Today on Kresta - April 29, 2009

Talking about the "things that matter most" on Apr. 29

3:00 – It Happened in Italy: Untold Stories of How the People of Italy Defied the Horrors of the Holocaust
We hear one woman's discovery---and the incredible, unexpected journey it took her on---of how her grandparent's small village of Campagna, Italy, helped save Jews during the Holocaust. Elizabeth Bettina discovered, much to her surprise, that her grandparent's small village, nestled in the heart of southern Italy, housed an internment camp for Jews during the Holocaust, and that it was far from the only one. We follow her discovery of survivors and their stories of gratitude to Italy and its people. And we explore the little known details of how members of the Catholic Church assisted and helped shelter Jews in Italy during World War II.

3:40 – April 29, 1992 – Rodney King Verdict / Riots
“All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” wedded the American soul to the concept that freedom comes from our humanity, not from the government. But American governments legally suspended the free will of blacks for 150 years, and then denied blacks equal protection of the law for another 150 years. How did this happen in America? How were the Constitution and laws of the land twisted so as to institutionalize racism? And how did it or will it end? Judge Andrew Napolitano takes a no-holds-barred look at the role of the government in the denial of freedoms based on race.

4:00 – Baptized By The Pope
Heidi Sierras had been preparing for it for more than a year, and two weeks ago it happened: The 29-year- old CA woman was baptized by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome's St. Peter's Basilica, followed by confirmation and her first Eucharist as a new member of the Catholic Church. "I feel complete now," she said after the service. "I felt empty before, but now I am complete." The pope baptizes as many as seven people a year, representing the seven continents of the world. Sierras represented North and South America. She shares her experience.

4:20 – The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita
Dr. Rudolph Alvarado's compelling and in-depth biography captures the story of Joe Hernandez, a Catholic Mexican-American, who despite his ethnic background became thoroughbred horse racing's greatest race caller at a time when most Mexicans were being repatriated due to America's Great Depression. This biography uncovers the extent to which Hernandez went to fit into this Anglo-American dominated world, and reveals that Hernandez's impact on the sport of thoroughbred horse racing went far beyond that of being a race caller. The book comes with a CD of Hernandez's most famous race calls, some of which we will play for you as we talk with Rudy.

5:00 – Direct to my Desk