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Should identities of police officers involved in shootings be kept secret?

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Police officers stand guard after protesters set fire to a near by trash bin during a demonstration to show outrage for the fatal shooting of Manuel Angel Diaz, 25, at Anaheim City Hall on July 24, 2012 in Anaheim, California. Diaz was fatally shot on July 21 by an Anaheim police officer and has sparked days of protests by the angered community.; Credit: Jonathan Gibby/Getty Images

The California Supreme Court is set to consider an appeal next month that will determine whether the names of police officers who have been involved in shootings should be disclosed to the public.

The case goes back to a 2010 incident when Long Beach police officers shot and killed an intoxicated, unarmed man who was carrying a garden hose nozzle that officers mistook for a gun.

A Los Angeles Times reporter filed a public record's request to find out the names of the officers involved in the shooting. The city originally agreed to turn over the names but the Long Beach Police Officers Association sued to keep the names confidential.

The union said it was concerned about officer safety after an anonymous online blog post threatened one of the officer's families. Since then, both the group known as "Anonymous" and "Occupy Long Beach" have posted the names, addresses and cell phone numbers of 6 police officers including the two officers involved in the Long Beach shooting.

Should the public know the identities of officers involved in police shootings? How can the officers safety be protected if their identities are public knowledge? Does the public have a right to know which police officers are involved in investigations or disciplinary proceedings?

Guests:

Michael Payman Kade, an attorney in Los Angeles with the Law Offices of Michael Payman Kade. 

Peter Bibring, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California. 


Tour bus safety, a year after the deadly crash in San Bernardino

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Eight crosses representing victims of recent tour bus crash sit on Highway 38 on February 15, 2013 in San Bernardino, California. Responding to the deadly tour bus crash in Southern California, teams of federal inspectors will target bus companies with a history of problems as part of a national crackdown aimed at weeding out unsafe operators.; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

A year after a tour bus crash near Yucaipa killed 8 passengers, the safety regulations for California tour buses have not changed.

These mass transportation vehicles often operate without meeting safety standards, but regulatory agencies have not been able to increase regulation of these buses that often ferry people to nearby casinos.

RELATED: Updated: 7 dead in tour bus crash in San Bernardino Co.; driver says brakes failed (Photos, video, map)

A KPCC investigation found the California Highway Patrol didn’t always have the lists from the federal government or state regulatory agencies of businesses that have safety violations and shouldn’t be operating buses. Another, snag in beefing up inspections is in 2005 Congress banned surprise roadside safety inspections.

RELATED: UPDATE: Feds inspecting bus in Yucaipa crash that was cited 4 times in 2 years for safety hazards

In light of the many tour bus accidents, what can be down to ensure the safety of passengers? How can regulatory agencies be streamlined, so future accidents can be avoided? What are the obstacles agencies are facing in making these vehicles safer?

Guests:

Ben Bergman, KPCC Business reporter

Joel Grover, NBC4 Reporter

Will work for gifts: How one web designer walked away from being paid

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A bank employee displays US dollar notes

A bank employee displays US dollar notes in Manila on August 3, 2011.; Credit: TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty Images

A fair day's work for a fair day's pay - but should your wages always come in monetary form?

Two years ago, web designer, Adrian Hoppel stepped away from corporate America and decided to be paid in 'gifts'; no harsh negotiation process, no bidding wars, no contracts.   Working with nothing more than a verbal agreement,  Adrian takes on projects and on completion, customers pay him what they believe is fair, in cash or other gifts, such as soccer camps for his children or a bottle of  good Scotch.  

 Unlike traditional work models, Hoppel assumes all of the risk, but to date all of his clients have generously compensated him for his time. If you could be paid in anything other than money, what would it be? If you're a business owner, have you tried working for gifts? How did it work?

Guest: 

Adrian Hoppel, web designer and Gift Economy advocate

Irvine will subpoena contractors in probe of OC Great Park waste and abuse

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The Future Irvine Great Park

The view of the former El Toro Marine Corp. Air Station from the Irvine Great Park balloon ride.

A dozen years after Orange County voters first approved a plan to turn an old military base into a massive park on par with San Diego’s Balboa or New York’s Central, only a fraction of Irvine’s Great Park has been built—and most of the allotted funds have disappeared.

Last week, Irvine City Council members voted to issue subpoenas to compel people to testify as part of a forensic audit looking at the project’s mismanagement of public dollars.

About $215 million has been spent on the project—and just 230 of its 1,300 acres have been developed. The first audit—presented in January—found that Great Park leadership overpaid contractors, hadn’t fully vetted vendors and had awarded most contracts without competitive bids. The city paid one consultant $12,000 to alter just one word in a groundwater report, according to the audits findings.

But auditors told Irvine’s City Council that many of the park’s primary contractors refused to talk with them, and the city hopes compelling these individuals to participate will provide a fuller picture of where the money went.

Last year, the council ditched its decade-old plan for the land and approved a developer’s proposal to build a golf course and sports complex in exchange for the right to build 4,600 homes there.

What happens next for Irvine’s Orange County Great Park? How much time and money should be spent auditing the project? Is more investigation warranted?

Guest:

Kim Pierceall, Staff writer, OC Register

Larry Agran, City Councilmember and former Mayor of Irvine, CA

 

 

Portland community says no to Trader Joe's over fears of displacement

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Trader Joe's Open New Store In Miami Area

Shoppers lineup as they wait for the grand opening of a Trader Joe's on October 18, 2013 in Pinecrest, Florida. Trader Joe's opened its first store in South Florida where shoppers can now take advantage of the California grocery chains low-cost wines and unique items not found in other stores. About 80 percent of what they sell is under the Trader Joe's private label.; Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Trader Joe's has pulled out of plans to build a new store in a historically African-American neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. Activists in the area said the high end grocer would be too expense for locals and perpetuate the area's income inequality gap.  

The planned development would have been part of a rapid gentrification push. Trader Joe's was offered a significant discount on a two acre parcel of land valued at $2.9 million.  The Monrovia, California  based company said in a statement "if a neighborhood doesn't want a Trader Joe's, we understand and won't open the store in question."

Statement from Trader Joe's (From PR Alison Mochizuki):

When it comes to choosing Trader Joe’s store locations, we are deliberate and work hard to develop store sites with great potential for success.  We think the Vanport Square area in Northeast Portland is a great neighborhood and we had been interested in opening a store there.  Given negative reactions from the community—about our arrival, we will not be opening a store in the area.  We open a limited number of stores each year, in communities across the country.  We run neighborhood stores and our approach is simple: if a neighborhood does not want a Trader Joe’s, we understand, and we won’t open the store in question.

Guest: 

Andrew Theen, Reporter, The Oregonian

David Livingston, Supermarket Research Analyst

 

CVS gets healthier with plan to discontinue cigarette sales (Poll)

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CVS Caremark Reports Quarterly Profit Increase Of 25 Percent

Pedestrians walk by a CVS store on November 5, 2013 in San Francisco, California.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Drugstore and pharmacy chain CVS announced today that they plan to end sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products by October 1. The discontinuation of tobacco sales is, according to CVS president and CEO Larry Merlo, in line with the chain’s efforts to become a larger part of providing healthcare to customers.

RELATED: CVS Caremark plans to stop tobacco products sales

CVS already offers pharmacy services including flu shots, and may also introduce clinics and pharmacy counseling. Sale of tobacco products, Merlo says, are inconsistent with the chain’s purpose.

According to the Los Angeles Times, CVS is the first national pharmacy to cease tobacco sales -- CVS caremark is the second largest drugstore after Walgreens Co.

How will the discontinuation of tobacco products at such a large retailer affect other chains’ approaches? Will CVS’s efforts lose customers, or will refocusing on providing healthcare prove a successful move for the store? Is it “inconsistent” for chains offering health services to sell products that are damaging to consumer health?

LINK

Guest: 

Howard Davidowitz, Retail Analyst

 

New report shows Affordable Care Act’s impact on workforce

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House Budget Cmte Holds Hearing On CBO's Budget and Economic Outlook

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) (C) listens to ranking member Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) (R) while Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf testifes before the committee in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill February 5, 2014 in Washington, DC. Committee members questioned Elmendorf about the latest projections by the CBO, which says the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, will affect supply and demand for labor, leading to a net reduction of about 2.5 million full-time jobs by 2024. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A new report from the Congressional Budget Office estimates 2.5 million Americans will leave the full time workforce by 2023. This number, revised from an estimate of 800,000, takes into account the availability of healthcare under the Affordable Care Act.

Critics argue that the decrease is a sign that the ACA is harmful -- House Speaker John Boehner spoke out after the CBO statement, saying "The middle class is getting squeezed in this economy, and this CBO report confirms that Obamacare is making it worse."

The White House responded that a healthcare system that allows workers to go part-time to spend more time with family and offers entrepreneurs affordable care while they leave their job to pursue their own business is beneficial.

Will the 2.5 estimated departing full-timers be leaving by choice? How will the ACA continue to impact employment? What does the new CBO report tell us about the future of the U.S. workforce under the Affordable Care Act?

Guests: 

Yevgeniy Feyman, Fellow at the Center for Medical Progress at the Manhattan Institute (a think tank focused on free-market principles

Paul Van de Water, Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (a think tank focused on policy impacts on low- and moderate-income families and individuals), where he specializes in Medicare, Social Security, and health coverage issues; Paul spent 18 years at the Congressional Budget Office

 

Should the public weigh in on the Dylan Farrow letter?

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The Cinema Society With The Hollywood Reporter & Piaget Host A Special Screening Of "To Rome With Love" - Arrivals

Woody Allen attends the Cinema Society with The Hollywood Reporter & Piaget and Disaronno special screening of "To Rome With Love" at the Paris Theatre on June 20, 2012 in New York City. ; Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Over the weekend, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof ceded his column space to Dylan Farrow, the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, who published an open letter detailing the sexual abuse she allegedly suffered when she was 7 at the hands of Allen.

The molestation allegation first came to light in 1992. Allen was investigated, but prosecutors elected not to charge him. Allen has denied all allegations.

One big difference between 1992 and now is the internet and its power and influence. After the Farrow letter was published, social media quickly took sides. But can we adequately weigh in lacking the knowledge of what happened exactly? Can we, as the reading and engaged public, no longer sit on the sidelines? Is it fair for us to take a side?

NOTE for AirTalk listeners: Please call in to talk about the newspaper’s decision to publish this. We cannot wade in thoughtfully on the guilt or innocence of anyone in the family. We want to know what you think of the choice of the columnist and editors who worked on this story.

Guests: 

Kelly McBride, a writer and faculty member at the Poynter Institute. She is one of the country’s leading voices on media ethics

Patrick Pexton, Washington Post ombudsman from March 2011-March 2013 and former deputy editor for National Journal. He tweets at @PextonPB

 

 


Oscar-nominated designer on crafting the grifter’s world in 'American Hustle'

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17th Annual Art Directors Guild Awards For Excellence In Production Design - Arrivals

Production Designer Judy Becker attends the 17th Annual Art Directors Guild Awards For Excellence In Production Design at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 2, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California. ; Credit: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images

David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” has received critical acclaim, garnering a number of Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. The film, a period crime drama set in the 1970s, follows a FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) as he recruits a con-man (Christian Bale) to uncover corrupt politicians.

The film could not have come together without the expertise of production designer Judy Becker, who is nominated for her work on “American Hustle.” Becker built a believable back-drop for the characters while creating an authentic and glamorous interpretation of the1970s.

This is not the first time that Becker and Russell have collaborated on a film. The pair also worked together on “Silver Linings Playbook” and “The Fighter.” Becker has also worked on “Brokeback Mountain” and received the 2013 Art Director’s Guild award for Excellence in Production Design Award for her work on the HBO series “Girls.”

Guest:

Judy Becker, Oscar-nominated production designer of director David O. Russell’s “American Hustle;” Becker’s production design credits also include “Silver Linings Playbook,” “The Fighter,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “Garden State” and more.

The resurgence of long-form journalism - quantity versus quality

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US-VOTE-2012-MEDIA-NEW YORKER

The New Yorker magazine's October 15 edition is diplayed in an Upper East Side newstand in New York on October 9, 2012. The New Yorker has created a cover illustration, titled “One on One,” by Barry Blitt of the first presidential debate between President Barack Obama and GOP opponent Mitt Romney that seems to be a parody of Clint Eastwood‘s speech involving an empty chair at the Republican National Convention.; Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

Think long-form journalism and you might think The New Yorker, Los Angeles Magazine, the New York Times Magazine, The Texas Monthly, but the rise in the use of tablets and smartphones has helped bring the long form to the wide open space of the web. Online publications from BuzzFeed to Business Insider to POLITICO are trying their hands at the genre, and sites like Longform.org and Atavist have sprung up to cater to and curate for readers who appreciate the form.

What kind of pieces best lend themselves to being told in the long form? What are the qualities of the genre? Given that a long word count doesn’t always mean in-depth reporting, how should writers and editors balance readability and the impulse to go long? As a reader, have you ever started a 7,000-word piece only to abandon it midway because of the daunting length?

Guest:

Gabriel Kahn, Professor at USC and the Director of the schools’ Future of Journalism project at the Annenberg Innovation Lab. Kahn was at The Wall Street Journal for a decade reporting Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Rome.

 

Ready or not, Winter Olympics competitions kick off in Sochi

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Previews - Winter Olympics Day -2

Junko Hoshino of Japan trains during moguls practice at the Extreme Park at Rosa Khutor Mountain ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics on February 5, 2014 in Sochi, Russia.; Credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The XXII Olympic Winter Games kick off in Sochi this week with an opening ceremony Friday. 

Taking place over 18 days, the Games will bring together athletes from around the world and are poised to put Russia front and center on the world stage.

The Games have already been plagued by allegations of terrorists threats, outrage over the host country's stance on gay rights, and negative reviews about Olympic village accommodations. Most recently journalists and athletes arriving to the city have been live tweeting their experiences in unfinished hotels as the city rushes to meet its deadline. Even Sochi's abundance of stray dogs have made national news. 

Negative press aside, Russia has put forth an estimated $51 billion to host the Olympics and Putin views the event as a chance to show off what his country can do, as he recently told the media

"I would like the participants, fans, journalists and all those who watch the Games on television to see a new Russia, see its face and possibilities, take a fresh and unbiased look at the country."

Are the accommodation really as bad as some people would have you believe? What new sports are debuting this year? Which athletes are the ones with the most at stake and who are the major medal contenders? Which sports have waned in popularity over the years and why? What role does the popularity of extreme sports have in this year's Olympic Games?

Guests

Katie Baker, Staff writer for Grantland.com, currently covering the Olympic Games in Sochi.

Phil Wallace, board member with the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games. 

Scott Reid, reporter for OC Register, covering the games in Sochi

 

 

 

Can a few simple words turn you into a successful online dater?

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To go with AFP story by Dan Martin: LIFE

Beijing office worker Jiang Hui surfs the internet looking for love at a cafe in Beijing on February 5, 2010. ; Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

If you’re trying to look attractive in your online dating profile, you may want to take up surfing.

According to WIRED’s analysis of “massive amounts of data” from popular dating sites OkCupid and Match.com, what people say in their profiles may play a role in how attractive other users find them to be.

A hard look at the 1000 most popular words on the site and how attractive the people who use them are rated shows that the “hottest” men talk about oceans, breakfast, and live music.

The women mention fitness, Radiohead, and fashion. Attractive people of both genders overwhelmingly mention surfing, yoga, and London. Another common theme for the most attractive online daters is some breaking of gender norms. Women interested in technology and men who mention crafting are rated very attractive.

Are we a culture of Radiohead-listening, surfing, Anglophiles? Is the dating pool on sites like OkCupid and Match self-selecting? Does online attractiveness translate to in-person chemistry?

Guest:

Caitlin Roper, Senior Editor at WIRED

ACLU files lawsuit against LA County over restoring religious cross to county seal

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The County of Los Angeles' official seal included a tiny cross for nearly half a century, until it was changed in 2004.
; Credit: via Wikimedia Commons

The ACLU is suing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors over its decision to put a religious cross back in the official county seal for violation of the First Amendment.

RELATED: ACLU sues over cross symbol on official LA County seal

The Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 in January to restore the symbol in the county emblem. Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Don Knabe proposed the motion. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas also voted in favor of restoring the cross.

The county seal was redesigned in 2004, with the addition of the San Gabriel Mission. At the time, the mission was not topped with a cross because the building was being earthquake retrofitted. A cross was restored four years ago. Consequently, Supervisors Antonovich and Knabe argue that the seal should also be updated for historical and architectural accuracy.

Guest:

Mark Rosenbaum, Chief Counsel at the ACLU of Southern California

Uber wrongful death lawsuit highlights insurance grey area for rideshares

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A Lyft customer gets into a car on January 21, 2014 in San Francisco, California. As ridesharing services like Lyft, Uber and Sidecar become more popular, the San Francisco Cab Driver Association is reporting that nearly one third of San Francisco's licensed taxi drivers have stopped driving taxis and have started to drive for the ridesharing services.; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Popular ride-sharing app Uber is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after one of the company's drivers, Syed Muzaffar, struck and killed a 6-year-old girl and injured her mother and brother in San Francisco on New Year's Eve.

This is the first wrongful death lawsuit against the company. Uber has distanced itself from the driver, claiming the company is not responsible since Muzaffar was not carrying a fare at the time. The company deactivated Muzaffar’s account after the accident. Muzaffar's attorney, Graham Archer, claims he was working for the company, was logged into the app at the time and had just dropped off a passenger.

"He's a father of 4, so he would have been at home with his family if he hadn't been working for Uber in San Francisco," Archer told AirTalk in a statement. "He was logged into the application, he had dropped off a fare and was looking for a new fare in an area."

The case highlights a grey area when it comes to how these ride-sharing companies handle insurance. Uber carries a $1 million policy, but it's only valid when the driver is carrying a passenger. That means drivers idling or cruising in search of fares may be left without coverage.

Personal insurance policies do not cover drivers if they're operating as a livery or conveyance service. In addition, ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft are not required to carry commercial insurance required of taxi companies.

The Uber Help Center FAQ page briefly addresses insurance issues stating:

If you’re taking a ride requested through uberX, some transportation providers are rideshare drivers providing transportation with their personal vehicles. Rideshare providers carry personal insurance policies. In addition, there’s a commercial insurance policy with $1 million of coverage per incident.

This policy covers drivers’ liability from the time a driver accepts your trip request through the app until the completion of your trip. This policy is excess to the driver’s own policy, but it acts as primary insurance if the driver’s policy is not available for any reason.

In addition, there is uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UI/UIM) of $1 million per incident for bodily injury, in case another motorist causes an accident and doesn’t carry adequate insurance. So, for example, injuries caused by a hit-and-run accident would be covered by the UI/UIM.

Should drivers for ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft be required to carry commercial insurance? If a driver for these companies is working, but not carrying a passenger, should they be covered under the company's insurance?

Guest:

Rob Wood, lawyer with Wood LLP in San Francisco, and author of the book Legal Guide to Independent Contractor Status, now in its 4th edition; he has written about Uber and ridesharing for Forbes.

Pete Moraga, Spokesman for Insurance Information Network of California

Filmweek: The Monuments Men, The Lego Movie, A Field in England and more

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Actors Bob Balaban, George Clooney, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett and Matt Damon pose at a photo call for Sony Picture's "The Monuments Men" at the Four Seasons Hotel on January 16, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Larry and KPCC film critics Wade Major, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this week’s releases, including The Monuments Men, The Lego Movie, A Field in England and more. TGI-Filmweek!

The Monuments Men

The Lego Movie

A Field In England

Guests:

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

Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide

Charles Solomon, animation film critic for KPCC and Indiewire’s ‘Animation Scoop’


GOP bill expanding flextime for California workers gets killed in Sacramento

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California governor Pete Wilson with wife Gayle, announces plans to form a presidential exploratory committee at 23 March press conference in Los Angeles. California briefly allowed flextime when Wilson was Governor in the 1990s. ; Credit: JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images

A Republican bill aimed at expanding opportunities for flextime was recently killed in the state Capitol. Labor unions and some Democratic lawmakers viewed the effort as a way for employers to get around having to pay overtime.

Flextime refers to the ability of an employee to work four 10-hour days and have three days off, rather than working a full five-day work week at eight hours a day. California law now mandates that a workday consists of eight hours, and anything over that is subject to overtime pay of time and a half.

The only exception is for nurses and farm hands. Opponents of the bill argue that current law already allows for adequate flexibility (i.e. employees can work out scheduling issues with their managers).

The bill’s author, Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway of Tulare, said in a statement: “Assembly Bill 907 would have allowed Californians to work more than eight hours in a day without overtime in exchange for additional time off.” Forty-seven other states currently allow for flextime.

California had similar flextime rules in the early 1990s, under Republican Gov. Pete Wilson. His successor, Gov. Gray Davis, signed the current eight-hour work week into law in 1999.

Is flextime an option most working parents need these days? Is it crucial that people only work 8 hours a day? Would you like the option to work a four-day week if it meant longer hours?

Guests:

Connie Conway (R-Tulare), California State Assemblywoman representing the 26th Assembly District, including Tulare, Visalia and Mountain Park. She sponsored Assembly Bill 907, which would have allowed Californians to work more than 8 hours in a day without overtime in exchange for additional time off. The bill was voted down in January

Barry Broad, lobbyist for a number of unions in California, including Teamsters. He is a former member of the California Industrial Welfare Commission, and helped reinstate regulations for overtime pay after eight hours worked in one day under Governor Gray Davis.

Runaway production has cost LA County 9,000 jobs since 2007

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View of the Universal Studios newly rebu

View of the Universal Studios newly rebuilt New York Street backlot locations, in Los Angeles on May 27, 2010. Universal Studios rebuilt the 13 city blocks of newly created filming locations on four acres at the historic studio lot in the largest construction project in studio history. The previous backlot location burnt down in an accidental fire on June 1, 2008.; Credit: MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images

Filming in Los Angeles has been on the decline in recent years, as production companies are lured to other states by generous tax incentives. Now a new report by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation shows that the entertainment industry in the city has lost more than 9,000 jobs since 2007.

Specifically, film/video production is down 7,800 jobs. Some of the loss can be blamed on the recession during that time period, but another large factor is the loss of productions in the area. According to the report, there were 132,900 jobs in the entertainment industry in 2012, a drop of 6.6 percent over five years.

In 2012, Governor Brown extended a tax credit for California television and film productions for another two years. The $100 million annual subsidy was designed to put the breaks on runaway productions. 

The report is not all negative. Radio stations added 350 jobs, television broadcasting added 1,700 and post-production jobs rose by 530.

What does this report say about the state of the entertainment industry? What is being done to help keep productions local?

Guest:

Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, Associate Economist for the LA County Economic Development Corporation, a non-profit organization that works to create jobs in LA.

Amy Lemisch, Director of the California Film Commission

Yusef Robb, Director of Communications, Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti

PG&E power grid assault raises energy security concerns

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California Power Grid Strained By Heat Wave

Towers carrying electrical lines are shown August 30, 2007 in South San Francisco, California. ; Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In April 2013, snipers disabled 17 powerful transformers that send power to Silicon Valley. After cutting telephone lines, the shooters went on a 19 minute shooting spree to knock out the power grid, then escaped just before police arrived on the scene.

Electric-grid officials rerouted power around the site and asked Silicon Valley plants to produce more electricity, but the substation remained down for 27 days following the attack. Fearing copycat crimes, power plant investigators and federal agencies decided to keep the situation quiet -- the news was reported in only a few local publications.

But former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman Jon Wellinghoff called the attack "the most significant incident of domestic terrorism involving the grid that has ever occurred" in the U.S., and went public with his fears that the power grid is not sufficiently protected.

As cyber security becomes a more prevalent issue in protecting energy resources, has the U.S. neglected physical threats to the power grid? Is the power grid vulnerable, or is this assault an outlier? What should be done to address concerns about similar attacks in the future?

Guests: 

Rebecca Smith, energy reporter for the Wall Street Journal who broke the piece this week

Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior adviser to the president of the RAND corporation and author of a number of books on terrorism including ‘Will Terrorists Go Nuclear?’

Twitter’s first earnings report shows signs of trouble

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The logo of social networking website 'Twitter' is displayed on a computer screen in London on September 11, 2013.; Credit: LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

Twitter’s stock fell on hard times yesterday, falling down 21% to $52.11 and at one point sank as low as $50. This comes after Twitter released their fourth-quarter report which revealed that although revenue was better-than-expected, the company’s user growth was at its slowest pace yet.

Twitter’s stock has grown rapidly since its IPO in November 2013. The company’s stock was introduced at $26 and quickly rose to a high of $74.73 in December. Even as Twitter’s stock prices soared financial analysts argued that the stock was overpriced and that Twitter didn’t match the broad appeal of Facebook, which boasts five-times as many users.

What does this mean for the future of Twitter? What are Twitter’s long-term prospects? How can the company attract new users? Will it stay a niche social-media or grow into something larger?

Guest:

Sarah Frier, Technology reporter for Bloomberg News based in San Francisco

 

Filmweek: The Monuments Men, The Lego Movie, Vampire Academy and more

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Actors Bob Balaban, George Clooney, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett and Matt Damon pose at a photo call for Sony Picture's "The Monuments Men" at the Four Seasons Hotel on January 16, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.; Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Larry and KPCC film critics Wade Major, Tim Cogshell and Charles Solomon review this week’s releases, including The Monuments Men, The Lego Movie, Vampire Academy and more. TGI-Filmweek!

The Monuments Men

The Lego Movie

Vampire Academy

Guests:

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

Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide

Charles Solomon, animation film critic for KPCC and Indiewire’s ‘Animation Scoop’

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