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April 7 - 11, 2008
Monday, April 7
O.C. Sheriff's Deputies Shirk Duties
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Back in 2006, an Orange County deputy sat watching a baseball game and text-messaging while a mob of inmates fatally attacked another prisoner. Today, a year and a half after the killing, results from a criminal grand jury investigation were released. Discussing the investigation at a press conference this morning, OC District Attorney Rackauckas blamed "institutionalized laziness" for the tragedy. Though two prominent sheriffs have resigned in response to the investigation, no deputies have been charged. What types of reforms must be instituted if the Sheriff's Department hopes to recover from this scandal?
Investing With a Conscience: Sure It Feels Nice, but does it Pay the Bills?
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Investors wouldn't normally associate the massive California Public Employees Retirement System with "evil" corporations - quite the contrary, CalPERS and its sister fund CalSTRS (California State Teachers' Retirement System) have well-earned reputations for carefully steering their pension funds to morally upstanding companies. Still, the two funds are a target of an Assembly bill that would prohibit CalPERS and CalSTRS from investing in private-equity firms that are even partly owned by foreign governments that don't comply with human rights treaties. If you are determined to make socially responsible investments, are you forfeiting a profit to make a point? And how does one determine subjective "socially responsible" behavior?
iTunes Tax
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Music lovers who purchase songs from iTunes may soon be doing their part to minimize California's $8 billion dollar budget deficit. State Assemblyman Charles Calderon recently proposed taxing these intangible downloadable goods. A wide range of products falls under this category, yet some critics claim sales-tax-induced price hikes on such goods would be a mere drop in the deficit bucket. With music sales online eclipsing those of brick-and-mortar operations, has the time for iTunes taxation arrived? And could such a change contribute to already rampant piracy?
Jeffrey Sachs Outlines a Plan for the "Common Wealth"
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In the past few decades, there has been an extreme rise in global population, a huge shift in economic power and poverty levels have skyrocketed. So what does one of the leading international economists have to say about all of this? In his new book "Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet," Jeffrey Sachs examines the current state of the global economic system and pinpoints the steps to achieve environmental sustainability that the world is so desperately in need of. Patt speaks with Sachs on his plan to conquer the issues that threaten our global prosperity.
Petraeus and Crocker at the Podium
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General David Petraeus, Commanding General of Forces in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will testify to House and Senate committees this week on the current situation in Iraq. What questions should be uppermost in the minds of our elected officials as they question the two?
Tuesday, April 8
Save LA Parks! Build More Billboards!
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Billboards are usually used for advertisement, but now it seems Los Angeles will be using them as a form of bartering. LA City Council voted today to post two 76-foot tall digital billboards in order to create a new park in South Los Angeles. The proposal to install these flashy boards off of the 10 freeway has been under much scrutiny from anti-billboard activists. Is the 9-acre wetland worth posting more billboards in the city? Patt speaks with two council members on the vote.
- Jack Weiss, LA City Councilmember, 5th district. He was the only councilmember to vote against this today
- Jan Perry, LA City Councilmember, 9th district. The park will be in her district
Jail Controversy in the OC
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In 2006 an inmate of the Theo Lacy Jail in Orange County was beaten to death by fellow inmates. On Monday, a 7-thousand page grand jury transcript was released describing the conditions of the facility- incompetent deputies playing video games, text messaging and taking naps while inmates kept order through threats and abuse. Acting Sheriff Jack Anderson has called in the FBI to do a thorough investigation of civil rights violations at the facility. Sheriff Anderson joins Patt to discuss the investigation into the shocking findings.
Richard Florida asks "Who's Your City?"
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Planning on moving? Bestselling author Richard Florida urges eager movers to think hard about where they might be headed. His newest book "Who's Your City?" explores the impact on where one resides and how a single location can influence all aspects of a life- from finding the right job to discovering the perfect mate. Where is the best place for you? Patt talks to Florida on how you can find your dream city and the effect that place will have on your happiness.
Senators Grill Petraeus and Crocker
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After much anticipation, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are testifying today before two Senate committees on the status of Iraq. Adding to the hype of the hearings, Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain were given a chance to question the two spokesmen for the controversial war. Senator Barack Obama was not left out of the interrogation; he had a go at Petraeus and Crocker during the Foreign Relations Committee hearing this afternoon. Patt examines the questions, the answers, and the senator/candidates questions in light of their respective bids for the presidency.
Wednesday, April 9
Amid Protests Torch Relay Kicks off in San Francisco
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Beginning at 1 p.m. today, the Olympic torch traveled a revamped relay in San Francisco. The torch's journey around the world, originally meant to highlight China's economic growth, has turned into a political firestorm as activists in London, Paris and now San Francisco have protested China's human rights violations and recent crackdown in Tibet. Patt checks in on the torch's topsy-turvy tour of San Francisco fraught with last minute changes and throngs of protesters. Throughout the program today, we get an audio seat on the street.
Unmasking DWP Rate Hikes
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Perhaps you've heard rumors of modest increases in your electric bill? What you may not have heard is that in reality, these hikes could amount to a 23% increase in rates over the next four years. With the rising price of natural gas as well as the need to invest in alternative forms of sustainable energy, the DWP is in need of increased revenues. The Los Angeles City Council votes today on three electricity rate hikes that will total 9%. The remaining 15% comes from subtle 1% increases added every 3 months, which the council may implement without a vote. Electricity and water are clearly necessities, but can California families afford to absorb price hikes of this magnitude?
- David Zahniser, writer for the Los Angeles Times
- Brian Watt, KPCC reporter watching the vote
Moving California Forward
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Fed up with politicians incapable of balancing a budget or compromising for the sake of the electorate, a coalition of former elected officials, businessmen and activists have decided to take the fate of California into their own hands. Five foundations have formed a bipartisan political foundation called California Forward to help the state balance the budget, elect less partisan legislators and provide better public services. With a three-year, $15.9 million budget, the group wants to end the political fighting in Sacramento and enable the state to function effectively and efficiently. Can it be done?
Where is the Olympic Torch?
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Where is the torch now? Nobody seems to know. Patt gets the latest news from the streets of San Francisco where the torch relay has been cut in half and rerouted - sometimes to unknown places.
Big Man on Campus
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Following a massive payroll debacle, LAUSD faces another fiasco: after being investigated for statutory rape, an assistant principle was transferred to a middle school in Watts where he was recently accused of molesting a student. Additionally, efforts to institute college-prep courses have proven ineffective. To top it all off, a recent report surveying graduation rates in major U.S. cities cited a 45.3% rate for Los Angeles Unified, 42nd on a list of 50. How is LAUSD expected to resolve these issues while facing a $4.8 billion dollar budget cut? Superintendent David Brewer speaks on these issues and how the district might procure funding in the future.
Global Watch: How is the U.S. Perceived Abroad?
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Popularity of the U.S. has been on the decline in recent years, yet our country remains highly influential internationally. Addressing this subject is a new series by KCET, which will be unveiled tonight. "Global Watch" will delve into the nuances of perceptions of the U.S. abroad by speaking with individuals across the globe. What can this evening's viewers expect? The premiere will report on British opinion of the U.S. war on terror, Chinese opinion of American pressure to diminish pollution in China and an array of global opinions on the U.S. presidential race.
The program premieres tonight on PBS at 10:30 PM. You can also stream the program at pbs.org/globalwatch.
Here it is! We Found the Olympic Torch!
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Patt checks in with a reporter who has finally found the torch. After moving the torch inland away from protestors and media, one dogged journalist caught up with the torch and joins Patt with an update.
Thursday, April 10
Not So Ready for Take Off
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Airports were full of unhappy customers yesterday as thousands of vacation plans were ruined due to airline cancellations. American Airlines grounded over one thousand flights across the country for on going maintenance inspections on Wednesday. While flyers waited in outlandish lines, the Inspector General was testifying in front of a House Subcommittee to discuss initiatives being taken to address the airline chaos and plans to improve customer service. With traveler's confidence waning- how will the FAA redeem themselves?
Epilogue to the Affair: Mirthala Speaks
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The story rocked the city of Los Angeles last July when the mayor admitted having an ongoing affair with television anchor and reporter Mirthala Salinas. In the aftermath of Villaraigosa's public acknowledgement, Salinas left her job with Telemundo and all but disappeared from the city landscape, while the he faced divorce and the challenge of resurrecting his image as a man loyal to family. We finally hear Salinas' side of the story in her first and only interview, which appears in Los Angeles Magazine's upcoming issue. Interviewer Shawn Hubler joins Patt with the details about those months and what life is like now for the onetime rising Telemundo star.
Torch Relay Gone Wrong - What Happened in San Francisco?
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It was supposed to go proudly down the Embarcadero. Instead, under enough security to keep a president safe, it went down Van Ness, and then through the Presidio. What was supposed to be a symbol of hope and international cooperation has turned into a giant protest and, some would say, a pointless waste of police manpower. How did it come to this? Patt finds out.
Who's Using--and Abusing--Our Emergency Rooms?
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The conventional wisdom: uninsured poor people crowd our emergency rooms, because they can't afford to see a doctor. But according to a new study by the Annals of Emergency Medicine, the conventional wisdom is flat-out wrong. Emergency rooms are getting busier, but it's due as much to wealthy people. The problem may be more about structural flaws in our medical care system that make it too hard to see a doctor when you need one. And that's taxing our emergency rooms with cases that aren't really immediate and life threatening.
Manifest Destiny Complete: the Campaign that Created Los Angeles
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Once upon a time in 1870, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce lured thousands of Americans west through a promotional campaign that endured fifty years. Showcasing the burgeoning metropolis as a fresh and modern city, the campaign knew no limits, advertising the absurd and bizarre. Historian Tom Zimmerman recreates this ardent effort in his book, "Paradise Promoted." Made up of more than 500 photographs and rare ephemera from 1870 to 1930, the book explains how and why Los Angeles drew so many.
Tom Zimmerman is signing books at Skylight Books on Saturday, April 12th at 5 pm, and on Tuesday, April 15th, at the Santa Monica Library at 7 pm.
The Gamble House: Architectural Masterpiece turns 100
The arts and crafts movement is the signature architecture of Los Angeles. Nowhere is that better exemplified as in The Gamble House, designed by Charles and Henry Greene. The house, owned and preserved by the City of Pasadena in partnership with USC School of Architecture, will turn 100 Saturday.
Friday, April 11
Comedy Congress
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When analyzing the latest news or watching the actions of our elected officials, it can be tough to choose whether to laugh or cry. Today, Patt Morrison makes the decision for you: with Comedy Congress, we're taking a humorous look back at the week in politics and current events, and a look ahead at the absurdities yet to come. As the Democratic nomination fight mercilessly drags into the next primary it guarantees that politicians will continue to say stupid things. Why turn to another witless pundit when you can turn to us for breathless analysis? We cover the intra-party feuds and the sex scandal de jour until you wished Bill Clinton would just shut up. The truth hurts far less when it's told by comedians.
- Ben Gleib, Regular performer at the Hollywood Improv; recently named one of "Six Comedians who Could be Comedy's Next Big Thing" in Esquire; performed on CBS' "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn"; writer for Collegehumor.com; and according to his autobiography, a former Laker girl.
- Wayne Federman, Appeared in movies like "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up," guest-starred in TV shows "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and "The Larry Sanders Show"; performed on "The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno"; and co-author of the biography "Maravich" on NBA star "Pistol" Pete Maravich.
Zine: LAPD Must Question Immigrant Suspects
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For almost 30 years, LAPD officers have not been allowed to ask a suspect about his or her immigration status unless the person has already been arrested. The LAPD rule, called Special Order 40, attempts to ensure that immigrants are not afraid to come forward with information helpful to law enforcement officials. Then an undocumented immigrant allegedly killed 17-year-old football star Jamiel Shaw Jr., stirring debate on how far LAPD officers should go in questioning immigrants. Los Angeles Councilman Dennis Zine will introduce a proposal today to amend Special Order 40 and require LAPD officers who are investigating gang members who might be undocumented to check on their immigration status.
Chuck Hagel Answers Tough Questions with Straight Answers
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With the current state of our country, Americans are begging to have questions answered: How should we proceed in Iraq? How do we face a recession? How should our health care system run? Our American future could go in many different directions. The two-termed senator of Nebraska has a personal perspective that could set the U.S. on a path towards a bright future. In his new book, "America: Our Next Chapter," Chuck Hagel provides answers to our country's greatest concerns and describes how to build the strongest foundation for America's future. Senator Hagel speaks to Patt on how he might answer some of the nation's toughest questions.
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