Wednesday, January 21, 2015

ALERT- **6AM** Thu. Jan. 22, 2015 DoubleTree Workers On Strike

**EMBARGOED UNTIL THURSDAY AT 6 AM**

Subject: DoubleTree Little Tokyo Workers Out on Strike  

PRESS ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY AT 6:00 AM

Contact: Ofelia Carrillo (323) 817-9804; ocarrillo@unitehere11.org 

 

More Than 100 DoubleTree Hilton Workers Expected To Strike

Downtown LA's Double Tree Hotel workers allege missed rest periods; ask State to investigate backpay claims

 

What: Day-long Hotel Worker Strike   

Where: DoubleTree by Hilton, 120 South Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

When: Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 5:30 AM

Who: DoubleTree Hilton workers, community members, clergy

Visual: Dozens of worker, picket signs, hotel workers in uniform

 

Follow #DTLAStrike for updates on the strike

LOS ANGELES  Workers at the DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles Downtown Hotel will take to the streets starting at 6 AM today for a one-day strike.  Workers are calling attention to complaints that several employees filed with the State alleging missed rest breaks and claiming entitlement to back pay.  The United Bank of Switzerland (UBS) currently owns the downtown hotel.   

"There are too many checkout rooms. We go to several floors." Patricia Martinez said, a housekeeper at the DoubleTree. "We have to wait for the elevator and everyone has to use the same two elevators. There is not enough time for me to find the linen, wait for the elevator—that's where my breaks go."  

 

The strike comes after eleven workers filed complaints on Wednesday with the California State Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), the state agency responsible for enforcing wage and hour laws, alleging violations of rest and/or meal break requirements and in some cases overtime requirements.  DLSE will investigate the workers' allegations, and it has authority to conduct a hearing to determine their merits.

 

"In the afternoon, I don't take my breaks because I never know when I'm going to get off with all the work I have to do. My schedule changes all the time." said Luis Dominguez, a dishwasher at the downtown hotel.

 

California state law allows workers two 10-minute breaks and one 30-minute break in an eight-hour shift. According to the law, for every day that a rest break is missed, the worker is entitled to one hour of back pay from the employer, and for every day that a meal break is missed, the worker is entitled to another hour of back pay.

 

The workers and their supporters plan to picket in front of the hotel, until 5PM Thursday night.  They will be available for in person interviews, in both English and Spanish starting at 6:00 AM. 

###

--
Ofelia Carrillo
Communications Organizer
w. 213.481.8530 ext.352
c. 323.817.9804

Monday, September 16, 2013

AirTalk for Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Contact: Producers Joel Patterson, Jasmin Tuffaha, Fiona Ng, Karen Fritsche

626-583-5100

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

11:06 –11:20

Topic: OPEN

Guest: TBA

 

11:20 -11:30

Topic: OPEN

Guest: TBA

 

11:30-12:00

Topic:  Playboy wants to be go back to being your daddy’s favorite magazine: something you read for the articles: Playboy magazine is turning 60 this year. But let’s be honest, it feels much older than that, doesn’t it? The power-that-be at the magazine knows it, too and to celebrate the special occasion they are embarking on a revamp to return Playboy to its former glory. Think smart, great writing by the likes of Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe, but minus the big-haired, airbrushed bunnies. One of the goals of the redesign is to feature women who are more natural and real. "You could tell by looking at it, the carpets had gotten a little bit musty," Playboy's editorial director, Jimmy Jellinek, told the LA Times."We made a conscious decision two years ago that we needed to make some profound changes to the aesthetic and construction of the magazine." This new tastefulness pervades all other aspects of the new magazine, from art direction to content. Playboy, like all magazines, has been bleeding advertisers and readers, but unlike others in the industry, it also has to contend with free online porn.

REQUESTED

Guest:  Jimmy Jellinek, editorial director of Playboy magazine

 

12:06 – 12:20

Topic: Is Joe Biden testing the water for a 2016 run in Iowa? Vice President Joe Biden launched two unsuccessful White House bids in 1988 and 2008. He visited to Iowa over the weekend, delivering a keynote address at Sen. Tom Harkin’s annual steak fry – a speech that many political observers say came across much like a presidential stump speech. “I don’t know how many times I’ve walked the picket line, I don’t know how many times I’ve been with you in your hometowns as factories were being padlocked and jobs were sent overseas,” Biden told Iowans on Sunday. The vice president’s Iowa stopover has generated a lot of talk about a potential run, even though the Vice President himself has stay mum on his presidential ambitions. What would a Biden campaign in 2016 look like? How does his fundraising chops compared to that of another long-rumored potential candidate, Hillary Clinton? As a voter, whom do you prefer: Clinton, Biden or someone else?

REQUESTED

Guests:  WaPo’s Dan Balz; Ken Rudin

 

12:20 - 12:40

Topic: Thirsty golf courses are sucking up precious Coachella Valley ground water: [Temp head]

Guests: TBD

 

12:40 – 1:00

Topic: 2013 Emmys preview and predictions: The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards will be presented this Sunday night on CBS, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. For the second year in a row, commercial broadcast networks have no contenders in the Best Drama field, but the competition is fierce with “Breaking Bad” (AMC), “Downton Abbey”(PBS), “Game of Thrones” (HBO), “Homeland” (Showtime), “Mad Men” (AMC), and “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO), all making the list again – and newcomer “House of Cards” (Netflix). In the Outstanding Comedy Series category, “Louie” (FX Networks), “Modern Family” (ABC), “Veep” (HBO), “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS), “30 Rock” (NBC) and “Girls” (HBO) are all vying to win. In the lead actress in a drama series, Vera Farmiga, Claire Danes, Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, Michelle Dockery, Robin Wright, Connie Britton are all hoping to take the winged statuette home. As are their comedy counterparts, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Laura Dern, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Lena Dunham and Edie Falco. As for the leading men, Damian Lewis is favored by many to win for his role in “Homeland,” but Bryan Cranston could win again for “Breaking Bad.” And it’s likely to be another big year for Louis C.K. We’ll ask a couple leading critics for their predictions and open up the phones to get yours. What are your favorite shows from this year’s lineup? What should win and what should, but probably won’t?

Guest: Tom O'Neil, Editor, Gold Derby.com; has written books on the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys for Variety; and articles for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, and TV Guide, among others

REQUESTED/PENDING

Guest: Mary McNamara, TV Critic, Los Angeles Times

 

---

Joel Patterson

Senior Producer, AirTalk

626-583-5375 office

858-349-2205 cell

@joelerson

 

 

Friday, September 13, 2013

AirTalk for Monday, September 16, 2013

Contact: Producers Joel Patterson, Jasmin Tuffaha, Fiona Ng

626-583-5100

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Monday, September 16, 2013

11:06 –11:40

OPEN

 

11:40-12:00

Topic: Supreme Court to hear challenge to affirmative action policy: (TEMP HEAD)

Guest: Joshua Thompson, Staff Attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF); Thompson co-authored PLF’s amicus brief on Schuette (pron: SHOO-tee)

2nd Guest:  TBA

 

12:06 – 12:20

OPEN

 

12:20 – 12:40

Topic: Australia does it: Should Americans be required to vote? Australians chose a new prime minister earlier this month with a voter turnout rate that would shock most Americans. Nearly every Australian voted in that election - but not out of choice. It was because they have to. Voting has been required in Australia since the 1920s and it results in a 90 percent turnout at their elections. Australia is one of 23 countries around the world that require their citizens to cast ballots. Nearly every election cycle someone makes the argument that Americans should be required to vote to boost our usually-dismal turnout. Only 15 percent of Los Angeles residents voted in the last mayoral election. The 2012 presidential election only got 57 percent of people out to the polls. Would requiring citizens to vote help get people more engaged in the election process? What are some of the problems with this? Without mandatory voting, how else could citizens be encouraged to participate? Do you think Americans should be required to vote?

* Brand this as ‘Project Citizen’*

 

Guests:

Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute

ISDN

Jason Brennan, professor at Georgetown University and author of The Ethics of Voting

 

12:40 – 1:00

Topic: Woodrow Wilson (TEMP HEAD)

Guest:  A. Scott Berg, Author, “Wilson”

 

Warm regards,

Jasmin Tuffaha    office: 626.583.5162 

Producer, “AirTalk with Larry Mantle” 

 

89.3 KPCC 89.1 KUOR 90.3 KVLA
A Southern California Public Radio station
SCPR.org | Facebook | @AirTalk

 

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

AirTalk for Thursday, September 12, 2013

Contact: Producers Joel Patterson, Jasmin Tuffaha, Fiona Ng, Karen Fritsche, Kaitlin Funaro

626-583-5100

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Thursday, September 12, 2013

11:06 - 11:30

Topic: OPEN

Guest: TBD

 

11:30 - 12:00

Topic: Should schools send “Fat Letters” to parents? Some public schools in the country send the results of students’ BMI Screening home to parents that indicate their child’s BMI percentile and weight category. It’s also been referred to as “fat letters,” because it lets parents know if their child is overweight. The purpose of the letter is to inform parents of their child’s health, and its coming under some harsh criticism.According to a report published by Kristine Madsen, 13 states require BMI screening (Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee).  Seven states, including California, require  a fitness assessment that includes a body component. But only 9 states, like Massachusetts and Illinois, require parental notification of the results.  In California, the state requires all students in 5th, 7th and 9th graders to take part in a “Fitnessgram” assessment. The results must be sent to the state, but individual school districts decide if the information is sent to parents. Proponents say that giving the parents the fitness results are necessary to reduce childhood obesity. Opponents say that if letters are sent out, they need to come with helpful information not just numbers. Others worry how this could affect students’ self esteem.Do you think parents should be notified of BMI Test Results? Do schools have a responsibility to monitor their students health?  What impact can test results have on students’ self esteem?

Guest: Michael Flaherty, Pediatrician, Baystate Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine in Massachusetts. Member of American Academy of Pediatrics

Guest: Claire Mysko (MIS-koh), Manager of Proud2Bme [PROUD TO BE ME], the teen program of the National Eating Disorder Association based in New York

 

12:06 – 12:20

Topic: Has the Syria crisis impacted the way you look at President Obama? It's been a month of intense political maneuvering on the part of President Obama to deal pretty much with a no-win situation in Syria. Some think that the President has brought all that grief onto himself by drawing a red line on the use of chemical weapons. Others feel that the President should have acted more decisively, that he shouldn't have kicked the issue back to Congress. On top of all that, domestic support for a military strike against Syria has been tepid at best. A diplomatic solution presented itself this week in the form of an UN resolution that would lead to the disarmament of Syria’s arsenal, even though no census has been reached on how best to achieve that goal. How has the Syria conflict impacted your perception of the President? Does he appear weaker or stronger than before the crisis? How would this bolster or weaken the President's political capital in the remainder of his term?


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

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

 

12:20 – 12:40

Topic: When is it okay to snap and share pics of strangers? Photography has become so easy, instantaneous, fleeting and disposable. To complicate matters, unless you're a flip-phone holdout, your smartphone isn't just equipped with precision cameras but a connection for sharing it with the entire world at the simple touch of your finger. While it is legal to photograph a stranger in a public place, is it ethical? If you snap a picture for well-intentioned reasons, does that make it okay? What if you sneak a photo of someone wearing a ridiculous or hideous outfit? Or someone who is embarrassingly drunk? And if you don't plan to share it on social media, does that make it okay? Do you have to ask permission first? Or should we all be on our best behaviour in our Sunday best, because it’s a free-for-all?

REQUESTED

Guest:  Richard Koci Hernandez and/or Radcliffe Roye, Photojournalists

 

12:40 – 1:00

Topic: The future of Spanish in America: To Californians, it’s no surprise that Spanish is the most spoken non-English language in the U.S. today. There are already more than 37 million Spanish speakers nationally and their numbers are growing quickly, up 233% since 1980. Immigration and population growth account for much of it, but there are demographic shifts taking place that are projected to change the future of the Spanish language in America. As more Hispanics are born here, the share that speaks only English at home is expected to rise to 34 percent by 2020. As Latinos grow up speaking English, will it still be important to them to speak Spanish at home? Has your family transitioned from Spanish dominant to English dominant?  As a Latino parent, how important is it for your kids to learn Spanish alongside English? How do you teach your kids Spanish – by starting them out on it at home or making sure they study it in school? Are you bilingual, but still watch and listen to Spanish-language media. Why?

Guest: Mark Hugo Lopez, Director of Hispanic Research, Pew Research Center

AirTalk for Thursday, September 12, 2013

Contact: Producers Joel Patterson, Jasmin Tuffaha, Fiona Ng, Karen Fritsche

626-583-5100

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Thursday, September 12, 2013

11:06 - 11:30

Topic: OPEN

Guest: TBD

 

 

 

11:30 - 12:00

Topic: Should schools send “Fat Letters” to parents? [temp head]

 

BY PHONE

Guest: Michael Flaherty, Pediatrician, Baystate Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine in Massachusetts. Member of American Academy of Pediatrics

 

BY PHONE

Guest: Claire Mysko (MIS-koh), Manager of Proud2Bme [PROUD TO BE ME], the teen program of the National Eating Disorder Association based in New York

 

12:06 – 12:20

Topic: Has the Syria crisis impacted the way you look at President Obama?

It's been a month of intense political maneuvering on the part of President Obama to deal pretty much with a no-win situation in Syria. Some think that the President has brought all that grief onto himself by drawing a red line on the use of chemical weapons. Others feel that the he should have acted more decisively, that he shouldn't have kicked the issue back to Congress. On top of all that, domestic support for a military strike against Syria has been tepid at best.

 

A diplomatic solution presented itself this week in the form of an UN resolution that would lead to the disarmament of Syria’s arsenal, even though no census has been reached on how best to achieve that goal.

 

How has the Syria conflict impacted your perception of the President? Does he appear weaker or stronger than before the crisis? How would this bolster or weaken the President's political capital in the remainder of his term?

 

IN STUDIO 
Guest:
Jonathan Wilcox, Republican Strategist; former speech writer for Governor Pete Wilson


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

 

 

 

12:20 – 12:40

Topic: When is it okay to snap and share pics of strangers?

Photography has become so easy, instantaneous, fleeting and disposable. To complicate matters, unless you're a flip-phone holdout, your smartphone isn't just equipped with precision cameras but a connection for sharing it with the entire world at the simple touch of your finger. While it is legal to photograph a stranger in a public place, is it ethical? If you snap a picture for well-intentioned reasons, does that make it okay? What if you sneak a photo of someone wearing a ridiculous or hideous outfit? Or someone who is embarrassingly drunk? And if you don't plan to share it on social media, does that make it okay? Do you have to ask permission first? Or should we all be on our best behaviour in our Sunday best, because it’s a free-for-all?

REQUESTED

Guest:  Richard Koci Hernandez and/or Radcliffe Roye, Photojournalists

 

 

 

12:40 – 1:00

Topic: The future of Spanish in America: To Californians, it’s no surprise that Spanish is the most spoken non-English language in the U.S. today. There are already more than 37 million Spanish speakers nationally and their numbers are growing quickly, up 233% since 1980. Immigration and population growth account for much of it, but there are demographic shifts taking place that are projected to change the future of the Spanish language in America. As more Hispanics are born here, the share that speaks only English at home is expected to rise to 34 percent by 2020. As Latinos grow up speaking English, will it still be important to them to speak Spanish at home? Has your family transitioned from Spanish dominant to English dominant?  As a Latino parent, how important is it for your kids to learn Spanish alongside English? How do you teach your kids Spanish – by starting them out on it at home or making sure they study it in school? Are you bilingual, but still watch and listen to Spanish-language media. Why?

 

BY ISDN

Guest: Mark Hugo Lopez, Director of Hispanic Research, Pew Research Center

 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

AirTalk for Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Contact: Producers Joel Patterson, Jasmin Tuffaha, Karen Fritsche, Fiona Ng

626-583-5100

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

11:06 –11:30

Topic: Syria update (TEMP HEADLINE)


Guest:  
White House reporter TBD (NYTimes and Washington Post requested)

Guest:  David Bosco, Professor, American University; Writes "The Multilateralist" blog for "Foreign Policy"

 

 

11:30 -11:40

TBD


11:40-12:00

Topic: When is it okay to snap and share pics of strangers?: Photography has become so easy, instantaneous, fleeting and disposable. To complicate matters, unless you're a flip-phone holdout, your smartphone isn't just equipped with precision cameras but a connection for sharing it with the entire world at the simple touch of your finger. While it is legal to photograph a stranger in a public place, is it ethical? If you snap a picture for well-intentioned reasons, does that make it okay? What if you sneak a photo of someone wearing a ridiculous or hideous outfit? Or someone who is embarrassingly drunk? And if you don't plan to share it on social media, does that make it okay? Do you have to ask permission first? Or should we all be on our best behaviour in our Sunday best, because it's a free-for-all?

 

REQUESTED

Guest:  Richard Koci Hernandez and/or Radcliffe Roye, Photojournalists



12:06 – 12:20

TBD


12:20 – 12:40

Topic: FCC Commissioner's quixotic quest to save AM radio: Flashback to 1978 and nearly half of all radio listeners were dialed in to the AM band. Kids listening to baseball games, teens counting down Casey Kasem's Top 40 and families getting their news together. As of 2011, AM listenership fell to 15 percent – a mere 3.1 million people, compared to 18 million who tune in to FM. These days, everything from satellite radio to tall buildings seems to be conspiring to kill AM. Add to that smartphones and consumer electronics, which interfere with many AM stations reducing their transmissions to little more than static – and some say it's time to let it die. But FCC commissioner Ajit Pai says AM is"the audible core of our national culture." And he's on a personal mission to save it. What's the point of trying to salvage AM? Is it even possible? And is it just nostalgia or are there more practical reasons to hold onto AM radio?


Guest:
Ajit Pai (ah-JEET PIE), Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission

BY PHONE



12:40 – 1:00

Topic: The pros and cons of school dress codes: As students across the country settle into their new classes the administrators are going to be paying close attention to what they're wearing. A string of high profile court cases lately has brought the issue of the school dress code back in focus. Last month, the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that high school students were allowed to wear breast cancer awareness bracelets that said "I ♥ boobies!". Despite the favorable court rulings most schools haven't backed down on enforcing strict dress codes. Are schools spending too much time worrying what students are wearing rather than their education? Do strict dress codes actually make a better, safer learning environment? Should more public schools push for uniforms to reduce the need for the school to police students' wardrobes?

 

Guest: Ruthann Robson, Professor of Law, City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law

BY PHONE

 

For web:  www.dressingconstitutionally.com

 

 

 

 

Karen X Fritsche
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Southern California Public Radio
NPR Affiliate for 
Los Angeles
89.3 KPCC-FM | 89.1 KUOR-FM | 90.3 KPCV-FM
626.583.5164, desk

Friday, September 6, 2013

AirTalk for Monday, September 9, 2013

Contact: Producers Joel Patterson, Jasmin Tuffaha, Fiona Ng, Karen Fritsche

626-583-5100

 

SCHEDULE FOR AIRTALK WITH LARRY MANTLE

Monday, September 9, 2011

 

11:06 – 11:20

Topic: OPEN

Guest: TBD

 

11:20 - 11:40

Topic: What's the fate of overhauling California's landmark environment quality act?

REQUESTED

Guest:  Senate Pres. Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg; LA Chamber; NRDC

 

11:40 - 12:00

Topic: Is there any public benefit to posting a video confessing to a crime online?

Guest: TBD

 

12:06 – 12:20

Topic: OPEN

Guest: TBD

 

12:20 – 12:40

Topic: The smartwatch race is on, but does anyone care?

Guest:  Cliff Edwards, reporter who covers consumer electronics for Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek

Guest: Shane Walker, associate director for medical devices and healthcare IT research team at IHS, an information and analytics firm. He is the author of a

 

12:40 – 1:00

Topic: The Five Flirting Styles: Which one are you?

Guest:  Jeffrey A. Hall,  Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at The University of Kansas. Author of “The Five Flirting Styles.”