KCRW's Which Way, L.A.? Podcasts

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Award-winning moderator Warren Olney leads lively, thoughtful and provocative discussion on the issues Southern Californians care about. Primary Format : Public Radio Language : English Also Listed as: City : Santa Monica State/Province : CA Country : USA Region : NA User Tags: User Votes: RSS Feed Website People found this Podcast Searching for: View this Podcast on a Google Map. Podcast iTunes Link Text Only listing of KCRW's Which Way, L.A.? Podcasts Methings.com listings of KCRW's Which Way, L.A.? Podcasts If you like this podcast, you might also like:

The Kindle, the Nook, the iPad...the Book? 'Tis the season for electronic readers to be part of holiday shopping at Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart. What will that mean for bookstores, the publishing business and the evolution of reading itself? On this rebroadcast ofTo the Point, we hear some surprising answers. Also, California and the new census data, and the FCC and "net neutrality." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Winter Storms, the DREAM Act and the Republican Party Record amounts of rain have deluged the Southland, and there's more to come from a weather pattern that only develops every 10 or 15 years. We update the forecast, the prospects for damage, and about the disaster predicted if levees fail near Sacramento. Also, the death of the DREAM Act is a blow to undocumented students and others who came to this country before they were 16. What do they do now? What about Latino support for the Republican Party? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, why don ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website State Commission Approves Marine Reserves, Fishing Limits After three years of increasingly passionate argument, the beloved Hollywood Farmers? Market has worked out a deal with the LA Film School. Meanwhile, environmentalists are hailing the state Fish and Game Commission for protecting the California coastline but some fishermen are still unhappy. Also, competitors are arguing over designs for two possible NFL stadiums with no guarantee from the NFL that it wants to come here. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, more confusion about Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jerry Brown's Armageddon Budget for State Education Governor-elect Jerry Brown has held two public discussions about the state's $28 billion shortfall, and some Sacramento observers say he's pursuing a "doomsday strategy." That means presenting voters with a bare-bones budget so draconian it'll scare them into approving new taxes. Education would be a big part of the package. We hear how Brown addressed it yesterday at UCLA. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, healthcare reform, politics and the law. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Villaraigosa on Teachers' Unions, Brown on the Education Budget LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa began his career as an organizer for the United Teachers of Los Angeles. But last week he called UTLA leadership "one, unwavering roadblock to [5 years of education] reform." Union leaders have called him a turncoat who sounds like a conservative Republican. We talk with the Mayor about that and new leadership at the DWP. Also, Governor-elect Jerry Brown holds a forum on the education budget at UCLA. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, do Middle East peace talk ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Hollywood in an Uproar over Future of the Farmers' Market For 19 years, celebrities and people from all walks of life have elbowed each other at the Hollywood Farmers' market, open only on Sundays, but so popular it makes enough money to support farmers' markets in other parts of LA. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, are Muslim-Americans living dangerously? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Benefactors Bail Out ICEF Charter Schools Fifteen charter schools got a new lease on life today with $10.5 million from Richard Riordan, Eli Broad and other local philanthropists. ICEF Public Schools will now be able to stay open, with the aim of getting inner city kids into top colleges. We hear about academics and enrichment programs from motivated students and inspiring teachers. But, does ICEF cherry pick the best students, making the job of traditional public schools that much harder? With all that outside money, are they sti ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Governor-Elect Brown Convenes Budget Forum After Jerry Brown gets a reality check on the budget, one Sacramento veteran compares possible cuts to Conservative David Cameron?s when he became Prime Minister of Britain. Also, Beverly Hills police say the "person of interest" who shot himself to death last week used the same gun that killed Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen. The, Frank McCourt has lost sole control of the Dodgers, at least for the moment. Will he sell? Would Jamie want to buy? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, sex, Wi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Wall Street's Disconnect with the American Economy On this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, guest hostConan Nolantakes a critical look at how Wall Street is operating these days and profits being made from financial ?innovations? while credit remains tight and unemployment high. We also look at the tax-cut deal between Congressional Republicans and the White House. Also, Julian Assange goes to jail, and students from Shanghai blow away the competition in an international test of math and science skills. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Kamala Harris, a Rising Star in California Politics Kamala Harris, who won the race for state Attorney General last month by a fraction of one point, is already a national celebrity. The New York Times says she's one of 17 women with a chance of being President. But how many Southern Californians know what she stands for? We talk with her about her background, her priorities and her ambitions. Also, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments today on Prop 8. Will it reverse the judge who called a ban on gay marriage unconstitutiona ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Redrawing the Lines of California's Political Landscape Californians have voted to take the politics out of drawing district boundaries for the Legislature, Congress and the Board of Equalization. All a new citizens commission has to do is make elections competitive and representative of racial, ethnic, geographic and gender diversity, a serious challenge considering the force of the pressure likely to be applied by interest groups of all kinds. We talk with the new commission?s first chairman. Also, the suicide of a possible suspect in the kill ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website CA Congressman Jerry Lewis Angles for Appropriations Post For years, Republican Congressman Jerry Lewis brought home the bacon for Riverside County, and his use of earmarks for friends and contributors attracted attention from the FBI. Now he promises to preside over cutbacks ? even for California ? if he gets back his job as chair of the Appropriations Committee, which approves all federal spending. Also, the latest effort to bring the NFL to Los Angeles and, why do some state auditors and attorneys carry guns at public expense? On our rebroadc ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California's Prisons and a New Attorney General With all the votes finally counted, Attorney General-elect Kamala Harris came to Los Angeles today to claim victory and announce a laundry list of priorities, including reduction in the prison-recidivism rate. Also, the US Supreme Court took up a lower-court order to release 40,000 inmates from the state's overcrowded institutions. Would ?low risk? parolees mean an increase in crime? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, is the Washington's partisan environment in for a change? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Democrats Make One Last Push for the DREAM Act Pedro Ramirez was brought to the US by illegal immigrant parents when he was three years old. Now he?s Student Body President at Fresno State. Unless Congress passes the DREAM Act, he won?t be able to work, join the military or qualify for public assistance. Is the Act simple fairness or a gateway to ?amnesty?? Also, big fines for Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield and other insurance companies for not paying California hospitals and doctors what they were owed. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Poi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Food Access in Los Angeles: A Tale of Two Cities On this day before Thanksgiving, we compare the quality of what people eat in different parts of the LA region. How can more people get better food? Also, California's next Attorney General will be an African-American woman, the current Democratic DA of San Francisco, whose campaign made history in more ways than one, and the LA Auto Show isn't all about concept cars, electrics and hybrids. We hear how low riders fit in. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the latest crisis with North Korea. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Are Farmers' Market Farmers Growing Everything They Sell? Farmers' markets are growing like weeds in California, with 719 certified statewide and more than 300 in LA, Orange and Ventura Counties. Participating farmers are supposed to sell fresh produce they grow themselves, but not everybody obeys the rules. With state and local agricultural agencies short of resources, some markets try to police themselves. How's that working out? Why are farmers' markets so popular in the first place? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, does the world face anothe ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Residents Push for Toxic Cleanup in Santa Susana Mountains After decades of effort by local homeowners, one of the nation's most contaminated military and industrial sites is finally on the verge of a clean-up. The site is surrounded by homes built before residents ever learned that the ground in the Santa Susanna Mountains was laced with toxic chemicals and radioactive waste. We hear how they did it. Also, the increase in hungry people has LA Food banks economizing on Thanksgiving. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Obama, Karzai and the war in Af ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website CA Members of Congress Prepare for Shift in Power Some of her own Democrats called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ?the face that defeated us,? but today they chose her minority leader in next year?s Congress anyway. The Republican majority holds more promise for some California Republicans. We?ll get a run down today on what that could mean for President Obama?in Washington and in the Golden State. Also, the sudden and brutal death of Longtime Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Looking for Sexy and Green at the LA Auto Show The LA Auto Show is a major stop on the worldwide circuit again, and this year?s popular themes include size, style and efficiency. Cadillac has a 4-seater for city parking that?s still luxurious. Fiat?s back with a car you can put in your pocket, and hybrids are almost commonplace. GM?s Volt isn?t the only electric, but you can still get a gas-guzzler too. We?ll talk with some expert observers. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pacquiao Power Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website CA Members of Congress Prepare for Shift in Power Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The LAPD: Racial Profiling and the Federal Government The US Department of Justice has warned the Los Angeles Police Department it's not doing enough to end the practice of racial profiling. The Police Commission is reportedly impatient because so few officers have been called to account for a practice the Commission thinks is continuing. We talk withChief Charlie Beckabout that and other issues. Also, LA County's Board of Supervisors bans plastic bags, and increasing tension over the ballot count for State Attorney General. On our rebroadcas ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Latest Crisis at Department of Children and Family Services LA County's Department of Children and Family Services is back in the news, with reports that Director Trish Ploehn may be losing her job. A new state transparency law has led to horror stories about the abuse and deaths of children. Has the law itself made it harder for Ploehn's staff to concentrate on some 30,000 young people? Is Ploehn being scapegoated for years of overwork and/or incompetence that have been swept under the rug? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, what's the future of "D ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Carnival Splendor Cruise Ship Limps into Dock in San Diego The Carnival Splendor promised a week of spas, casinos, Broadway shows, luxury shopping and gourmet food. But for this week's cruise it was spam, nine decks with elevators that didn't work and toilets that didn't flush. After four days at sea without power, 3300 passengers have been towed into San Diego, thankful that nobody got hurt. Also, the Jewish peace group J Street sets up in LA. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, does Obama need Israel more than Israel needs Obama? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Economy Riding High on Unmanned Aircraft Manufacturing Southern California's manufacturing economy was born when millions arrived to build airplanes during World War II. When the Cold War ended, those days were over. But Pentagon demand for a new weapons system is becoming a boon to the Southland, and it has multiple private applications as well. Also, that mysterious "missile launch" off Southern California? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, what's the case for electing judges? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Encino Residents Fight to Save Local Barnes&Noble For years, book lovers have been devastated because big chains were squeezing independent bookstores out of business. Now Barnes& Noble is being squeezed out of Encino. The big chain says property owner Rick Caruso raised the rent. Caruso says Barns& Noble wasn't making enough money. We hear from outraged neighborhood readers and browsers, as well as others who mourn the passing of another cultural resource. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Climate Change: the US versus the Rest o ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website How Will Jerry Brown Govern California? California's Governor-elect will be back in business tomorrow after taking a week to rest up from a grueling campaign. Jerry Brown will beAttorney General until he's sworn in next month, but already he's talked with legislative leaders of both parties more than once. Also, another report on "personalized medicine," one of Southern California's fastest developing high-tech industries. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point,Obama foreign policy and the new GOP-dominated Congress. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform Is about to Begin in California Republicans say they want to repeal healthcare reform, but it won't be until long after California's newly elected Insurance Commissioner puts it into effect. We talk with Democrat Doug Jones, whose election this week was opposed by the insurance industry. Isn't Obama's reform more of a Republican plan in the first place? We also talk to a Republican consultant who says he knew Meg Whitman had lost the election when she said she'd submit to a lie detector. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Midterm Elections: California Goes in a Different Direction While the rest of the country was tilting toward the Republicans, California went the other way, with all the statewide elective offices going to Democrats and only the race for Attorney General still undecided. Voters rejected legalized marijuana, but passed measures that will drastically change the rules in Sacramento. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In Tomorrow's Elections, Follow the Money Everybody knows that Meg Whitman is spending upwards of $160 million of her own money in the race for Governor. About $120 million has been spent on nine ballot propositions collectively, with most of the money often coming from just one side. We explain what the measures would do and where the money's coming from. Also, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and those slate cards that come in the mail. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the latest on the cargo plane bomb plot. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website State Treasurer: An Elected Office Where Money Really Matters California's State Treasurer manages the state's $70 billion investment fund and markets billions more in bonds for the state and local governments. The incumbent isBill Lockyer, a Democrat who's been in elected office for 37 straight years. Challenging his re-election isMimi Walters, a former investment banker termed out after 12 years in the state senate. Also, the Rose Parade and southern cooking. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the Tea Partiers and the Congress. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Prop 26: How Does It Impact Public Health, the Environment? In the race for Attorney General, oil company ads attack San Francisco Democrat Kamala Harris for being soft on crime. Are they more concerned about how she'd enforce environmental regulations? We ask Harris about her vision of what's often called California's second most influential elected office? Also, why supporters of Prop 23 have shifted to Prop 26, and the latest Great White shark attack off Central California. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, an Age of Austerity. Can it happen her ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Lt Governor: Heavyweight Candidates for a Light-Weight Office California's Republican Lieutenant Governor and his Democratic challenger are more interesting than the job they're competing for. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom says he'd outperform former State Senator Abel Maldonado, who was appointed Lieutenant Governor in April. Also, Brown and Whitman discuss negative ads. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, does WikiKeaks cause damage by shedding light? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can the California GOP Survive the California Republican Party? Three years ago, Governor Schwarzenegger told the state Republican Party, "We're dying at the box office." Since then, registration in California is down to 31 percent. Republican Party leaders are now bashing not just the unpopular Governor but some of their own candidates on next week's ballot. Also, California's not so bad for business after all. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, will Prop 19 shake up the rest of the country? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Latest PPIC Election Poll; Race for Insurance Commissioner Twelve days before the election, Jerry Brown may be pulling away from Meg Whitman, while Carly Fiorina is holding her own against Barbara Boxer. We hear what a respected poll shows about voter opinion. We also hear from Dave Jones, Democrat for Insurance Commissioner. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, why governors make a difference. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Props 20 and 27: Who's Behind the Political Battle Lines? Propositions 20 and 27 are a recipe for confusion, two measures with different answers to the same question: should an independent panel draw the lines for legislative and congressional districts, or should it be the politicians themselves? Voters can decide to expand what they did two years ago or reverse themselves, with important consequences for the distribution of political power. Also, community colleges and California's economic future. A study of failure shows the key to success. O ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Secretary of State Candidates Debate Debra Bowen is a Democrat with an 18-year career in politics running for re-election as Secretary of State. Her Republican opponent, Damon Dunn, is a businessman and former football player who never registered to vote until last year. We hear them debate their own and each other's qualifications to be California's chief elections officer. Also, the LA Times reports an increase in the deaths from neglect and abuse of children known to LA County officials. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, C ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Industry Spends Big Money in Insurance Commissioner Race President Obama's healthcare reform could make a big difference for the state Insurance Commissioner elected in California next month. But Republican Mike Villines and Democrat Dave Jones have different ideas about how much new regulation should be imposed. Villines is getting indirect contributions from the insurance industry. What about Jones and trial lawyers who take insurance companies to court? Also, a new leader for LA County's troubled health department. On our rebroadcast ofTo the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Propositions 21 and 22 and Ballot-Box Budgeting California's 278 state parks have been designated "endangered places." Will Prop 21 save the state's so-called "crown jewels" or is it a cynical ploy to restore the "car tax?" Prop 22 prevents the Governor and legislature from seizing money earmarked for cities and counties and spending it on state services. We hear the pros and cons of both measures, as well as why measures like these ever get on the ballot. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, home foreclosures and economic recovery. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Prop 23: Global Warming and the Race for Governor The sponsors of Prop 23 on next month's ballot say it's all about jobs. Governor Schwarzenegger says it's all about the ability of black-hearted oil companies "to pollute and protect their profits." We hear about the measure and what Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman said last night about greenhouse gases and the green economy. Also, the end of criminal charges in Italy against a former curator of the Getty Museum. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, will the saga of trapped miners have a happy e ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman Meet in the Last Debate Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown met tonight again for the third and last time in a debate. We hear soundbites and analysis. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website State Budget Fixes Don't Fix Anything After 40 years, KCET is abandoning leadership of public television in Southern California, cutting ties with the Public Broadcasting System.Sesame Street, Nova, Masterpiece TheaterandThe NewsHourmight ? or might not -- be available some place else. Also, the ongoing state budget crisis and two ballot propositions that could make it better -- or not. We also hear about the race for Lieutenant Governor, a boring job with two interesting candidates. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, "Obama's ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Seniority Rules and Equal Rights in LA's Public Schools State law requires that, when teachers are laid off in order to cut costs, the last hired must be the first fired. But LA's elected school board has reached an agreement to modify that on the grounds that the seniority rule deprives students in high-poverty areas of their constitutional rights. Will a judge sign the deal? Will the teachers union go along? What happens to schools that are not in deprived neighborhoods? We hear from the school board, the union and the ACLU. On our rebroadcas ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The State Budget and the Race for Attorney General The District Attorneys of LA and San Francisco are running for state Attorney General, and yesterday they held what's likely to be their only face to face confrontation. We hear what San Francisco Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Steve Cooley had to say about prisons, the death penalty and other issues. Also, last week's secret budget deal includes cuts to schools, creative accounting and some rosy assumptions. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, America's losing its lead in science an ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 50,000 Mortgages to Modify at the LA Convention Center Starting last Thursday, some 50,000 homeowners filled a cavernous space in the LA Convention Center 24/7 for the past six days in hopes of getting help negotiating with lenders. We hear about the tough tactics used by a nonprofit from Boston that set up the event, and hear from consumers at both ends of some very long lines. Also when Jerry Brown visited Cuba as Mayor of Oakland, his travel agent was a designated American traitor. What will that mean for his gubernatorial campaign? On our r ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Whitman, Brown and Latino Voters in Fresno Saturday's Spanish-language television debate in Fresno turned into a rumble about Meg Whitman's undocumented housekeeper and Jerry Brown's support from public-employee unions. We hear excerpts that illustrate what the campaign for Governor sounds like apart from TV commercials. With another debate already cancelled and just one more to go, will voters ever hear about their differences on the budget, spending cuts and taxes? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, key Senate races keep Republic ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Californians Negative on Government and Economy Another survey shows Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman dead even in the race for Governor, but here's a switch. California voters like Barbara Boxer and Carly Fiorina as their choices for the US Senate. How do the candidates stand? What about some of those controversial propositions? Will illegal immigration play a role, especially after revelations about Whitman and an undocumented housekeeper? Also, California hasn't conducted an execution for five years. There won't be one tomorrow night, eith ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Government Salaries and the Public's Right to Know When the LA Times revealed that officials in Bell were paid from $100,000 to $800,000 a year, the news went nationwide. What about other public officers in Southern California? Are their salaries and benefits public knowledge? Why is LA County keeping some of its payroll secret? Are there genuine concerns about privacy and personal safety? Also, another debate between Boxer and Fiorina, and the McCourt divorce trial winds down. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, cyber security and Internet ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman: The First Debate We've just broadcast the first face-to-face confrontation between this year's candidates for Governor, Attorney General Jerry Brown and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. We get reactions from Republicans and Democrats. Did Brown explain how 45 years in politics qualify him to be Governor all over again? Did Whitman demonstrate how her business experience prepared her to start at the top in politics? In what could be a low turnout election, did they reach their parties' most likely voters? What ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website With Brown-Whitman Debate, Campaign Season Picks Up Steam Los Angeles recorded a record high of 113 degrees today. Long Beach hit 107. How long will it last? What does it mean for public health, brush fires and energy use? Tomorrow night, Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown will debate for the first time in their contest for Governor with polls showing one of the closest races anywhere the country. We preview tomorrow's confrontation. (KCRW will air the debate live at 6pm.) What about Fiorina and Boxer? How accurate are the samples of a growing bloc of vo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Checking Stimulus Spending in California With unemployment above 14%, San Bernardino County got $3.8 million to create jobs, but the County has spent so little, it might have to give $2.6 million back. What's happening to the rest of the $42 billion the state's gotten so far? Also, Randy Adams became police chief of Bell even after declaring himself ?disabled.? And, in the closest race for Governor in 20 years, will LA make the difference? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, President Obama goes back to the UN. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Deputy LA Mayor Austin Beutner: Nine Months on the Job "Nine Months on the Job" is the title of a paper drawn up by aides toAustin Beutner, who's been First Deputy Mayor since Antonio Villraigosa appointed him in January of this year. It says he's built a team that's changing the "culture" of city government, making Los Angeles business friendly and creating jobs. We ask Beutner what he thinks are his most important achievements. What will they mean for the quality of life in LA? Will they outlast his whirlwind of activity? Is he running for M ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Eight Bell Officials Arrested Eight former and current officials of the City of Bell are in jail tonight on multiple charges of stealing $5.5 million in public funds. We talk withDistrict Attorney Steve Cooley. Also, California's about to lead the nation in implementing federal health care reform ? or is it? Governor Schwarzenegger has been poised to sign two bills to establish a health insurance exchange where consumers could shop for coverage.On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, what's next after Afghanistan's latest el ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The DREAM Act and Southern California California is one of four states that would be most affected if the DREAM Act becomes law. That's the path to citizenship for children brought to this country as minors by illegal parents, who were raised here but who can't work here legally after they come of age. Also, D.J. Waldie retires from the City of Lakewood. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, America's highest poverty rate since 1994. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Massive Solar Power Plant Is Approved The biggest solar installation on Earth may be coming to Southern California if two federal agencies go along. It's the second project of its kind approved this week by the state energy commission. We hear the pros and cons for the Inland Empire and California's efforts to go green. Also, State Senator Rod Wright has pleaded innocent to felony charges. On Reporter's Notebook, are you still texting while driving your car? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, will big money save a divided Rep ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Brown and Whitman Going Negative for the Win Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown have been short on important specifics so far, but their contest has heated up with accusations of using TV spots to lie. Did Brown really raise taxes when he was governor 35 years ago? What does Bill Clinton have to do with it? Do Whitman's plans to reduce spending really mean cutting $7 billion from education? Who's setting the agenda, and who's on defense? In a close race, is either candidate reaching the Independents who will decide the election? Also, will ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Property Tax Revenue Down, California Budget Stalled The Governor's in Asia, the Legislature's in recess and there's still no budget, but billions of dollars in bills keep rolling in. Most Californians can weather the fiscal storm, unless they study or teach at community colleges, do business with the state or need state-funded clinics for healthcare. And, while elected officials ignore their jobs, property values are going down, along with state revenue. Public schools and local governments are in for big trouble. Also, sailing off Southern ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website San Bruno Explosion Raises Fears about Natural Gas Last week's natural-gas pipe explosion killed at least four people and destroyed 37 houses in a quite neighborhood south of San Francisco. That has created anxiety every place where natural gas is a staple of daily existence. We ask the Southern California Gas Company about the location and condition of its pipelines. Can homeowners help avoid a similar crisis? Is the possibility of disaster a necessary condition of getting the benefits of natural gas? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, th ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Prop 23, AB 32 and the California Politics of Global Warming Proposition 23 on the November ballot has divided California's business community between those who make and depend on fossil fuels and those who hope to profit from the green economy. How long would it delay the state's effort to limit greenhouse gases? How many jobs would be lost in the short term? Why is Prop 23 posing particular problems for Republican candidates running statewide? Also, the LAPD and community opposition. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, corruption and counterinsurgen ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Investigating the Department of Children and Family Services Two top officials of the LA County Child Welfare Department have filed claims against the department for deliberately falsifying at least three reports on child fatalities. The department's been under fire since an independent investigator said it violated state law by failing to make public at least 60 such cases. We hear from the Department Director. Also, the Westlake neighborhood near MacArthur Park is in a state of upheaval after a fatal shooting by the LAPD, two nights of street prote ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Proposition 19: Marijuana Is Back on the Ballot Again Proposition 19 on November's ballot would legalize marijuana for recreational use in California -- or would it? Opponents include some medical marijuana dispensers, who claim Prop 19 would make pot less accessible, not more. LA County Sheriff Lee Baca says many medical marijuana outlets are operating illegally anyway, and that Prop 19 would make things worse. We hear from supporters and two kinds of opponents tonight. Also, this weekend's police shooting near MacArthur Park has created an ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Boxer-Fiorina Debate: A Senate Race with National Consequences Democrat Barbara Boxer's trying for a fourth term in the US Senate. Republican Carly Fiorina says that's too long. California's a blue state, but polls show the race between the liberal incumbent and her conservative challenger is virtually tied. Last night, in their first debate, they offered voters stark choices on the environment, women's rights, immigration, jobs and the economy. It's a contest that could make a difference in which party controls the Upper House of Congress. We hear ana ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Who Gets Hurt When the California Budget Stalls The State Legislature is ending this year?s legislative session without completing passing a budget, but they?ve been collecting money from lobbyists for their own campaigns. We hear about some of the pain caused when there?s no spending plan. Also, the curious timing of eminent scientists fired from a state board that regulates chemicals, and the McCourts in divorce court. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, egg safety, animal rights and industrial farming. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Overnight RV Parking Raises a Stink in Venice Venice once was the hippest hangout west of Greenwich Village or south of San Francisco's North Beach. Though still one of LA's prime tourist attractions, rising rents and home prices have created a culture clash among . Now middle-class residents are at war over people who live in their cars, RV's and campers with cops, elected officials and even the Coastal Commission. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, would returning to Nature make for a Safer New Orleans? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website City Cracks Down Hard on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Years after Californians legalized medical marijuana, the LA City Council finally got around to writing an ordinance. Hundreds of dispensaries melted away, but 169 applied to operate under new regulations. Yesterday, the city approved just 41, and operators who claim they did everything right are outraged. Also, what does the LAPD mean by "predictive policing?" On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the joys and sorrows of coming home from the war in Iraq. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will California Ever Get a Budget? This year?s legislative session is about to come to an end, and lobbyists are packing state capitol hallways. Frantic legislators are amending old bills with new language, which will be voted on even though it?s never been read. Meantime, the State Budget has not been passed, and it may not be until after Governor Schwarzenegger leaves office next year. Also, the parking lots of the future. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, more mudslinging on the Road to November. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Doesn't Place in the 'Race to the Top' California won't be getting $700 million in federal money for efforts to reform education. We learn why the State came up short for a second time. Also, a judge has ruled that federal money can have no role in any aspect of stem cell research. California's Institute for Regenerative Medicine says it will go ahead anyway. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, what comes after the Great Recession? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Re-evaluating LA Schools Using the 'Value-Added' Method Last week, the LA Times revealed that the nation's second largest school district had information that could help evaluate teachers, but never used it. This week, it applied the same information to find that some supposedly good schools aren't so hot after all, and that some "failing" schools are doing better than anyone realized. We hear from the Times, the teachers' union and an activist parent. Also, Eli Broad, the decider. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, a disaster in Pakistan tha ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Child Welfare and Confidentiality in LA County The LA Times has been reporting on the tragic deaths of children, while their families are supposedly being scrutinized by LA County's child welfare officials. The Board of Supervisors wants to know how the Times got the information. Critics say, how about asking what's going wrong, over and over again? Is the Board trying to cover-up a lack of resources and sheer incompetence? Also, Meg Whitman meets the Republican right wing at this weekend's party convention. On our rebroadcast ofTo the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Navigating the Los Angeles River Since the 1930's, the LA River has been a flood-control channel and a drainage ditch, full of trash, plastic bags and other garbage. Parts of it are dry most of the year. But last month the federal EPA declared it a "traditional navigable waterway." We find out what that could mean. Also, Latinos have suffered almost 50% of California's home-loan foreclosures. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, healthcare reform and the shortage of primary-care doctors. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Grading LA's Teachers: How Important Are Test Scores? The United Teachers of Los Angeles, which represents most teachers at LA Unified, has called for a boycott of the Los Angeles Times. The paper obtained records on 6,000 teachers and used student scores on standardized tests to evaluate teacher performance. The Union calls it an "attack on the profession." On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the 14th Amendment, citizenship and the children of illegal immigrants, and General Petraeus' public relations campaign on Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Evaluating Our Teachers, Part 2 Last night we explored the LA Times blockbuster education report on 6000 3rd through 5th grade elementary teachers and an analysis of their success or failure. The elected LA School Board hasn?t been heard from until now... On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, views of global warming change with the weather. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Judge Keeps Same-Sex Marriages on Hold in California Gay and lesbian couples thought they might be able to marry today, but were disappointed by Judge Vaughn Walker's latest ruling. Walker said, "Yes," but delayed the effect of his ruling so supporters of Proposition 8 can go to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Now, the hopeful couples will have to wait until next Wednesday to see if they'll get their wish. If that's not complicated enough, legal rules and procedures create even more uncertainty. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the "profe ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Southeast LA County Just Ungovernable? Outlandish municipal salaries have focused national attention on Bell and some neighboring cites. Possible corruption is under investigation by county, state and federal officials. But the real power in those cities may not lie in City Hall. Criminal gangs and drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia are able to operate freely, and there may or not be a connection. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Islamic mosques and religious freedom. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Job Creation Proposals from CA Gubernatorial Candidates Would cutting taxes help business create jobs, or just make the rich richer? Should the state encourage climate change regulations, or would going green become a job killer? We hear the pros and cons of proposals from California gubernatorial candidates Whitman and Brown. Also, the LA Dodgers are fading fast. What does their owners? divorce case have to do with it? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, same sex marriage, tradition and the status of women. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Corruption Charges: From Washington to the City of Bell As she demanded last week onWWLA?, the House Ethics Committee today made public its charges against LA Democrat Maxine Waters. We look at the impact here and on Capitol Hill. Also, Attorney General Jerry Brown has subpoenaed nine present and former officials of the City of Bell. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, America's double standard over nuclear non-proliferation, and the death of ten aid workers in Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Maxine Waters Breaks Her Silence Los Angeles Democrat Maxine Waters faces charges from the House Ethics Committee, and she's demanding that the charges against her be made public now and that a hearing be held before the November election. We hear from the Congresswoman herself and about the preliminary report that led to the charges. Also, $1.3 billion in federal aid may be coming to California after all. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, same-sex marriage, healthcare reform and immigration. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Judge Throws Out Prop 8 Passed in 2008, Proposition 8 declared that marriage could only occur between a man and a woman. Now a federal court says Prop 8 violates the equal protection clause of the federal constitution. Prop 8 supporters have already asked the judge to stay his ruling so they can appeal, a process that could take years and go all the way to the US Supreme Court. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, big money, secrecy and control of the Congress. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Embraces National Education Standards Despite its problems in the Gulf of Mexico, BP is getting $300 million in stimulus money to build a power plant in Southern California. Also, with itsreputation for high education standards, why has California joined 33 other states by adopting the "common core" for English and Math? Plus, a conversation with LAUSD's new deputy superintendent, rumored as the choice to replace Ray Cortines. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, how much longer will America remain in Iraq? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The City of Bell and the California Pension Crisis The Bell city officials who were paid outrageous salaries are eligible for outrageous pensions, too, paid in large part by other cities where they worked before. Vernon's former city manager, Bruce Malkenhorst, currently earns the state's biggest pension, even though he's under indictment for misappropriating public funds. How did it get that way? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the oil spill and the Gulf as an industrial dumping ground. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Political Food Fight at LAX Los Angeles is known for its world-class diversity of good restaurants, but you'd never know it at LAX, even though it's called the "international" airport. Today, some of the city's best-known chefs staged what they call an "Eat-In," to demonstrate what would be offered by new concessions airport officials want to install. But, with $600 million at stake, the old concessionaires aren't quitting without a fight. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Arizona, the federal courtsand illegal immi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website LA Commuters, Get Ready to Ride Your Bikes LA Mayor Villaraigosa broke his arm on a bike a week and a half ago, and he's more eager than ever to make the city more bicycle-friendly. Santa Monica just might beat LA to the punch. Both cities have plans to close some streets to cars on Sundays with the ultimate goal of encouraging commuting by bike. Also, a federal judge says "no" to parts of Arizona's new immigration law. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, tax cuts, the deficit and the November election. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The City of Bell and Municipal Chaos Bell City Council members reduced their $100,000 a year salaries by 90% and some offered to work for free, but that wasn?t good enough for angry residents at last night?s Council meeting. Will they be forced to resign? Will there be a recall? WWLA??s Gary Scott was there. Also, Governor Schwarzenegger threatens to hand this year?s state budget mess to whoever replaces him next year. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, WikiLeaks and the war in Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Do Libraries Really Matter? Benjamin Franklin started America's first free lending library, and the Founders believed that access to information was essential to democracy. Now the City of Los Angeles is saving money by shutting down all public libraries two days a week to save money. Also, the suicide of a 5th grade boy who killed himself after LA County social workers went to his home but decided not to take action. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the Shanghai Expo and America's economic decline. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Whooping Cough Makes a Comeback in California California is facing an epidemic of Whooping Cough, a communicable disease that can be deadly, especially to infants. Since the 1940's, Whooping Cough has been controlled by vaccination, but some parents refuse to get shots for their kids. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, more war or reconciliation in Afghanistan? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The City of Oakland and the Business of Marijuana Oakland has approved four industrial factories to produce large amounts of marijuana, much more than is needed now for legal medical use. Is the city counting on voters to approve Proposition 19 in November? What would it mean to legalize recreational dope smoking? Also, Governor Schwarzenegger makes his pick to head the state high court. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, China now leads the world in energy use. We look at what that means for the global economy, diplomacy and global warm ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website It's Busy Inside the Beltway: Politics Are Sizzling in DC Talk about the mid-term elections is stirring up some heat this summer in Washington. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is on the warpath ? over the campaign trail. She wants the White House to step up support for Democratic congressmen, instead of suggesting that Republicans could win in November. Republicans have made a few big gaffes lately, but politicos say they?re likely to take back the House this fall. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, guest hostSara Terryexplores the White House strategy ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Whatever Happened to Hope for Haiti? On January 10, a massive 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti. Six months later, relief efforts are moving very slowly. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, has Haiti's government been an obstacle in the flow of aid? Why are donors taking so long to actually provide the funds they promised? How are people on the ground being helped? Also, new schools rise on the site of the Ambassador Hotel, and the strange tale of the Iranian nuclear scientist who either was ? or wasn't ? abducted by the CIA.Sara Te ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website DNA: Can a Family Member's Genetic Code Help Catch a Killer? Police in Los Angeles made an arrest in the 25-year-old serial murder case of the "Grim Sleeper." The breakthrough came as the result of a search that's commonly called ?familial? DNA, a controversial practice in tracking down criminals. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, guest hostSara Terryexamines the privacy issues raised by the practice and the reliability of the results. Also, Log Cabin Republicans challenge "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and and a look back at the life of one of baseball?s ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website More Vets to Get Help Healing the Mental Scars of War The Veterans Administration has decided to make it easier for vets to file disability claims related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. As many as 20 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan may be suffering from PSTD. The VA's change in policy means that vets will no longer have to document a specific traumatic event to be able to apply for help. On this rebroadcast ofTo the Point, guest hostSara Terrylooks at how are the VA and other organizations working with vets to heal ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website New 'Safety Zone' in the Gulf: Who's It Protecting? One of the latest developments in clean-up efforts in the Gulf is a controversial safety zone announced last week. The 65 square-foot area effectively blocks reporters and photographers from getting close enough to do their jobs well. Off-duty police officers hired by BP to run security details have also been criticized for harassing journalists trying to cover the story. On this rebroadcast ofTo the Point, what?s happening to the flow of information about the disaster? Also, an arrest in t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Back on Track: Israel and the US Mend Their Ties Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Obama in Washington yesterday, in what was described as an opportunity to highlight the strong ties between the US and Israel, after a difficult meeting in March. Netanyahu spoke out on Israeli concerns about Iran and peace talks with the Palestinians. In this rebroadcast of To the Point, what will Israel do about mending relations with Turkey, which have been strained over the Gaza humanitarian flotilla? Also, a new poll calls the governor's race ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Great Recession: Counting Costs, Contemplating Change On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, more than half of all working adults have been directly affected by the recession. Who?s been hit the hardest and why? How are Americans changing their lifestyles in the face of the worst economic downturn since the great depression? What implications do those changes have for social relationships and institutions that may emerge in the future? Also, the Owens Lake solar project is mired in caustic mud, and officials seize a drug smuggling submarin ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Happy Birthday at 100: Scientists Discover Who Will Get There On this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, we look at a new study of one thousand centenarians and what scientists have learned about the roles of genes in predicting extreme longevity. We also talk about the politics of old age in a society where, as some say, seventy is the new fifty. Also, Mexico?s old-line ruling party shows renewed strength, and comfort from computers. Artificial intelligence is starting to look cute.Sara Terrysits in for a vacationing Warren Olney. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Local Layoffs, State Politics and an Adventure in Print The City of Los Angeles has begun the process of laying off workers, even though it will cost taxpayers more than it saves, at least for the moment. Also, the campaign for Governor heats up with Republican Meg Whitman and supporters of Democrat Jerry Brown exchanging TV attack ads. Brown promises he'll "go to the people" with ballot measures for spending cuts and tax increases. Plus, a 200-page, $18-a-copy quarterly magazine has debuted in Los Angeles. Can a print publication survive the as ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Electric Cars and Political Scandal In the age of the Gulf oil spill and global warming, is the electric car a game-changer or an old technology not much improved for 100 years? We look at Tesla Motors, which got a warm welcome from investors when it went public. Also, Mayor Villaraigosa's free-ticket scandal. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, does the recovering economy require more federal stimulus or greater austerity? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Politics in California: Changing?Fast? Meg Whitman?s lead over Steve Poizner in the Republican race for Governor has dropped from 50 to 9 points in just 3 months. What about the Democrats?and that measure to legalize marijuana on the November ballot? On Reporter?s Notebook?the Gulf oil spill?BP?and the Long Beach Aquarium. Later on? Mexico?s President Felipe Calderon is getting a warm reception in Washington. How does he look in his own country? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website This Year?s Budget Debate: Like Last Year?s Only More So Will California become the only state in the nation with no welfare-to-work program? Could lawmakers preserve the safety net by raising taxes on cars and alcohol and delaying tax breaks for corporations? Also tonight, after yesterday?s primaries, it?s out with the old and in with the new in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arkansas. What?s in store for Tea Partiers, progressives, Democrats and Republicans? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Juvenile Crime and Standards of Decency? The US Supreme Court says life without parole for juveniles is ?cruel and unusual punishment?--if they did not commit murder. Four such cases are here in California. Should children who kill have a chance for parole, too? Also, budget cuts and union negotiations at LA City Hall. And, will the US Senate get tough on Finance Reform? With voters angry at Wall Street and incumbent politicians? maybe so. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Quality Schools and Teacher Seniority State law entitles all California students to equal education, but they aren?t getting it. As the budget crunch leads to lay-offs every Spring, the lowest performing schools lose the most teachers and chaos results in the Fall. Are seniority rules making things worse? Later on - Arizona has stirred a political hornets? nest with its new law against illegal immigration. We?ll talk with the man who wrote it and with critics who call it an invitation to racial profiling. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Next Month?s State Election and the Cost of Auto Insurance Supporters say Prop 17 will lower insurance rates for 82% of California drivers. Opponents ask, why would an insurance company sponsor a measure that might cost it money? Also tonight, a report that patients wait an average of 35 hours at LA?s biggest public emergency room. Also, In the wake of the Gulf oil spill?climate change is back on the Senate?s agenda. Is a new bill a collection of deals for special interests? Does it have a chance to pass? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Carly Fiorina: from Big-time Business to Big-time Politics She ran a Fortune 500 company, but she didn?t vote much in public elections. Now, Carly Fiorina is running for high office. Tonight we?ll ask Fiorina why her record at Hewlett-Packard qualifies her for the Republican nomination against Democratic US Senator Barbara Boxer. Also tonight?the LA City Council cuts future financial ties with Arizona. Later on? its Obama and Karzai together again?this time at the White House. Will a charm offensive get the President of Afghanistan to change hi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Shutting Down LA?s Pot Dispensaries/Whitman and Poizner Play Loose With the Truth There?s less than a month left for hundreds of medical marijuana clinics to close their doors or face fines of up to 2500-dollars a day. What about patients who say they need their medicine? Also?is Meg Whitman in trouble? How do her attack ads compare to Steve Poisner?s? And in a rebroadcast of To The Point... BP, Transocean and Halliburton blame each other for the Gulf oil spill-- which could be five times bigger than officials have estimated. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Politics in California and Washington and Europe?s Economy California?s next statewide election is less than a month away?the first without an incumbent Governor on the ballot since 1998. We?ll hear how you can vote in the Democratic or Republican primary?even if you?re registered as Decline to State. Also tonight, stocks soared worldwide over Europe?s trillion-dollar commitment to shore up its economy. Is a major crisis being only kicked down the road? And?President Obama?s latest nominee to the US Supreme Court. Can Elena Kagan be confirmed by t ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Gulf States Battle the Oil Spill and Property Owners Battle the City of LA Desperate efforts are being made to limit potential damage from the Gulf Oil spill that could extend all the way to the Eastern seaboard. Congress wants to know about cozy relations between the oil industry and federal regulators. Also on WWLA?? two questions for tough times: should homeowners pay for sidewalk repairs?even when the damage was caused by the city? Should landlords share the pain of their tenants by freezing increases in rents? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Terrorism in Times Square; The Future of Aerospace in SoCal By the late 1960's, America's aerospace industry was centered in Southern California. Not any more. As the space program is privatized, can that happen again? Will SpaceX in Hawthorne take astronauts to the International Space Station and civilian tourists to orbiting hotels? Also, the cost of not standing up to be counted. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the failed bombing of Times Square led to speedy arrests in the US and Pakistan ? and raised many questions. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Merging Airlines, Reforming Politics and Managing Public Lands Would taking theparties out of primary elections take "the jackass quotient" out of state politics? We hear about Proposition 14 on next month's ballot. Also, why are Olvera Street merchants getting a rent increase while a billionaire may get city property for a dollar a year? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the merger of United and Continental will leave the US with just four major airlines. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Oil Crisis in the Gulf of Mexico; Medical Crisis in LA The lack of medical insurance makes the LA area like a developing country. Some people have lost coverage during chemotherapy for cancer. We hear more about that and hear why a giant utility company put Proposition 16 on next month's ballot. On our rebroadcastofTo the Point, BP admits responsibility for the Gulf oil spill. As the massive slick moves toward shore, we hear what could be in store for wildlife, economic interests and America's continuing appetite for energy. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Illegal Immigration and LA's Air Pollution There has been progress, but LA is still the nation's smoggiest city, and 91% of Californians breath air that is dangerously polluted. That finding by the American Lung Association pits it against efforts to relax environmental laws during the economic recession. Also, efforts to delay Governor Schwarzenegger's attack on global warming. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Arizona officials claim federal inaction required the state to crack down on illegal immigration. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Wind Power off the MA Shore; Calls for a Boycott of AZ Members of the Los Angeles City Council are among those calling for a boycott of Arizona, claiming its new immigration law would cause racial profiling. Would Arizona really be hurt? Could LA really pull it off? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, after nine years of divisive debate, the Obama Administration has approved America?s first off-shore wind farm in the waters near Cape Cod. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Finance Reform in DC; Goldman Sachs and the Campaign for Governor Meg Whitman, now running for Governor, was the CEO of eBay, which she calls "a Main Street company." What about her ties to Wall Street and Goldman Sachs? Also, Apple and the stolen iPhone. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, with voters outraged about Wall Street's perceived role in the financial crisis, Democrats and Republicans appear to be playing "chicken" with finance reform. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Change, Gang Intervention and LA's Favorite Landmark Father Greg Boyle talks about rival gang members working together at Homeboy Industries, the gang intervention program that's in its 20 anniversary year, and Hugh Hefner saves the Hollywood Sign. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the US Senate's much-touted compromise on climate change may be on the rocks. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Volcanoes around the World; Earth Day in Los Angeles On this 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we look at efforts to make LA's environment more livable. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, this week's volcanic eruption is a wake-up call for the airline industry and unprepared regulators. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iran and Nuclear Weapons; A 'Mystery Man' for LA Austin Beutner is Mayor Villaraigosa's latest pick to head the Department of Water and Power. Today's Daily News calls him a "man of mystery." Can a banker and financier run a public utility? What about increased utility rates and "green" power? We talk with Beutner. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, in a Top Secret memo, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said there's no long-range plan to deal with Iran if it learns to make nuclear weapons. Gates denies it was a "wake-up call." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama's Vision for Human Space Flight; LA's Kingdom of Potholes Cuts and layoffs are diminishing not just public services in Los Angeles but the city?s position in a competitive economy. And are Republican operatives crashing the supposedly non-partisan Tea Party? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, President Obama is trying to promote his vision for human space flight today. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Aftermath of the Nuclear Summit; The Politics of Insurance Insurance Commissioner Steve Poisner has sued the Mercury Insurance Group, which says there are "politics involved." That could mean Poisner's candidacy for governor or Mercury's backing of Prop 17 on the June ballot. What will it all mean for consumers? Also, the DWP, water main breaks and conservation. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Russia's Medvedev calls Obama's nuclear summit a "complete success," but adds, "I hope we won't just go home feeling happy." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can the US Senate Pass Finance Reform? Should LA Declare Bankruptcy? Should LA's elected officials ask a judge solve the city's financial problems? Why is Sarah Palin's speaking fee being kept secret by a state university? What will it take to save the Watts Towers? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the Senate is back in Washington, ready to take up finance reform ? in an election year. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Catholic Church from a Global Perspective; Murder, Gangs in LA Mayor Villaraigosa claims that public safety is immune from cutbacks to save money. The LAPD has a different story. Also, LA County's accused of wastingmoney on plans for gang prevention that aren't being implemented. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the Roman Catholic Church is an ancient institution in a fast-moving world. After the sex-scandal, what's next in America and Europe? Is the future in Africa, Asia and Latin America? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The US Cuts Nuclear Weapons; LA Finds Some Money LA' elected officials are saying there won't be an immediate shutdown of city services after all, because $30 million has suddenly turned up. But they'll still have to raid the emergency fund and the DWP. Also, Californians' changing attitudes toward illegal immigrants. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the US and Russia today signed a new treaty to cut back on nuclear weapons. will it make the world safer? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website America's Nuclear Policy; LA's Continuing Political Warfare As Mayor Villaraigosa and the City Council exchanged insults, Moody's Investor Service downgraded the bond rating for the City of LA. We speak with the Mayor, whose threat to shut down city services two days a week turns out to be only a plan. We also talk with conservative Republican Chuck Devore, who wants Barbara Boxer's US Senate Seat. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, President Obama's Nuclear Posture Review is drawing fire from both hawks and doves. How does he propose to deal with p ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website US Policies in South Asia; LA on Brink of Bankruptcy The City of Los Angeles is threatened with being shutting down for two days a week, in the latest battle between Mayor Villaraigosa's and the City Council. Also, the Pope has chosen a conservative to succeed LA's Archbishop Roger Mahony. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, are Taliban militants really on the run in Pakistan? In Afghanistan, is President Karzai on the same side as the US and other countries providing troops and money? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Does the Apple iPad Live Up to Its Hype? Apple has a knack for creating things we didn't even know we needed -- or wanted. Some three hundred thousand Apple loversbought iPads this weekend. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, guest hostSara Terrylearns what Apple's latest device delivers and where it falls short. Also, a Taliban attack on the US Consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, and an update on the 7.2 earthquake that struck Baja California yesterday. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Nation Divided: Why Is America This Deeply Polarized? Politics has certainly shown its partisan face over healthcare, the stimulus and the Wall Street bailout. But why is there so much anger? Is demagoguery fueling these feelings, or is it truly a debate among citizens about the nature and direction of America? (Matt Miller and Arianna Huffington are away.) Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Drills for Energy Consensus; Campbell Trolls for Votes Tom Campbell is in a three-way Republican race to challenge US Senator Barbara Boxer. Can a moderate with modest means hold his lead against one opponent with big money and another who?s a solid right-winger? What about same-sex marriage? We talk with Campbell. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, President Obama made a familiar appeal yesterday, proposing to open vast swaths of the ocean to exploration for oil and gas. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Crisis for Catholics; A Loss for Education Jaime Escalante put LAUSD's Garfield High School on the world's educational map and proved that the children of poorly educated immigrants could make it to Harvard. We look at the legacy of a teaching giant who died of cancer yesterday. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the scandal of sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests has exploded in Europe. Even the Vatican says that the moral authority of the church is at stake. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iraq's Confusing Election; LA's Confusing DWP Rate-Hike Debate The LA City Council raised electricity rates today, but not as much as Mayor Villaraigosa wanted. What will it mean for business, the environment and residential customers? Also, we speak with a parent about the latest move by LA Unified. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, much-awaited parliamentary elections have divided Iraq between two strong leaders with similar goals but no desire to compromise. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will Tea Party Activists Derail before November? With a former GOP vice presidential candidate calling for followers to "re-load" and not retreat, questions are being raised about Tea Partiers' tactics and whether their words are inciting violence. On this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point,guest hostSara Terrylooks at the Tea Party movement and its growing momentum. Will the frustration that's feeding the movement turn into long-term political activism? Also, deadly bombings hit the Moscow subway, and President Obama goes to Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Internet and Education; Legal Marijuana and Crime California voters will decide whether marijuana should be legalized, regulated and taxed. Also, the Getty looks for inspiration -- online. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, in the Age of the Internet, school districts are laying off librarians. Is that an appropriate way to save money, or will it deprive kids of critical skills they need to assess and evaluate a welter of information on line? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cutting Calories for American Kids; Raising Rates for the DWP Will LA's Department of Water and Power raise rates? Will 25,000 runners finish the Marathon? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the obesity epidemic may be old news, but it's still a major public health threat in the United States, especially to children. Are the beverage industry's changing practices more than public relations? Is First Lady Michelle Obama having an impact? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama and Israel; Californians without Health Insurance Rising unemployment means a quarter of Californians under 65 don't have health insurance. State cutbacks could make matters worse. Also, Governor Schwarzenegger says he wants to cut the deficit. Why has he vetoed spending reductions? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the Obama Administration is making nice with Israel today -- at least in public -- but tensions are still high over housing plans in East Jerusalem and American credibility in the Middle East. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare, TV News and Republican Politics The lack of real news on TV News programs in LA has "alarmed' one federal regulator. How well is the public being served? Also, was there a winner in last night's debate between Republicans who want to be Governor? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the US has the world's most expensive system of healthcare. Is it also the best? Would proposed reforms make sure the country gets what it's paying for? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Politics of Climate Change; Supergraphic Advertising LA City Attorney Carmen Trutanich is on a crusade against electronic billboards and supergraphics. Also, the 2010 census. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Americans were increasingly worried about climate change until last year, when there was a surge in skepticism that's still growing. Is it the economy? The news media? What are the consequences for public policy in an election year? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Gun Control in America and Jerry Brown in California Attorney General Jerry Brown wants to get back the job he held in the 1970?s, Governor of California. He says experience is the best teacher. What are his plans for restoring the California Dream? Also, could driver error be behind Toyota?s acceleration problem? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, support for gun control has been dropping fast, and gun sales have been going up. Some advocates are now focused on carrying unconcealed weapons ? even at Starbucks. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Courts and Courthouses, from Washington to California LA County's presiding judge is threatening to close courtrooms and lay off staff, delaying civil trials due to a shortage of money. He has his eye on a pile of cash meant for construction, but judges in other parts of the state are just saying, "No." Also, a clarification on the Toyota recalls. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, should terrorist suspects be tried in civilian courts or military tribunals? Should the Obama Justice Department have hiredlawyers who represented accused terrorist ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Politics of Healthcare Reform; More Trouble for Toyota Another claim of sudden acceleration and a $40-billion defense contract with only one bidder. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, President Obama is back on the campaign trail, asking crowds to tell fellow Democrats to vote for healthcare reform. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In Iraq, Voting; In California, Rising Insurance Rates A California Insurance Company has inadvertently given President Obama something he much needed, an understandable argument for healthcare reform. Also, Kathryn Bigelow makes Hollywood history. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, bombing attacks may have hardened the resolve of some Iraqis to take part in yesterday's voting. But the results won't put an end to widespread corruption. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Federal Finance Reform; California Losing Race to the Top Fifteen states have won federal Race-to-the-Top money for school reform, but not California. That's $700 million in much-needed funds the state won't get. We ask the Superintendent of Public Instruction and others, what happened? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the taxpayer bailout of banks that were "too big to fail" was followed up with the promise of finance reform to protect consumers. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Uncertainty in South Asia; Big Trouble at LA City Hall The certainty of increasing deficits has LA City officials talking. Will they lease public assets, spend down the reserve fund and lay off workers, including cops? What about making a plan based on priorities? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, there might be good news for the US in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, but that conclusion is open to different interpretations... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Whales and Aquatic Parks; A Candidate for CA Democrats Attorney General Jerry Brown wants to be Governor all over again. Today's official announcement emphasizes what he's got plenty of: experience. He was first elected to that same job in 1974. We find out what's new. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, was the orca that killed his trainer at SeaWorld an wild animal out of control or just curious about her ponytail? Should killer whales and dolphins be used for entertainment of human beings? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Is Greece Too Big to Fail? What's Next for the Dodgers? Frank and Jamie McCourt made $108 million ? tax free. Now they plan to raise ticket and parking prices for Dodger games without increasing the payroll. What's in store for the team? Also, the state's new Assembly Speaker. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Greece is on the brink of financial ruin, and proposed austerity measures have sparked strikes and street demonstrations. What's the roll of Wall Street banks? Will hedge funds reap profits by making things worse? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Politics of Healthcare Reform; Smog Tests that Don't Work Tailpipe and treadmill testing of old cars for smog may become things of the past in California. New technology could mean more effective inspections, lower costs, fraud control and air that's safer to breath. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, with Barack Obama presiding, Democrats and Republicans hashed out the details of healthcare reform for several hours across the street from the White House. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can Toyota Recover Its Image? Will LAUSD Get Real Reform? The LA Unified School Board's accused of cow-towing to organized labor after control of most schools in a high-profile reform plan went to organized administrators and teachers. We hear from Board members and others. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, before Akio Toyoda took the stand, members of Congress asked Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood some of the questions Toyota owners want answered. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will Democrats Lose the Congress, LA Its Neighborhood Councils? The City of LA took another hit to its credit rating today. Will Neighborhood Councils be a financial casualty? Unemployment, bank bailouts and government gridlock have created a nightmare scenario for the party in power. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, will the Democrats lose control of either the House or the Senate in this mid-term election year? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare on Capitol Hill and Finance at City Hall The Mayor and City Council of Los Angeles are talking budget cuts, layoffs and selling off golf courses,parking lots and even the zoo. How bad is it? Also, for the first time in the lengthy debate on healthcare reform, President Obama finally came up with his own plan today. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, would it increase coverage and cut costs, and break the partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Revving Up the Debate over Nuclear Energy President Obama has made it clear that nuclear power must play a role in America's drive for a clean energy future. By backing nuclear power, the President seen as trying to win GOP support for his bigger environmental and climate goals. On this rebroadcast ofTo the Point, guest hostChery Glaserconsiders the political, economic and environmental considerations of the President's decision. Also, the Dalai Lama, political leader or pop icon? On Reporter's Notebook, the Winter Olympics get hi ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Takes the Healthcare Debate Public Is it just bravado or is President Obama really as confident as he seems about next week's bipartisan White House summit on healthcare reform? In this rebroadcast ofTo the Point, guest hostLawrence O'Donnelltalks about what advantages Republican leaders will have in the unprecedented televised negotiating session. Also, Toyota considers another recall, and the judge who changed the face of Little League Baseball. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Trying to Root Out the Taliban The US launched a major new offensive in Afghanistan this weekend. But just four days in, questions are already cropping up about the challenges troops face and their odds of long-term success. The mission depends heavily on cooperation from both Afghan forces and the Afghan government. On this rebroadcast of To the Point, guest hostChery Glaserlearns whether they're up to the job. Also, revving up the debate over nuclear energy, and a activist group goes after affirmative action. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Has President Obama Failed to Match thePotential of Candidate Obama? One of the most popular sports in Washington these days appears tobe the blame game. With the loss of the Democrats' filibuster-proofmajority in the Senate and healthcare reform struggling in the finallap, questions are cropping up about who's to blame. On the rebroadcast ofTo the Point, guest hostChery Glaserspeakswith some critics of Barack Obama's inner circle who say that theObama White House is more focused on campaigning than governing. Also,a shorter school year for LAUSD, and stru ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Revolution Day in Iran Splits Populace On the thirty-first anniversary of the Islamic revolution, Iran is marked by ongoing turmoil, with pressure within for regime change and pressure from the international community that wants to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. On this rebroadcast ofTo the Point,guest hostSara Terryexplores how the revolution has changed Iran and Iranians. What role do the clerics who led the revolution play in the country today? Also, an "angry" dissatisfaction with Washington, and protecting an iconic Hollywo ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Help for Haiti?: The Work Has Just Begun It's been almost a month since a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti. Aid workers are still struggling to cope with a situation that some have described as worse than the 2004 tsunami. In the rebroadcast ofTo the Point, guest hostSara Terryexplores humanitarian efforts. What aid is reaching people? Who still needs help? What are the biggest challenges? Also, Greeks strike over austerity measures, and health-insurance provider Anthem/Blue Cross under the microscope. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Putting on the Brakes: Are Government Regulators Doing Their Job? With its Prius recall and problems with a sticking accelerator pedal, Toyota is front and center in the news. But regulations run far and wide in the life of the American consumer. There are hundreds of state and federal agencies that are supposed to make our lives safer. On this rebroadcast ofTo the Point, guest hostSara Terryasks whether they really do the job. Plus, of tea and Sarah Palin and a conversation about Mayor Villaraigosa's latest deficit-reduction plan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Terror on Trial: Politics as Usual On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, in this mid-term election year, is political rhetoric obscuring the real issues in the debate of trying the alleged Christmas Day bomber?Sara Terryguest hosts. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Can Tea Parties Brew Real Political Change? Scott Brown was sworn in today, the Republican who won the late Ted Kennedy's US Senate seat in Massachusetts. A lot of the credit for that game-changing political upset went to the Tea Party movement, whose convention begins today in Nashville, Tennessee. But it's still not clear just what the Tea Party movement is. As we hear on this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, tea partiers themselves are struggling to figure out if they're a movement, an adjunct of the Republican Party or a coll ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website For Toyota, How Bad Will It Get? Toyota worked hard to be number one in automobile sales throughout the US, and it carefully cultivated its reputation for quality and reliability. Last month, sales nationwide declined by some 16% while the sales of other cars were on the increase. On this rebroadcast ofTo the Point, will therepairs work? How serious are the latest concerns? How can Toyotarecover from the tarnishing of its image? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Battle over the Budget in an Election Year The Democrats are in big trouble in this election year, and there's no better evidence than the $3.8 billion budget President Obama presented yesterday. He had to concede that the economy's bad and will have to get worse before it gets better, and described himself of being caught between reducing the deficit in the long run and the need to create jobs in the short run. On this rebroadcast ofTo the Point, we hear more about the economics and the politics behind the budget, what's at stake f ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Time to Negotiate Peace with the Taliban in Afghanistan? To say these are challenging times for the Obama Administration in Afghanistan would be a gross understatement. With the Taliban possibly at their greatest moment of strength, is this the best time to negotiate or the worst? On the rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, we hear a debate. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In DC, the State of the Union; in CA, High-Speed Rail, Medical Marijuana Will the President's push for rapid rail get construction started in California? Also, after years of debate the LA City Council's produced a medical marijuana ordinance almost nobody likes. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, during last night's State of the Union Address, President Obama admitted mistakes while defending his first year in office. What does he want for the future? What is he likely to get? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The President Gets Ready to Speak; California Prison Reform California claims it's reducing the number of people in prison at the same time it's increasing public safety. Some cops and victims' rights groups claim dangerous criminals will be turned out on the streets. We hear both sides. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, just one year ago, Democrats were talking about a new political era.  Now, President Obama faces a nation of angry voters. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Free Speech for Corporations; Political Competition for California In 2008, Californians voted for real, election-day competition between Republicans and Democrats, but Proposition 11 sounded easier to implement than it's turned out to be. We hear what's happening to a process that was supposed to restore democracy. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, has the US Supreme Court scored a victory for free speech or increased the influence of money in politics in it's 5-4 ruling removing campaign spending limits for corporations.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Google in China and Marijuana in California The State Supreme Court issues a ruling on medical marijuana. Also, the City of LA may lay off workers after all and privatize assets, including Ontario Airport, and the rain might not be as disastrous as predicted. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, cyber attacks on Google in China have turned into an international incident with Hillary Clinton calling today for "consequences" and "condemnation." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website GOP Upset in Massachusetts; Rain, Political Storms in California If it happened in Massachusetts, can it happen here? The late Ted Kennedy?s seat has gone Republican. Is Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer in trouble? What about Attorney General Jerry Brown, who wants to be governor all over again?  We look at the sea-change in politics and check the weather. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Rebuilding Haiti and Reforming American Schools Today's the deadline for schools competing for money under the President's Race to the Top. Does LA Unified have a chance? Why are some other school districts not even trying? Also, the LA City Council finally passes an ordinance to regulate medical marijuana. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, search and rescue is one thing, but critics say the resources to rebuild Haiti could be wasted in a country that's already too dependent on the rest of the world. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Politics in Massachusetts; Heavy Weather in Southern California Today's rain has already led to evacuations, and this is just the beginning. We get the latest forecast and update preparations for what could be a very wet week.  On Martin Luther King Day, is "yesterday's dream today?s reality?" On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, President Obama has made a desperate effort to save one vote in the Senate, which could mean life or death for healthcare reform and the rest of his agenda.  We hear about tomorrow's special election to replace the ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Same-sex Marriage; High-speed Rail; Privatizing Public Property The State of California auctioned off the OC Fairgrounds today to a developer who bid a lot less than the place was supposed to be worth. What will that mean for the state budget crisis? Also, another challenge to promoters of high-speed rail from San Diego to San Francisco. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, California's ban on same-sex marriage is on trial in a case that may end up in the US Supreme Court.  We get a progress report and learn the impact of public proceedings on same-s ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Wall Street Gets a Grilling; LA Responds to the Earthquake in Haiti LA firefighters are ready to leave for Haiti to provide earthquake relief as LA's Haitian community waits for word on families and friends back home. Plus, we ask a private art dealer if he'll have conflicts of interest as director of LA's Museum of Contemporary Art. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, commissioners investigating the cause of the Great Recession got tough today with four Wall Street bankers, including the head of Goldman Sachs. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Education Reform in Washington and in Los Angeles The deadline has passed for outsiders who want control of some campuses in LAUSD, the latest step in one of the nation's most dramatic efforts at school reform.  We hear from charter operators, teachers and parents competing to be in charge. On our rebroadcast of To the Point, President Obama's "Race to the Top" in education features charter schools and standardized tests to evaluate teacher performance. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tea Parties around the Country and Jobs in LA We talk with the man who may become the most powerful bureaucrat in LA, a former investment advisor who will oversee 13 city departments to make LA more "business friendly."  Plus, how China is using local technology to outdo the US.  On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, one faction of the "tea party" movement will stage a national convention next month. It'll cost $549 to hear Sarah Palin make the keynote speech. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The CIA in Afghanistan; Same-sex Marriage in the US California's Proposition 8 has become a federal case. We talk with Ted Olson, the conservative lawyer who will advocate same-sex marriage in a San Francisco courtroom on Monday. What are the risks of challenging Prop 8 in federal court? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point,when a double agent turned into a suicide bomber, seven US CIA agents were killed in Afghanistan.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The State of the Housing Market and the State of the State Arnold Schwarzenegger?s last state-of-the-state speech promotes an ambitious agenda. Can a lame-duck Governor get anything done? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, despite federal efforts to "modify" mortgages, economic recovery is threatened by a massive wave of foreclosures.  Should cruel economic realities be allowed to run their course, or should taxpayers rescue banks and homeowners who are "underwater?" Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and a Housing Puzzle in California Foreclosures are on the increase in California, so why is there not enough cheap housing to meet demand? And why is the last big defense contractor pulling out of LA? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, with the Christmas Day bombing attempt now tied to Yemen, Yemeni prisoners could delay the closing of Guantanamo Bay.  If they can't be returned to their home country, where will they go?  What about ?re-education? programs like those in Saudi Arabia? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Security in the Air and Murder in Mexico A killing in Mexico means pain and loss for the City and the schools of El Monte. Also, the world's tallest building. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Yemen is now being described as a hotbed of terrorists, as debate continues over the near-bombing of a US jetliner on Christmas Day. We update the Obama Administration's latest security measures and the political infighting over national security. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The High Price of Saving a Single Soldier; Bailing Out California Israel may be on the verge of swapping a thousand Palestinian prisoners for one kidnapped soldier who's become a cause célèbre.  On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, we look at the dilemma faced by right-wing Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and the possible consequences, both good and bad. Also, bailing out California. On Reporter's Notebook, will a Rhodes scholar be the next poster child for the NFL?    Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Gets a Senate Healthcare Bill for Christmas As a somewhat battered and bruised healthcare reform bill makes its way to what appears to be certain passage in the Senate, critics from both parties are complaining about the bill. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, what deals did the Democrats make to keep it alive? What battles lie ahead when the House and Senate meet to create the final piece of legislation? Also, airlines will pay for making travelers wait, and cybersecurity at the White House and a possible hacking at Citiban ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The 'Missing' Stories of 2009 Call them the "missing" stories of 2009, important events that didn?t really register in the mainstream media. on our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, guest hostSara Terrylooks at some of the stories that could well be shaping the year ahead, from new global alliances to simmering conflicts. Also, the Senate healthcare bill could be passed by Christmas, and a cleric, a funeral and renewed protests in Iran. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform in Washington and Politics in California A new poll shows that 75% of Californians think the state's going in the wrong direction. What will that mean for gubernatorial candidates in next year's election? Also, how close is the state to running out of money? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, on Tuesday, President Obama was "cautiously optimistic" about his Christmas Eve deadline for healthcare reform from the Senate. Since then, a "kill-the-bill" movement's been gaining force among Democrats. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Predator Drones Extending Their Reach into Pakistan Predator drones have become the US weapon of choice in the war againts the Taliban in Afghanistan. Now the Obama Administration will explore expanding their use in Pakistan. On this rebroadcast of today's To the Point, guest hostConan Nolanconsiders the advancing use of such drones, overseas and here at home. Also, Iran tests and upgraded, faster missile, and stunning images of our universe from the Herschel Telescope Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website 'Home-based Terrorism' and California's Role at Copenhagen Political reform, global warming and one of the most popular singers in France is hospitalized in Los Angeles. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the Obama Administration is warning of  ?home-based terrorism,? attacks by American citizens on American soil. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Agreement in Copenhagen; Education in Sacramento Will the politics of Sacramento deprive California of federal money to Race to the Top in Education? Would the changes required be worth it? Also, did the LA Times really "invent" Los Angeles? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, rich and poor countries are battling in Copenhagen -- along with China, India and other countries that are becoming major polluters as they fight poverty with increased industrialization. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Nobel Peace Prize in Norway; Water in Southern California Three stories about California and water: Climate change means rising sea levels along the coastline. Can we explode the myths that hinder developing the water supply? Will the homeless have enough places to get out of the coming rain? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point,  President Obama is now a Nobel laureate, accepting the prestigious prize for peace while acknowledging that he's a war president. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website In Washington Jobs, in Los Angeles Possible Layoffs A worst-case budget plan could mean 8000 layoffs at the LA Unified School District.  Also, there's a new voice at City Hall, and life is going to be different in the City of Vernon. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the TARP bailout will cost $200 billion less than expected, and President Obama wants the money to help create jobs. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A 'Civilian Surge' in Afghanistan; Political Warfare in Sacramento Sacramento politics and shades of Willie Brown, Plus, why does the leader of LA's Roman Catholics call the Senate's healthcare reform bill "immoral?" On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, the President's escalation of force in Afghanistan will have a civilian component, although he's left it to others to explain the details. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Climate Change, LA's 2nd District, and Matters of Church and State A city council race during LA's Christmas Season and LA's Episcopal Diocese defies the Church of England. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, 15,000 delegates, 5,000 reporters and 98 world leaders are gathering in Copenhagen to talk about climate change as the basic science faces a new challenge.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website That 'Other War,' and the LA Auto Show The LA Auto Show gets a new look and LA swears in a new police chief?again. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, with the world now focused on Afghanistan, what about the war in Iraq? Can civilian government be stabilized? Is the alternative renewed violence that would pull US troops back into action?  What would that mean for the surge in Afghanistan? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Speech Is Over, the Campaign Begins President Obama laid out his new strategy for Afghanistan last night, and the all-out effort to sell it got underway today on Capitol Hill with testimony from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. On the special one-hour rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, we get an analysis as well as national and international reaction to the speech. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Senate Takes Up Healthcare Reform; LA Gets Hit by Dubai Dubai?s financial crisis hits Los Angeles, Black Friday and the retail economy, and Tiger Woods? injuries keep him away from Thousand Oaks. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, healthcare reform has finally made it to the Senate floor, and there?s a chance that both houses might pass their different versions by the end of this year. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Concussions on the Football Field and Public Money in California Mexico cracks down at the US border, Jerry Brown keeps a lid on public records, and trouble at the state retirement system could be expensive for taxpayers. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, do concussions on the football field cause brain damage? Have coaches, team doctors and players themselves been in denial? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Hunger in America and 'Kick a Ginger Day' in Calabassas Is there any way to control what kids see on Facebook or how they react?  Does California have a new lieutenant governor or not? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, despite the obesityepidemic, recent studies say tens of millions of people -- including children -- are going hungry.  What's the Obama Administration doing?  Is "food insecurity" a matter of politics as well as economics? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Controlling Air Traffic and Distributing Medical Marijuana Another effort to regulate medical marijuana in the City of Los Angeles. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, existing technology could make air travel faster, more fuel efficient and cheaper, but the air traffic control system won?t be updated until 2025.  We hear why and what passengers can expect in the meantime. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform in Washington; Education in California King hospital gets new life, but the state's latest $21 billion shortfall poses another threat to education. We hear what it could mean for LA Unified and what's being done to qualify for the President'sRace-to-the Top money. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Democrats want their healthcare reform bill on the Senate floor before next week's Thanksgiving vacation. Republicans will do all they can to prevent that from happening. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Global Warming, Higher Education in California Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Closing Guantanamo, Opening Up the LAUSD Charlie Beck starts his first term as Chief of the LAPD and the LA School District begins farming out schools to outside operators. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, to make good on his promise to close Guantanamo Bay, President Obama needs to re-locate more than 200 prisoners. One likely location in northwestern Illinois has set off a political firestorm. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website For Obama, Job One; In Southern California, Art and Pot The LA City Council debates a question other cities answered long ago: how to regulate medical marijuana. Also, Eli Broad's massive collection of contemporary art could mean prestige and money for Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point,in the "jobless recovery," the President says "Job One" is creating jobs. What can he do?  Can he do it before the mid-term elections? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Diplomacy in Asia and Partisan Politics in California Republicans Pounce on Attorney General Jerry Brown, whose press secretary might have broken state law by taping a phone conversation without asking permission from the other party. Also, the brown pelican is off the endangered species list. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, as President Obama goes to Asia, the US is still in deep trouble while China is riding high. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Iran and Diplomatic Confusion; LA Veterans Home from the Wars In addition to the visible wounds of combat, hundreds of thousands of veterans come home from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries nobody else can see. What?s happening to those with PTSD and brain damage as they try to adjust to life in LA? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, political divisions inside Iran appear to be threatening a nuclear deal with the west, even though competing Iranian factions may want it to happen. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Fort Hood Killings; Swine Flu; Political Reform for California There's a shortage of H1N1 vaccine in LA County and a shortage of information about how many people are dying from swine flu. We hear about that and some bad news for efforts to reform government in California. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, 13 people were gunned down last Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas. Were they victims of terrorism? Could the incident have been prevented? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website It Was 20 Years Ago Today: The Fall of the Berlin Wall There are huge celebrations in Berlin, as world leaders gather to mark an event that changed the face of the world. It was twenty years ago today that the Berlin Wall came down. In this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, guest hostSara Terryasks whether the past two decades have lived up to the promise of that moment, and how the end of the Cold War era shaped the political and economic realities of today. Also, the Supreme Court considers life sentences for children, and why pro-choice ac ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Global Warming and National Security Nobody doubts that dealing with global warming will be expensive, so supporters of climate change legislation are raising questions of national security.  On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, is that a diversionary tactic or will climate change increase terrorism, force mass migration and destabilize entire regions? Also, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas threatens to retire. On Reporter's Notebook, we ask the man who ran Barak Obama's "perfect" campaign what happened on Tuesday. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Off-year Election Results and Water for California Anthony Villaraigosa talks about his choice for a new chief of the LAPD and the rest of his own term as mayor. Plus, the State Legislature finally passes a water program, including $11 billion in bonds that will have to get voter approval. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, Republicans took governorships from Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. A Democrat took a congressional seat from the GOP in upstate New York. Maine voters said "no" to same-sex marriage. What messages do "off-year ele ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama and Middle East Peace; Villagraigosa and the LAPD Mayor Villagraigosa has chosen Deputy Chief Charlie Beck to succeed Bill Bratton as Chief of the LAPD. We hear from both men and get reaction from a cross section of city figures. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, Hillary Clinton's having a tough time with Israelis and Arabs, and Congress is about to condemn a UN report on war crimes in Gaza. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Credibility in Afghanistan and Homeless in LA Despite the recession, the number of homeless people in LA County has gone down, or has it? Ethics investigations are underway into two local members of Congress. Latinos are celebrating the Day of the Dead. OnTo the Point, Abdullah Abdullah has dropped out, so there won't be a run-off, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai will get a second term. Will he be "credible" to his own people or to President Obama as he decides whether to send more American soldiers? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The 'Public Option,' TV Sets and the Dodgers in Divorce Court Today's North Hollywood synagogue shooting, greening TV sets, and the Dodgers in divorce court. On our rebroadcast of today?sTo the Point, the "public option" is not dead after all. The House and the Senate will debate two different versions of healthcare reform. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Swine Flu, the Decline of Newspapers and the Chief of the LAPD California newspapers are on the ropes.  As they compete with themselves on the Internet, the New York Times may be covering local news in LA and San Francisco. We hear about that and the three insiders most likely to succeed LA Police Chief Bill Bratton.  On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, mixed messages about swine flu and the availability of H1N1 vaccine have led to confusion and unexpected public anxiety. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website China's Economy and California's Water Wars After years of delay and months of closed-door negotiations, a massive state water plan is finally out in the open. Does that mean it can be voted on this week as legislative leaders predicted?  We hear from Sacramento. On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point,China will soon pass Japan as the world's second largest economy, but it's not easy to cope with such rapid expansion. How long can the growth continue? Can the US and China afford to be adversaries? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Executive Pay on Wall Street and New Digs for the LAPD Parker Center has been replaced as police headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. Does the new building, so far without a name, represent a new way for the LAPD to protect and serve? On our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, traders and brokers who almost wrecked the economy got bonuses anyway, even as their companies were being saved by taxpayer bailouts. Will Obama Administration pay cuts punish the right people? Will new rules protect against another recession? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Local Politics with National Impact; LAPD's New Home On Reporter's Notebook, the legacy of the first Chief to reshape the LAPD. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, local elections in New Jersey, Virginia and Maine could be important for the President, the Democratic Party and same sex marriage. Also, the Pay Czar cuts executive compensation. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Afghanistan's Run-off Election and Women in America's Workplace Women are half the workforce. Why don't they get the same pay as men for the same job? On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, incompetence, corruption and Afghanistan's presidential election.  Will a run-off produce what the White House calls a "credible partner" deserving of more US troops to fight the Taliban and maintain stability? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Pakistan, Medical Marijuana and the Rights of Reporters The LA City Council gets a proposal to regulate medical marijuana. Will it allow sales for money? Did the LA County Sheriff violate laws protecting reporters' freedoms? On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point,Pakistan's army is finally taking on the Taliban in South Waziristan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Big Banks, Medical Marijuana and the LAPD The federal government won't crack down any more on medical marijuana, but local officials are itching to prosecute. Plus, Mayor Villaraigosa says keep the LA Police Department at full force ? whatever it costs. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, even Alan Greenspan saysit's time to break up financial institutions that are "too big tofail." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The President Goes to The Big Easy; Bill Bratton's Leaving LA California's public employees take another hit, a veteran reporter remembers Parker Center and LAPD Chief Bill Bratton talks about politics in Los Angeles. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, President Obama touched down briefly in New Orleans today, and the Big Easy seemed to be saying, "It's about time." Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website High-level Talks in Moscow and Immigration Enforcement in LA The Obama Administration's new approach to immigration enforcement. Also, does California's constitution need reform. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, Hillary Clinton's in Moscow to talk about Iran's nuclear program and the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, not to mention Afghanistan. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Gays in the Military and Slavery in America There are some 40 to 50,000 slaves in America today, and Los Angeles is a center for human traffic. We hear about the anti-slavery activists being recognized here tonight.  We also talk with KCRW?s Matt Holzman, on a sailing ship above the Arctic Circle.  On our rebroadcast of today?sTo the Point, President Obama has again promised to revoke ?Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell,? but legalizing gays and lesbians in the military will take an act of Congress. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website War and Peace in Afghanistan; Hyperlocal Journalism in LA As mainstream newspapers go out of business, "hyperlocal reporting" could be  the future of journalism. We hear how it's working in Southern California. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, the Taliban, al Qaeda and Afghanistan are some of the issues facing the latest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Big Change in Hollywood; Another Showdown in Sacramento Governor Schwarzenegger threatens a mass veto to get his way on water policy. We get an update. We also look at how California regulates health insurance. Could the state provide a "public option" if Washington doesn't? On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, technology and economics are working big change on the business of entertainment. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Unemployment and the Cross in the Mojave Desert The separation of church and state in the Mojave Desert and National League Playoffs in Dodger Stadium. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, despite talk about economic "recovery," unemployment's at 9.8% and full employment isn't likely again until 2017. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform and the DWP in Transition Broken water pipes, drought restrictions, increased rates for customers and politics at LA's Department of Water and Power. Plus, a history of Los Angeles during another turbulent era. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, healthcare reform is finally headed toward the floors of the House and the Senate. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website The Nation's Highest Court, California's Highest Elected Office Arnold Schwarzenegger has yet to fade into California's political history.  But nasty campaigns to succeed him are already shaping up among Democrats and Republicans.  We update next year's primaries and hear how the Chandler family helped to create Los Angeles. Also, tonight's PBC documentary on the Chandler Family. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, Justice Sonia Sotomayor began her first full term on the US Supreme Court today. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website FBI Makes an Arrest in a Case of Domestic Terrorism Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year¬old Afghan entered a plea of ?not guilty? this week to charges of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, in what's being called one of the most serious terrorist threats since 9/11. His arrest came amidst a number of other terror related cases. Also, the US and its allies talk to Iran about its nuclear program. On Reporter's Notebook, could massive earthquakes thousands of miles apart impact other faults around the globe?Conan Nolanguest hosts this rebro ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website US and Iran, Face-to-Face for the First Time in 30 Years In Geneva tomorrow, the United States will sit down for direct negotiations with Iran for the first time in three decades. The US, France, Britain, China, Russia and Germany will push for greater transparency on Iran's nuclear program, and threaten sanctions if President Ahmadinejad refuses to cooperate. What can the West hope to achieve at the talks? Will Russia and China agree to stepping up the pressure on Iran? Also,  earthquakes and tsunamis strike Samoa, and pitching the Olympic ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website After the Station Fire Fires, floods and a new LA gang czar. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, Congress is back after the August recess, faced with the same problems it failed to address in July. We hear about healthcare, global warming, finance reform ? partisan Republicans and divided Democrats. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Healthcare Reform 2.0: Obama Prepares to Re-charge the Debate Barack Obama is attempting to regain control of the debate on healthcare reform. His proposals drew criticism from conservatives at a series of town hall meetings in August, and Republican senators, once considered potential partners in bi-partisanship, have openly attacked the plan. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, guest hostSara Terryconsiders the prospects for reform. Also, a look back at Teddy Kennedy -- in his own words, and an update on the cause and destruction of the Stati ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Are Hearts and Minds Being Won or Lost in Afghanistan? The latest US strategy against the Taliban calls for winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. But complaints of election fraud threaten the credibility of President Hamid Karzai, and contractors guarding the US embassy have shocked Afghan sensibilities. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, we update developmentsin what's called "Barack Obama's war."  Also, Pfizer is fined $2.3 billion for illegal marketing of drugs, and grocery chains' efforts to win back shoppers looki ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Big Fires Raise Big Questions about Money Will budget cuts damage the mutual aid system as fire season burns on? Also, will player trades help the Dodgers get into the playoffs? On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point,  banks that were "too big to fail" were rescued from the consequences of bad decisions with taxpayer money. As they begin to pay it back, they've grown even bigger.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Wildfires Blazing Through Southland This week's fires are threatening lives, homes and a major historic site on Mt. Wilson. Plus, Mayor Villraigosa is overhauling his office.  On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, faced with a possible flu epidemic this fall, the US planning for extreme emergencies. If medical facilities are overwhelmed, who gets access first? Who decides? What can be learned from what happened after Katrina just four years ago? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Concierge Doctors: Primary Care and the Well-to-Do The concierge doctor is a relatively small but growing practice aimed at cutting out the middle man and delivering medicine directly to the patient?for a price. Meanwhile, the number of doctors going into family practice has dropped dramatically, even though healthcare analysts say general practitioners are essential as the backbone of an efficient and accessible national healthcare system. In this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, guest hostJudy Mullerexamines  the disparity and won ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website LAUSD Votes to Hand Over Schools to Charter Groups Charter school operators say LA Unified has made history; the teachers' union says it's violating the law. We hear a debate. Also, a budget crisis for LA's most successful anti-gang program, and fire seasons opens with a big fire. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, there were massive truck bombs in Baghdad last week, even as Prime Minister al-Maliki claimed to have security well in hand. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Party Time: Money and Politics in Sacramento The California state legislature has fallen to record lows in public approval, but nobody's more popular with special interests than Senators and Assembly members. More than 250 fundraisers have been held this year with almost 37 more today and tomorrow. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, the Inspector General's report describes CIA interrogators menacing suspects with guns and power drills and threatening to rape their wives and kill their children. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website LAUSD Board to Debate Management of New Schools The LA Unified School Board will consider allowing outside operators to run 50 new schools. Can the teachers' union stop it or water it down? We hear from two board members about a showdown expected tomorrow. Also, can LACMA's film program be saved? On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, industrial agriculture produces huge quantities of meat and grain, but are they as cheap as they seem? What about damage to land, water and even health? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website King/Drew Hospital Resuscitated? Will the University of California help LA County re-open a troubled hospital?  Have Republicans begun a catfight over the chance to run against Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer?  On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, the vote count is under way in Afghanistan, where a national election has been held in the midst of bloody fighting. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website LA Mayor Villaraigosa Appears Headed for Re-election Suspected terrorists held for years without charges or trials create a conflict between constitutional rights and national security. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, we hear what Barack Obama's promise to restore American values could mean. Plus, does Mayor Villaraigosa deserve re-election?  Is it safe to run for the City Council in Cudahy? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Los Angeles Elections: City Attorney and City Controller San Francisco's last major newspaper faces big trouble, and LA's facing a city election, though very few people are paying attention. Also, is it time for California to get a new constitution? On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, after weeks of grim predictions, did President Barack Obama lift the nation's mood in his first address to the joint session of Congress? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Shining Sunlight on Measure B: The Solar Panel Initiative Measure B on next week's ballot has set off a debate on the best way to expand solar energy in Los Angeles. Also, Slumdog Millionaire: Hollywood and Bollywood. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, a discussion about the priorities and diplomatic style of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she winds up her visit to Beijing. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Shining Sunlight on Measure B: The Solar Panel Initiative Measure B on next week's ballot has set off a debate on the best way to expand solar energy in Los Angeles. Also, Slumdog Millionaire: Hollywood and Bollywood. On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, a discussion about the priorities and diplomatic style of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as she winds up her visit to Beijing. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Obama Crosses the Border; State Legislature Makes a Deal In the wee hours this morning, one final Republican signed off on adeal to stitch up California's $42 billion financial wound. But thestate's a long way from fiscal stability. The state's voters will haveto ratify the deal. We hear what Governor Schwarzenegger will have tocampaign for. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, President Obama talked free trade today in Canada, where the government pays for healthcare. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Budget Update; Foreclosures in Southern California The President says he'll spend $75 billion to help stop foreclosuresand keep home prices from going down. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point,we learn who qualifies for assistance and whether the rescue plan willbe good for the economy. Also, the rescue plan's possible impact inCalifornia, a warning about the budget deadlock and a city electionthat won't bring much change. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website What California Might Get from the Federal Stimulus Package Bipartisanship didn't work on Capitol Hill, but the massive stimulus bill passed anyway, as we hear on our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point. Also, what California might get from the federal stimulus package and what Sacramento's budget deal will ask of state voters if and when it ever passes. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Will Local Talent Flee California's Financial Mess? California's ongoing budget crisis has become an argument for companies with good jobs to pull up and move to Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. We hear the pitch and what's being done to counteract it. On today's rebroadcast ofTo the Point, President Obama wants more troops in Afghanistan, but the US presence is increasingly unpopular. So is a corrupt and ineffective government. We hear about the challenges of shifting the focus on terror from Iraq to South Asia Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Taxes and Spending, from Washington to Sacramento A debate on LA’s solar energy plan. Is Measure B good government or bad politics? Plus, anupdate on the state budget and, on our rebroadcast ofTo the Point, a $789 billion stimulus package is likely to pass the House and Senate. What's in the bill? Did Republicans force enough compromises to tarnish a victory for President Obama? Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Tentative Budget Deal Reached Word of a budget deal in Sacramento includes these numbers: $14 billion in new taxes, $16 billion in spending cuts and $10 billion in new debt.We get the details and hear about charges that Republicans are breaking anti-bribery laws. Also, what’s in store for the Motion Picture and Television retirement home?  On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, President Obama wants big money to forestall foreclosures. Is that a sound public investment? Why is homeownership equated with th ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Toxic Conditions in Southern California Wastewater For eight years, lakes, rivers and Santa Monica Bay have been polluted with sewage and industrial waste toxic enough to damage and kill aquatic plants and animals.  Enforcement officials are accused of looking the other way.  The Legislative Analyst says California is headed toward a "colossal" financial disaster. On this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, Barack Obama began a tough selling job today with an urgent warningabout years of recession if Congress fails to enact his ma ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website City Hall Has Angelenos Feeding More to the Meter Governor Schwarzenegger strikes back, the City of LA has second thoughts about quadrupling parking fees, and billboard blight and public safety. Plus, on our rebroadcast of Today'sTo the Point, an update on the situation in Gaza and reactions from American Jews on both sides of the issue. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website A Budget Breakdown in Sacramento The President elect wants $775 billion, but is it enough to move a $15trillion economy?  On thisrebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, we look for answers. California is likely to run out of money next month, but Democrats say Governor Schwarzenegger got "cold feet" just as a deal was about to be cut.  In Orange County, jurors heard closing arguments in former Sheriff Mike Carona's corruption trial. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Flexes Its Muscle in DC Israel says the attacks won't end until Hamas stops firing rockets across the border.  Hamas says that won't happen. European leaders work for immediate ceasefire, while the US is thinking long term. On this rebroadcast ofTo the Point, we update the fighting and the diplomacy. Also, onWhich Way, L.A.?, former Congressman Leon Panetta has been named by Barack Obama to head the CIA. We hear about him, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Californians in national jobs. Are they giving the state ... Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Politics, the Economy and Lifestyles: Predictions for 2009 A black man won the White House, while a white woman from Alaska wonthe hearts of conservatives. The economy imploded as financial scandalsrocked the headlines, and Americans began to rethink their consumerways. 2008 was definitely one for the history books. On this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, guest hostSara Terrylooks at what's ahead in 2009. Also, the political pitfalls of fillingfour senate seats, and kicking off the new year on the gridiron. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Israel Continues to Pound the Gaza Strip As Israeli jets continue to fire on the densely-populated Gaza Strip, guest hostSara Terrylooks at the impact in Gaza, the region and around the world. What isIsrael trying to accomplish?  What pressures do the attacks place onArab leaders and the US? Will Israel's actions fuel Islamic militancyaround the world? Also, Barack Obama's rise to the presidency. Areporter looks back at her own coverage of the race. (This program was originally rebroadcast earlier today onTo the Point.) Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website MOCA Accepts Eli Broad's Rescue Offer Barack Obama says economic recovery won't happen until there's healthcare reform, and a growing consensus says now is the time. On this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, we hear what's still on the table. OnWhich Way, LA?, new leadership and big money for LA's troubled Museum of Contemporary Art, and a new threat to Southern California's water supply.  Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Cyber-warfare and Weapons of Mass Annoyance Attacks on the Internet may or not produce blood and gore, but cyber-war is a real threat to the economy and national security. On our rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, we talk about how it works, who should take charge of cyber-defense and how civil liberties can be protected. Also, a local member of Congress reportedly will be named to Barack Obama's cabinet, and his choice of a conservative pastor for his inauguration has outraged gay rights groups. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website California Pulls the Plug on Construction Banks, charities and other sophisticated investors fell victim to Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme; $50 billion may be just the tip of the iceberg. On this rebroadcast of today'sTo the Point, why were so many taken for so much when so many others knew it was fraud? Also, a state agency has shut down almost 2000 construction projects, including highways, schools and levees.  At stake are billions for business and tens of thousands of jobs. It's all about the budget. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website Republicans Bring a Hatchet to the Budget Debate Vice President Cheney says he and other top Bush Administrationofficials approved "abusive" interrogation techniques.  Will Barack Obama investigate orleave the recent past to future historians?  We hear a debate.  Also, anew superintendent for LA schools, and more slings and arrows over thestate budget in Sacramento. Listen | Listen in your iPhone | Download | View full cache | Visit Website