Trouble on the Tracks for High-Speed Rail
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Making News
9th Circuit Asked to Allow Gay Marriages to Resume ()
The Obama Administration reversed course today and said it will no longer defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act in court. Based on that, lawyers challenging Prop 8—which makes same-sex marriage illegal in California-- have asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to speed up its deliberations.
Guests:
- Lisa Leff: Reporter, Associated Press, @scoopscout
Main Topic
Trouble on the Tracks for High-Speed Rail ()
Some states are returning federal money for high-speed rail, claiming it’s a boondoggle that taxpayers can’t afford. In California, even some supporters have their doubts now that the first segment is scheduled for the Central Valley—far from the terminals in LA and San Francisco. Tonight, we’ll hear about a plan to replace political appointees who make the decisions with experts in all the specialties involved.
Guests:
- Alan Lowenthal: Chairman, State Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
- Quentin Kopp: Chairman, California High Speed Rail Authority Board
Reporter's Notebook
Caltech Basketball Team Wins ()
It’s been a dramatic season for Cal Tech’s basketball team. The first victory broke an overall 44-game losing streak dating to January, 2009. They won the next game…for the first two-game streak in 18 years. Last night, a one-point victory over Occidental gave the Beavers their first victory in their NCAA conference since 1985—breaking a losing streak of 310 games.
Guests:
- Rick Greenwald: Producer/Director, "Quantum Hoops" A 2007 Documentary about Caltech's Basketball team
Main Topic
The Case of Raymond Davis and a Crisis Between Two Uneasy allies; Washington and Islamabad ()
Raymond Davis, a CIA agent, sits in a Pakistani jail while the US worries that extraordinary security might not be enough to keep him alive. The US claims Raymond Davis killed two men in self-defense during an attempted robbery. A Pakistani police report says one man was shot in the back. President Obama says he’s entitled to diplomatic immunity. But Pakistan’s President Zardari is under public pressure to hang him for murder. Pakistan claims Davis is being held under extraordinary security. But Pakistan is a country where a security guard recently shot and killed the provincial governor he was supposed to protect. The case raises a host of issues, including: competition between US and Pakistani intelligence agencies; Congressional frustration with foreign aid; and Pakistan’s buildup of its nuclear arsenal.
Guests:
- Eric Schmitt: National Security Correspondent, New York Times, @ericschmittNYT
- Jugnu Mohsin: Publisher and Managing Editor, Friday Times
- Daniel Markey: Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
- Christine Fair: Assistant Professor, Georgetown University's Center for Peace and Security Studies, @CChristineFair
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.
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