- Special Local Newsmaker: Disclosure of Simon Court Transcripts
Bill Simon-s campaign for Governor of California was severely jolted this week when the company he co-founded was found guilty of civil fraud and assessed $ 78 million in damages. In May, Simon took time off from campaign trail to give a deposition. Michael Finnegan, who is following the story for the Los Angeles Times, says that the transcripts reveal a great deal about Simon-s laissez-faire management style. - Newsmaker: Iraq Makes Overtures to UN
As Iraq begins hinting that it might allow United Nations weapons inspections again, there are reports that the Bush administration is reviving a theory about Iraq-s possible connection to September 11, a theory doubted by the FBI and the CIA. Eric Pooley, National Editor for Time magazine, looks at the administration-s motivation, the war between the White House and the Pentagon, and skepticism over Iraq-s offer. - Reporter's Notebook: Disney Concerned as Pooh Lady Continues Her Fight
Written in 1926, Winnie the Pooh was animated by Disney in 1961. While the animals in the 100-acre wood earn Disney a billion dollars a year, an 80-year-old grandmother who calls herself the Pooh Lady says she-s not getting her share of the action. Who is she? Why is Disney warning stockholders about her claims? Amy Wallace detailed the saga for Los Angeles magazine in -Lawyers, Tiggers & Bears, Oh My!-
Looking Ahead to Midterm Elections
President Bush and Congress are leaving Washington for a month, but they can-t take their eyes off November-s elections. Though Bush is not up for re-election himself, midterm elections are often decided by perception of how the President is doing. Democrats are exploiting claims that Bush is losing control of the American political agenda as an opportunity to increase their numbers in Congress. Is the President, like his father before him, being felled by the economy and a sense that he is out of touch with the people? Are the War on Terror and homeland security being replaced by corporate scandals, falling stock markets, and the economy? We talk to political commentators and strategists about war, security, corporate scandals, and the economy.