Protecting Consumers and Curbing Bankers
We speak with Harvard Law School professor Elizabeth Warren about her brainchild, a federal agency to protect consumers from bad lending practices. It’s now before Congress as a key part of President Obama’s proposed overhaul of Wall Street. Warren also chairs the congressional panel charged with overseeing the Treasury Department’s 700 billion dollar rescue of financial markets.
Remembering Composer Leon Kirchner
The music world is mourning the death of Leon Kirchner, one of America’s greatest composers. Kirchner died yesterday at his home in New York, the cause was heart failure. We revisit a conversation that Robin Young had with Kirchner before he was honored at Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum earlier this year.
Struggling Synagogues
The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset today and many synagogues are hoping the coming year will be better than the last. By one estimate Jewish organizations lost a quarter of their wealth in the economic downturn and grants to synagogues are down. Our guest is Rabbi Charles Klein of the Merrick Jewish Center on Long Island, New York.
ACORN Under Fire
The U.S. House and Senate both voted this week to block federal funding for the national community organizing group ACORN. Hidden camera video released last week showed the group counseling two undercover filmmakers posing as a pimp and a prostitute on tax filing for their illegal business. We speak to Ben Smith, Senior Political reporter for Politico.com.
Curbing Larry David’s Enthusiasm
Larry David at the premiere of "The Heartbreak Kid" in Los Angeles in 2007. (AP)
That crusty, curmudgeon Larry David is back for a seventh season of his HBO series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” This season, the “Seinfeld” co-creator has convinced the cast of Seinfeld to do a reunion show. Well, sort of. Since the reunion show is taking place on “Curb,” it’s not really a reunion at all. We speak with Larry David, who might have a future as a professional whistler if this whole TV thing doesn’t work out.
Larry David, Whistler Extraordinaire
Music from the show
- Freddie Hubbard, “Little Sunflower”
- Fred Hirsch, “Desafinado”
- Kar Kar Madison, “Boubacar Traore”
- Thelonius Monk, “Caravan”
- George Gershwin, “American in Paris”
- Frank Sinatra, “My Way”
- Leon Kirchner, “Flutings for Paula” performed by Paula Robison
- Leon Kirchner, “Duo No. 2” performed by Jeremy Denk and Corey Cerovsek
- Igor Stravinsky, “Disparition du Palais et des Sortileges de Kastchei, Animation des Chevaliers Petrifies” performed by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain
- Leon Kirchner, “Music for Cello and Orchestra” performed by Yo-Yo Ma and the Philadelphia Orchestra
- Leon Kirchner, “Piano Sonata No.1” performed by Leon Fleisher
- Leon Kirchner, “Trio No. 2” performed by the Claremont TrioArnold Schoenberg, “Verklarte Nacht Op. 4”
- Johann Sebastian Bach, “Cello Suite No. 1 in G” performed by Yo-Yo Ma
