Beware
Legacy Player:
A Brentwood doctor faces felony charges in what the LAPD calls “road rage” against cyclists on Mandeville Canyon Road. In West Hollywood, the Sheriff’s bicycle detail says the streets are too narrow, and bikes may become legal on sidewalks—which they already are in LA. All over southern California, the price of gasoline is causing a run on vehicles that run on pedal power.
Another Battle in California’s Water Wars?
Legacy Player:
California voters may have one more measure on the November ballot: 9.3 billion dollars in water bonds proposed by Republican Governor Schwarzenegger and Democratic Senator Feinstein. But the Sierra Club says, let’s first spend the money approved in past elections. We’ll look at an increasingly urgent issue where the devil is always in the details. Also tonight, Pasadena’s IndyMac bank re-opens under federal control. Will depositors get their money?
Political Contributions: Where Does the Money Go?
Legacy Player:
Almost a half million dollars in political contributions have been used to help Democratic Senate leader Don Perata fend off a federal corruption probe. Former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez gave his chief of staff 100,000 dollars originally collected to campaign for ballot measures. Is it all legal? Should contributors have been told? On Reporter’s Notebook, has South Central Los Angeles gone undercover?
Does Los Angeles Need the Los Angeles Times?
Legacy Player:
Since the Chandler family sold out to the Chicago Tribune, the LA Times newsroom has become smaller and smaller. So has the coverage. Now the new owner, Sam Zell, needs to service big debt and 150 more editorial employees will be on the chopping block. Tonight, can the Times survive? Can LA survive without it?
Another Fiscal Year Starts Without a State Budget
Legacy Player:
It’s the same old story. Republicans want to cut programs, but they won’t say which ones. Democrats want to raise taxes, but they’re not specific, either. In the meantime, the deficit is 15 billion dollars and climbing. Voters don’t trust either side to make meaningful change. On Reporter’s Notebook, Bob’s Big Boy on Wilshire Boulevard will be no more.
July 4th Weekend: Fires and Sunscreen
Legacy Player:
Given the risks of burns, skin cancer and premature aging, nobody says don’t wear sunscreen. But a consumer research group says there’s a big difference between what some products claim to do and what they really accomplish. We’ll hear from the Environmental Working Group and from an industry scientist. We’ll also update the fires in Goleta and Big Sur…
The Curious Case of San Francisco’s Sanctuary Law
Legacy Player:
The entire Big Sur coastline has been evacuated by a fire one official calls “a big raging animal.” Tonight we’ll update the statewide crisis and ask what it’ll mean when fire season really gets under way. San Francisco--the “sanctuary city”—has been deporting undocumented juvenile convicts without telling federal officials. The Mayor wants to run for Governor. Will immigration politics get in his way? On Reporter’s Notebook, will IndyMac Bancorp of Pasadena—a national housing lender—go the way of Countrywide?
Child Obesity, Fast Foods and Healthy Nutrition
Legacy Player:
Councilwoman Jan Perry says there are too many fat kids in South Los Angeles. She wants to ban new fast-food stores in 32 square miles of the city...
Drivers: Get Ready to Put Down those Phones
Legacy Player:
Starting tomorrow, you can still listen to your car radio, but you can’t drive and talk on the phone at the same time if you’re holding the phone to your ear. Hands free technology is now required in the interests of safety, but is there really a difference? Also tonight, almost 1500 fires in 10 days -the latest on Northern California.
Digg
del.icio.us
Facebook
Technorati
StumbleUpon
Host
Considered the dean of Southern California broadcast journalists, Warren tackles the issues Southern Californians care about. Expanding that concept, To the Point deals with issues of national concern and is on air in most major metropolitan markets across the country. On any day, you’ll hear a fast-paced, news-based talk show featuring multiple perspectives on a single major issue, with Newsmaker and Reporters Notebook features, as well.
Show Comments or Concerns?
Email Warren Olney
Schedule
Live
Produced by
Tapes & Transcripts
A CD copy of Which Way L.A.? is a available by calling 1.888.600.5279.
Transcripts are not available.
Underwriters
Which Way L.A.? is made possible in part by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, and the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation, which supports study and research into policy issues of the Los Angeles region.
KCRW.com thanks our sponsor:
