KPCC: Patt Morrison

OBAMANOS!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Hendrik Hertzberg’s byline in the New Yorker guarantees a wise, edgy and compelling exposition of the body politic and political bodies. His new book Obamanos! is all about the year of living presidentially, offering context to key elements that defined the 2008 general election while telling the story of a reinvigoration of the Democratic Party alongside a Republican tailspin.

White House interference in Kevin Johnson case?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Was Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson's ally in the White House a leading factor in the decision by federal attorneys not to pursue charges against him for alleged financial misdeeds and inappropriate behavior with female students? Former federal inspector general Gerald Walpin, who protested the prosecutors' handling of the case, thinks so; he was fired by the Obama White House in June. LA Times Washington correspondent Tom Hamburger tells the story.

Gross negligence: the U.S. government’s liability for failed levees

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

A federal court judge rules that the Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for the levee breaches which left much of the city of New Orleans underwater after Hurricane Katrina. The decision has the potential to leave the government venerable to billions of dollars in claims from victims. The judge gave the corps a lambasting claiming they had a “myriad” of ways to protect the Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward but showed “insouciance, myopia and shortsightedness” along with “gross negligence” in opting not to do so. The lead plaintiff’s attorney says Katrina was not a natural disaster but a disaster caused by the Army Corps of Engineers—and apparently, the judge agreed.

Pay more, pollute more? The problem with carbon off-sets

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Carbon offsets, a growing multi-billion dollar global industry, is a simple premise with an altruistic motivation: purchasing a carbon offset to cancel out the emissions generated by activities like flying or driving, and direct that money to programs that reduce emissions elsewhere. The developing problem is that carbon offsets are discouraging pollution but rather assuaging the guilt of the polluters. Travel company Responsible Travel just cancelled its carbon offset program because while it might help customers feel virtuous it wasn’t doing anything to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Is this a fundamental problem with cap-and-trade, carbon offset strategy?

The politics of health: preventative care, policy changes & recriminations

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Politics and health care is a messy combination, as already evidenced by months of debate over health care reform in Washington; but events of the past week have further muddied the reform waters as recommended changes in screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer in women have led to political recriminations. How would a hypothetical “public option” handle the changes in mammograms; are the recommended limitations on pap smears the first sign of feared government rationing of healthcare? We apply these real world examples to the proposed reform legislation in front of Congress.

Women advised to undergo fewer Pap screenings

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Only days after the federal Preventive Services Task Force revised mammography standards, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is recommending women of all ages undergo Pap smears less frequently, and not begin until age 21. ACOG staunchly opposed the revision of mammography guidelines Tuesday, but says the argument for changing Pap screening is far more compelling; there is far more unnecessary Pap screening and more potential for harmful treatments, especially in young women, who are especially prone to develop abnormalities in the cervix that appear to be precancerous, but will go away if left untreated. Treating these growths can risk injury to the cervix and lead to premature birth and an increased risk of needing a Caesarean if a woman becomes pregnant.

Los Angeles: Portrait of a City

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

In 500 photographs, from the first known image of Los Angeles, taken in 1862 by William M. Godfrey, to shots of the sprawling urban landscape, this assemblage traces the city's cultural, political, industrial and sociological history. Development and diversity are the themes here, with events that made world news -- including two Olympics, Bobby Kennedy's assassination, the Rodney King riots -- highlighting a city of energy, turmoil, and change. A triple-latte sized volume, "Los Angeles: Portrait of a City," tells the story of the City of Angels in pictures and three languages.

Predictive Policing, a real-life “Minority Report”?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Researchers and criminal justice leaders are gathering in Los Angeles this week to develop and discuss the concept of “predictive policing.” Lauded as a major crime fighting tool, predictive policing combines technology and statistical analysis to identify crime hot spots and forecast who is likely to commit crimes, at what times, and in which locations…are you thinking Tom Cruise in “Minority Report”? Former LAPD Chief Bill Bratton was an advocate of the program, but civil liberties scholars are beginning to raise concerns over privacy and civil rights issues associated with the predictive analytics. How can police use this new technology to better fight crime without eroding our civil liberties?

Mixing algebra & politics: the power to predict political events

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

If nothing else this segment will be a good reminder of why math matters, even to those political science majors out there. On the surface Bruce Bueno de Mesquita is a political science professor with an incredible reputation for predicting the outcome of political events, from elections to international negotiations. Peel back the layers and learn that he employs his own algebraic equation to predict politics that is successful because it removes the emotional factor. Meet the “predictioneer” and hear what his formula foresees in the future.

Now that it’s official, they’re officially angry: UC students absorb 32% fee hike

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

As the UC Regents prepared to officially approve a 32% student fee increase angry UC students stormed the building early this morning, barricading the doors in protest. Now that the reality of at least $2,500 in additional annual fees is upon students, what’s next in their fight against the Regents and the larger political structure of California that brought down nearly $1 billion in budget cuts on the UC system?

"When Everything Changed: American women from 1960 to the present"

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

When American women look back on nearly 50 years, drastic transitions are evident everywhere -- in politics, economics, sex, families, work, and fashion. Former New York Times editorial page editor Gail Collins, the first woman to hold that position, has written the definitive book on five decades of progress, including a mix of conversations with the likes of Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King, and nearly 100 others. "When Everything Changed" takes us from here to there.

Finding a consensus on the census

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

In 2010 the Census Bureau could have millions fewer names to call if certain politicians and advocates get their way. The current question causing just a smidgen of controversy is - should non-citizens be counted in the 2010 census? Some church-based groups are proposing a boycott by Latinos of the entire census, which would leave out 36% of California’s population, and might cause California to lose five of its 53 House seats. Can we find a consensus on the census?

Flying high in a recession, Sir Richard Branson shoots for the moon

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Sir Richard Branson changed the face of marketing and of aviation with his 'Virgin' empire by following two basic principles: sell cheaper tickets than your rivals on already well-traveled routes and make flying fun (offer WiFi and videogames). In just two years, Virgin America has muscled its way into major airports and floated in a dire air traveling climate, but competitor airlines are beginning to take note; the U.S. Department of Transportation is looking into competitors’ accusations that Virgin America violates citizenship laws with Brit Branson’s investment in the company. Patt talks with Branson about the future of flight, including Virgin Galactic, which promises to make space travel affordable to tourists.

Goldman Sachs mea culpa: Can they be trusted?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Goldman Sachs, the mega-successful investment firm that everyone loves to hate but everyone loves to profit off of, did something yesterday that few other financial firms have done since last year’s economic melt down: they apologized. Goldman’s CEO apologized, saying that the firm “participated in things that were clearly wrong and we have reason to regret” them—and they then announced a $500 million charitable grant to small businesses and education programs, helping them to pull out of the recession. Are there ulterior motives to Goldman’s apology, and are they really to blame for our economic woes?

California budget gap at $21 billion…?!

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Twenty-one billion dollars! Yes, twenty-one billion dollars - that's the projected budget deficit through fiscal 2010-2011, according to the Legislative Analyst's Office. After months of patching together a budget that fnally passed the legislature and was signed by the governor, the state faces another round of across-the-board cuts and possibly a repeat of budgetary gridlock in Sacramento.

To Mammogram or not to mammogram? That becomes the question

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

A federal task force responsible for setting national prevention policy is recommending that women in their 40's stop getting routine mammograms and women in their 50's cut back to every other year. The announcement marks a radical departure from traditional cancer screening methods used by most medical professionals. The task force concluded that the harms outweigh the benefits and suggest that only women in high risk groups get mammograms routinely. The recommendation has ignited a debate in women's health care over what the appropriate course of action should be in screening for a disease that kills more than 40,000 women each year.

Hard choices, lots of enemies & few friends: Life of the UC President

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

He’s started an effort to raise $1 billion for financial aid and he’s attracted high profile and highly lucrative researchers and foundations into the University of California fold; and he’s also cut $800+ million from the UC budget, furloughed and laid off countless workers and turned away thousands of previously eligible students. UC President Mark Yudof has the unenviable job of keeping the UC system afloat and making lots of tough decisions in the process. What’s his master plan for the future of UC?

Is higher education in California losing its golden gleam?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

It’s been a tough few years for most of California’s public institutions, but the higher education system of UC, Cal State and community colleges have been particularly hard hit. A new report from the Legislative Analyst Office says that soaring fees, volatile college budgets and enrollment caps are so far removed from California’s “Master Plan for Higher Education” that the state’s constitutional education goals have become irrelevant, or at least impossible to meet. How did our public schools, the prides of California, fall so far?

Saving the UC system: How to get Regents, students & faculty on the same page

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Everyone involved with the University of California system will agree on one basic fact: Nearly $1 billion in budget cuts have devastated the system and seriously jeopardized UC’s standing as the premiere public higher education system in the world. That’s where the agreement seems to end, as students and faculty believes the Regents and UC execs have poorly managed funds and are raising fees to keep the system’s profit margins high. With a 32% student fee hike on the table, is it possible for all sides in the UC system to agree on the best course of action?

2012 - end of the world or an intriguing bit of baloney?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Doomsday scenarios predict the world will end on December 21, 2012, citing the Maya Long Count calendar's cycle-ending date. But does that represent an end of an age, or a new beginning? We give some perspective to the rampant sensational theories with a student of 2012 and a skeptic of the phenomenon.