A headset hangs on a cubical wall after the last telemarketing shift at Spectrum Marketing Services, Inc. September 26, 2003 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.; Credit: William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

After announcing the creation of a Robocall Strike Force in August, the FCC gave the newly-formed task force 60 days to come up with concrete, modern solutions to robocalls.

These kinds of calls are the number one complaint the FCC receives, according to FCC Chairman tom Wheeler and since the federal ‘do not call’ list has been basically defunct for years, the FCC has convened a team of minds from companies like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Google to help come up with better standards of caller ID verification in the hopes of weeding out unwanted or automated calls from scammers, debt collectors, and more.

Now, those 60 days have passed and today marks the deadline for the task force to report back to FCC Commissioners with those plans. At the group’s first meeting, Chairman Wheeler encouraged the group to ‘get creative’ and suggested the possibility of a “Do Not Originate” list, which would put outgoing numbers that are often spoofed, like those of banks and IRS, into a database that’d be shared among the wireless companies.

Another commissioner suggested legislation to crack down on foreign scammers who prey on Americans by spoofing caller ID. But skeptics say that this would be difficult administratively and logistically for phone companies since numbers are easy to obtain and spoof. They also worry that too much regulation could mean calls that customers do want to receive wouldn’t go through.

The FCC will hold another meeting next week, and it’s expected that the Commissioners will comment on the solutions the Strike Force has proposed.

We contacted the FCC and CTIA - The Wireless Association, which is the main trade group for the wireless and telecom industry. Both declined to participate in our discussion. CTIA did send us a statement from their senior vice president and general counsel, Tom Power:

“Unwanted calls and texts are a consumer issue the wireless industry works hard to address and we look forward to working with the FCC to help address this challenge together."

Guests:

David Shepardson, reporter for Reuters covering the FCC; he tweets @davidshepardson

Jeff Kagan, wireless analyst and columnist based in Atlanta, GA; he tweets @jeffkagan

Raymond Tu, Ph.D. candidate in computer science at Arizona State University

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Actors Vin Diesel (L) and Garrett Hedlund with director Ang Lee (C) attend the "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" photo call on October 15, 2016 in New York City. ; Credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

It's back to the projector room for Oscar-winning director Ang Lee after his pricey, gutsy movie-making experiment, “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” played to mixed results at the New York Film Festival last week.

The ground-breaking war drama was shot at an ultra-fast 120 frames-per-second rate in 3-D with 4K resolution. The first wave of critics at the fest panned the film and blamed the technology.

Today on KPCC, the film innovator who inspired Lee's venture, Douglas Trumbull, says the NY screening projected the film "much too bright" and without necessary projector adjustments. 

Now, Trumbull is tweaking the movie. He explains, "I'm working with Ang and Sony Pictures at this moment and [inaudible] — providing the projection systems — to try to make sure that that next wave of screenings of 'Billy Lynn' are going to be much better than what I think we saw in New York."

Also at the fest screening was L.A. Times film writer Steve Zeitchik. He takes issue with the knee-jerk criticisms and argues the  movie's “immersive experience” provided by the ultra-fast frame rate requires a different set of criteria to judge it.

"What I would  question," Zeitchik tells Airtalk's Larry Mantle, "is this idea that we need to fix it. For one thing the heightened, hyper-real aspect from a purely experiential standpoint ... really does work." He adds, "I've watched a lot of war movies — good, bad, and indifferent — over the years and I don't think I've ever felt as jolted ... felt war in quite as visceral a manner as I did watching this film. And so I think a lot of that has to do with the resolution and the frame rate. So when you bring down the brightness and you bring down the frame rate , you're losing a lot of that."

A question for studio executives and audiences posed by Zeitchik: "Who's to say the kind of traditional cinema that we're used to, and traditional storytelling, should necessarily be the dominant mode for this new era of immersive cinema? ...Why can't we have something new or a mix of types and genres? ... Let's not fix the movie."

Trumbull, whose credits include "Blade Runner" and "2001: A Space Odyssey," says "Billy Lynn" and the faster frame rate truly sing when shooting first-person point-of-view scenes.

“You want to switch gears from conventional third-person storytelling, in which the director is directing the camera to see an action that is off to the side....  When you create more of a virtual reality, a first-person point-of-view is much stronger,”explained Trumbull.

Another major effect of the "immersive" film technology noticed by Zeitchik is that traditional movie moments of heightened drama or artifice lose their credence. In his L.A. Times piece he notes, “Because everything around the actors feels so real, when they’re asked to break from that reality -- to act in even the most slightly heightened way, or show an emotion that’s bigger than emotions people show in their everyday lives -- it can seem artificial or staged.”

If the faster frame-rate becomes more widely adopted, how will writers, performers, directors, and cinemas have to adapt?

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW BY CLICKING THE PLAY BUTTON ABOVE.

Guests: 

Douglas Trumbull, Filmmaker and film technology innovator; Credits include "Brainstorm," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "The Tree of Life," "Blade Runner;" Trumbull convinced Ang Lee to use 120-fps

Steve Zeitchik,  Los Angeles Times staff writer who has been covering film and the larger world of Hollywood for the paper since 2009

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck addresses the media at Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters.; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

LAPD Chief Charlie said a sweeping set of reforms approved by the Police Commission earlier this month won't have a huge impact on police training or policy, but will mean a new focus for both.

“I don't think there's gonna be a huge change,” Beck told Airtalk host Larry Mantle, “because we already do role-playing. We already do scenario-based training. We already have our fire arms trainings simulators. Much of this is in place, and it's a further refinement of things that we already do.”​

The reforms call for accountability in releasing video footage. They also require that officers favor non-lethal force and undergo de-escalation trainings. Beck said that would only serve to focus what the LAPD has already been doing in terms of training and protocol.

“We require an imminent threat of great bodily injury or death before we shoot," Beck said. "The chief of police can always discipline relative to not acting to your training or not acting to department policy — doesn’t change that one bit."

Beck also spoke about department's evolving policy on when to release officers' body camera footage and a recent protest at an event featuring L.A. District Attorney Jackie Lacey, among other issues. 

You can hear the full interview above by clicking the blue playhead, or read more highlights below. 

Interview Highlights

ON THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE AS A “LAST RESORT”

Beck: Shooting is always a last resort, always has been. As a matter of fact, it's not the last resort, it's the only resort. We require an imminent threat of great bodily injury or death before we shoot…

The Police Commission is calling for de-escalation training, which we do, which we want to expand. They also want to move the wording of “last resort” into the policy piece on deadly force instead of in the training piece, and both of them control what officers’ behavior is [...] 

The chief of police can always discipline relative to not acting to your training or not acting to department policy, doesn’t change that one bit […] 

It is a focus, it is a highlighting, but is it a change?  Did we ever have a shooting policy that wasn’t last resort? Absolutely not. It's always the last resort […]

But I think what it does, and the importance of it and why the commission wants to do it is that it refocuses, or focuses, the police department on its core values regarding use of force. That deadly force is a last resort, that we should exhaust options before we use deadly force, and that we recognize the severity of that option.

ON WHEN TO RELEASE VIDEO FOOTAGE AND WHY

Beck: This is something that we're working on. This is something that’s new to policing. It’s being done about 100 different ways across the country right now, all of whom are looking for the right answer.

I think there is video that should not be released just because it's so graphic, it is so personal, it is so intrusive to the people involved. I think that there are many times that police officers are present when very, very bad things happen to people and I don’t know that that should be part of the public conversation other than the fact that it happened. So we have to guard with that, guard for that.

One of the things that everybody agrees on, including me, is in those rare instances when police officers do violate the law in a use of force. It is extremely difficult to prosecute them, so the release of video does not make it easier. As a matter of fact all the prosecutors advise against it, [but] there are all of these competing desires.

ON THE TOWN HALL MEETING WITH LA COUNTY DA JACKIE LACEY

Beck: The problem is that whenever we shout somebody down, whenever we deny somebody else's right to express their point of view — first of all, we tear at the very fabric of democracy. We take away what is great about this country — that we can have a dialogue — and then we also stymie any attempt to move forward.”

If all you're gonna do is yell at me then we are probably not gonna be able to build a bridge between us, and I think that is the tragedy of what's going on, and all of us see it...people not listening and just putting forth their opinion, where what we really need to get through these tough issues — like when to release video, like what kind of policing is legitimate, what kind of policing do we want — what we really need is dialogue.

We really need to hear each other, not talk at each other.

Interviews have been edited for clarity. Hear the full discussion by clicking the playhead above.

Guest:

Charlie Beck, Chief, Los Angeles Police Department; he tweets @LAPDChiefBeck

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Los Angeles School Police Sgt. Robert Carlborn watches over students lining up to pass through a security check point.; Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

A study released Wednesday has renewed the ongoing debate over whether police should be called to school campuses for disciplinary issues.

The study, published by the the American Civil Liberties Union of California, claims districts are increasingly turning to police to deal with student discipline problems, a practice that disproportionately impacts minority students, poor students and students with disabilities.

"Studies have consistently found that black students are far more likely to be referred to the police or referred for suspension and exclusion from school based on discretionary offenses, such as disorderly conduct or willful defiance," ACLU of Northern California attorney and study author Linnea Nelson told Airtalk’s Larry Mantle Wednesday. 

They were joined by Teri Sorey, President of the Irvine Teachers Association and Mo Canady, Executive Director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, to discuss the report, as well as whether police officer presence on campus can ever have positive impact.  

Click on the blue playhead above to hear the full discussion, or read highlights below.

Interview highlights

On school districts giving staff too much discretion to call police

Nelson: School districts do not have adequate policies to protect youth against police misconduct and the aggressive criminalization of student behavior... most school districts give staff complete discretion to call police to address student misbehavior that should be handled by school staff...Over two thirds of school districts statewide allow police officers to interview students immediately upon demand, stating that staff shall not hinder or delay interrogations.

On the negative impacts of these practices

Nelson: Studies have consistently found that black students are far more likely to be referred to the police or referred for suspension and exclusion from school based on discretionary offenses, such as disorderly conduct or willful defiance. And those offenses are classically in the eye of the beholder... we're very concerned about the impact of implicit bias on school discipline.

On whether there are benefits to having police on campus

Canady: There are three things that we [police] do in that environment [on a school campus]. One is about school safety. The second piece is about the issue of informal counseling...to have the opportunity to mentor kids. And the third is to be involved in the education process... to teach students about different law-related issues.

On when it's appropriate for school administrators to turn to police

Canady: We're talking about assault or serious bodily injury.

On how school districts should address behavioral issues

Nelson: We need to be sending our students the message that they are scholars, not suspects. Every student deserves an educational environment where they can thrive. Districts in California are spending millions of dollars a year from classroom budgets to put armed police in schools and we need to ensure that schools invest in resources for a quality education, like school counselors and mental health services that keep students in school...Counselors are the best way to go. Counselors are trained to work with students in conflict resolution and to keep youth in school and out of trouble.

Interviews have been edited for clarity. Hear the full discussion by clicking the playhead above.​

Read the ACLU California report:

The Right to Remain a Student ACLU CA Report by Southern California Public Radio on Scribd

Guests:

Linnea Nelson, Education Equity Staff Attorney, ACLU of Northern California and author of the report

Teri Sorey, President of the Irvine Teachers Association, which has School Resource Officers on its campuses

Mo Canady, Executive Director of the National Association of School Resource Officers

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

; Credit: Flickr user: shawncalhoun / creativecommons

KQED’s “FORUM” host Michael Krasny is a familiar voice for news on current events, business, tech, culture and more – but he’s also a master of Jewish humor.

Krasny’s new book “Let There Be Laughter: A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It Means” shares a favorite collection of Jewish jokes paired with annotations that can help any reader appreciate the comedy within one’s culture. Larry talks to Krasny about his latest work, comedic inspirations and current life.

Guest:

Michael Krasny, Ph.D., host of KQED’s “FORUM” and author of “Let There Be Laughter: A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It Means”

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

California’s controversial Prop 60 would make it mandatory to use condoms in adult films.

Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in L.A. is behind the measure, which would put language into state law creating a mandate for adult film actors to wear condoms in pornographic films.

Current worker safety laws already allude to condom use, and requires employees to be protected from bodily fluids that could cause infections. But this hasn’t been enforced among adult film producers.

Prop 60 has created much opposition from the porn industry, which argues that alternatives to condoms should be used to protect actors. This would include frequent STD testing and prescribing PrEP, an HIV prevention pill.

But shouldn’t adult film performers want to take advantage of every option to protect themselves? According to Chanel Preston, chair of the Adult Film Actors Association, the measure would do more harm than good because it leaves performers open to lawsuits. Under Prop 60, Cal/OSHA, a workplace enforcement agency, would be able to sue producers if condoms are not visible in adult films.

Guests:

John Schwada, communications director and spokesperson for the Vote Yes on Prop 60 campaign

Chanel Preston, adult film performer and chairperson of the adult performer advocacy committee; she has been campaigning for the No on 60 campaign

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Republican nominee Donald Trump gestures as Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton looks on during the final presidential debate. ; Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

The headline was Donald Trump's response to moderator Chris Wallace's question about accepting the election's results, that he would leave us “in suspense” until election day.

What did you think of the debate? Call us at 866-893-5722

Guest:

Scott Bland, Campaigns editor, POLITICO; he tweets @PoliticoScott

Carolyn Lochhead, Washington Correspondent, San Francisco Chronicle; she tweets @carolynlochhead 

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

In this composite image a comparison has been made between former US Presidential Candidates George W. Bush (L) and Al Gore. ; Credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

After spending the past few weeks claiming the presidential election will be "rigged" in favor of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Trump was asked directly by Fox News anchor and debate moderator Chris Wallace if he would concede should he lose to Clinton.

"I will look at it at the time," Trump said. When pressed moments later, Trump added simply: "What I'm saying is that I will tell you at the time. I will keep you in suspense." Speaking in his defense, supporters of Trump compare his views to the contested presidential election of 2000. It was a tight popular vote between Democratic candidate Al Gore and Republican candidate George W. Bush, so tight in Florida that state law triggered an automatic recount, and a legendary battle followed.

Does the history of the Gore campaign's actions vis-a-vis the Florida results in 2000 justify Trump's statement last night? AirTalk will review what happened in Florida with campaign experts.

With files from the Associated Press.

Guests:

Franita Tolson, Professor of Voting Rights at Florida State University College of Law; she tweets @ProfTolson

Sean Davis, co-founder of the Federalist, a conservative online news magazine

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Pentragram. ; Credit: Flickr user: Adam Cohn / Creative Commons

The Los Angeles Unified School district has rejected the request to let After School Satan Club into a Panorama city elementary school.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, The club’s L.A. chapter would have been one of several started in schools across the country, including Portland, Salt Lake City and Detroit. LAUSD said in a statement that the organization’s rejection was due not receiving the proper paperwork from the club. But Ali Kellog, the chapter head for The Satanic Temple Los Angeles says the club has been stonewalled by the school district.

The After School Satan Club is headed by The Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts. The club has been pushing to branch out to schools across the country as a counterpart to the Good News Clubs, an after school Christian club. Officials from The Satanic Temple have said they believe the Good News Clubs to be fringe, zealous and hateful, and not representative of true Christianity.

According to the Satanic Temple, their religion “does not promote belief in a personal Satan. . . The Satanist should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things.”

What do you think of the After School Satan Club? Is it a breach of religious freedom and First Amendment rights to prohibit them in schools?

Guests:

Ali Kellog, chapter head for The Satanic Temple Los Angeles; she created the curriculum for the After School Satan Club which was presented to the LAUSD

Barry McDonald, professor of law at Pepperdine School of Law; he is an expert on the U.S. Supreme Court, Constitutional and intellectual property law

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands as they attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on October 20, 2016 in Beijing, China.; Credit: Pool/Getty Images

A day after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced in China that he is moving away from the US to align with China, officials in the country are trying to walk back the controversial statements.

On Thursday, Rodrigo gave a speech in front of a group of business leaders in Beijing, and declared the country’s new alliance with China.

"America has lost now. I've realigned myself in your ideological flow," Duterte said in China. "And maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way."

Duterte also said this “separation” from the US applies to both economic and military ties.

But as news of the meeting spread, government officials from the Philippines have come out to stem the political damage.

"The president did not talk about separation,” Philippine Trade Minister Ramon Lopez told CNN in Beijing today.

"In terms of economic (ties), we are not stopping trade, investment with America. The president specifically mentioned his desire to strengthen further the ties with China and the ASEAN region which we have been trading with for centuries," he said, referring to the Association of South East Asian Nations.

How realistic are Duterte’s claims? What would closer ties between China and the Philippines mean for the US?

Guests:

Vicente L Rafael, a professor in history and an expert on the Philippines in the University of Washington

Jamie Metzl,  a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, a DC-based think tank and an expert on Asia

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The iconic 6th Street Bridge that connects downtown Los Angeles with its eastern disticts is reflected in the Los Angeles River after its closure to traffic on January 27, 2016.
; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Potential flooding may be causing trouble for neighborhoods close to the Los Angeles River.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a report that found parcels north of downtown L.A., including Atwater Village, Elysian Valley, Burbank and Glendale, could be flooded if a 100-year storm hits.

This news comes in the wake of a $1.6 billion L.A. River restoration project, which is working to naturalize an 11-mile stretch of river from Northern Griffith Park to downtown L.A. The plan would add water cleanup features and restore plant life, in part by extracting concrete walls that were originally put in place to prevent flooding.

The report prompted federal officials to require property owners with federally backed mortgages to buy flood insurance. The report also pointed to areas that could be under threat which are currently outside FIMA’s recognized floodplain.

“The cities can be going through a process with FEMA to re-map the floodplain, and the end result of that could require some [more] folks to need flood insurance,” Deputy Chief Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers David Van Dorpe told AirTalk’s Larry Mantle Friday.

They were joined by Marissa Christiansen, senior policy director for Friends of the Los Angeles River, to discuss what effect this report will have on the restoration project. 

Click on the blue playhead above to hear the full discussion, or read highlights below.

Interview Highlights

On the probability of this type of flooding

Christiansen: What we're talking about is a 1 percent chance of these levels of storms happening in any given year.

On how to mitigate flood damage and still continue the restoration project

Christiansen: There are a number of different flood risk mitigations that are far outside just channelizing the river. You can look at widening the channel...tunneling and diverting storm flows, having retention basins that are activated during storm events [...] continuing to design for the most innovative approach is what I think people should be focused on.

On whether the restoration project will affect communities downriver, where there has been devastating flooding in the past

Von Dorpe: No... when we look at a river and analyze its hydrology, we're looking at it as a whole system. Actually, the L.A. River and all its tributaries is part of what we call the L.A. County drainage area system... we're going to make sure that anything we do up here, whether it's ecosystem restoration or perhaps water conservation or flood risk management reduction, that it won't have consequences downstream.

On what the public can do to support the restoration project

Christiansen: Number one, the city is getting ready to move the G2 parcel, which is part of Taylor Yard... into escrow. When that comes up on the City Council agenda, we definitely urge the community to support that, because that really is a crown jewel of the river's restoration... The second thing that public can do - on November 8th there are a number of initiatives that will actually offer money to river or river adjacent projects. That is Measure A, which is the parks measure, and Measure M, which is a transportation measure, which would fund the bike path along the river... we support both.

Interviews have been edited for clarity.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, will hold a public workshop on November 7th to discuss different aspects of the flood risks. Click here for more information.

Guests: 

Marissa Christiansen, senior policy director for Friends of the Los Angeles River

David Van Dorpe, deputy chief engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

California’s controversial Prop 60 would make it mandatory to use condoms in adult films.

Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in L.A. is behind the measure, which would put language into state law creating a mandate for adult film actors to wear condoms in pornographic films.

Current worker safety laws already allude to condom use, and requires employees to be protected from bodily fluids that could cause infections. But this hasn’t always been enforced among adult film producers.

Prop 60 has stirred opposition from the porn industry. Many performers and studios argue that alternatives to condoms should be used to protect actors, including frequent testing for sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) and prescribing PrEP, an HIV prevention pill.

But shouldn’t adult film performers want to take advantage of every option to protect themselves?

According to Chanel Preston, chair of the Adult Film Actors Association, the measure would do more harm than good because it would leave performers open to lawsuits. Under Prop 60, Cal/OSHA, a workplace enforcement agency, would be able to sue producers if condoms are not visible in adult films.

Larry Mantle spoke to Preston and the John Schwada, the spokesperson for the Vote Yes on Prop 60 campaign, to hear both sides of this highly controversial issue.

3 points of tension between proponents and opponents of Prop. 60

On adult film actors being subject to lawsuits if Prop. 60 passes

Chanel Preston: This is an industry of sex workers and film performers and we are subject to harassment and threats everyday. Sometimes people say that this is hyperbole, that people won't attack us through lawsuits. But that's not true. . . anytime there's a tool that people can use to hurt the industry or the individual, they will use it. If a lawsuit does occur, they would have access to our personal information, and that's a really big concern for performers.

John Schwada: This is special pleading on an industry that refuses to obey the law and wants to be exempt from the public exposure when they are accused of violating the law. Every other individual knows that when people are sued, and people are charged with criminal conduct, their names are made public. Often in cases you can find the names, but you can't find the addresses of the accused parties. I think some of this is scare tactics on the part of the porn industry. 

On the chilling effect the measure could have on the porn industry

Schwada: I suspect that [the industry] will be able to thrive with these rules. . . The thing that they're really afraid of in this industry is that their own performers will sue them, and [performers] will be whistleblowers.

Preston: There's an assumption that performers don't have power in the industry and that's not true. . . As an organization we've been working on ways for performers to use condoms without feeling like they're blacklisted. . .We don't need Prop. 60 to make that happen.

On whether condoms are the best way to prevent STDs

Preston: In a professional setting, we're having intercourse anywhere from 30 minutes to hours on set. And it's very difficult to use condoms sometimes. . . It causes rashes, they break, you're still susceptible to [sexually-transmitted infections]. And so performers don't necessarily feel like that's the best means to protect themselves. . .We haven't had a case of HIV transmission on a regulated porn set since 2004, so that shows that our testing system is extremely effective.

Schwada: The industry doesn't like condoms and that's the gold standard for protecting the workers from STDs and HIV. The business doesn't like condoms because they don't believe condoms in porn films sell those films. So they basically sacrifice worker health on the altar of their profits. . . also condoms don't have to be visible in the films.

Guests:

John Schwada, communications director and spokesperson for the Vote Yes on Prop 60 campaign

Chanel Preston, adult film performer and chairperson of the adult performer advocacy committee; she has been campaigning for the No on 60 campaign

Voting has begun in California. KPCC is here for you and will help you develop your Voter Game Plan. Use our election guide to find your personalized ballot.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Activist and writer Tom Hayden in 2009. ; Credit: Flickr user: KCET departures / creative commons

Famed '60s anti-war activist and longtime California politician Tom Hayden, whose name became forever linked with the celebrated Chicago 7 trial, Vietnam War protests and his ex-wife actress Jane Fonda, has died. He was 76.

He died on Sunday after a long illness, said his wife, Barbara Williams, noting that he suffered a stroke in 2015.

Hayden, once denounced as a traitor by his detractors, overcame his past and won election to the California Assembly and Senate where he served for almost two decades as a progressive force on such issues as the environment and education. He was the only one of the radical Chicago 7 defendants to win such distinction in the mainstream political world.

He remained an enduring voice against war and spent his later years as a prolific writer and lecturer advocating for reform of America's political institutions.

On AirTalk, Larry speaks with his long-time friend and fellow activist Vivien Rothstein about their time in Vietnam and highlights how Hayden's incisive mind kept him driven and inspirational.

With files from the Associated Press.

Guest: 

Vivien Rothstein, Long-time friend of Tom Hayden and fellow activist

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Reporters work on their laptops as Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) speaks during a campaign event at Vernier Software & Technology.; Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The Center for Public Integrity released an analysis last week showing that more than 96 percent of contributions made by journalists in campaign filings went to Hillary Clinton.

The analysis made by the investigative journalism organization looked at people identified as news editors, journalists or television news anchors in federal campaign filings through August. Out of $396,000 total campaign contributions to both Clinton and Trump, $382,000 went to Clinton.

According to the report, many of these donors are not political reporters, and news organizations including The New York Times and Associated Press, whose codes of conduct prohibit journalists from donating to political campaigns.

In an NPR interview, former executive editor of the Washington Post, Len Downie, said that he didn’t vote at all to avoid bias as a journalist.

With Trump making accusations against the “crooked media,” what do these donations say about bias in journalism? Should journalists be able to donate to campaign as private citizens, or should they refrain from giving money to candidates?

Guest:

Jane Kirtley, professor of media ethics and law at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

This combination of pictures created on October 21, 2016 shows an AT&T cellphone store (TOP) in Springfield, Virginia, on October 23, 2014, and the Time Warner company logo on the front of the headquarters building, 24 November, 2003 in New York. ; Credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Telecom giant AT&T Inc. wants to buy content behemoth Time Warner Inc., a deal that would form a goliath in the telecommunication industry.  

The merger would combine AT&T's wireless, broadband, and satellite services with Time Warner's production studios and cable networks -- think names like CNN, TBS, and HBO. With a bill of $85.4 billion, a merger of such magnitude naturally invites regulatory scrutiny. Similar to Comcast's purchase of NBCUniversal back in 2011, the Time Warner acquisition will likely go through a lengthy and rigorous review process by the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission.

What's the impact on everyday consumers now that AT&T might gain control over what their audience see on screen? What will happen to jobs in Southern California if Time Warner goes through corporate restructuring?  

Host Larry Mantle checks in with Steve Effros, analyst and lawyer in the cable industry based in Virginia and Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, on the changing landscape in telecommunication.

Guests: 

Steve Effros, analyst and lawyer in the cable industry based in Virginia. He's the former president of Cable Telecommunications Association, a precursor of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, the main cable trade association

Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit organization advocates for taxpayer and consumer interests

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The scene outside Schwabs drugstore, Hollywood - one of the iconic places mentioned in Geary's new book. ; Credit: Keystone/Getty Images

The City of Angels is known for so many things, not least of which is all the famous places Hollywood’s movie stars and elites ate, drank and partied.

In the new book, “L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants,” award-winning chef and writer George Geary name-checks these famous restaurants and hangout spots. From Musso & Frank Grill in the 1920s, to Ciro’s in the mid-twentieth century, to Spago in the 1980s, Geary gives readers an insider look by providing little-known facts and anecdotes of these legendary restaurants, many of them no longer exist.

For AirTalk’s ongoing series, “Native Angeleno,” Larry speaks with George about his new book.

What is your famous LA restaurant? What do you remember about it?

Guest:

George Geary, author of “L.A.’s Legendary Restaurants” (Santa Monica Press, 2016) and the author of nine cookbooks.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) meeting on September 25, 2013 in New York City.; Credit: Ramin Talaie/Getty Images

Following a quiet (at least relatively) weekend on the presidential campaign trail, AirTalk dives back into election 2016 taking a look at some of the Senate and House races that should be on voters’ radars as we close in on election day.

Elsewhere, Hillary Clinton continues to move ahead of Donald Trump in the polls, at least according to a new poll out from ABC News showing Clinton ahead of Trump by 12 points. RealClearPolitics’ poll average has the former Secretary of State holding a steady six point lead over her Republican rival with 15 days until the election.

In last week’s document dump from Wikileaks, many of which came from the account of Clinton’s former campaign manager John Podesta, we learned a bit more about the inner workings of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, specifically as they pertain to her longtime aide Huma Abedin. FBI documents released also show that Mrs. Clinton’s security detail while she was Secretary of State was “contemptuous” toward Clinton because of the way they say she treated them.

Guests:

Mike DeBonis, reporter for The Washington Post covering Congress; he tweets @mikedebonis

Pilar Marrero, senior political reporter at La Opinion and other ImpreMedia Newspapers; she tweets @pilarmarrero

Lanhee Chen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and former policy director for the Romney-Ryan 2012 presidential campaign; he tweets @lanheechen

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

"Speaking American: How Y'all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide" by Josh Katz.; Credit: Josh Katz/New York Times

Tennis shoes or sneakers? Firefly or lightning bug? And if you’ve ever been to Alaska, you’ve probably heard someone say, “the Lower 48s.”

Depending on where you’re from, a single object can yield a list of colloquialisms and other sets of phrases unique to your own region. But why?

Curious to explore these American “dialects,” Josh Katz, a graphics editor at the New York Times, merged his love for statistics and visual arts to create an online interactive dialect quiz in 2013, which quickly became the most viewed page in the New York Times’ history.

Katz collected over 350,000 surveys inspired by the Harvard Dialect Survey and gathered all of that data into art. Specifically: maps. He’s now published his first book, "Speaking American: How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide."

Larry speaks with Katz about the making of the book and some of the most surprising and colorful discoveries about English language in America. You can take the quiz and find out what your interactive map looks like here.

Guest:

Josh Katz, author of “Speaking American: How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide,” and graphics editor at the New York Times; he tweets @jshkatz

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Pedro Rojas holds a sign directing people to an insurance company where they can sign up for the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Premiums will go up sharply next year under President Barack Obama's health care law, and many consumers will be down to just one insurer, the administration confirmed Monday.

Before taxpayer-provided subsidies, premiums for a mid-level benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across the 39 states served by the federally run online market, according to a report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Some states will see much bigger jumps, others less. Moreover, about 1 in 5 consumers will only have plans from a single insurer to pick from, after major national carriers such as UnitedHealth Group, Humana and Aetna scaled back their roles. 

"Consumers will be faced this year with not only big premium increases but also with a declining number of insurers participating, and that will lead to a tumultuous open enrollment period," said Larry Levitt, who tracks the health care law for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

What would it take to encourage more competition? Where will subsidy money come from? Are these hikes growing pains, or a bad sign of things to come? AirTalk will also look at what is and isn’t working for Covered California. Plus, what you can expect from the coming open enrollment period.

With files from the Associated Press.

Guests:

Sarah Lueck, Senior Policy Analyst specializing in health care at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Edmund Haislmaier, Health Policy Expert who consults with lawmakers, The Heritage Foundation - a conservative think tank

Emily Bazar, Senior Correspondent for California Healthline at Kaiser Health News; writes the “Ask Emily” column, which addresses readers’ concerns about the Affordable Care Act and more

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Image of sleeping baby. ; Credit: Flickr user David Clow / creative commons

The American Academy of Pediatrics made recommendations yesterday that gave new information on preventing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. 

The new guidelines suggest that having infants sleep in the same room with their parents for the first six months to a year could reduce infant mortality rates due to SIDS by as much as 50 percent.

But how practical is having a child sleep in the same room with a parents, and what socioeconomic factors come into play with this new information on parenting? Larry Mantle speaks to the co-author of the study to find out more.

Guest:

Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, professor of pediatrics at Cooper University Health Care in Camden, N.J. and co-author of “SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2016 Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment”

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.