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Filmweek: ‘Jurassic World,’ ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,’ ‘Madame Bovary,’ and more

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RJ Cyler, left, and Thomas Mann star in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” which became a hot property at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. ; Credit: Fox Searchlight

Patt Morrison and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson and Wade Major review this week’s new film releases, including the dinosaur spectacular "Jurassic World," the Sundance hit "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," Mia Wasikowski starring in "Madame Bovary," and more. TGI-Filmweek!

Most folks are probably heading to see Jurassic World this weekend, but our critics say there are a lot of other solid, but smaller films coming out that may not be in wide release. Which indie movie would you be most likely to see? Vote on our Ranker below!

The Best Movies of 2015  

Oh, and here's the trailer for Jurassic World, too.

Guests:

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

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and host for IGN’s DigiGods.com


Dinos more fantastic than factual in ‘Jurassic World’

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Jurassic World

Hollywood is hoping the latest Jurassic movie will save an otherwise tepid summer box office.; Credit: Universal

One of the summer's biggest blockbuster sequels opens this week starring a ferocious, fantastical hybrid dinosaur in "Jurassic World."

It's the fourth film set in "Jurassic Park" as dreamed up first by novelist Michael Crichton in his 1990 bestseller that was adapted by filmmaker Steven Spielberg. For the first films, Spielberg wanted a scientific advisor, paleontologist Jack Horner, to help ensure the dinosaurs were as realistic as possible, but scarier.

In the years since the first movie, scientists have learned more about the physical features and behavioral attributes of dinosaurs, so there was some expectation that the latest movie would take the new research into account.

As British paleontologist Darren Naish wrote:

After all, the early 21st century is the age of fuzzy-coated tyrannosaurs, a time where we have seen a seemingly endless stream of discoveries about feathery little bird-like dinosaurs. We now know that pterosaurs had furry pelts, we've discovered iridescence on dinosaur feathers. We've also found out about bizarre dinosaurs that bristled with spines, fuzz and filaments, and a myriad other extravagant ancient beasts never dreamed of 20 years ago, like the "Hellboy" dinosaur Regaliceratops.

Instead, Naish says "Jurassic World" missed an opportunity.

"Rather than feature new-look dinosaurs and present audiences with something wonderful, 'Jurassic World' appeared to have made the 'bold' decision to stick with the dinosaurs of yore," Naish explained.

What do you think of the choices to not incorporate dino feathers and the rest of the new traits?

Guest:

Jack Horner, Paleontologist and scientific advisor on “Jurassic World” and the preceding “Jurassic” films; Curator of Paleontology, Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana

A look at CA laws after Colorado court rules that workers can be fired for off-duty marijuana use

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AFGHANISTAN-HASHISH

A controversial high court ruling in Colorado has ordered that workers can get fired for using marijuana—even if it’s for medical reasons and even if they do it off-duty. ; Credit: NOORULLAH SHIRZADA/AFP/Getty Images

Marijuana use is legal in Colorado, but a controversial high court ruling in the state has made clear that workers can get fired for using the drug—even if it’s for medical reasons and even if they do it off-duty.

The case stems from a lawsuit Dish Network employee Brandon Coats filed against the company. Coats, who is quadriplegic and uses medical marijuana to treat his spasms, was fired by the cable provider in 2010. The former customer service rep says that he was never high at work, but Dish cites its zero-tolerance drug policy and federal law under which medical marijuana usage is banned as justification.

The decision from the Colorado Supreme Court was 6-0.

What is the impact of the decision in Colorado? What are California laws dealing with medical marijuana use and employment?

No. 13SC394, Coats v. Dish Network—Labor and Employment- Protected Activities

Guests:

Sam Kamin, Vicente Sederberg Professor of Marijuana Law and Policy at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver.

Todd Wulffson, labor law lawyer and partner at the law firm, Carothers, DiSante & Freudenberger in Irvine

 

#Distractinglysexy: The trouble of gender bias in the field of science

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Birmingham Women's Hospital Offers Technological Advances In Its Care

An embryologist fertilises embryos in the fertility laboratory at Birmingham Women's Hospital fertility clinic on January 22, 2015 in Birmingham, England. ; Credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Last week at the World Conference of Science Journalists in South Korea, U.K. Scientist and Nobel Laureate Tim Hunt set off public outrage when he made blatantly sexist comments about women working in the field of science.

At the conference Hunt told a room of scientists and journalists that “three things happen when they (women) are in the lab: You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them they cry.”

Since then, there has been an outpouring of responses from women around the world who work in science related fields, posting pictures and comments with the hashtag “distractinglysexy” mocking Hunt’s comments.

Dear department: please note l will be unable to chair the 10am meeting this morning because I am too busy swooning and crying. #TimHunt

— Kate Devlin (@drkatedevlin) June 10, 2015

One is Kate Devlin who works as a lecturer at the Goldsmiths University of London, who tweeted “Dear department: please note I will be unable to chair the 10am meeting this morning because I am too busy swooning and crying.”

I did an entire Liver Transplant without crying or falling in love. #distractinglysexypic.twitter.com/6RdApuzFo9

— Want2opr8 (@drtanthony) June 12, 2015

Thousands of other women and men have made similar posts and comments about Hunt’s inappropriate characterization of women in the workplace.

Late to the party but here is my #distractinglysexy grandmother, Dorothy Hodgkin, heading for the Nobel prize. pic.twitter.com/tkZ8kiPUBf

— kate hodgkin (@theduchessstill) June 12, 2015

As a result of overwhelming criticism from his peers and the public Hunt has since resigned from his position as an honorary professor with the University College London.

However, Hunt’s comments reveal a much larger issue facing women in science, with many recent studies showing that women continue to struggle with pervasive sexism and gender bias in the workplace.  How prevalent is gender discrimination in the workplace? Do comments like Hunt’s discourage women from entering more male dominated fields?

Guests:

Maria Klawe, President of Harvey Mudd College, a private residential liberal arts college of science, engineering, and mathematics that is part of the Claremont Colleges. She is trained as a computer scientist  

Kate Devlin, a  lecturer and senior tutor at the Department of Computing at Goldsmiths, which is part of the University of London

Elegy to the last days of American spaceflight

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NASA's Final Space Shuttle Flight Lifts Off From Cape Canaveral

In this handout image provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Flight controllers on sit behind their consoles in shuttle flight control room (WFCR) at the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center before the launch of NASA space shuttle Atlantis July 08, 2011 in Houston, Texas.; Credit: NASA/Getty Images

In July of 1969 U.S. Astronaut Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon, declaring in his famous words "this is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

From that day on Americans have had a  national fascination with space exploration and the race to be the first.  In “Leaving Orbit: Notes From the Last Days of American Spaceflight” author Margaret Lazarus Dean examines NASA’s history, disasters, and her experiences from Florida's Cape Canaveral where she witnessed NASA’s last three space shuttle launches. Dean joins us to discuss what it means when a spacefaring nation no longer goes to space.  

Guest:

Margaret Lazarus Dean, author of “Leaving Orbit: Notes from the Last Days of American Spaceflight” (Graywolf Press, 2015) and an associate professor in English at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Americans: White, fat, loud, slovenly, binge-drinking, overconfident elitists?

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England v USA: Group C - 2010 FIFA World Cup

American fans gather outside the Royal Bafokeng Stadium on June 12, 2010 in Rustenburg, South Africa.; Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

If you’re traveling abroad and trying to blend in, here’s a hint: stop trying. Everyone probably knows you’re American. At least, that’s what a video from YouTube user SW Yoon that went viral last week would suggest.

Uploaded last week, Yoon’s video features interviews with students of varying nationalities at Japan’s Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University about how they distinguish students visiting from the U.S. from students of other nationalities. The results? Not exactly flattering.

“Let’s say they usually have a bit more weight on their hips,” says one German student. “I think they always want to play drinking games,” adds a Costa Rican student. “They have loose clothes. Maybe they don’t care too much about what they wear,” responded a Swedish student. “If they are loud, outgoing, and confident, I guess they’re Americans,” says a young British man.

How do you think the rest of the world perceives Americans? What is it about Americans that perpetuates these stereotypes across the world? Are there more stereotypes about Americans than there are about other nationalities or are Americans just easy to stereotype?

Guests:

Rick Steves, author, TV/radio host, and travel expert. He has authored more than 50 guidebooks on European travel, hosts a weekly radio program called ‘Travel with Rick Steves,’ and writes and hosts the public television series ‘Rick Steves’ Europe.’

Toni Hargis, author, blogger, and journalist. She runs a blog called "Expat Mum," is a freelance writer for BBC America’s “Mind the Gap: A Brit’s Guide To Surviving America,” and the author of “The Stress-Free Guide to Studying in the States.” (Summertime, 2013).

Call me Jeb! or Hillary, or Rand -- the first name candidates

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GOP Presidential Candidates Address Economic Growth Summit In Orlando

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and possible Republican presidential candidate speaks to the media after addressing the Rick Scott's Economic Growth Summit held at the Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Convention Center on June 2, 2015 in Orlando, Florida.; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

JEB Bush, HILLARY Clinton, RAND Paul - aggressively friendly retail politicians or particularly cautious candidates trying to put some distance between their individual policies and family legacies?

Mr. Bush attempted to quell consternation directed at whether or not he is officially running, an issue that has dogged his campaign as the line delineating coordination between super PACs and candidacies has broken down. In addition, he continued to make the case for what separates him from his fellow Republican contenders as well as from the legacies of both Presidents Bush. He is expected to officially announce his candidacy today.

In a similar vein, Mrs. Clinton tamped down on calls from the left as to what her official position was on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Over the weekend she stated, “the President should listen to and work with his allies in Congress, starting with Nancy Pelosi...to make sure we get the best, strongest deal possible...and if we don’t get it, there should be no deal.” Mrs. Clinton must contend with the stigma on the left associated with President Clinton’s NAFTA deal.

Mr. Paul has also fought to separate himself from his father’s legacy. A libertarian on matters of civil liberties and certain other matters, the younger Paul has courted the Republican base by taking a more supportive stance towards foreign aid and military spending than his father, former Representative Ron Paul. Among his official campaign slogans is “Stand with Rand,” a tie-in with his new book and a nod to the differences between him and his father that could give him the Republican support he needs to win in primary states.

How can candidates with family legacies demonstrate their individuality? To what extent should politicians embrace or reject the history associated with their last names?

Guests:

Garance Franke-Ruta, Editor in Chief, Yahoo Politics

Michael Grunwald, senior writer for POLITICO magazine. He’s also the author of “The New New Deal: The Hidden Story of Change in the Obama Era.”

Calif. elections chief lobbying to expand voting days and locations

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New Yorkers Go To The Polls In Mayoral Primary

A voter emerges from a manual voting booth after casting her ballot in the mayoral primary election on September 10, 2013 in the Manhattan borough of New York City. ; Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

Secretary of State Alex Padilla is pushing for a major overhaul of how Californians cast ballots.

New legislation, jointly authored by Democratic Senators Ben Allen and Bob Hertzberg, would allow counties to change numerous processes so as to increase voter participation. The biggest change would create "vote centers" open for 10 days, eight hours a day leading up to Election Day that would accept completed ballots from any resident of the county instead of tying people to a single, neighborhood polling location.

The state of Colorado was the first to implement the model and enjoyed approximately 55 percent turnout of eligible citizens in the November 2014 general election compared to 30 percent in California, according to the Secretary of State's tally.

Guest:

Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State


An ode to YOUR favorite car

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People reflected in a refurbished 1959 Volkswagen Kombi, discuss cars at 'Das O.C.T.O. Fest 2013', a swap and display gathering for enthusiasts and owners of 1967 and earlier models of the classic vehicle in Long Beach, California on October 12, 2013. ; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

We Angelenos have a complicated relationship to our cars.

However we feel about driving and being stuck in traffic though, there is probably one car that we have loved – a mechanical and engineering beauty that we either once owned, or want badly to call ours in the future.

What is that car for you? A 1956 Thunderbird Sunset Coral (our guest host Patt Morrison’s dream car)? A DeLorean DMC-12 like the one in “Back to the Future?" Or a jalopy that despite all its weaknesses still holds a special place in your heart?

Call 866-893-5722 and tell us the special car that you love.

Guest:

Earl Swift, journalist and author of “Auto Biography: A Classic Car, an Outlaw Motorhead, and 57 Years of the American Dream” (It Books, 2014)

Proposed LAX digital billboard district raises concerns over traffic, distracted driving

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LAX Expected To Be Busiest US Airport During Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Period

Traffic approaches LAX as people travel to Thanksgiving holiday destinations on November 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

The Los Angeles City Council is set to vote on a proposal to restrict billboard “visual blight” in neighborhoods like Westchester in return for creating a digital billboard district within LAX.

Residents of Westchester are overjoyed at the prospect but others are concerned about the traffic and distracted driving it will create around the airport. Is this a necessary evil to raise city revenue or an undue burden on travelers? We’ll get the details and debate the proposal.

Guests:

Sharon McNary, KPCC reporter

Dennis Hathaway, President, Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight

Cyndi Hench, President, Neighborhood Council of Westchester / Playa Vista / Playa Del Rey

Busting myths around swimming pool cleanliness

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New York City's Public Pools Open For Summer Season

Children enjoy the High Bridge Park Pool at 174th Street on June 27, 2014 in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. ; Credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images

The Centers for Disease Control has focused its microscopic sights on the bacteria and contaminants found in public swimming pools.

Experts are trying to drown out myths such as chlorine smell being a good thing and another myth that chlorine causes burning, red eyes. In fact, when urine, sweat and dirt combine with chlorine, they amount to odor and irritants, so the presence of a "pool smell" might mean more chlorine needs to be added to break down the contaminants. More worrisome, is a new parasitic germ that is immune to chlorine.

The CDC's Michael J. Beach, Associate Director of the Healthy Water program says, "We've got to keep it out of the pool in the first place. We need additional barriers." The primary cause is swimmers who have or had diarrhea who should not be swimming at all. It also helps if all swimmers shower before getting in the pool.

Where you do you go swimming when you need exercise or a cool dip? How do you mitigate the risks?

CDC: Pool User Information tips

Guest:

Michael J. Beach, PhD, Associate Director for Healthy Water, National Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control

CA Court of Appeals hears concealed-carry case, gun rights and restrictions at stake

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Firearms Maker Smith And Wesson Reports Almost 50 Percent Increase In Sales Revenue

Workers clean Smith & Wesson .357 magnum revolvers recently rented by customers for target practice at the Los Angeles Gun Club on December 7, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The right to carry concealed weapons outside the home is under scrutiny today as the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reviews a San Diego restriction on the practice.

In the Golden State, citizens can only carry concealed weapons in public if they have a permit to do so. Permits can only be given to people who complete a training course, demonstrate “good moral character,” and establish “good cause.”

Although state law generally discourages concealed-carry permits, local authorities are allowed to create restrictions around their distribution to regulate the permitting process. The case came forward when a former police officer, Edward Peruta, filed a suit with San Diego County after he was denied a concealed-carry permit when authorities concluded that he did not establish “good cause.”

While the case is unlikely to reach the Supreme Court, gun rights and gun control activists are heatedly debating the issue, each pushing for their version of where the line should lie. A ruling could ostensibly affect concealed-carry permit restrictions throughout the state of California.

What restrictions should be put on concealed-carry permits? Is California’s subsidiarity in the matter appropriate? How will the court’s ruling affect the debate?

Guests:

Mike McLively, staff attorney for the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which has filed several amicus briefs on the defendant's side

Sam Paredes, Executive Director of Gun Owners of California

A look at privacy rights after OC man destroys drone flying over his home

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SkySeer designer Victor Torres flies the

SkySeer designer Victor Torres flies the Skyseer Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) drone (not in photo) with its remote control device (in hand) as he watches the live video images transmitted from the drone overhead to his video monitor (at left), 16 June 2006 at a demonstration in Redlands, CA. ; Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

A Huntington Beach man was captured on video destroying a drone flying on his street earlier this month.

The drone belonged to the startup Lucky 7 Drones, which was shooting an instructional video when the incident occurred. The drone was flying about 2 to 3 feet off the ground when the man in question used a T-shirt to swat it, bringing the $1,300-machine  to the ground.

Incidents like this are likely to multiply, as and more and more businesses embrace drone use. The Federal Trade Commission has started to roll out rules regulating the domestic use of drones. What are those regulations? What are our privacy rights?

Guests:

Gregory McNeal, Associate Professor of Law and Associate Professor of Public Policy at Pepperdine University. He is an expert on drones and topics related to privacy and technology

Former US Marshals on finding and catching a fugitive

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Convicted Murderers Escape From New York State Prison

In this handout from New York State Police, convicted murderers David Sweat (L) and Richard Matt are shown i n this composite image. Matt, 48, and Sweat, 34, escaped from the maximum security prison June 6, 2015 using power tools and going through a manhole.; Credit: Handout/Getty Images

As the manhunt for two convicted murderers widens in northern New York State, law enforcement officials are no doubt beginning to wonder if the men have gotten out of town, and maybe even out of the country.

Entering its 10th day today, police continue to search a heavily-wooded area near Plattsburgh, New York, a small city in the northeastern corner of the state just west of the Vermont border. The two men on the run, David Sweat and Richard Matt, broke out of the maximum security Clinton Correctional Facility on June 6th, drawing comparisons by many to the iconic prison-break film “Shawshank Redemption” when it was discovered their escape included sawing through steel plates and pipes, scaling a catwalk, crawling through narrow tunnels, and breaking through a locked and chained manhole cover from within.

As difficult as it has been for police to find Sweat and Matt thus far, the two fugitives face an equally daunting challenge: survive and create as much distance as possible between them and police, all while keeping a low profile. In order to do that, the men will likely need a home base, money, and a few people who will help them keep flying under the radar, and that’s just to get started.

Where do fugitive hunters start with a case like this? What goes into tracking down a dangerous criminal? What are some of the things the fugitives might be considering as they continue their run? How do you gather information on someone who is going out of his or her way not to be found? We’ll speak with two men who have devoted their professional lives to tracking down fugitives and get an exclusive look inside the mind of the hunters and the hunted.

Guests:

Lenny DePaul, Chief Inspector/Commander (Ret.) of U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force

Craig Caine, Inspector (Ret.) U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force

With Pope Francis’ long-awaited encyclical, Catholic Church enters climate change debate

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Pope Francis is pictured during his weekly general audience at St Peter's square on June 17, 2015 at the Vatican. ; Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis is set to unveil his climate change statement Thursday, attributing our warming planet mostly to human activity and the use of fossil fuels.

Francis has been working on the document for nearly a year and the Catholic Church has prepared a careful, month-long rollout of the document. But Rome-based newsmagazine L’Espresso published a 192-page draft of the piece in Italian earlier this week, drawing immediate condemnation from the Catholic Church, which called the leak an “heinous act.”

Francis in September will visit the United States to address both the United Nations and the U.S. Congress. Many conservatives have criticized the pope for weighing in on an issue as controversial as that of climate change and in the form of an encyclical no less -- the most influential document a pope can author.

What are the political and societal implications of the encyclical?

Guests:

Jason Berry, religion writer at GlobalPost. His latest story for the publication looks the leak of Pope Francis’s encyclical on climate change. He is the author of “Render unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church” (Broadway Books, 2012)

Ben Schreckinger, a reporter at POLITICO. His latest piece looks at the impact of Pope Francis’ climate change statement on the GOP.


HBO’s powerful ‘Requiem for the Dead: American Spring 2014’ premieres at LA Film Fest

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HBO Screening Of "Requiem For The Dead"

Panelist Mark Prentice, HBO Documentary Films SVP Nancy Abraham, panelist Ted Alcorn, panelist Dan Gross, filmmaker Shari Cookson, and filmmaker Nick Doob attend the HBO screening of "Requiem For The Dead" at HBO Theater on June 15, 2015 in New York City.; Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for HBO

If you've seen all the documentaries ever produced about gun violence in America, you've still seen nothing like HBO's upcoming "Requiem for the Dead: American Spring 2014" which premieres tonight at the LA Film Festival (and this coming Monday on HBO).

The filmmakers, Shari Cookson and Nick Doob, interviewed no lawyers, no politicians, no policy makers, no loved ones. Instead the filmmakers weave together photos, phone messages, social media postings and other existing media which humanize the life and powerfully recount the deaths of just eight instances of gun violence from last spring - a season that saw an estimated 8,000 Americans killed by gunfire. The cases are not famous, but bring victims to life in their own words and images before their premature deaths.

What are the filmmakers hoping to accomplish? How challenging was it to gather the existing media? Why were these cases especially compelling to them?

Guests:

Shari Cookson, Filmmaker, “Requiem for the Dead: American Spring 2014;” Cookson’s credits include HBO’s Emmy-winning “The Memory Loss Tapes"

Nick Doob, Filmmaker, “Requiem for the Dead: American Spring 2014;” Doob’s credits include HBO’s Emmy-winning “The Memory Loss Tapes"

How CA Labor Commission’s Uber decision impacts nascent ‘e-hail’ industry

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Barcelona Cabs Strike Against Uber Taxi App

In this photo illustration, the new smart phone app 'Uber' logo is displayed on a mobile phone next to a taxi on July 1, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. ; Credit: David Ramos/Getty Images

A state court in the County of San Francisco has ruled Uber driver Barbara Ann Berwick is an employee, not a contractor.

Anyone familiar with employment laws and business models can tell you the distinction is huge. Whereas employees have strict protections, are reimbursed for expenses such as gasoline and insurance, and obtain partial coverage of Social Security and Medicare taxes, contractors are exempt from many of these employment requirements.

For Uber, the distinction could potentially disrupt their $50 billion business model, although so far the ruling is only in California and will likely be appealed for years to come.

Are all Uber drivers employees and not contractors? How will this ruling affect Uber’s business model on a national and international level? Could this lead to a movement for Uber drivers to unionize? And with Uber under increasing regulation from airports and states to the federal government and other countries, can it sustain its breakneck growth?

The following is an official statement from Uber regarding the ruling:

“Reuters’ original headline was not accurate. The California Labor Commission’s ruling is non-binding and applies to a single driver. Indeed it is contrary to a previous ruling by the same commission, which concluded in 2012 that the driver ‘performed services as an independent contractor, and not as a bona fide employee.’ Five other states have also come to the same conclusion. It’s important to remember that the number one reason drivers choose to use Uber is because they have complete flexibility and control. The majority of them can and do choose to earn their living from multiple sources, including other ride sharing companies."

Guests:

Carolyn Said, business and technology reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, she covers the so-called “sharing economy” for the paper

Matthew Feeney, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank in Washington, D.C.

Shannon Liss-Riordan, attorney at Lichten & Liss-Riordan in Boston, Mass. She is representing drivers in two separate lawsuits in San Francisco -- against companies that belong to “sharing economy”

Exploring the psychology of the wealthy and water use

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A general view of amosphere at the June Moss Launch Party hosted by Becca Tobin at a private residence on April 8, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California.; Credit: Michael Buckner

As water supplies dwindle in California, politicians, activists, and average citizens all appear to be making an effort to conserve.

In April, Governor Jerry Brown called for a statewide 25 percent cutback, and local governments have also been setting restrictions on things like watering lawns and serving water at restaurants. But in some particularly wealthy neighborhoods in California, water consumption is actually going up despite the drought.

Profiled in a weekend article in the Washington Post, some residents of the community of Rancho Santa Fe near San Diego feel that they shouldn’t have to live with brown lawns or apologize for wanting a beautiful garden. They argue that if you can afford to pay for it, you should be able to get your water.

What is it about residents in these wealthier communities that makes them have this mindset when the rest of the state is making an effort to conserve? Do you think the wealthier residents have a point, that they should be able to use the water if they can pay for it?

Guests:

Ann Louise Bardach, author and journalist for the POLITICO Magazine. She wrote the piece “Lifestyles of the Rich and Parched: How the Golden State’s 1 percenters are avoiding the drought.”

Stéphane Côté, professor of organizational behavior & HR Management at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management

Police need more leeway to explain disciplinary decisions, LAPD chief says

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LAPD Revenge Killings

; Credit: Reed Saxon/AP

Police departments should have "greater leeway" for disclosing the disciplinary measures meted out against officers, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Wednesday.

The chief was responding to questions related to the confidentiality rules that have left the public in the dark about what discipline will be meted out to the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Ezell Ford, the unarmed black man whose story has echoed many others in recent years amid a growing movement nationwide to highlight and combat excessive use of force by police.

"I did not create the confidentiality laws that I'm bound by," Beck said. "I think that there should be greater leeway for the police department to make not only the decisions known, but the rationale behind the decision."

The fallout has continued after the L.A. Police Commission last week ruled against Beck and found LAPD officer Sharlton Wampler was wrong to stop Ford in an incident that culminated in the mentally ill young man being fatally shot.

Beck downplayed his disagreement with the commission and told AirTalk guest host Patt Morrison that the outcome was the result of a model system of checks and balances molded from a process that has come at "great expense to the city," referring to past riots, a federal consent decree and other dark stains on the department's past.

Beck noted that other departments have looked to the LAPD for its system of police and civilian oversight and that the discussions that come from intelligent disagreement move the profession forward.

Beck did not indicate when he will decide on disciplinary measures against Wampler or what form they may take, insisting that he is bound by law to keep it confidential.

The chief acknowledged that there are certain exceptions to the confidentiality rule, but he did not say whether he would pursue them.

He noted several times that the law as it currently stands prevents him from disclosing how he plans to discipline the officers involved.

“I must follow the law. Now, we can have discussions about what would be a better way to regulate this but that won't change how this will be regulated,” Beck said.

Morrison and Beck covered a number of other topics, including a new foot patrol beat in Chinatown and Beck's video statement telling officers they had the support of the city and their chief — though he drew criticism for not including the police commission.

Guest:

Charlie Beck, Chief,  Los Angeles Police Department

Interview Highlights

There were comments from the head of the Police Protective League that LAPD officers, as a consequence of [the Ezell Ford case] now fear that if they make a mistake the city won't back them up. What do you have to say about that?

Chief Beck: Well, we certainly haven't seen that. I monitor the productivity of our officers very closely as a general rule — and in particular since the finding in this case — and we haven't seen any slowdown at this point. Nobody that I know becomes a Los Angeles police officer to roll up their windows and drive around. This is one of the most difficult policing jobs in the country ... the level of scrutiny is very high ... people don't come to this job because it's easy. We're here because we want to make a difference.

Chief, you and the commission are looking at the same set of guidelines, why is it that you found this to be in policy and the police commission didn't? How could that happen?

CB: Well people, as I said, disagree on this topic all the time. Reasonable suspicion is a topic of contention in every criminal case in which it applies. This is not unusual for people to have different opinions on this and especially when you recognize that I see things through my experience, in my eyes, which is very different than theirs. That's not to say who's right and who's wrong, but it is to say that I have strong reasons and strong beliefs in my opinion on this. I also have my role in the process and my role is to determine discipline if it applies to the employees involved and that has yet to come and I will absolutely do the right thing on that.

Do you have a deadline for that?

CB: You know, I have a personal deadline. I'm not going to reveal that because I don't think it helps the discussion for a couple of reasons. One of which is that by state law, I cannot make public whether or not I discipline these officers and what that discipline was so to create an expectation that there is going to be some type of announcement based on a date point would be unreasonable. 

Why no mention of the police commission in your message to officers?

CB: Well, it wasn't intended to put forth a position for or against the officers by the commission. It was intended to do exactly what it did. It was intended to tell officers that they needed to continue to develop community support, that they had community support. I used myself as an example; I used the mayor as an example; I used the vast majority of Los Angeles as the other example. No intent to omit the commission. No intent to comment one way or the other about the commission's support for the rank and file. I know all the commissioners very well, they're good people. I believe that they were guided by what they thought was right. I am not disparaging them; that was not the intent of the video. 

What is the reaction you have been getting from your officers to this?

CB: They have lots of questions ... they have a lot of concerns and they need to hear from me not only what I've been telling you about why the system is setup as it is and what the system is and what the check and balances within the system are ... and they also need to know that the city supports them.

We've been through a lot and our systems have been molded in a process that has come at great expense to the city, whether it's the Rampart investigation, the consent decree, the Christopher commission, all of that has molded the process that we're talking about. This is not a process that the police department came up with. It's not a process that the Police Commission came up with. It is a process that was molded through hard work by many parties to create a checks and balances system that is the best representation of professional management and civilian oversight. 

The Police union has said the Ford decision is a political one. Do you agree?

CB: I think that is a question for the folks that make the decision. I don't believe that's why they did it ... I think they make the decision that they believe is right and I believe that is what they did in this case. I don't want to speak for them. That is my belief. 

What about the new training that may reflect some of the commission's finding in this particular instance? Are you contemplating that?

CB: Absolutely. I think training is always important. Police work is not static; its an evolution. That's not to say that this ruling is revolutionary, but it is part of an ongoing evolution of policing. More importantly, it's part of a national discussion. There is a national discussion ongoing that the Los Angeles Police Department is a part of that talks about trust and policing. If we can find a way to build greater trust while policing effectively in this city, then it's my obligation that we do that and part of that is training.  

New billboard campaign seeks to rebrand Islam in America

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Islam Circle of North America

The religious group, Islamic Circle of North America, is working to change Islam’s image in America. Billboards have gone up in Sacramento and Los Angeles and will eventually stretch to the East Coast with messages of peace. ; Credit: Terence McCormack/Flickr

A series of billboards in California are part of a campaign by the religious group, Islamic Circle of North America, to change Islam’s image in America, amid an increase in anti-Islamic sentiment in the country.

New billboard campaign started by ICNA pic.twitter.com/AkidTHMcsf

— Khaled Bey (@KhaledBeydoun) June 4, 2015

The billboards have gone up in Sacramento and Los Angeles and will eventually stretch to the East Coast. The Sacramento billboard reads: “Looking for the answers in life? Discover Muhammad.” The one in New Jersey states, “Kindness is a mark of faith.” Another in Miami says, “Muhammad believed in peace, social justice, women’s rights.”

What do you think of the billboards? How successful do you think they will be?

Guests:

Waqas Syed, Deputy Secretary General of the Islamic Circle of North America, which is behind the billboard campaign

Salam Al-Marayati, President, Muslim Public Affairs Council,  public service agency working for the civil rights of American Muslims

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