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City of LA's new settlement with Owens Valley: Costs, tradeoffs and implications

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The Owens Dry Lake is about 110 square miles, a portion of which is covered by a remnant brine pool. LA is responsible for mitigating dust on about 42 square miles of the terrain. ; Credit: Molly Peterson/KPCC

A new agreement between the City of Los Angeles and the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District will shift dust control measures over Owens Lake to waterless methods, a move that will save the city millions of dollars and billions of gallons of water on an annual basis while maintaining air quality standards for Owens Lake and Owen Valley.

Due to the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct and its water gathering activities, dust control methods had to be implemented to protect the air for wildlife and residents, and this agreement has come after years of negotiations. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) uses 25 billion gallons of water annually to control dust at Owens Lake, and the Department expects to save almost 3 billion gallons from the revised measures, enough water to serve 43,000 people. During the past 15 years, the program has already eliminated over 90% of the excess blowing dust.  

Can the Owens ecosystem handle more water coming south? Did one side get more out of this deal? And as the drought continues, how can elected officials find ways to save water (and money)?

Guests:

Mike Feuer, Los Angeles City Attorney who announced the settlement this morning with Mayor Eric Garcetti

Molly Peterson, KPCC’s environment correspondent

Mike Prather, the Owens Lake advocate for the Eastern Sierra Audubon


As Ferguson awaits grand jury decision, an analysis on the likelihood of a successful prosecution

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National Guard Called In As Unrest Continues In Ferguson

Police officers escort a protester carrying a sign that reads," Vigorous prosecution Jay Nixon?? Justice is for everybody even P.O. Wilson", as she makes her way through agitated protesters that were angry that she was there as they are looking for justice for the Michael Brown family including the arrest of Darren Wilson the officer who shot him on August 20, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. ; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The residents of Ferguson are fearing that the violence and looting that had plagued the small St. Louis suburb in August will again erupt as they await the grand jury decision on whether to charge the white police officer that killed black teenager Michael Brown. That decision is expected soon.

The grand jury have been hearing evidence in the case for months and behind closed doors—the latter point a source of contention for critics of the process. Benjamin Crump, the lawyer representing the Brown family, said this week that the grand jury heard evidence from the private forensics expert hired to perform an autopsy on Brown by the family.

How does a grand jury work? What other evidence was likely presented to the grand jury? What factors do a grand jury have to weigh before deciding to go with an indictment? Even if the grand jury decided to file charges against the officer in the Brown case, how likely would it lead to a successful prosecution?

Guests:

Steve Giegerich, reporter at the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, who’s been reporting on the case

Laurie Levenson, Professor of Law, Loyola Law School

Eugene O’Donnell, Professor of law and police science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice; former NYPD officer; former prosecutor in Kings County (Brooklyn)

Flying under the radar: Bob Hope, John Wayne, Ontario and the future of L.A.’s regional airports

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FAA Flight Delays

An American Airlines plane takes off at LAX International airport in Los Angeles Monday, April 22, 2013. ; Credit: Damian Dovarganes/AP

L.A.’s regional airports have struggled in recent years to keep up with the number of passengers and airlines flying into and out of Los Angeles International Airport. As a result, more and more people every year are making the long trek to LAX, where they can find more airlines and more flights, rather than flying out of the regional airport that might be closer to home.

Bob Hope International Airport in Burbank, John Wayne International Airport in Orange County, and Ontario International Airport are three of the regional hubs in the Los Angeles area who have been working to continue drawing passengers and airlines to fly with them. A recent article in the L.A. Times suggested that Bob Hope International Airport was considering changing its name back to Hollywood Burbank Airport, in the hopes of highlighting its proximity to Hollywood and the film and television studios in the area. A spokesperson for John Wayne Airport tells AirTalk that they have seen some growth over the last year, with passenger traffic increasing four percent between last September and this September and aircraft operations increasing eleven percent in that same timeframe. As for Ontario International Airport, they are currently involved in a lawsuit with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the authority that oversees both LAX and Ontario, over an agreement that gives control of Ontario’s airport to LAWA.

Which airport do you use when you fly out of the L.A. area and why? What more do you think can be done to keep business up at these smaller airports?

Guests:

Dan Feger, executive director of the Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport Authority

Jess Romo, General Manager of LA/Ontario International Airport

Brian Sumers, Airports and Airlines reporter for the trade publication, Aviation Week

When your favorite actor breaks type...

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"Foxcatcher" Theatrical Poster; Credit: via Flickr

American funnyman Steve Carell will take a big risk in front of American audiences this weekend when he makes his dramatic debut as the millionaire murdering madman, John du Pont, in ‘Foxcatcher.’

Actors who can make an audience laugh are quite rare, yet many of them are determined to take on serious roles. Why are they so intent on giving up on such a unique talent?

Michael Keaton as Batman, Robin Williams in ‘One Hour Photo’ and ‘Insomnia,’ Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader in ‘The Skeleton Twins,’ Adam Sandler in ‘Punch Drunk Love,’ Jim Carrey in ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ -- When did it work? When did it fall flat and why? What’s your favorite “break-type” actor or film?  

Guests:

Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC and chief film critic for LA Weekly

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com

Filmweek: 'Foxcatcher,' 'Rosewater,' 'The Homesman' and more

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"Rosewater" Premiere - 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

(L-R) Director/Producer/Actor Jon Stewart, journalist Maziar Bahari and actor Gael Garcia Bernal attend the "Rosewater" premiere during the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on September 8, 2014 in Toronto, Canada.; Credit: Sam Santos/Getty Images

Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson and Henry Sheehan review this week’s releases, including “FoxCatcher,” “Rosewater,” “The Homesman” and more. TGIFilmweek!

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Guests:

Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC and chief film critic for LA Weekly

Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com

Bob Hope: Entertainer of the Century

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Bob Hope

American entertainer Bob Hope holds a golf club as he stands on stage and smiles with Les Brown's band, during a 1967 USO show to entertain American troops overseas during the conflict in Vietnam.; Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images

He’s been dubbed the father of stand up comedy. He’s acted in movies, entertained American troops with the USO, starred in vaudeville  and even put out a few singles. Over the course of his 70 year career, Bob Hope established himself as the definition of an entertainer. Today, his influence is still visible here in Southern California. Burbank’s airport bears his name in honor of his contributions to the nearby entertainment industry.

Richard Zoglin’s new biography Hope: Entertainer of the Century chronicles Hope’s career in entertainment, highlighting his massive success in showbiz, his commitment to public service, and his business savvy. It also explores Hope’s personal life, his repuation for being cheap and self-centered, and his well-known womanizing. Zoglin’s book is the result of extensive reporting and the cooperation of the Hope family, who made more than 250 boxes of Hope’s papers available to him for the book.

Hope’s death in 2003 at the age of 100 was a crushing loss to the entertainment world, but his legacy and influence is still very visible in the L.A. area.

What is your favorite Bob Hope memory? Do you have a favorite film, interview, or comedy routine of his? Do you agree or disagree with Zoglin’s argument that Bob Hope was the most important entertainer of the 20th century?

Guest:

Richard Zoglin, author “Hope Entertainer of the Century,” Theater critic, Time Magazine

NBA Commissioner supports legalized betting on pro sports

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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a news conference during the NBA Board of Governors meeting in July.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a news conference during the NBA Board of Governors meeting in July.; Credit: John Locher/AP

Outside of the state of Nevada, betting on professional sports is illegal. Yet outside of the United States, betting on professional sports is as much a part of their culture as tailgating is in ours. Those in the U.S. who do want to bet on professional sports have to resort to questionably-legitimate bookmaking operations and offshore gambling websites.

In an op-ed penned in the New York Times, National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver argues that betting on professional sports is already happening underground and online, despite laws prohibiting it. In 1992, Congress passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which basically prohibits states from allowing betting on professional sports.

Commissioner Silver says there is a clear desire among sports fans to be able to bet on professional sports, and that Congress should begin laying the framework to legalize betting on professional sports but also have strict regulations and technological safeguards.

So far there has been a small amount of support from the sports world. The outspoken owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, said this weekend that he agreed with Commissioner Silver on the issue. The commissioners of the other three major professional sports in the U.S. have remained silent on the situation, for the most part. National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman suggested during an interview with CNN’s Unguarded on Saturday that legalizing betting on pro sports could drastically change the nature of sport.

Do you think betting on professional sports should be allowed in all U.S. states? What are the potential pros and cons of betting on pro sports being legalized? If it were to be legalized, how would it be regulated?

Guests:

James Butler, Director, California Coalition Against the Expansion of Gambling

RJ Bell, founder of Pregame.com, a sports betting website in Las Vegas

Maybe 9th time is the charm? Senate takes up Keystone XL Pipeline

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Congress Keystone

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., chair of the Senate Energy Committee, with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., a member of the committee, speak to reporters about the new urgency to get congressional approval for the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2014. ; Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The Senate takes up the Keystone XL oil pipeline in a vote tomorrow after the Republican-controlled House approved the project on Friday for the ninth time. Last week’s vote was 252-161, with not a single GOP lawmaker voting against it and with the support of 31 Democrats. Supporters in the Democratic-run Senate predict this time they’ll get the 60 votes needed to pass it. Should the Senate send the bill to Obama for his signature, he would face a decision that pits his environmental concerns about the pipeline against any obligation he might feel to help his fellow Democrat Mary Landrieu, who’s in a in a Dec. 6 runoff against the bill’s sponsor, republican Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-La. to keep her Senate seat. 

The project would pipe oil extracted from tar sand through six states - 1,700 miles - to refineries in Texas. Environmental groups argue that the pipeline, even with several thousand data points and advanced mechanisms for halting the flow of oil, could have serious negative impacts on the sensitive areas surrounding the route. Pipeline proponents argue that extraction will occur with or without the pipeline due to high demand for oil and emphasize the importance of job creation. Energy companies are already transporting crude oil by rail. And a State Department report earlier this year found that the potential impact to carbon emissions is not significant compared to the emissions already coming from extraction and rail transport.

What would the Keystone XL pipeline do to nearby communities? Is this the most economically viable and efficient plan? Which energy sources should the U.S. be investing in?

Guests:

Bob Deans, director of content for the NRDC where much of his work has focused on the Keystone Pipeline project

Chris Faulkner, CEO and Founder of Breitling Energy Corporation, an oil and natural gas company in Dallas Texas


The Web FTW! How Internet slang has worked its way into the English language

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GUESS Hotel at the Viceroy Palm Springs, CA  - Day 1

Being said to be entitled and narcissistic, millennials love selfies and talking about themselves.; Credit: Jerod Harris/Getty Images for GUESS

Selfies, hashtags and Throwback Thursdays are just a few of the terms that have been coined in recent years because of the Internet. Or maybe we should say “because Internet.” Thanks to creative gamers, bloggers and social media trolls, things like “YOLO,” “FTW” and “epic fail” can now be heard and read everywhere.

With the Oxford English Dictionary set to release its Word of the Year Monday evening, we started thinking about the evolution of Internet slang and language. How often do you use Internet slang in your daily life? What are some of your favorite words coined by the Internet, memes, or social media?

Guest:

Emmy Favilla, Copy Chief at BuzzFeed

Just how serious is the federal investigation into NFL painkiller abuse

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Miami Dolphins v San Francisco 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - DECEMBER 09: A San Francisco 49ers player carries his helmet before their game against the Miami Dolphins at Candlestick Park on December 9, 2012 in San Francisco, California. ; Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Over the weekend, DEA agents made a surprise visit to several NFL locker rooms to question medical staff members over the distribution of painkillers in the league. The DEA spoke with the medical staff of the New York Giants, the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers among others.

This comes after dozens of former NFL players filed a lawsuit alleging they were given prescription drugs. The suit claims players lined pregame “to receive injections of Toradol in a ‘cattle call’... regardless of whether the player had an injury of any kind.” The players contend that the league failed to warn them of the consequences of the drugs, which “can prevent the feeling of injury” and thus make it harder for them to recognize when they had concussions. A 2011 study, by the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, found that “fifty percent of retired players used prescription pain medication during their playing days and 71 percent of those said they misused them then.”

Guest:

Mel Owens, sports law attorney representing athletes suing the NFL; founding partner of the firm Namanny, Byrne & Owens representing professional athletes, former NFL linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams (1981-89)

Richard Mangen, Former DEA investigator and professor of criminal justice, Florida Atlantic University

Don Catlin, founder & Director of the Anti-Doping Research Institute; founder of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory; Professor Emeritus of Molecular Pharmacology at UCLA School of Medicine

California controller invites greater scrutiny of pension obligations

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California state controller John Chiang (R) looks on as then governor-elect Jerry Brown speaks during a briefing on California's state budget on December 8, 2010 in Sacramento.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In the name of transparency, State Controller John Chiang has added reams of data about public pension liabilities to his website. "In the months ahead, California and its local communities will continue to wrestle with how to responsibly manage the unfunded liabilities associated with providing retirement security to police, firefighters, teachers and other providers of critical public services,” explained Chiang, adding “Those debates and the actions that flow from them must be informed by reliable data that is free of political spin or ideological bias." Still, numbers that show pension obligations growing while money in the coffers is shrinking does add fuel to the fire of self-described pension reformers.

How are unions responding? Will Chiang’s transparency motivate new ideas for additional funds?

Guests:

Dan Pellissier, President of California Pension Reform

Keith Brainard, Research Director, National Association of State Retirement Administrators

Meghan Daum on writing 'The Unspeakable' from motherhood to catcalling

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The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion" by Meghan Daum

"The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion" is a collection of 10 essays that explore the world of author Meghan Daum in a way that is analytical and fun with a socially incorrect twist.

From lead essay "Matricide" to " The Dog Exception," Daum is not afraid of looking at the events in her life or how she feels about them, instead pushing forward in a casual manner that gives the audience pause for laughter and thought. An example of the humor that comes out from the contradictions she puts herself in are demonstrated in her essay "Honorary Dyke," a piece about her experiences in the gay community as someone who tried to fit into the culture despite being as straight as they come.

Meghan Daum has written My Misspent Youth: Essays among other books, as well as extended pieces for magazines such as the Believer. An opinion columnist with the Los Angeles Times since 2005, she recently wrote a column in the paper about an viral video that explored catcalling on the streets of New York, an article which itself garnered some attention. It seems that Daum finds words to discuss the unspeakable across multiple contexts, whether or not they are directly personal in nature.

Do you use writing when you can't speak about a topic? How does comedy connect with serious self-reflections?

You can find Meghan at Skylight Books in Los Feliz tonight at 7:30 where she’ll be in conversation with Bernard Cooper. You can find details on our website.

Guest:

Meghan Daum, columnist for the Los Angeles Times; her latest book is The Unspeakable And Other Subjects of Discussion

Be my roomie? Why more adults than ever before in L.A. are living with roommates

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Friends Gets 11 Emmy Nominations

Actors Courteney Cox Arquette (L), Jennifer Aniston (C) and Matthew Perry are shown in a scene from the NBC series 'Friends'. The series received 11 Emmy nominations, including outstanding comedy series, by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences July 18, 2002 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Getty Images/Getty Images

Nearly half of all working age adults in Los Angeles have at least one roommate. That’s according to a new study from online real estate database Zillow. The L.A. area has a larger percentage of working age adults living in what they call “doubled-up housing” than any other major metropolitan area in the U.S. Here in Southern California, 48 percent of working-age adults live in doubled-up housing. That number is up 41 percent from just twelve years ago.

The study defines “doubled-up housing” as “one in which at least two working-age, unmarried or un-partnered adults live together.” So by this definition, a 24-year-old young woman living with her middle-aged parents is a doubled-up household. Zillow attributes the rise in number of roommates to individual incomes not keeping pace with rising home and rental prices.

There are some who still choose to live with roommates for the companionship, but the numbers in the study may suggest that many are living in doubled-up housing because they need to cut the cost of rent, not because they want to live with someone.

Is the culture of working-age adult living situations changing as well? Is it becoming the norm for employed adults to have a roommate instead of living along? If so, why do you think the trend is changing?

For more on this story and the struggle of working-age Angelenos to find affordable housing, visit KPCC's "High Rent, Few Options" page at KPCC.org.

Guests:

Stan Humphries, chief economist at Zillow

Ellie Balderrama-Hernandez, realtor at The Rental Girl, she covers Los Feliz, Atwater Village, and Silver Lake

San Francisco proposal requires employers provide 'predictable' work schedules

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The Gap Pledges To Raise Minimum Wage For All U.S. Workers

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Gap employee Shinju Nozawa-Auclair folds clothes at a Gap store on February 20, 2014 in San Francisco, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

San Francisco could start requiring stores to give employees their schedules two weeks in advance. Under the law, employers would have to pay employees extra if they change those schedules. Additionally, employers wouldn’t be allowed to pay part-time and full-time employees different wages for the same job. Companies would also have to give part-time workers the same access to time off and promotions as full-time workers. The ordinance would apply to retail stores in the city with more than 20 workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 47 percent of part-time workers ages 26 to 32 receive a week or less of advance notice for their schedule.

The ordinance  builds on an earlier proposal that requires retail, hotel, bank and restaurant chains to provide additional hours for part-time staff before hiring more employees. The vote to approve the ordinance will come on November 23.

Do you work part-time? How do you think this would affect your life? Business owners, is this reasonable and feasible? What are the barriers to providing schedules two weeks in advance?  

Guests:

Julia Parish, Attorney at Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center based in San Francisco; Parish has been a direct proponent of this proposal.

Gwyneth Borden, Executive Director, Golden Gate Restaurant Association

UCLA announces cure to 'Bubble Baby syndrome'

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Babies and bubbles; Credit: Alessandro Lucia via Flickr

For many, hearing the term “bubble boy” conjures up images of John Travolta in “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble” or Jake Gyllenhaal in the 2001 box office flop “Bubble Boy.” Whatever your preferred point of reference, the idea of a child spending his life in a literal “bubble” of plastic is a fate all too real for some families in the last five or so decades.

ADA-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID, is a disease that leaves a child’s immune system unable to fight off germs or bacteria. Most children diagnosed with the disease die within the first or second year of life. But now, a breakthrough gene therapy offers new hope to families of children with this rare disease, according to today’s announcement by the UCLA Eli & Edith Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research.

Doctor Denise Cabonaro-Sarriciono helped to develop the new treatment. She joins Larry Mantle to talk about it.

Guest:

Dr. Denise Carbonaro-Sarricino, Project Scientist at the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center and member of the team that developed the new treatment.


The legacy and career of Bill Cosby: From affable TV dad to accused rapist - again

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The Cosby Show cast

The original cast of The Cosby Show. ; Credit: Frank Carroll/Associated Press

Actor and comedian Bill Cosby once again is denying sexual assault accusations against him - triggered by a young comedian's stand up act that went viral online last month. In recent days, Cosby's lawyer issued two statements - the first was a blanket denial of "decade-old, discredited allegations." The second statement clarified that the denial did not refer to a 2004 civil suit settled between Cosby and Andrea Constand who had accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2004.

When comedian Hannibal Buress called Cosby a rapist, the story caught fire online in a way earlier allegations could not. Despite the fact that more than a dozen women leveled accusations against Cosby as part of the 2004 suit, many fans were unfamiliar with the stories. Now, one of his accusers has come forward again. Writing in the Washington Post, actress Barbara Bowman asks "Why did it take 30 years for people to believe my story?"

Meanwhile, Cosby's career was enjoying a resurgence - an NBC sitcom in the works and a Netflix stand up special. Will it all be scuttled?

Guest:

Cynthia Littleton, Television Editor, Variety

What will come of the Jerusalem killings?

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ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-JERUSALEM-SYNAGOGUE

An Ultra-Orthodox Jew looks down from a roof top over people mourning near the bodies of the victims of an attack by two Palestinians on Jewish worshippers killing four Israelis at a synagogue in the Ultra-Orthodox Har Nof neighbourhood in Jerusalem, at the site where the attack took place on November 18, 2014. Two Palestinians armed with a gun and axes burst into a Jerusalem synagogue and killed four Israelis before being shot dead, in the deadliest attack in the city in years.; Credit: GALI TIBBON/AFP/Getty Images

Earlier today, two Palestinians attacked a synagogue in Jerusalem killing four people. The two men were killed by police in a shootout. Six people were injured in the attack. Police spokesman said the attackers were from east Jerusalem. Tensions have been rising in the holy city. On Nov. 5, a Israeli border guard and three people were injured when a man drove into a crowd. A similar attack in October killed a 3-month-old baby and left at 6 people injured. There have also been stabbing attacks in the West Bank and Tel Aviv.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will respond with a “heavy hand.” On the other side, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack while Hamas praised the two men. In a statement, Abbas called for Israeli to end “...ongoing incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the provocative acts by Israeli settlers…”

How might this affect Israeli-Palestinian negotiations going forward?

Guests:

Neri Zilber, visiting fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Yousef Munayyer, Executive Director of The Palestine Center

Obama’s executive action on immigration: Its legality and its messaging

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US-POLITICS-OBAMA

US President Barack Obama tries to stop people boing an immigration activist who interrupted him during a campaign event at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School October 19, 2014 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.; Credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

President Obama is set to announce Thursday that he is going issue an executive order to grant temporary legal status to millions of undocumented immigrants, according to the Washington Post. On Friday, the President will make the full announcement on his plans at a Las Vegas school.

Details are still sketchy, but the New York Times citing anonymous sources are reporting that Obama’s plan would grant work permits for up to five million people who are in this country illegally. However, they won’t likely get health care subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

The GOP has vowed to do everything it can to block such a move, just early this month House Speaker John Boehner took to the national stage to warn President Obama precisely of taking unilateral action on immigration.

Is the executive action legal? Does this represent executive power overreach? How likely would it be blocked by its opponents?

Guests: 

Fawn Johnson, Congressional correspondent for the National  Journal who focuses on immigration and other issues

Kris Kobach, recently re-elected Secretary of State of Kansas;  nationally-recognized as an author of legislation to stop illegal immigration

David Leopold, immigration attorney based in Cleveland; past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association

How can sex ed tackle the ubiquity of pornography for 'Generation XXX'

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Statistics show that 90 percent of kids between the ages of 8 and 16 have watched online pornography at least once; Credit: John Watson/Flickr

Concerned experts convened in Winnipeg, Canada this week to discuss how the easy access of pornography is affecting children. They cite statistics showing that 90 percent of kids between the ages of 8 and 16 have watched online pornography at least once - most while doing homework. Parents and educators are faced with an urgent task of having "the talk" not just about the birds and the bees but the sometimes very dark world of porn.

Cordelia Anderson, author of "The Impact of Pornography on Children, Youth and Culture," says "Even if your child has not been exposed to porn that does not mean she or he will not be affected by school friends, boyfriends, girlfriends who might have distorted views of sexuality." As if sex ed were not controversial enough, at what age can parents and educators add the topic of porn to sex education and media literacy? And what language and tone can help teach children who cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality?

Guests:

Elizabeth Schroeder, Ph.D., Sexuality Education expert; Former Executive Director of Answer, an organization based at Rutgers University that trains educators about sex education.

Cordelia Anderson, author of "The Impact of Pornography on Children, Youth and Culture;" Presenter at the symposium “Generation XXX ” held in Winnipeg Canada earlier this week that focused on the extent of accessibility of online porn.

Angela Lansbury on her long career and bringing ‘Blithe Spirit’ to LA

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The 2014 American Theatre Wing Gala Honoring Dame Angela Landsbury - Arrivals

Actress Dame Angela Landsbury attends The 2014 American Theatre Wing Gala Honoring Dame Angela Landsbury on September 15, 2014 in New York, United States. ; Credit: Robin Marchant/Getty Images

Few actors have had as long and accomplished a career in showbiz as Dame Angela Lansbury. She might be best known to American audience for her role as Jessica Fletcher in “Murder, She Wrote,” which ran from 1984 to 1996.

She was nominated for an Oscar three times – for her supporting work in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “Gaslight.” She has nabbed six Golden Globes, five Tony Awards, in addition to being nominated multiple times for an Emmy.

This winter, Lansbury will reprise her role as Madame Arcati (for which she won her fifth Tony Award) in the Noel Coward play “Blithe Spirit.” Performances for the show start Tuesday, Dec. 9, and run through Jan. 18, 2015, at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre. The play is directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Michael Blakemore (“Kiss Me,  Kate,” “Copenhagen”).

Lansbury talked about the play, her acting career and more.

For more info and to buy tickets, go here

Guest:

Angela Lansbury, actress

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