OROVILLE, CA - JULY 20: In this before-and-after composite image, (Top) The Enterprise Bridge passes over full water levels at a section of Lake Oroville on July 20, 2011 in Oroville, California (Bottom) The Enterprise Bridge passes over a section of Lake Oroville that is nearly dry on August 19, 2014 in Oroville, California. As the severe drought in California continues for a third straight year, water levels in the State's lakes and reservoirs is reaching historic lows. Lake Oroville is currently at 32 percent of its total 3,537,577 acre feet. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

As the state endures one of the worst droughts in recorded history, Southern California residents are looking for answers about the sustainability of the region’s water supplies. Farmers have felt the sting of below-average rainfall for years, but as the crisis worsens, urban and suburban areas are likely to suffer drastic change in their relationship with the vital liquid.

Wildfires and brown lawns may be increasingly common visual symptoms of drought, but unless the rains return to the Golden State (and stay awhile), Southern Californians can also expect to see food and water prices rise, battles over water rights intensify, and, likely, water use increasingly restricted. Will the drought bring about a new discussion of revising the current water pricing structure to reduce high consumption in residential areas? Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency and requested a 20 percent reduction in use, but some cities have gone even further. Sacramento and other cities have begun levying substantial fines on residents who violate new statutes dictating when lawns may be watered.

At this Milken Institute Forum, co-hosted with KPCC – Southern California Public Radio, representatives from utilities, advocacy groups, and businesses will discuss the drought’s impact on towns and cities in the region. Beyond examining the scope of the problem, these experts will debate the best municipal and statewide strategies to ensure our continued access to H2O.

Guests:

Patrick Cavanaugh, broadcaster with the California Ag Today Radio Network; managing editor of American Vineyard and California Dairy; editor of Vegetables West and Pacific Nut Producer magazines

Sanjay Gaur, Senior Manager, Raftelis Financial Consultants, a utility consulting firm.

Jeffrey Kightlinger, General Manager,  The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Jim McDaniel, Senior Assistant General Manager for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's (LADWP) Water System.

Kate Poole, Senior Attorney and Litigation Director for the Water Program, Natural Resources Defense Council.    

Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) has introduced a bill designating the San Gabriel Mountains a national monument. ; Credit: Rick Dickert @rickdickertweather

President Obama has established 11 national monuments thus far, and if a California lawmaker has her way, the San Gabriel Mountains would be the next to earn the distinction.

Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), who introduced a bill this year to designate the San Gabriel Mountains a national monument, sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week pushing for new upgrades at the 655,00-acre park.

Currently, the US Forest Service manages the mountains, but budgetary issues have lead to maintenance concerns. The designation could mean more funding for park maintenance and cleanup and more protection for wildlife.

Opponents, the LA Times reports, fear that the designation would negatively impact firefighting and water quality and other things in the mountains.

Guest:

Daniel Rossman, Chairman,  San Gabriel Mountains Forever - a coalition that includes the Wilderness Society and the Sierra Club

Mary Ann Lutz, Mayor of Monrovia

Two committees under the Los Angeles City Council have recommended the city adopt a new pilot program that would allow officers to issue fines for neighborhood “quality-of-life” offenses like loud parties.; Credit: Photo by Nick Minieri via Flickr Creative Commons

Recently on AirTalk, we heard from listeners all across Los Angeles County on the types of noise they’ve had to live and deal with. 

A solution might be the horizon. Two committees under the Los Angeles City Council have recommended the city adopt a new pilot program that would allow officers to issue fines for neighborhood “quality-of-life” offenses like loud parties, the incessantly barking dogs, or the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.

Under the proposal, citations would start at $250 for the first infraction, and go up to $500, and then $1,000 for repeated offenders. Implementation of the program is estimated to cost over $570,000. Expected revenue would total around $2 million. The program still needs approval from the full council.

How would the program work? Do you think the program will curb residential noise disturbances?

Guests:

Paul Koretz, L.A. City Council member representing District 5, which includes communities of Bel Air, Century Club, Fairfax. He chairs the Personnel, Welfare and Animal Services committee, one of the committees that recommended the adoption of the pilot program

Kyle Fitzpatrick, founder of the blog, Los Angeles, I’m Yours. He also writes for Los Angeles Magazine. His recent piece details his concerns about the pilot program. 

A report by a committee chaired by LAUSD Board of Education member Monica Ratliff found that LAUSD’s iPad program has issues with planning, transparency, and bidding problems. ; Credit: Photo by Lexie Flickinger/Brad Flickinger via Flickr Creative Commons

Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy has suspended contracts with Apple and Pearson following criticism and investigation into L.A. schools’ use of iPads in the classroom.

The $1 billion program faced scrutiny from critics since its implementation last year, and has recently come under fire after a committee of LAUSD staff, parents, and teachers found that the bidding process may have favored Apple and Pearson. In a memo to the Board of Education, Supt. Deasy said that LAUSD will halt its contract with Apple and subcontract with Pearson and restart the process of fulfilling the need for technology in the classroom.

How will students, teachers, and parents react to changes to the iPad program? What’s the best way to proceed?

Guests:

Annie Gilbertson, KPCC Education Reporter

Mónica García, represents Board District 2, including South LA, Echo Park, and Downtown, in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)

Colleen Schwab, secondary vice president of UTLA

Scott Folsom, parent leader in LAUSD, past president of Los Angeles’ 10th District PTA, represents the PTA on the LAUSD Construction Bond Citizens Oversight Committee

Brandon Martinez, assistant professor of clinical education Rossier School of Education at USC

An aerial view of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant - which sits on the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo County, California on March 17, 2011.; Credit: Mark Ralson/AFP/Getty Images

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and one of its former nuclear inspectors have a big disagreement.

Dr. Michael Peck, the NRC’s former senior resident inspector at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, questions in his 42 page Differing Professional Opinion (DPO), the safety of the nuclear reactors. He says they could suffer from more than a minimal likelihood of a malfunction in structure and system should a big earthquake hit near the area. According to Friends of the Earth, the organization that published Dr. Peck’s DPO, this could potentially put hundreds of thousands of people that live within 50 miles of the reactor at risk, and even more if a radioactive plume would blow towards Southern California.

But, Blair Jones, spokesperson for Pacific, Gas and Electric (PG&E), the company that operates the reactors, said the NRC during their regular inspections, continues to find the facility, located on the central coast of California, to be seismically safe. Despite the filing of the DPO, over one year ago, the NRC has not, as of yet, given their ruling on Peck’s report.

Does Dr. Peck have a point -- is it likely the reactors would cause damage if hit with a high magnitude quake? Or, has the NRC been as diligent as PG&E claims, and therefore Diablo Canyon Power Plant is safe?

Guests:

Michael Blood, Reporter for the Associated Press

Damon Moglen, Senior Nuclear Advisor at Friends of the Earth, the organization that published Dr. Michael Peck’s critical 42 page “Differing Professional Opinion.”

Russia has defended the decision to cross into Ukraine, saying that its trucks effectively delivered aid.; Credit: Alexey Nikolsky/AFP/Getty Images

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine met today for the first time in two months. The meeting was prompted following the capture of 10 Russian soldiers in Eastern Ukraine and more shelling extending to the Southeast corner of Ukraine.

Hundreds of Russian trucks crossed from Russia into Ukraine in what Russia says is a humanitarian aid convoy and Ukraine says is a military action. Ukraine says that aid conveys intended to be carrying necessary supplies may be supplying Russian separatists with military help. A Ukrainian defense spokeswoman said the second group of trucks included tanks and military vehicles that moved into the southeastern corner of Ukraine and could open up a new front. Russia has defended the decision to cross into Ukraine, saying that its trucks effectively delivered aid.

Is Russia’s movement into Ukraine a violation of international law? How will the two countries continue to approach the conflict?

Guest: 

Will Pomeranz, Deputy Director of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center

Vines are located on the north and south-facing sides of wine-maker Donald Schmitz's property. Schmitz produces wine under his label, Malibu Solstice.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

A coastal resource protection plan is threatening to ban more than 50,000 acres adjacent to the city of Malibu that house more than 50 commercial vineyards. The plan, which prevents development and limits the size of new homes on most ridgelines, gives the county autonomy instead of the California Coastal Commission.

Supporters of the ban say that these regulations ensure that development and urbanization is prevented in coastal mountain areas. They also note the increased potential for erosion, use of pesticides and the aesthetics of the vineyards as problematic for the mountains. Critics argue that the vineyards are still in their early stages, and shutting them down would create negative consequences for the independent growers that have invested their capital in the vineyards.

Is this ban the best plan to address the issues in the Malibu wine country? What do you think is the best way to ensure the environmental needs of the mountains while still creating economic growth in the region?

Guest:

Frank Angel, Environmental Public Interest Litigator

Donald Schmitz II, Founder, Malibu Solstice Vineyard and Wines

UCLA and Rand Health researchers say critically ill patients receiving “futile care” are creating delays in care for other patients in Intensive Care Units.; Credit: Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Critically ill patients receiving “futile care” are creating delays in care for other patients in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). So say researchers from UCLA and RAND Health, in their report published in the journal Critical Care Medicine.

Futile care is defined as care “used to prolong life without achieving a benefit meaningful to the patient.” An example is that of a patient who will die in a few days or weeks, but is kept alive with a machine. The study took place over the course of three months, and out of 1,136 patients, 123 were determined to have received futile treatment. The authors of the study determined that no one had ever quantitatively researched non-beneficial care, and felt numbers were needed in order to have an effective public discussion.

Are some critically ill patients taking up space that could be better used for a patient that has a shot at life? Or is the extension of life a right of a dying person and their family? When and how do patients and families decide it’s time to let go? Is it worthwhile for families and individuals to explore end-of-life decisions well before those decisions are forced upon them?

Guest: 

Dr. Neil Wenger, co-author of the report, a professor at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, and Director of UCLA’s Health Ethics Center

R.W. Williams, 63, a Vietnam veteran at the VA health center in Los Angeles. He is seen here on the campus near a mural honoring soldiers.; Credit: Nancy Pastor for NPR

The names of 5,622 soldiers from California who died in combat in the Vietnam War are etched on the panels of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Sacramento. A bill signed into law last year by Gov. Jerry Brown requires that names be added by the California Department of Veterans Affairs to the monument every year until 2020.

Previously, only service members died in the line of duty were included, but now, vets who died from war-related causes like exposure to Agent Orange or suicides tied to post-traumatic stress disorder could also be eligible. The move has rankled critics, who feel that the inclusion of non-combat deaths strays from the original intent of the memorial. They suggest that those who died from war-related illnesses could be honored in a separate section of the memorial instead.

Guests:

Pete Conaty, a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel who served in Vietnam. He is also an adviser to the CalVets Vietnam memorial name committee

Zack Earp, a Vietnam vet who was exposed to Agent Orange during combat. He’s a director of the Inland Empire Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America

A pupil concentrates in a classroom at the Europeen school of Strasbourg, eastern France, on September 4, 2012, after the start of the new school year.; Credit: FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP/Getty Images

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement yesterday advocating later school start times to accommodate teen sleep schedules.

Anyone who’s ever tried to get a teenager out of bed knows why: teens body clocks make it hard for them to fall asleep before 11pm and wake up before 8am, so as a group, they’re not quite morning people. At a time of critical mental and physical development, sleep is especially important, and teens need a lot of it.

The AAP recommendations say that allowing a teen to wake up after 8am would improve the quality of their learning during the day. Nationally, 43 percent of schools have start times before 8am.

Critics of plans to push back school start times argue that orchestrating widespread changes to scheduling is too difficult, and that later start times mean later end times: for kids with increasingly busy after school schedules, that could be a problem.

What’s the best way to accommodate teen body clocks? Should schools push back their start times?

Guest:

Dr. Judith Owens, Director of Sleep Medicine at Children’s National Health System, member of the American Board of Pediatrics

Social media giant, Facebook, says users are tired of misleading headlines and "spammy" posts, so it's weeding out stories based on engagement data. ; Credit: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images

Social media giant, Facebook, says users are tired of misleading headlines and "spammy" posts, so it's weeding out stories based on engagement data. Click-bait is when a content poster lures in people with an over-hyped photo or headline, which leads to a lot of user clicks, then increases the popularity of the post -- regardless of its true value. 

The content website Upworthy is particularly notorious for over-the-top headlines. For example, the article entitled "Why some Doctors are Freaking Out Over a Popular Pastime We Assume is Good for Us" simply shows a trailer for a documentary about concussions - without much content to support the original headline. Facebook says it will measure engagement by gauging how long users spend visiting a post or writing about it.

How do you interact with click-bait? Do you like it or loathe it? How will content creators respond to Facebook’s new qualitative gauge?

Guest:

Nick Mokey, Managing Editor, Digital Trends - news and review site focused on consumer technology

In and Out's Double Double Burger has been named the best burger in LA by Zagat. Do you agree?

Zagat named In-n-Out’s double double the best burger in the city of LA. It’s a coveted title, especially in a region known to have catapulted the hamburger into US uber-popularity. (Though it’s origins are traced back to Wichita, Kansas and the White Castle burger.)

Out of Glendale, Bob Wian created the “big boy” burger, leading to the once popular chain, Bob’s Big Boy. In 1948, the McDonald brothers, spiffed up their San Bernardino restaurant, birthing America’s first fast food chain: McDonald's, giving customers the first burger on-the-go. Then there’s the stand-alone restaurants, currently loved of locals, like Pie 'n Burger in Pasadena, and Apple Pan on the west side.

Today, we’re digging in to that special meaty sandwich, to find-out which burger you think is best here in Los Angeles. Are you an In-N-Out devotee, or do you favor another burger?

https://polldaddy.com/poll/8270762/

Students at Beverly Hills High School play softball within sight of an oil well tower (L) covered in flower designs May 7, 2003 in Beverly Hills, California.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Out-of-district students have been an issue for many high-performing school districts in Southern California. Beverly Hills Unified has recently voted to give schools the authority to penalize families who don’t live in the district for enrolling their kids in its schools. The fine is calculated to be around $150 a day.

The new rules, updated two weeks ago, let the district collect "any and all damages, including compensatory damages, consequential damages, punitive damages, and liquidated damages" from "parents, guardians or others who intentionally misrepresent the student's residency in order to gain admittance to the district."

Beverly Hills Unified is one of the more aggressive districts in Los Angeles County when it comes to policing enrollment fraud. But school districts elsewhere are also turning to hardball tactics. A school district in New Jersey this year is offering a $50 gift card for tips leading to the expulsion of out-of-district kids, and last year, a district in Atlantic City kicked out a number of students in violation of the residency requirement and recouped over $30,000 in tuition costs.

Guests:

Paul Teske, Dean and Professor, School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver; Teske specializes in education policy

Lisa Korbatov, Board Member, Beverly Hills Unified School District

File photo: Pupils listen to their teacher in a classroom on the first day of the school year. ; Credit: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP/Getty Images

The state Senate has recently passed a bill that bans the use of suspensions and expulsions for dealing with students who commit defiant and disruptive acts.

Current laws let school officials decide whether to suspend or expulse defiant students. AB 420, authored by Assemblyman Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento), would strip that authority from administrators and would send violators to in-school suspensions instead.

Supporters of the measure say suspensions and expulsions don't effectively address the issue. Opponents say AB 420 leaves teachers with one less tool to discipline rowdy students.
Los Angeles Unified banned suspensions for willful defiance in 2013.

Should suspension and expulsion be banned? Should the state mandate what individual school districts should do in dealing with deviant students?

Guests:

Brad Strong, Senior Director of Education at Children Now, a research and policy development, and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting education in California. The organization is a co-sponsor of the bill

Joshua Pechthalt, President, California Federation of Teachers, which represents faculty and other school employees in public and private schools in the state

Health researchers are finding that comprehensive cancer centers, children's hospitals and pediatric specialists are left out of health care plans under the Affordable Care Act. ; Credit: Mae Ryan/KPCC

The Affordable Care Act continues to shape the country's health insurance marketplace, and, according to researchers, to sometimes create "narrow networks." Associated Press and Stanford researcher Paul Wise explains that not only are certain hospitals and doctors are left out of plans, but that specific categories of care may be as well, including comprehensive cancer centers, children's hospitals and pediatric specialists.

Guests: 

Tom Murphy, Business Writer, the Associated Press

Patrick Johnston,  President and CEO of the California Association of Health Plans

Jerry Flanagan, Attorney with Consumer Watchdog

Dr. Paul Wise, M.D., Richard E. Behrman Professor of Child Health and Society and Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy at Stanford University School of Medicine

Harlan Levine, Chief Executive of the City of Hope Medical Foundation

A body surfer rides a high wave at the Wedge on September 1, 2011 in Newport Beach, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

For the past two days in LA County, the shoreline has been hammered by waves peaking at over 20 feet. Despite the obvious risks and warnings, swimmers and surfers choose to take on the powerful walls of water.

Some unlucky daredevils found themselves out of control  in watery depths, and lifeguards were put to the test. On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, between L.A. County and Newport Beach alone, there were 373 ocean rescues. These lifeguards are guided by a philosophy of prevention. They want to get ahead of life-threatening circumstances. This is why they’re trained to do “prevents” — that is, converse with beach-goers, educating them about beach and ocean hazards.

What kind of risks did lifeguards face these past couple of days? Should they be held accountable for those who choose to plunge into treacherous ocean conditions?

Guests: 

Kyle Daniels, Ocean Lifeguard Captain for L.A. County Fire Department

Zach Weisberg, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of  The Inertia — described surfing’s definitive community; former editor at SURFER magazine

Planned Parenthood patients within Pasadena and San Gabriel Valley mirror the national average of about 5% who seek out birth control methods such as the IUD and vasectomies. ; Credit: +mara/Flickr Creative Commons

This week, KPCC reporter, Rebecca Plevin, has been investigating the cost of two forms of birth control: IUDs and vasectomies. Plevin’s research revealed about 5% of patients at Pasadena and San Gabriel valley Planned Parenthoods seek-out IUDs which just about mirrors the overall US usage. The cost sits at approximately $1000, but Planned Parenthood charges on a sliding scale based on what the patient can afford. The price seems to vary depending on region and what kind of health insurance coverage a person has. For example, since the Hobby Lobby ruling, some private companies can choose to not cover certain contraceptives if it goes against their religious beliefs. Plevin will share what she discovered about the cost and coverage of vasectomies as well.

Price Check is a collaboration with KQED and Clearhealthcosts.com, a health costs transparency company that has been gathering cost data on a variety of medical tests, procedures and services from around the country.

See more about Price Check in Rebecca Plevin's blog post, and join the conversation about health cost transparency on the Price Check page.

Guest:

Rebecca Plevin, KPCC Health Reporter

Tyron Hampton is requesting an assistant to transcribe board meetings due to his dyslexia.

Pasadena Unified School (PSU) District board member Tyron Hampton has requested the district to provide an assistant to help with him with his taking notes and drafting emails. The assistant, who is chosen by Hampton, would cost the district about $17,000.

PSU is scheduled to vote on the request today. The item is put on the board’s consent calendar, meaning that it could be voted on without a debate. If approved, the consultant would be hired after passing a background check, according to the Pasadena Star News.

How common is it for someone suffering from a learning disability to request an aid paid for by his or her employer? Should Hampton foot the bill himself? Should he be able to handpick his assistant, or should that job be posted like any others?

Guests:

Susan Barton, an expert on dyslexia, reading instruction, and adult literacy issues based in San Jose. She is the founder of Barton Reading & Spelling System, a tutoring system for people struggling with dyslexia or a learning disability

Michael Waterstone, J. Howard Ziemann Fellow and Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, visiting professor at Northwestern Law School for the 2014-2015 school year

Tyron Hampton, board member, Pasadena Unified School District

WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 28: U.S. President Barack Obama makes a statement at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House August 28, 2014 in Washington, DC. President Obama spoke on various topics including possible action against ISIL and immigration reform. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images); Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

In a press conference Thursday, President Obama discussed the escalating tensions in the Middle East and identified ISIL as a root problem or “cancer.”

But what got more attention was a comment he made later in response to a question about obtaining Congressional approval for military action against the group. "[T]here’s no point in me asking for action on the part of Congress before I know exactly what it is that is going to be required for us to get the job done," he said. 

Despite earlier discussion about U.S. diplomats visiting the region and meetings with the national security council, when it comes to military action President Obama said Thursday that the U.S. doesn’t have a strategy yet. As ISIL continues attacks in Syria and Iraq, the conflict has demanded increased action from other nations. 

How should the U.S. and Europe handle military and diplomatic actions against ISIL? Is bombing Syria a viable option, or is the situation too complicated to address in that manner? 

Guest: 

Joshua Keating, staff writer at Slate focusing on international affairs and author of The World blog

To hear this segment, click on "Listen Now" above.

The Arroyo Seco seasonal river fills with water from a passing storm system in Pasadena, Calif., Feb. 19, 2013. The river is seen here coursing beneath California State Route 134.; Credit: Christopher Okula/KPCC

Could the Arroyo Seco watershed be restored? For now, renewal is planned for where the Arroyo and LA River converge as part of the billion-dollar restoration plan for the LA River.

But what about the rest of the Arroyo Seco watershed - which spreads from the San Gabriel mountains to downtown Los Angeles? As it turns out, a study by the United States Army Corps of Engineers is currently being conducted with focus on one of its main missions: ecosystem restoration. The Army Corps recognizes how much was lost when rivers were channelized says Dr. Josephine Axt, Chief of Planning for the Los Angeles District of Army Corps of Engineers, and now she says, they want to be “creative with concrete” by bringing a 21st century sensibility intersecting engineering and ecology.

Teddy Roosevelt would likely be excited by the prospect. The story goes, when he visited the watershed in 1911 he said, “This Arroyo would make one of the greatest parks in the world.” What might be the immediate future of the Arroyo Seco?  

Guest: 

Tim Brick, Managing Director of the Arroyo Seco Foundation

Dr. Josephine Axt, Chief of Planning division for the Los Angeles District Army Corps of Engineers