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Should there be more surveillance cameras in Los Angeles?

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Security Is Tightened Ahead Of G20 Leaders' Summit

Metropolitan Police officers view displays from CCTV cameras around London in the Special Operations Room in London, England.; Credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

When the FBI released images of the two suspects involved in the Boston Marathon bombings, many people found the clarity of these images quite striking. Although many are uncomfortable with the idea of being watched by surveillance cameras, the country was relieved to finally see some progress in identifying suspects in the bombings.

Major cities like London are under constant surveillance with cameras all over the city and in the subway. According to Slate, New York has over 3,000 cameras just for Lower Manhattan. However, in Los Angeles, the LAPD estimates over 300 cameras to cover the entire city — not many for such a large metropolitan.

Should Los Angeles install more surveillance cameras? Are private security cameras enough? Do cameras deter crime? Would you be uncomfortable with “Big Brother” watching or is it worth it to prevent future tragedies?


More questions and answers in Boston bombing case

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Funeral Held For MIT Police Officer Killed By Boston Marathon Bombers

Massachusetts State Police officers walk in formation during the funeral procession for the slain Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) police officer Sean Collier at St. Patrick's Church on April 23, 2013 in Stoneham, Massachusetts.; Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

As Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev begins to answer questions from investigators, new details are emerging about the motivation behind the attack. The Tsarnaev brothers were said to have been operating alone, driven by religious fervor and were not aligned with any known international terrorist or military groups. The brothers were thought to have been radicalized in the US through the Internet and learned how to make bombs through an al Qaeda website.

How will investigators determine the motives behind the attack? Do we know what Tamerlan Tsarnaev did on his trip to Dagestan and Chechnya last year? Was he involved in the mysterious triple homicide in Waltham, Mass., in September 2011?

Guest:
Mark Arsenault, reporter for the Boston Globe

Poll: Should the legal tobacco purchase age rise from 18 to 21?

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WHO Urges Smokers To Quit On World No Tobacco Day

New York City considers raising the age for legal cigarette purchase to 21. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

A new proposal in New York City could raise the age requirements for legal purchase of cigarettes from 18 to 21. The proposal would not prevent people under 21 from possessing or smoking cigarettes, but would restrict purchase of cigarettes to those 21 and older within city limits.

City council speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn and city health commissioner Dr. Thomas A. Farley defended the proposal, citing statistics that point to smoking becoming habitual rather than experimental around age 20. By limiting access to cigarettes within the city, the legislation would protect young smokers from lifelong addiction.

"Everything that we do on tobacco is to save lives, but we also know it will save health care dollars by reducing smoking," said Danny McGoldrick, Vice President of Research, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. "We think that changing the legal age of sale to 21 will help reduce smoking among a key target of the tobacco companies, those 18-21 year olds, which is tobacco companies themselves identify as a key period during which kids transition from experimental to regular smoking." 

Opponents to the proposal argue that at age 18, people are old enough to make their own decisions about smoking.

"I think sometimes the best way to get a teenager to do something is to tell them they can't do it. So you certainly worry about whether this is the right strategy and I do think its really easy for kids to buy cigarettes," said Dr. Peter Ubel. "My bigger concern is this is just going to look like more heavy-handed [NY Mayor] Bloomberg activity that's just going to turn people against better more effective public health measures."

Do you think the legal cigarette purchase age should rise from 18 to 21?

 

The number of young smokers has seen a steady decline in the past decade as it is – would the proposed legislation have much of an impact? Would young smokers go outside the city to purchase cigarettes? Is it appropriate to restrict access to legal goods for users over the age of 18?

Guests:
Danny McGoldrick, Vice President of Research, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids

Dr. Peter Ubel, physician and behavioral scientist who specializes in healthy policy and economics; Professor of Business Administration and Medicine & Professor of Public Policy, Duke University

Should LA building owners be required to retrofit buildings to better withstand earthquakes?

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New Report Finds That S.F. Infrastructure Unprepared For Major Earthquake

The famous row of homes known as the "Painted Ladies" are seen from Alamo Square Park in San Francisco, California. Many San Francisco homes are unprepared for earthquakes and will need to be retrofitted at high cost to owners.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

San Francisco passed a sweeping law on Thursday that will require building owners to upgrade any properties that have the kind of structures mostly likely to be damaged in an earthquake -- so-called "wood-frame soft-story" buildings.

The upgrades can cost upwards of $100,000 per building and some Los Angeles property owners are firmly opposed to that kind of law being enacted here. But San Francisco lawmakers successfully argued that requiring these upgrades was in the public interest. So far, only two other cities require property owners to pay for this type of earthquake retrofitting, Santa Monica and the Bay-Area suburb of Fremont.

Does public safety override property owners' concerns about cost? Is it practical to have this requirement in a city like Los Angeles with such a high rate of low-income housing? Who would be responsible if a building owner couldn't pay?

Guests:
Dan Faller, president and chief executive of the LA-based Apartment Owners Assn. of California

Mitchell Englander, LA City Council member who represents District 12 in the North West San Fernando Valley

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveils new budget

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Mayor Villaraigosa Celebrates Completion Of The Port Of L.A.'s Main Channel Deepening Project

Antonio Villaraigosa Mayor of Los Angeles speaks during a news conference on the deck of USS Iowa on April 3, 2013 in San Pedro area of Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa yesterday unveiled a $7.7-billion budget that closes a projected $216 million deficit without resorting to layoffs or furloughs. There’s money to hire new firefighters and purchase new police vehicles, plus funding to fill potholes and pave city streets, which had been slashed because of budget cuts, would be restored.

Despite the good financial news, the Mayor wants to freeze all employee salary increases and wants city workers to contribute 10 percent toward their health care benefits. This is Mayor Vaillaraigosa’s final budget; he is due to leave office at the end of June.

Guests:
Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles

Alice Walton, KPCC’s online Politics reporter

Hawthorne schools install palm scanners in lunch lines

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Mercer 19042

Cafeteria workers prepare lunches for school children.; Credit: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

Hawthorne Middle and Ramona Elementary schools in the Hawthorne School District are turning to palm scanners to speed up the lunch line.  The device takes a photo of the vein pattern below the skin. When student places their palms on a digital reader, a photo of the student and other pertinent information are displayed.

The devices are currently used by eighth-graders and Hawthorne Middle and fifth-graders at Ramona on a trial basis. School officials say they want to make sure every student has access to meals and this technology makes that possible, but concerned parents worry about how the data would be used.

Are palm scanners a safe and effective way to speed up the lunch line? Are they necessary? How could they be used in the future? 

POLL: Should there be more surveillance cameras in Los Angeles?

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Security Is Tightened Ahead Of G20 Leaders' Summit

Metropolitan Police officers view displays from CCTV cameras around London in the Special Operations Room in London, England.; Credit: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

When the FBI released images of the two suspects involved in the Boston Marathon bombings, many people found the clarity of these images quite striking. Although many are uncomfortable with the idea of being watched by surveillance cameras, the country was relieved to finally see some progress in identifying suspects in the bombings.

Major cities like London are under constant surveillance with cameras all over the city and in the subway. According to Slate, New York has over 3,000 cameras just for Lower Manhattan. However, in Los Angeles, the LAPD estimates over 300 cameras to cover the entire city — not many for such a large metropolitan area.

Do public security cameras make you feel safer?

Should Los Angeles install more surveillance cameras? Are private security cameras enough? Do cameras deter crime? Would you be uncomfortable with “Big Brother” watching or is it worth it to prevent future tragedies?

Guests:
Chief Edmund “Ted” Sexton, Chief of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department

Marc Rotenberg, Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center

Hacked AP Twitter account sends Dow Jones down

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Dow Drops Sharply On Job Creation Report

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City.; Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Associated Press’ Twitter account was hacked today and the perpetrator sent out a fake tweet saying that President Obama was injured in an explosion at the White House. Minutes later, the AP, using another Twitter account, announced that the tweet was fake. White House spokesman Jay Carney went on air to confirm that the president had not been harmed.

RELATED: AP Twitter account hacked; Dow Jones industrial average drops on false explosion report

But enough people had read the hacked tweet to cause the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 to both plummet. Both exchanges quickly rebounded soon after. The AP’s main Twitter feed has some 2 million users. Are traders relying too heavily on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter for information?

Guests:
Mackenzie Weinger, Media Reporter for POLITICO

Mike Isaac, Senior Editor at All Things D - an online publication that specializes in technology and startup news


How successful people become successful

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"Give and Take" by Adam Grant.

In his book “Give and Take,” Adam Grant explores the different ways people rise through the ranks on their way to extreme success. Can you be a giver without being a doormat? Is it better to take anything you can without returning favors, or to “match” those who give you help?

Grant discusses how some of the most famous networkers and creative geniuses personalities helped them reach the top of their fields. Are you a giver? A taker? A matcher? What’s the best way to rise to the top?

Guest:   

Adam Grant, author of “Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success” and tenured professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business

Recognizing the Armenian genocide

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LEBANON-ARMENIA-TURKEY-HISTORY-GENOCIDE

An Armenian man waves his national flag along with the Syrian national flag during a march north of the Lebanese capital Beirut, to commemorate the 98th anniversary of the Ottoman Turkish genocide against the Armenian people on April 24, 2013.; Credit: -/AFP/Getty Images

Today, Wednesday April 24th, marks the annual remembrance day for the estimated 1.5 million Armenians who died in the former Ottoman Empire, present day Turkey.

President Obama's official statement for Armenian Remembrance Day did not include the word "genocide" despite a 2008 campaign promise to recognize the deaths of Armenians as such. "America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian Genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides," Obama said in 2008. "I intend to be that president."

Several California legislators including Rep. Brad Sherman and Rep. Adam Schiff called on Obama to use the word "genocide" but so far the White House has resisted.

Why is using the term genocide still a politically touchy subject? Is the US concerned about preserving its strategic relationship with Turkey? What would be the political fallout if the President did use the term genocide? How is this omission seen by the local Armenian and Turkish communities?

Guest:
Steven Cook, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations

Paths to permanent citizenship for immigrants may hinge on the art of 'sign-cutting'

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents along the border returning immigrants to Mexico.; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

If you’ve never heard of “sign-cutting,” don’t feel bad. The term refers to the art of tracking people by looking for signs that they’ve passed through an area...a footstep in the sand, a broken tree branch, a discarded apple core. The practice has become an important tool for border patrol agents on the U.S.-Mexico border who are tasked with tracking down those attempting to cross illegally and thwart their effort to immigrate. Now it’s been written into the proposed immigration reform legislation as the only accepted mode of measuring the success rate of border patrol’s efforts.

The legislation says that for the paths to permanent citizenship to open up to those hoping to officially become U.S. citizens, 90 percent of attempts to illegally cross the border into the United States must be stopped. Sign-cutters will be responsible for those counts, thus elevating an art to a science.

With all the technology available today, isn’t it strange that such important, life-changing legislation will hinge on how someone reads a set of footprints? Could this requirement give immigration reforms critics an easy loophole to kill the legislation?

Guest:
Ted Alden, senior fellow at the non-partisan Council on Foreign Relations in Washington D.C., where he focuses on immigration policy

Florida law seeks to limit spousal support

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divorce papers

Divorce papers. How much alimony should spouses receive? ; Credit: Sharyn Morrow/Flickr Creative Commons

Lawmakers in Florida have passed a law to cap amounts and duration of alimony payments. Governor Rick Scott could still choose to veto the controversial bill. Proponents frame it as a retirement issue. They say too many breadwinners find themselves on fixed income while paying former spouses who receive social security.

Opponents say the bill would make stay-at-home parenting impossible. As the Associated Press details, "[The legislation] would make it harder to get alimony in short-term marriages and would generally prevent alimony payments from lasting longer than one-half of the length of the marriage.The bill defines a short-term marriage as less than 11 years, in which there's an assumption that alimony would not be awarded. If alimony is granted, it would not be more than 25 percent of the ex-spouse's gross income.

For failed marriages between 11 and 20 years, there's no assumption either way, but alimony would not amount to more than 35 percent of the ex-spouse's gross income. And in long-term marriages, those longer 20 years, there would be an assumption in favor of alimony, though not more than 38 percent of an ex-spouse's gross income." In California, most of this is up to the judge's discretion. For marriages longer than 10 years, orders for spousal support are indefinite in nature. Once a payerr retires, s/he must file a motion and request the court reduce or stop support.

Is Florida heading in the right or wrong direction on this issue? With more Americans facing retirement, should there be a new policy discussion of long-term spousal support? What could be the unintended consequences of such a bill? Is it anti-family by dissuading stay-at-home parenting?

Guests:
David Pisarra, Divorce Attorney, Mensfamilylaw.com (based in Santa Monica)

Paul Nathan, Law offices of Paul Nathan (based in San Francisco)

How do mosques deal with radicalized members?

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Male worshipers at the South Bay Islamic Center mosque stand at prayer.; Credit: Omar Shamout

FBI agents have begun questioning members of the mosque that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the suspected mastermind of the Boston Marathon bombing, attended and where he disrupted services on two occasions.

Leaders of the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center told the Los Angeles Times that Tsarnaev visited the mosque only occasionally and didn’t believe the outbursts constituted enough evidence that he had become “radicalized.” Members of the congregation did tell Tsarnaev that he would be ejected if he interrupted services again. 

"It's really rare for someone to stand up and shout, it sort of breaks protocol is somebody interrupts the sermon, so it is something that will leave a mark in people's memories," said Edina Lekovic, Director of Policy and Programming at the Muslim Public Affairs Council. "That kind of outward protest rarely happens, but it's a major indicator of where somebody is coming from, and that's by and large what we've see in American mosques that they have rejected extremists and have reported suspicious characters since 9/11."

Lekovic says that 40 percent of all terrorist plots thwarted since 9/11 have been the result of Muslim community tipping law enforcement off to suspicious activity. It is clear that American Imams have a unique advantage when it comes  to flagging possible Muslim extremism, but it's difficult to tell whether someone's criticisms will equal violent act.

"The challenge is, is this a person who is theologically militant or is this a person who is militant, meaning they are violent?" said Sheikh Yassir Fazaga, Religious Leader of Orange County Islamic Foundation  in Mission Viejo. "As an Imam, I would have to make that assessment. What is not tolerated in our mosques is the whole idea of insinuating, suggesting, implying suggestions of violence, there is a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to this.  

How do mosque leaders detect an inclination toward “radicalization” in their members? What is the definition of “radicalization”? What procedures are in place to deal with such members?

Guests:  
Edina Lekovic, Director of Policy and Programming at the Muslim Public Affairs Council

Sheikh Yassir Fazaga, the Religious Leader of Orange County Islamic Foundation  in Mission Viejo; Director of the Mental Health Department at Access California Social Services

The legacy of George W. Bush: How our view of a president changes after he retires

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George W. Bush Presidential Library Under Construction In Dallas

Former President George W. Bush hugs his wife, Laura Bush, during the George W. Bush Presidential Center Topping Out Ceremony on October 3, 2011 in Dallas, Texas. ; Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Former president George W. Bush is stepping back into the public eye after spending nearly all of his retirement avoiding media scrutiny. The Bush Presidential Library opens tomorrow in Dallas and both Democrats and Republicans are taking the opportunity to reflect on the legacy of the Bush presidency.

A Washington Post poll taken just days ago shows the former president's approval rating hitting 47 percent, way up from the 33 percent Bush had when leaving office. Has the Bush legacy rebounded only five years after he left office? How does that compare to past presidents?

Does the way a former president spends their retirement change how we view them?

Guest:

Julian Zelizer, Professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University; he is the author of many books on American political history, including the editor of "The Presidency of George W. Bush: A First Historical Assessment" (Princeton University Press, 2010)

You can have Burger King delivered to your home...but would you?

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Burger King Introduces Turkey Burgers

A sign advertising the new Burger King turkey burger is displayed at the drive-through of a Burger King restaurant on March 20, 2013.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The fast food giant Burger King announced that it’s expanding their limited delivery service to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. One local Burger King in Glendale has been delivering Whoppers and fries since earlier this month. The new push for delivery is one way that the fast food chain is trying to hold on to customers in an increasingly competitive industry. A trend toward healthier eating and competition from newcomers like Chipotle and Panera are encroaching on fast food’s territory.

Will offering delivery help Burger King keep its market share? What else are fast food chains doing to hold on to customers who are more concerned about the health effects of fast food? Are you more likely order a Whopper if it were delivered to you?


Apps, ‘big data,’ and the ‘folly of technological solutionism’

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Morozov book cover

Evgeny Morozov's new book “To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism”; Credit: PublicAffairs

Are you tired of hearing, “There’s an app for that?” In today’s technologically-savvy world, there seems to be an app to solve everything. This has many techies expectant of a promising future. As technology develops, it’s presenting solutions for problems as big as education reform and as basic as forgetting something.

Not so, says Evgeny Morozov. In his new book, “To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism,” Morozov unabashedly attacks “solutionists” and the ideas coming out from the Silicon Valley. Morozov criticizes solutionists, those who try to solve problems with technology, for their utopian ideals because technology could never provide a solution to complex human problems. Rather, its solution can even make issues worse. With education, Morozov argues that technology can limit teacher-student interactions, which hinders development through discussions. In politics, online transparency discourages political activism because individuals want to keep their privacy.

Is Morozov right? Are we so caught up with “big data” hype that we believe in an unrealistic Utopia? Can the internet cause more problems than find solutions?

Guest:
Evgeny Morozov, author of “To Save Everything, Click Here: The Folly of Technological Solutionism” (Public Affairs) and “The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom” (Public Affairs, 2012)

More students identify Stanford as their 'dream school' than Harvard

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Two students walk in front of Stanford Memorial Church on the Stanford University campus in Stanford, Calif.; Credit: Paul Sakuma/AP

Once upon a time, the question used to be “Harvard or Yale” when it comes to which is the more prestigious university in the nation. But in the past few years, the question seems to have been changed to “Harvard or Stanford?”

A new Princeton Review survey supports that switch. It finds that, when asked about their “dream school,” high-school students and parents overwhelmingly chose the West Coast school over its East Coast rival. Both, of course, are top-notched schools academically, and anyone would happy to go to either school. But the change in perception might have more to do with the different “brand” each school projects.

Is the Harvard brand losing its shine?  Is the Stanford brand ascending? What are the reasons behind the shift?

Guest:

Elizabeth Scarborough, CEO of SimpsonScarborough, a market research firm that specializes in looking at higher-education brands

OC Journalists Roundtable: Fire ring controversy continues to burn

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The Orange County Board of Supervisors opposed a ban to restrict fire rings.; Credit: California Coastal Commission

We convene our monthly gathering of esteemed Orange County reporters and editors to discuss the latest in the controversy over the proposed removal of fire rings from county beaches, the OC Register’s ad deal with local universities that put the paper’s credibility under scrutiny, charges against former UCI professor Tatsuya Suda regarding conflict of interest in his academic funding, a grand jury’s claim that Orange County has a culture of corruption, and the story of former OC CEO Tom Mauk’s car crash Sunday night which killed two Anaheim residents.

Guests:
Ben Bergman, KPCC’s Orange County reporter

Norberto Santana, Voice of OC

Teri Sforza, OC Register reporter

Poll: Would you use Burger King's new delivery service?

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Burger King Introduces Turkey Burgers

A sign advertising the new Burger King turkey burger is displayed at the drive-through of a Burger King restaurant on March 20, 2013.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The fast food giant Burger King announced that it’s expanding their limited delivery service to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. One local Burger King in Glendale has been delivering Whoppers and fries since earlier this month.

The new push for delivery is one way that the fast food chain is trying to hold on to customers in an increasingly competitive industry. A trend toward healthier eating and competition from newcomers like Chipotle and Panera are encroaching on fast food’s territory.

Be honest, would you use Burger King’s delivery service if it were offered in your area?

Will offering delivery help Burger King keep its market share? What else are fast food chains doing to hold on to customers who are more concerned about the health effects of fast food? Are you more likely order a Whopper if it were delivered to you?

Guest:
Sam Oches, editor of the fast food industry publication QSR Magazine

Did Texas’ low-regulation mindset contribute to the tragedy in West?

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Fertilizer Plant Explosion In West, Texas

Search and rescue workers comb through what remains of a 50-unit apartment building the day after an explosion at the West Fertilizer Company destroyed the building April 18, 2013 in West, Texas. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

As people of West, Texas gather to mourn today, grief will be much more palpable than blame. Despite reports that the owner of the West Fertilizer Plant failed to report vast amounts of explosive chemicals, multiple residents have described events as the cost of doing business. Federally, security questions are being raised. Ammonium nitrate can be used to make explosives, so it's not know why the plant owner failed to report information to the Department of Homeland Security. It's also not know why ten firefighters were so close to the blast site a full 26-minutes after the initial fire started.

Were local inspectors aware of the plant's contents? Were preventative measures ever discussed? How much policing is needed of businesses?

Guests:
Rick Rojas, Staff Reporter, Los Angeles Times

Neil Carman, PhD; Former investigator for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; Currently clean air program director, Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter in Austin

Chuck DeVore, Vice President of Policy, Texas Public Policy Foundation; Former California State Assemblyman (2004-2010) representing coastal Orange County, including cities of Irvine, Newport Beach, and Laguna Beach

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