Actress Zoe Saldana arrives at the premiere of CBS Films' "The Words" at the Arclight Theatre on September 4, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Andy Klein and Wade Major to discuss this week’s new films, including The Words, Lawless, The Eye of the Storm, Hello I Must Be Going and more. TGI-FilmWeek!

Guests:

Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and the L.A. Times Community Papers chain

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and boxoffice.com

Trailer for The Words

Manhattan Beach Unified School District and its teachers' union have reached an impasse in contract negotiations and are in mediation now. Meanwhile, the union has directed teachers to refuse writing college recommendations among other measures, until a favorable agreement is reached. Credit: Tami Abdollah/KPCC

There’s an educational fight brewing in Manhattan Beach, and public school students are getting caught in the middle. The Manhattan Beach Unified School District is sitting on a $16 million reserve, but teachers aren’t too happy about it.

Why? Because they haven’t received a raise or cost of living increase in five years, and it’s been ten years since their pay has been matched to inflation. As a result, the Manhattan Beach Unified Teachers Association has directed its 300 members to stop heading up clubs or activities, close their classrooms before and after school hours, forgo volunteering in extracurricular capacities, and to turn down student requests for letters of recommendation.

That last directive is causing quite a stir, as graduating seniors now feel they are locked in between a fight they don’t fully understand. District administrators cite that they can’t commit to any raises without knowing what the budget situation will be beyond the year, and have only offered a 3 percent raise in pay to school employees. Teachers say this is not enough, and even though they feel for the students affected, their goal is to wake up parents and force them to look at the numbers and choose a side. However, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel - according to both district officials and union reps, a tentative agreement has been reached and will lead to a resolution soon.

Will the teachers get their way, or is there a compromise in the works? Are you a student or teacher in the school system there? Are you an angry parent, or do you sympathize with the teachers? Will this issue be resolved before college application deadlines pass?

Read more: Manhattan Beach students caught in middle of teacher pay dispute

Guest:

Tami Abdollah, education reporter, KPCC

Should we go back to the days of timeout? Credit: Ken Wilcox/Flickr (cc by-nc-nd)

Among the many calls for school reform, comes one that aims to change school discipline.

On Monday, a panel convened by the California Endowment will review how and when students are kicked out of classrooms, arguing that the state hands out more suspensions and expulsions than diplomas. And, that students of color are far more likely to face harsh punishments than their white peers.

When do the most severe measures become a matter of course? Is extreme disciplinary action necessary to maintain order and a sense of real consequence? What’s the best way to do that?

Guests:

Laura Faer, Education Rights Director, Public Counsel Law Center

Bernard James, Professor of Constitutional Law and specialist in education law at Pepperdine University; author of the School Safety Law Blog

Summer box office numbers are down over the last decade Credit: Photo by Heritage Vancouver via Flickr Creative Commons

Maybe people are just staying in more, but something is to blame for the downward trend in movie attendance over the past ten years.

It could be the rise in technology that allows audiences to watch brand new movies from the comfort of their own homes, or it may be the fact that ticket prices continue to increase and place undue strain on the pocket book. But it’s also attributable in part to the fact that there were only a few true blockbusters this summer, and a vast majority of duds.

With the studio’s financial base underperforming, as well as an increased focus from domestic to foreign markets, what does this mean for the future of the film industry? Will studios double down on the big budget, 3-D releases? Or will they try to move back to the days of making more films that appeal to everyone? Or do ticket prices just need to decrease period? Why have you been staying away from the movie theaters so far this year? Or have you been a dutiful moviegoer throughout this summer months? After all, they do have air conditioning.

Guests:

Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and the L.A. Times Community Papers chain

Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and boxoffice.com

Should companies be able to round up your change? Credit: Tim Boyle/Getty Images

Burrito purveyor Chipotle landed in the fryer with its New Jersey and New York customers for rounding bills down — or up — to the nearest five-cent increment.

The chain wanted to save the time and hassle of handling pennies. The logic was, some customers would lose a little, but some would gain a little, creating no extra profit for the stores. When consumers filed a class-action lawsuit, Chipotle conceded to only rounding bills down. But their war on pennies in the cash drawer continues.

Can extra pennies really add up for businesses? Would you be upset to find an extra two or three cents on your bill? Or do you also hate carrying and handling all those pennies?

Guest:

Doug Hanks covers South Florida’s economy for the Miami Herald; has reported on small businesses in Miami that banned pennies

Pasadena lawyer Molly Munger talked to the downtown L.A. group Town Hall L.A. about her November ballot initiative that would raise taxes to help fund public schools. Credit: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/KPCC

Selling higher taxes in today’s economic climate is tough, and no one knows it like California Governor Jerry Brown. In an attempt to make up the state’s huge budget gap, and after failing to garner any Republican votes in the legislature for his tax proposal, he has taken his plan to the people via Proposition 30, which will be appearing on the November ballot.

But Brown’s plan won’t be alone come voting time, as civil rights attorney Molly Munger has put forth Proposition 38, which is her unique vision for raising taxes. Basically, Brown’s plan would raise taxes on couples making over $500,000 and increase the sales tax by a quarter cent. Under Munger’s plan, taxes for everyone who makes above $7,316 would go up, and the wealthiest would be hit the hardest. Right now, the polls show that Brown’s proposal is more popular than Munger’s, but attack ads could diminish this lead.

What are the ins and outs of each tax plan? How are voters reacting to the chronically perilous political issue of raising taxes? What happens if both tax plans pass? Or what if voters reject both of them?

Guests:

Julie Small, KPCC's State Capitol Reporter

Pamela Behrsin, Vice President of Communications, Maplight - a nonpartisan political money tracker

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca in 2010. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A blue-ribbon panel of investigators, acting at the behest of the newly-formed Citizen’s Commission on Jail Violence, has listened to months of testimony by sheriff’s supervisors about the use of excessive force towards inmates in county jails.

Now they’re pointing the finger at the highest level: Sheriff Lee Baca and Undersheriff Paul Tanaka.

According to their report, Baca failed to adequately monitor deputies’ abuse of inmates. Tanaka, they say, encouraged a “disturbing mindset” that valued aggressive force over other disciplinary methods. The commission met Friday to discuss the findings, and will issue their recommendations on September 28th.

The commission's executive director, Miriam Aroni Krinsky, said that their investigatory teams pored over 30,000 pages of documents and interviewed over 150 witnesses, many of whom were current or former members of the sheriff's department.

"The conclusions they formed based on that wealth of information and the consistent messages and themes that they heard was that there has been a problem over time, in terms of lack of awareness by the sheriff of problems that are a foot, of breakdowns in communication and a failure to keep him fully apprised of what's been going on in the jails," she said.

According to Krinsky, they've seen Baca become more involved in recent months as reports of inmate abuse surfaced and media picked them up, and his engagement is a positive. "We've seen force go down, but that again has led us to conclude ... that what that reflects is that when the sheriff does pay attention and engages, there's an ability to reduce force, which calls into question the reasonableness of force that was used in prior years," she said.

Steve Whitmore, spokesman for Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, told AirTalk that "there's more to this story," and that the commission's allegations are not true. He could not stay on the show to explain due to a sudden matter he needed to address.

The American Liberties Union released a statement regarding Friday's gathering:

"Over the past two years, we've spoken with hundreds of inmates, as well as prisoner chaplains and other civilians, who all tell eerily similar accounts of deputy on inmate violence. Today they can feel vindicated in their courage to step forward and tell the truth. We look forward to the commission's full report and to hearing its recommendation."

Peter, an ACLU legal director, called AirTalk to stress the importance of holding the two officials accountable. He added that the ACLU had been issuing four years of reports, overlooked and denied by Baca.

"Undersheriff Tanaka testified in front of the jail commission that he never once, in the 2.5 years that he was the assistant sheriff over the custody division, never once looked at use of force statistics in the jails. ... Why was Sheriff Baca trusting him?" he asked. "You would think that you would ask a question when there are all these reports of violence in the jails and you say that you're trusting your command staff – well why didn't he say to his command staff: 'What are you doing? What investigation are you doing that you're asking me to rely on what you're telling me, that there's not a problem in the jails?'"

According to KPCC reporter Frank Stoltze, the late-September recommendations can be used to put political pressure on Baca and incite reform. He said that the commission could also look at possibly taking the jails out of the sheriff's hands and creating a separate corrections department, as well as suggest a separate track for deputies who serve their career in the jails.

Guests:

Steve Whitmore, spokesman for Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department

Miriam Aroni Krinsky, executive director of the Citizens Commission on Jail Violence

Frank Stoltze KPCC reporter

How can our health care system become more efficient? Credit: Adam Berry/Getty Images

There hasn’t been much argument that the United States health care system is in serious need of help. But a report recently released by the Institute of Medicine found $750 billion in our current system is wasted every year.

The extra spending falls into six major areas: unnecessary services, inefficient delivery of care, excessive administrative costs, price inflation, prevention failure, and fraud. Though the findings may be infuriating, they also offer some hope. The report sends a message to government that quality care can be maintained at less of a cost and offers ten recommendations to trim the fat out of the industry.

Could there be some fairly simple fixes to America’s health care woes? If there are, what will it take to get them implemented? And how does this all relate to the Affordable Care Act and health insurance mandates? Mitt Romney recently said he’d keep portions of the ACA, such as coverage for preexisting conditions and insurance for adult children up to the age of 26, but do away with others. How feasible is it to maintain these provisions without an individual mandate?

Guests:

Dr. Bruce Ferguson, Jr., M.D., member of the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on the Learning Health Care System in America, which conducted the study and published the report, Best Care at Lower Cost; Professor and Inaugural Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, East Carolina Heart Institute in Greenville, North Carolina

Shana Alex Lavarreda, Director of Health Insurance Studies, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Robert Zirkelbach, Press Secretary, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a national trade association representing nearly 1,300 health insurance companies

The cast of "The Book of Mormon" during the curtain call on the opening night of "The Book of Mormon" on Broadway at Eugene O'Neill Theatre on March 24, 2011 in New York City. Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Who’s it more fun to write songs for: puppets, cartoon characters or Mormons? Ask Trey Parker and Matt Stone, co-creators of the "South Park" animated TV series, the epic superhero/puppet saga "Team America" and the musical Broadway smash "The Book of Mormon."

Why drum up a musical about an obscure minority religion founded by a 19th century self-proclaimed prophet? Both Stone and Parker grew up in Colorado, where many of the friends belonged to the Church of Latter-Day Saints, and have long shared a fascination with the culture.

"It's the fact that it's the American religion, and it's such a young religion. You had all these great stories of Joe Smith and the big exodus from New York to Utah, instead of from these lands so far away," Parker said on AirTalk. "For Matt and I, who are both so into storytelling, it's part of why we've just always been so fascinated by Mormon writings and Mormon things — it's such an American story."

According to Stone, the campy, cheesy qualities they felt were in Mormon stories were begging to appear in a script. "We moved to L.A. out of college and we'd start telling people about Mormons, and they were just like, 'Really?' And we were like, 'Yeah, they're just over there, just over in Utah, near here!' It was just always something that seemed to be right there at the tips of our tongues, a musical using their stories and the story of the birth of their religion," he continued.

The duo found creative synergy with Avenue Q’s lyricist/composer Robert Lopez, who recalls that the seed of the project was planted the night they all met, and is meant to speak to broader themes about faith. “I think it all came from our interest in religion,” he said, “that was the point we always wanted to make about religion being a lie and yet ultimately true.”

Somehow, the trio tapped into the zeitgeist — who could have guessed that a year after the show’s premiere, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney would inspire nationwide scrutinization of all things LDS? And how do Mormons feel about their beliefs being made fodder for song and dance? They love it, says Parker. Stone adds, “We actually have a lot of Mormon fans… [who] see it as their Fiddler on the Roof.”

"Their response to 'The Book of Mormon' sort of encapsulates why [Robert], I and Trey have always said from the beginning that the show doesn't really rip on Mormons," Stone said. "The church's response is exactly the way you want a religion to respond to someone joking around with them. I think they've gained even more respect from people, the fact that they can take a joke."

Parker added that not all the funnies are cheap or slapstick, something he credits the British comedy group Monty Python for. "It's doing what we learn with comedy ... which is that it's never supposed to be a line that's funny. Very rarely. It's not about hamming up a part as much as you can, and it's not about how many times can you have the guy run into a wall and hit his head," he said.

It may be hard to imagine any seriousness within the musical, but Parker said breaks help fuel the comedy.

"The setting is funny, what's going on is funny, and the story is always way more important than the joke," he continued. "That's really the thing with the actors, just getting them to realize hey, you can get a bigger reaction with this line if you say it in a bigger, funnier way, but that's going to hurt the seriousness of the rest of it. There are parts of it that really have to be taken seriously to make it so funny," he continued.

With religion-themed show-stoppers like “All-American Prophet” and “I Believe,” "The Book of Mormon" may not be every theater-goer’s cup of tea. But if singing, dancing and proselytizing is your idea of jolly entertainment, you might want to make it your mission to see this production.

Guests:

Trey Parker, co-creator of "The Book of Mormon," "South Park" and "Team America"; actor, director, screenwriter, animator and producer

Matt Stone, co-creator of "The Book of Mormon," "South Park" and "Team America"; actor, director, screenwriter, animator and producer

How to Be Secular: A Call to Arms for Religious Freedom

How can being secular enhance one's religious freedom? What steps can individuals take to be more secular?

Guest:

Jacques Berlinerblau, author of “How to Be Secular: A Call to Arms for Religious Freedom” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Services and frequent contributor to the Washington Post’s “On Faith” column

An Afghan policeman aims at protesters by a burning police truck set alight during an anti-U.S. demonstration Credit: Hoshang Hashimi/AP Photo

Two days ago, anti-American violence erupted in Kabul as militant branches of Islam protested the inflammatory “Innocence of Muslims” video. And yesterday, twelve people were killed, mostly foreign air charter workers, when a suicide car bomber targeted a minivan near Kabul International Airport. The maverick Islamist Hezb-i-Islami (Party of Islam), has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to a spokesperson for the group quoted in the Washington Post.

This latest violence follows on a period of increasing hostility towards westerners in the region. Since January, more than 50 coalition troops in Afghanistan have fallen victim to a number of so-called “insider” shootings by Afghan security forces. On Sunday, four NATO troops were killed by an attack believed to involve Afghan police; two days before, insurgents disguised in U.S. army uniforms attacked a joint British-American base. Two U.S. Marines and 14 insurgents died in the firefight. As a result, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force has ordered its troops to curb joint operations with local security forces.

Are “blue-on-green” attacks leading to a breakdown in coalition relations? What can be done to quell the wrath stirred up by the anti-Muslim video? Is the U.S. fighting a losing battle in Afghanistan? Is it time to look at an exit strategy?

Guests:

Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, Foreign Correspondent, National Public Radio, joins us from Kabul

Michael O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution -- with its 21st Century Defense Initiative and director of research for its Foreign Policy program. O’Hanlon is a member of General David Petraeus’s External Advisory Board at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Bill Roggio, Managing Editor, Long War Journal; Senior Fellow, The Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Former embedded reporter in Iraq & Afghanistan

In this March 2012 file photo, protests in Syria carry on despite the crackdown by the government's security forces. Credit: Rodrigo Abd/AP

Yesterday [MON], the United Nations released a report of its investigation into the Syrian conflict. After last month’s declaration that both the government and the rebels have been committing war crimes, the investigators have now concluded that the situation is growing exponentially worse.

The Syrian government has been found to engage in more atrocities than the rebels, by focusing attacks on centers with high populations and targeting women and children. The investigators also found evidence of “militant jihadists” from foreign countries inserting themselves into the rebel uprising, which experts worry could lead to further escalation and a larger regional conflict. Other countries in the region are not taking the situation lightly, as Egypt’s new leader President Mohamed Morsi is reaching out to Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia as a means to initiate a brokering of peace in Syria.

While these countries are not traditional allies (Iran and Egypt broke ties after the Iranian Revolution of 1979), there is a definite sense that it will take a concerted effort of Mideast countries, and a lack of Western political presence, to achieve an end to the bloodshed in Syria. These countries are perfectly poised to be such players, as Turkey and Saudi Arabia are the biggest supporters of the Syrian rebels, while Iran has backed the Assad government. And with Egypt coming off of its own democratic revolution and Morsi attempting to define the early days of his presidency, the country is in a unique position of power in the region.

Will the four countries be able to influence an end to the Syrian conflict? What is the reaction of the United States to this news? What other specifics were included in the U.N. investigation? How is Syria affecting its neighboring countries?

Guests:

Danielle Pletka, Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

Joshua Landis, director, Center for Middle East Studies, University of Oklahoma

A murder suspect led police on a lengthy chase Tuesday before being shot by officers. Credit: NBC-LA

A wave of car chases throughout Southern California has caused the police force to disparage the way media outlets handle coverage of chases, stating that live coverage from the scene of chases does little but exacerbate the problem.

According to the LA Police Protective League, “media coverage of police chasing dangerous felons in the southland have put thousands of people, including dozens of police officers, in extreme danger. Police chases and the aftermath are certainly newsworthy, but the recent live television coverage has had the feel of a sporting event – with accompanying colorful commentary.”

Last week, live coverage of a police pursuit saw a shootout between a suspect and police on live television, and in another chase, saw a mob scene follow a car after money was thrown out of the window. Police then not only had to deal with pursuing the suspect, but also a crowd surrounding the car, hoping for more money. “In these situations, the responsibility lies with the suspect for not submitting to arrest, the public to stay out of the way, the officers to use good judgment when in pursuit and the media to limit its coverage,” says the LAPPL. “We aren’t questioning the news value – when it’s over – and in some cases as a warning for public safety, but many times …live coverage endangers the public.”

Do you enjoy watching police chases on TV or do you find them to be a distraction, or even dangerous?

Guests:

Tyler Izen, President of the Los Angeles Police Protective League

Jeff Baugh, airborne reporter for KNX 1070 news radio

Mitt Romney was taped saying some less that elegant words which brings up memories of similar candid comments from President Obama in 2008 Credit: Marc Serota/Getty Images

With the party conventions over and the debates a few weeks out, the candidates running for president are now facing intense daily scrutiny from the media and voters.

Perhaps most aware of this is Mitt Romney, who has a new problem on his hands after already having to deal with his heavily criticized remarks concerning the Obama administration’s handling of the unrest in the Middle East.

Now, a leaked video from a Romney fundraiser shows the candidate speaking dismissively of Barack Obama’s perceived voter base. Romney explained his electoral process by saying, "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon the government … And they will vote for this president no matter what. These are people who pay no income tax.”

Once made public, these remarks and others from the event in which he claims there will never be peace in the Middle East and that he might have a better shot at winning the election if he were Latino, caused a firestorm amongst Obama supporters and quite a backlash for Romney.

Romney video from Mother Jones:

Romney's comments on 47 percent:

Part I:

Part II:

The GOP hopeful held a press conference to address the videos, but did not walk his statements back and stood by his original message that those who don’t pay taxes will find Obama a more appealing candidate than himself, because his plan centers on reducing the size of government and cutting taxes.

Several media outlets are comparing this gaffe to Obama’s statement in 2008, also at a private fundraiser, that voters in rural areas “cling to guns or religion.”

Weigh In:
Do the two statements carry the same weight? Will Romney be able to move past the conversation in the same way Obama did, or at least wrangle it enough to win the election? And what about the math here, what does that 47 percent number really mean? Are all those people definitely Democrats, or are there some Republicans in the mix? There are less than 50 days until people go to vote, how are both candidates faring in the polls?

Guests:

Matt Rodriguez, Democratic strategist; former senior Obama advisor in 2008, who now runs the Los Angeles office for the Dewey Square Group

Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist; former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson

Lynn Vavreck, Professor of Political Science, UCLA; co-author of the newly released e-book The Gamble: Choice & Chance in the 2012 Election

Trucks are driven near the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, the busiest port complex in the US, on September near Lon Beach, California. The federal judge tentatively denied the largest trucking association, the American Trucking Association, from blocking the new anti-pollution measures for the ports set to take effect on October 1. Credit: David McNew/Getty Images

Trucking industry representatives are awaiting a judge’s decision in their case, which asks the U.S. EPA to ease state air quality regulations.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) wants to cut the particulates flowing from the tailpipes of diesel trucks. Newer vehicles already do – they’re manufactured with diesel particulate filters. But what about the older trucks? Many have hundreds of thousands of miles on the dial but aren’t ready to quit just yet.

Joe Rajkovacz of the California Construction Trucking Association said that implementing the rule will cost the trucking industry over $10 billion, and the rule would mostly affect smaller businesses.

"This rule [will] basically take the equity away from most small businesses in California. The equity in their businesses is primarily their vehicle, and they would typically use that vehicle to trade up to another vehicle," he explained. "You're forcing people to either destroy perfectly good equipment. Or, if they sell it out-of-state, where is the alleged savings of health effects? [The trucks] will operate someplace else."

Rajkovacz added that the cost-benefit doesn't justify CARB's rule, and people can't afford to make financial commitments during California's recession.

"No, they can't raise the money from their operations in order to satisfy the mortgage on their new trucks. A Class A truck – to replace it – would cost anywhere between $150,000 and $180,000. That's going with a brand new truck. If you're talking about a car carrier, those start at a quarter million," he said.

Melissa Lin Perrella, senior attorney of the Southern California Air Project, said she questions the validity of $10 billion, but she acknowledges that the truck industry will need to spend money to comply.

"What are the true costs of this regulation, and what are the costs if we don't move forward?" she asked. "For decades now, those that breathe dirty air have gotten the short end of the stick, and I just feel that it's completely unacceptable to tell the kid with asthma or the mother with lung cancer who lives close to a busy roadway that their lives aren't worth replacing old, dirty trucks."

Should those trucks and bulldozers be required to come up to the new standard? The state board and environmental backers say, of course. But the truckers contend that the repairs are so costly, it will put many small owner-operators in debt, or out of business altogether.

Weigh In:

Should the EPA give them some leeway? Or given the heavy traffic to and from California’s ports and agricultural regions, are we better off with the cleaner air rules?

Guests:

Joe Rajkovacz, Director of Governmental Affairs and Communication for California Construction Trucking Association

Melissa Lin Perrella, Senior Attorney, Southern California Air Project, Los Angeles, with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) since 2004

Latino Voters Go To The Polls Early In Florida Credit: Gaston De Cardenas/Getty Images

With a month and a half left before the presidential election, new polls are showing President Barack Obama is widening his lead over Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Analysts are pointing to a post -convention bump along with some gaffes made by Mr. Romney as to why the President is gaining support.

According to a new CBS/New York Times poll, the president is reportedly holding a 3 to 5 percent lead in swing states such as Virginia and Wisconsin, which hold crucial electoral college votes.

Conversely, the most recent Rasmussen Reports daily poll suggests Romney has taken the lead in some swing states including New Hampshire and is eking out a 1 percent lead against the incumbent president. There has also been speculation that the former governor of Massachusetts could win the popular vote, but fail to win in the electoral college.

With so many polls being published on a weekly basis, which ones should we believe? Does one poll have more credibility than another? What does this all mean come November?

Guest:

Dan Schnur, Director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC and adjunct faculty at USC Annenberg School

With AEG up for sale what will happen with the proposed football stadium, the staples center and the Stanley Cup champions, L.A. Kings? Credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

It could be the end of an era for professional sports in Los Angeles. Philip Anschutz, head of the Denver-based Anschutz Co., announced that he will be selling off the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) subsidiary.

AEG is the company behind local sport franchises the Kings and the Galaxy, minority holder of the Lakers, and owner and operator of Staples Center and the rest of the L.A. Live complex. Additionally, AEG owns real estate and entertainment venues all over the globe, which is further supported by the world’s second-largest concert promotion business behind Live Nation.

The bidding war will kick off soon, and will certainly generate the same enthusiasm and interest that occurred with the recent sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers. While it is certain that the deal will end up with a ticket price in the billions, what’s less certain is who or what entity will be up to the task of taking on the huge sports and entertainment empire.

Will it be a group of wealthy investors, or a private-equity firm that could buy it all up and then sell it off in discriminate pieces? The details of the impending sale aside, this could also pose an obstacle to getting an NFL team in L.A., as AEG was serving as that cause’s primary cheerleader. How will the effort to get a team in L.A. be affected by this news? And what about the face of L.A.’s downtown? What is the future for L.A. Live?

Guests:

Jan Perry, L.A. City Councilmember, 9th District (includes downtown Los Angeles)

Andrew Zimbalist, Sports Economist; Professor of Economics, Smith College in Massachusetts

Brian Watt, KPCC Reporter

Los Angeles City Hall Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Following Governor Brown’s signing of state pension reform legislation last week, the Los Angeles City Council is considering a plan for cutting pension benefits of newly hired civilian employees, which half a dozen unions will likely oppose.

City administrative Officer Miguel Santana, a top budget official at City Hall, released the proposal yesterday (Tuesday) suggesting the normal retirement age be raised from 55 to 65 and that maximum pensions be reduced from 2.16 percent of a worker’s salary, multiplied by the number of years worked, to 2 percent. Santana stated the changes would save up to $70 million within five years and as much as $309 million over a decade. The retirement ages for newly hired police officers and firefighters would not be changed under the proposal.

The newly announced plan has already been denounced by Bob Schoonover, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 721, who said his organization was even prepared to go to court to fight it.

How fair or unfair is it to require newly hired civilian employees to wait until the age of 65 to retire?

Guests:

Dennis Zine, Los Angeles City Councilmember, District 3

Julie Butcher, senior organizer for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) local 721

Frank Stoltze, KPCC Reporter

Director Clint Eastwood (L) and Producer Robert Lorenz accept a Critics' Choice Awards held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Filmmaker Robert Lorenz’ name has rolled past in the credits at the end of many movies that millions of people have seen.

Lorenz is best known for assistant directing and producing movies with his partner, iconic actor and director Clint Eastwood. His partnership with Eastwood has been a fruitful one, yielding such movies as “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “Space Cowboys” and “Gran Torino.” Some of their collaborations have also been recognized by the industry - “Mystic River” and “Letters from Iwo Jima” earned them a pair of Academy Award nominations.

Lorenz has been widely regarded as Eastwood’s right-hand man for years, and now, with Eastwood winding down his career, Lorenz has stepped into the director’s chair for the upcoming “Trouble with the Curve.” The new movie stars Eastwood, Amy Adams and Justin Timberlake and the tells the story of an aging baseball scout who is coming to terms with the twilight of his career working in the sport to which he has dedicated his life and reconnecting with is his semi-estranged daughter along the way.

What can a first time director learn from an icon like Eastwood? What are other successful Hollywood producing teams?

Guest:

Robert Lorenz, director of “Trouble with the Curve”; also worked with Clint Eastwood as a producer and assistant director on “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “Space Cowboys,” “Gran Torino,” “Mystic River,” “Letters from Iwo Jima” and others

Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy Credit: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

It’s about one month into the new school year, but LAUSD has already come under fire for a variety of issues.

In a UCLA study released in April, it was revealed that black male LAUSD students had the highest risk of suspension in the state, with over 20 percent of students being suspended at some point in their LAUSD academic career.

LAUSD and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles recently announced a tentative one-year agreement will incorporate student test data as a factor in evaluating principals and assistant principals. Is that an effective way to rate teacher performance?

The Miramonte scandal that rocked the school is still ongoing, two lawsuits filed by Miramonte Elementary parents against LAUSD are on hold. Is LAUSD sending too many kids to court for minor offenses? In the last three years, school police issued more than 33,000 tickets for vandalism, tardiness and disrupting the peace.

Patt Morrison will chat with LAUSD’s Superintendent John Deasy about all of these issues and your questions.

Highlights from the interview:

On what the Chicago teachers strike has to do with L.A.:
"I don't think it has anything directly to do, but there are really important lessons and observations that we take because they are the 3rd largest school system in the United States."

"The very, very difficult issues are really not money any longer. They're actually how we deal with employees in terms of helping them get better, helping them understand their performance, accountability. I think the very, very thorny issue is [if] seniority is the only way that we have to make decisions when we close schools or downsize."

On how LAUSD has handled Obama administration's decision to stop deporting younger undocumented immigrants:
"I personally and professionally am very thrilled with the opportunity that students are both thinking about the opportunities in front of them with this act, which means come back to school, complete through-adult education or otherwise."

"This Monday, we launched the entire online opportunity for this, and in the three short days, we already have 400 through our new online application."

"We already know there is an entire process beyond LAUSD which is expensive, that's why we have done this for no charge, for our former students who need their documentation."

On how deferred action is getting funding despite other cuts:
"This is a situation that we face in LAUSD along, I would imagine, every other school district, which is the funding comes from the state. I can't get more, so people are doing less of one job in order to help the other, and at the moment, making sure that everybody has their transcript was key."

On funding arts education in the district:
"This is a problem across California and inside LAUSD, as the state has made draconian cuts in funding for public education ... We have had a number of incredibly generous philanthropy and artists donate, but we are at a really critical point about maintaining arts education."

On Prop. 30 and Prop. 38:
"If they pass, the free fall of the bottom falling out stops. It will be awhile, over years, but we will get additional funding. The first funding that comes back to us in 30 ... pays us back for the deficit of the IOUs the state has been giving us. We are owed nearly a billion dollars from the state of California in IOUs."

"The state gives you, by formula, how much you get per student, but they're not able to afford to give it all to you. So they tell you they give you a portion of it, and then we go to Wall Street and borrow the rest and pay interest on that. Over the years, that has added up to a billion dollars, and that has to be paid back to us first."

On minorities being targeted for criminal arrests by the LAPD:
"We had great concern ... around the suspension of students. We put an effort into place to really take a look at dropping the number of days students were suspended. We had some 46,000 days over the course of the year that students were suspended, and we had targeted a 5 percent decrease. We actually were able to see about a 47 percent decrease."

"The difference is very much being responsible for finding other ways to deal with, particularly, this infraction called 'defiance.' If you ... bring a weapon to campus and you sell drugs, you're going to be suspended and expelled, but that is a minority of the suspensions that were taking place. The majority were for this issue called 'defiance.'"

"There are other ways to help students learn that coming to class without pencils and notebooks is not a suspendable act. Defiance was not defined by the district."

"It's made a difference in their grades, big time. We saw more students graduate last year than had ever happened in LAUSD history, way beyond our target for increasing four-year cohort graduation rate. State test scores at every single grade and at every single subject are at the highest point in LAUSD's history."

On how LAUSD is attracting the best-qualified school teachers for the system:
"It is a huge issue, because one is, when we have to downsize, we must be forced to do that only on the issue of seniority, and we can't actually contribute anything to that decision about how the teacher has done ... However, on the other side, for every position we have hundreds and hundreds of applications. People want to teach, and they want to teach in LAUSD."

Guest:

John Deasy, LAUSD Superintendent