Patt Morrison for Thursday, March 1, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, March 1, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

1:06 – 1:39: OPEN

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

U.S. Senator George Mitchell discusses turmoil in the Middle East at UCLA

George Mitchell is the go-to guy for working out conflicts – from the Mideast to Northern Ireland to steroid use in baseball. Following the Camp David Summit in 2000, and at the request of President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat, Sen. Mitchell served as chairman of an international fact-finding committee on violence in the Middle East. The committee's recommendation, widely known as “The Mitchell Report,” was published in 2001 and was endorsed by the Bush administration, the European Union, and many other governments. In 2009, President Obama appointed Mitchell as Special Envoy for the Middle East, a position he held for more than two years. He joins Patt to talk about the volatile region. 

 

Guest:

Senator George Mitchell, former Senator from Maine (1980 - 1995) and Senate Majority Leader (1989 - 1995); he served most recently as the United States Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (2009-2011) under President Obama

 

2:06 – 2:39

Ride along with Metro Chief Art Leahy

Join Patt for the latest installment in our transportation series with Metro chief Art Leahy, with updates on the Metro’s plans for new highways, railways, and extensions of the existing Orange and Gold Lines. President Obama's proposed budget included $81 million for two of Metro's projects—$31 million for a subway system downtown dubbed the "regional connector" would connect the Gold, Blue and Expo lines. The remaining $50 million would go towards extending the Purple Line from Wilshire Boulevard to Westwood. Meanwhile, Metro's Expo line is in its final testing phase as is Metro's Orange Line extension and we'll find out just how soon they’ll open. Once that happens, Metro will have to address another problem: how to keep people from dodging fares. Unlocked turnstiles and lax security have been blamed for the estimated $4 million Metro loses in unpaid fares, but will locking turnstiles really be the silver bullet? How will the Metro’s decisions to eliminate some bus lines and significantly reduce others affect its low-income riders, whose numbers are expected to increase in light of rising gas prices? Whatever came of the controversy surrounding the construction of a new station in Leimert Park? Weigh in with your transit questions and comments.

 

Guest:

Arthur Leahy, chief executive officer, Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority

IN STUDIO

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

Homeownership – the end of the American dream?  Find a job, get married, buy a house.  It’s been the standard formula and the unquestioned dream for generations of Americans.  But over the last thirty years, even with interest rates on the decline, first-time home ownership has been steadily decreasing among the young. Between 1980 and 2000, the share of late twenty-somethings buying homes declined from 43 to 38 percent.  Homeowners in their early thirties dropped from over 60 percent to around 55 percent.  That’s to be expected during the recent housing crisis, but what explains the pre-recession skittishness?  And even now, with mortgage rates down, houses sitting empty and an increase of women in the workplace, Generation X would rather rent than buy.  The ripple can be felt throughout the economy, from lowered property values and tax revenues to a slump in the construction and housing services industries.  Among the blame factors: rising student debt, a steady decline in the marriage rate and a rootless work force.  And even if they could afford it, many millenials are watching their older brothers and sisters sink under the weight of ill-advised mortgages and asking themselves why they’d want the same.  How will this trend affect the overall housing market?  Are you a young person – married or single – who has decided home ownership isn’t for you?  Or a homeowner who regrets being saddled with a mortgage payment?  Is this still the American dream?

 

Guest:

Derek Thompson, business editor at The Atlantic

 

For the web: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/02/the-end-of-ownership-why-arent-young-people-buying-more-houses/253750/#bio

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison

 

Patt Morrison for Wednesday, February 29, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

1:06 – 1:39: OPEN

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

Would you prefer your tax refund on a debit card?

South Carolina will be sending residents their state income tax refunds on a prepaid debit card this year. The change is expected to save the state up to $1 million in printing and mailing costs, but Bank of American, which will issue the cards, looks like it will be the biggest winner of all. That’s because the arrangement allows the bank to charge card users fees as high as $10 per transaction. Unlike normal debit cards attached to bank accounts, there are no caps on the fees banks can charge. Should California consider a similar cost-cutting move?

 

Guests:

TBD

2:06 – 2:30:00

Dining out with dogs – rule changes mean you can bring your four-legged friends
Americans love their dogs – as of 2012, there are 78.2 million dogs with owners in the United States. Americans also love to eat out - getting between 4 and 5 meals per week at from restaurants or other commercial food establishments.  And now diners with dogs in Los Angeles County will be able to bring their four-legged dining companions along when they visit their favorite restaurant – provided the restaurant has a patio. The new rule change will allow restaurants to decide whether to allow dogs on their patios; the old guidelines allowed dogs in outdoor seating areas, but only when there wasn’t a fence around the al fresco dining area. Municipalities with their own health departments, including Pasadena, Long Beach and Vernon have their own statues and are exempt from the new guidelines. One could argue that dogs are better-behaved than some humans at restaurants, so why has Fido been traditionally prohibited? Would you be more or less likely to patronize a restaurant that allowed dogs? 

Guest: TBD

 

 

2:30:00 – 2:58:30

Medical tourism: need a root canal? Head to Mexico.

Imagine living in a country where 62 percent of bankruptcies are the result of high medical costs, even though 80 percent of the defaulters were originally insured.  Where it makes more sense to fly to an entirely different country, thousands to tens of thousands of miles away, than to stay and be treated at home.  Well, welcome to the United States. Every year, more Americans turn to so-called “medical tourism” companies to help them find less expensive ways of getting their health needs met.  For Lasik?  Try Costa Rica.  Hip surgery?  It’s gotta be Thailand or India, which is exactly where guest Phyllis Katz found herself towards the end of 2009.  Ms. Katz  joins Patt to discuss her decision to travel seven thousand miles for a double hip-replacement, the outcome, and the resulting book, “Hipwrecked.”  Have you ever made the decision to leave the country for health care?  Do you think you could afford to cover a major surgery?

 

Guests: Phyllis Katz, writer, actor, improv teacher, acting coach, and author of “Hipwrecked”; founder, former director, and current board member of Los Angeles’ Groundlings theatre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison

 

RE: Patt Morrison for Tuesday, February 28, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

1-3 p.m.

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:06 - 1:30

[MUSIC BRIDGE]

1:30 - 1:39

Romney and Santorum battle for a crucial contest in Michigan
Today (TUESDAY), voters in Arizona and Michigan go to the polls to pick their favorite candidate in the ongoing Republican primary season. The two frontrunners, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney, are essentially neck-and-neck on the day of the latest primary elections, but voters in Michigan will be making a crucial decision that may set the stage for next week's Super Tuesday contests. Romney was raised in Michigan - where his father was a three term governor - and his campaign has faced a surge from Santorum over the last several weeks. The latest polls for the two leading presidential hopefuls are split with each candidate holding between roughly 35 and 38 percent, with both Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul polling behind - each hovering just below ten percent. Losing his home state to the former Senator from Pennsylvania could be a decisive blow to Romney's campaign. And even if he does win, the margin of victory could be an important indicator of Romney's viability. Republican sentiment for the former governor of Massachusetts has been tepid at times and the polls have seen the rise and eventual fall of several challengers as conservatives try and decide which candidate best represents the soul of the Republican Party. Is Santorum too conservative to face President Obama in a general election? Is Romney not conservative enough? How can the candidate that wins Michigan carry their momentum into Super Tuesday?

Guest:
Lisa Lerer, political reporter for Bloomberg

[BREAK]

1:41:30 - 1:58:30

How corrupt is Los Angeles?

Is Los Angeles one of the most corrupt regions in the country? When you think of corruption in politics, Chicago might come to mind, and according to a new study from the University of Illinois that ranked the Windy City as most corrupt, that stereotype may be true. More surprising, perhaps, was the "most corrupt" study's second runner-up is Los Angeles. The study looked at federal convictions of politicians for extortion, bribery, conflicts of interest and election crimes involving elected officials, government workers and private citizens. Researcher and Professor Dick Simpson and his colleagues note that L.A.'s high ranking has a lot to do with the wide swath of population incorporated into the assessment - the study included not just L.A. County, but also Riverside, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and San Bernardino Counties. So, with 1,275 federal convictions since 1976, Patt reviews corruption in the City of Angels. How surprised are you, if at all, to hear that Los Angeles is ranked the second most corrupt region in the U.S.? What can be done to hamper corruption among government officials?

Guests:

Bill Boyarsky, author and journalist; former senior consultant at the Center for Governmental Studies in LA and a lecturer at USC

2:06 - 2:39

Tween girls ask Youtube viewers "Am I pretty?"

Everybody likes a compliment. But in one of the most disturbing internet trends yet, young girls, 11 to 13, are asking for compliments - or slams - via YouTube. The homemade clips show girls staring into the camera, asking "Am I pretty...or ugly?" Not surprisingly, strangers are all too willing to weigh in. Responses range from reassuring, feel-good messages like, "you're beautiful just the way you are," to creepier comments like "smoking hot!," "u r a whore" or "call me, cutie, here's my cell phone #." Teenagers have always been self-conscious, but the ease of broadcasting your flaws and insecurities across the internet has taken things to a whole new level. While most of the videos are merely heartbreaking, some cross the line to provocative and possibly dangerous. Parents who've learned of their children posting these videos express surprise, shock and horror - but should they be taking responsibility? Youtube has age limits for posting, but who's minding the store? What do these videos tell us about teen self-esteem and body image? Has self-absorption gone too far?

Guest: TBA

[BREAK]

2:41:30 - 2:58:30

Could dwindling resources instigate a socioeconomic war across America?

What will happen when America's already limited resources are depleted to extremely scarce levels? Will everyday social services such as police protection and social security completely breakdown? Author Thomas Byrne Edsall investigates the answers to these questions in his book "The Age of Austerity: How Scarcity Will Remake American Politics." Edsall cites grinding disputes between Republicans and Democrats about major issues such as long-term deficit reduction, cuts in defense spending, and Medicare/Medicaid funding as indicators that dog-eat-dog politics will inevitably intensify and potentially cripple our society. The political journalist asserts that unless radical changes are made to the American socioeconomic infrastructure, the U.S. is headed toward a downward spiral of stagnation and utter dysfunction. Are Americans prepared to effectively slow down or compromise their consumption of resources? How closely should our government monitor and control the use of resources in the U.S.? Are Americans too divided when it comes to determining how to best spend resources as a nation?

Guest:

Thomas B. Edsall, author, "The Age of Austerity: How Scarcity Will Remake American Politics;" holds the Pulitzer Moore Chair at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism; weekly online political columnist for the "New York Times;"covered national politics for "The Washington Post" for 25 years, from 1981 to 2006.

RE: Patt Morrison for Monday, February 27, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Monday, February 27, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

 

1:06 –1:58:30 OPEN

 

2:06 – 2:30

Will your Prius bankrupt our highways?
The money that funds America’s highways could completely run out by 2013. What’s the primary cause? In part, fuel efficient cars. Many owners of hybrid or electric cars, such as the Toyota Prius or the Chevy Volt, feel good about driving a modern fuel-efficient vehicle – supporting innovation, helping the environment, or reducing American dependence on foreign oil. However, what many hybrid drivers may not realize is that using a fuel efficient car could literally bankrupt the United States highway infrastructure. Federal highways are directly funded by taxes paid at the fuel pump that go into a Highway Trust Fund, so the less fuel Americans use, the less money the Federal Highway Administration has to maintain public freeways. The fact that the tax has not been adjusted for inflation since 1993 isn’t helping matters and now the White House is pushing for fuel economy standards to require cars and light trucks to average 54.5 mpg by 2035, which is a much more ambitious plan than officials anticipated. Some alternative funding systems that have been considered include taxing drivers based on how many miles they drive or tolling motorists who drive during peak hours, but Congress has yet to settle on a solid solution. Should drivers of fuel efficient cars somehow be forced pay more for using federal highways? If the U.S. cannot raise enough funds to maintain highways through its fuel tax, how else can the necessary revenue be generated? Why is Congress dragging its feet to resolve this issue?

Guest:
Barry LePatner, author “Too Big to Fall: America’s Failing Infrastructure and the Way Forward”

2:30 – 2:39 OPEN

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

Anne Rice talks about her return to the supernatural

After nearly a decade of novels based on the gospels and the life of Christ, Anne Rice has returned to the genre that made her famous: Gothic horror. In her newest work, “The Wolf Gift,” the best-selling author of “Interview with the Vampire” and its spawn, the Vampire Chronicles, tackles a new supernatural subculture: werewolves.  The protagonist of “The Wolf Gift,” Reuben Golding, is a “Man Wolf” (or Morphenkinder); the transformation he undergoes is due to a virus transmitted through saliva, “perfected” through a series of experiments by an ancient king, who wanted to harness the virus’ transformative effects for good instead of evil – themes that Rice returns to over and over again, despite the genre she’s writing. In 2010, Rice broke with the Catholic Church – having rejoined a decade earlier – telling NPR’s Michele Norris, "Certainly I will never go back to being that atheist and that pessimist that I was. I live now in a world that I feel God created, and I feel I live in a world where God witnesses everything that happens… That's a huge change from the atheist I was when I wrote the vampire novels." Join Patt as she asks Rice how “The Wolf Gift” differs from her previous works, and where the author thinks she go from here.

 

Guests: Anne Rice, best-selling author of “Interview with the Vampire.”  Her newest novel is “The Wolf Gift.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

RE: Patt Morrison for Friday, February 24, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Friday, February 24, 2012

1-3 p.m.

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

1:06 - 1:30 OPEN

1:30 - 1:58:30

Bill Gates says "Shame Is Not the Solution"
Last week, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that teachers' individual performance assessments could legally be made public. In response to the ruling, former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates contributed an op-ed article to the New York Times criticizing the practice of publicizing teacher ratings. Gates explains that school administrators are under pressure to weed out ineffective teachers and many districts, such as those in New York and Los Angeles, do so by publicly ranking teachers according to their "value-added rating," which measures educators' impact on students test scores. Critics of this these types of assessments, such as Gates, argue that they encourage "teaching to the test" and do not promote a well-rounded education for students because the evaluation is only based on one type of measurement, students' test scores. Can teachers be publicly shamed into becoming better educators or is this kind of policy, as Gates calls it, "a big mistake"? What alternative methods are there for measuring teachers' effectiveness?

Guest:

Diane Ravitch, is a research professor at New York University and an education policy analyst

UNCONFIRMED

Representative, Los Angeles Times

2:06 - 2:19 OPEN

2:21:30 - 2:50

"The Most Insane, Illogical Award Choices in Oscar History"

In many circles, Orson Welles' masterpiece, "Citizen Kane," is considered to be the greatest film ever made. But cinephiles who know their history will recall that "Kane" didn't win the Best Picture Oscar in 1941 - that distinction went to John Ford's "How Green Was My Valley." Ford's pastoral coal mining drama isn't a bad movie, but how many graduate-level film school classes are devoted to dissecting it? When it comes to cinema's highest honor, the Academy often gets it right; "The Godfather," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Schindler's List" and "Slumdog Millionaire" all took home the Best Picture Oscar in their respective year.

But some might argue that from time-to -time Academy voters miss the mark. Was Forrest Gump" was more worthy than "The Shawshank Redemption" or "Pulp Fiction?" Should Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" have lost to Kevin Costner's "Dances With Wolves?" What films and performers do you think got snubbed by Oscar voters? How can the Academy improve their voting?

Guest:

Jason Bailey, Film Editor for Flavorwire, and author of "The Most Insane, Illogical Award Choices in Oscar History," for The Atlantic, Feb., 16, 2012

2:50:00 - 2:58:30
Should Oscar acknowledge soundtracks? (NOT CONFIRMED)

Patt Morrison for Thursday, February 23, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, February 23, 2012

1-3 p.m.

*DAVID LAZARUS IS IN FOR PATT*

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

1:06 – 1:39: OPEN

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

FDA closer to approving weight-loss drug

It could be the first new prescription drug to treat obesity in 13 years if the Food and Drug Administration follows the advice of its advisory committee, which voted 20 to 2 this week to approve the weight-loss drug Qnexa. Obesity drugs have had a difficult time winning FDA approval; there is currently only one drug, Xenical, approved for long-term use in weight loss and its unpleasant digestive side effects make it unpopular. The FDA committee found that the potential weight loss benefits of Qnexa outweigh the potential health risks, including heart problems and birth defects. That same committee, however, voted not to recommend – and the FDA denied – approval of the drug in 2010. The difference this time, panel members said, was that some were reassured by plans to limit the health risks, like trying to make sure pregnant women did not take the drug and recommending that patients who did not lose weight after three months stop taking the medicine. How should the FDA weigh the health risks and potential benefits of such drugs? Who should they be marketed to and is a miracle weight loss pill possible?

Guests: TBD

2:06 – 2:30

Frankenfish, now frankenburgers? Genetically engineered and lab-grown food wave of the future

People around the world love meat and fish, whether a sliver of salmon or a juicy hamburger. Fish, though, is pricey, and demand for meat is set to increase as the standard of living grows in various regions such as Asia and Africa. Yet what if your food comes from a genetically engineered fish or a burger grown in a lab? The food of the future involves the manipulation of food sources, and many are unhappy about it. The United States Food and Drug Administration, amid opposition by consumer advocates and environmental groups, has been waiting on whether to approve what would be the nation’s first genetically engineered fish for human consumption. The salmon, created by Massachusetts bio-tech firm AquaBounty Technologies, grows twice the normal rate of an Atlantic salmon and is engineered to produce a growth hormone. At a conference Sunday, Dutch scientists unveiled the first inklings of lab-grown meat, made out of cow stem cells, towards creating the world’s first “test-tube” hamburger expected to debut this fall. The Maastricht University project, funded by an anonymous investor, used bovine stem cells to produce thin strips of muscle tissue, which will be combined with blood and artificially grown fat. Project researchers consider the lab-grown meat more efficient than producing meat the old-fashioned away. Opponents say artificially created and engineered foods haven’t been properly tested for human safety and should also be labeled. Genetically engineered soy beans, corn, papaya and squash are sold throughout the U.S. without FDA labeling of their genetic status. Do you support the genetic engineering or manipulation of food such as fish, beef and pork, and does it make a difference when the food is animal versus plant-based? Should there be mandatory FDA labeling of these foods? Does a lab-grown hamburger, which could decrease the need for factory-farmed animals worldwide, ever sound appetizing?

 

Guests:

Gregory Stock, founding director of the Program on Medicine, Technology and Society at the UCLA School of Medicine and associate director of policy think tank the Center for Life Science Policy Studies at UC Berkeley

 

Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union, the policy advocacy arm of Consumer Reports magazine, whose goal is to create a safe marketplace for consumers

 

2:30-2:39: OPEN

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

Comic books come of age – the depiction of race in graphic novels
The idea of comic books may bring to mind images of awkward teenage boys and eccentric collectors for some, but comic books have grown up, and they even have an upscale moniker – Graphic Novels – to match their diverse subject matter and increasing influence in our culture. Movie and television studios have increasingly turned to graphic novels for stories; such familiar movies and franchises as “Iron Man,” “Batman,” “Hellboy,” “Men in Black,” “Spider Man,” AMC’s popular zombie program, “The Walking Dead,” and the granddaddy of them all, “Superman,” all got their start with a pen and ink in serialized comic books. But as their popularity skyrockets, do graphic novels have an increased responsibility to reflect racial diversity and dispel stereotypes? A group of graphic novel authors and Professor Adilifu Nama from Loyola Marymount University host a conference today (Thursday) to discuss just these issues. Nama, the chair of the African American Studies Department at LMU, has applied this racial paradigm to science fiction in his 2008 book, “Black Space: Imagining Race in Science Fiction Film” and joins graphic novel artists such as Lalo Alcaraz (“La Cucaracha”), LeSean Thomas (“The Boondocks”) and others to talk about how graphic novels can address racial issues. What is the influence of graphic novels in modern society? How can, or should, graphic novels address issue of race?

Guests:
Adilifu Nama “ah-dih-LEE-foo NAH-mah”, chair of the African American Studies Department at Loyola Marymount University

Lalo Alcaraz, “LAH-loh AHL-cah-rahz”, Creator of the first nationally-syndicated, politically-themed Latino daily comic strip, “La Cucaracha”; professor at the Otis College of Art and Design

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison

 

Patt Morrison for Wednesday, February 22, 2012

*DAVID LAZARUS IS IN FOR PATT*

 

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

1:06 – 1:30: OPEN

 

1:30– 1:58:30

Ask your Congressman: Rep. John Campbell talks to his constituents

Guest host David Lazarus continues Patt’s mini-series checking in with local Congress members. Today he welcomes Rep. John Campbell, the Republican Congressman representing California’s 48th district located in Orange County. Campbell has spoken out against President Obama’s recent 2012 budget proposal, calling it “a pretty ugly thing.” David gets Rep. Campbell’s take on the budget and its impact on the national debt. How can Congress trim government spending? Campbell, unlike many Republicans, has suggested cutting the military budget, but what should be done about the housing slump? Should Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be eliminated? Campbell has also cosponsored legislation to freeze federal funding for California’s high speed rail project. Congress recently passed a bill banning Congress and executive branch officials from insider trading, but Rep. Campbell voted against the bill. Why? David covers everything from the economy to the recent contraception debate ignited by Obama’s birth control policy. Call in with your questions.

 

Guest:

Congressman John Campbell, (R-California's 48th District); member of the House Committee on Financial Services, the House Committee on the Budget, the Joint Economic Committee, and the House Policy Committee

IN STUDIO

 

District 48, Orange County: Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel)

 

 

2:06 – 2:40

Big Man on Campus: LAUSD Supt. John Deasy faces teacher misconduct and budget challenges

It’s time again for our visit with the Big Man on Campus, a.k.a. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy.  Even if you’ve been following the headlines from a distance, it’s obvious that Deasy has a lot on his plate. Last Wednesday, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) informed him that it believes the district posed a “potential risk to student safety” in its handling of the case of Mark Berndt, the former Miramonte Elementary School teacher charged with 23 counts of lewd conduct with children. A photolab employee reported Berndt after developing a roll of film that contained photos of blindfolded and gagged schoolchildren in the classroom. The LAUSD removed Berndt in February of 2011 but failed to notify the larger school community about the abuse – or the CCTC about Berndt’s change in status – until after the conclusion of the police investigation, months later.  Two other LAUSD teachers have subsequently been released from their teaching duties due to charges of sexual misconduct; one, Martin Springer, is also from Miramonte Elementary.  Earlier this month, the LAUSD shut down Miramonte and replaced all teachers until further notice, a move criticized by many parents as disruptive, but that Deasy viewed as necessary.  “I cannot have one more student tell me he is afraid,” said Deasy. He said that the original teachers will eventually be returned to Miramonte; United Teachers Los Angeles president Warren Fletcher has raised concerns that this will not be the case. Then, of course, there are continuing budget woes. Last month, Deasy announced a $543 million budget shortfall. Last Tuesday, the board decided to postpone the budget vote, leaving funding for adult- and early-education programs in limbo, along with possible teacher and staff layoffs. Deasy has made it clear that teachers should not expect pay raises or benefits.  Towards the end of January, the superintendent also revealed that the LAUSD plans to reduce the number of local district education service centers from eight to four, a decision that drew fire from parents and students who feel the numbers of students served by each center are already too large and the support provided by LAUSD too small. Tenure is also a subject of contention; depending on who is speaking, tenure protection is necessary but weakening, or it keeps teachers in the system who should be let go.  Also a point of concern: a number of LAUSD employees and administrators have been returning to work after retiring and thus receive both a pension and a salary.  The practice is legal, but has raised ire in the cash-strapped district.

 

How do you think that the LAUSD has handled the situation at Miramonte Elementary School and the impending budget deficit? What do you think that the LAUSD has done well and what could it be doing differently?  What questions do you have for the Big Man On Campus?

 

Guest:

John Deasy, superintendent, Los Angeles United School District

IN STUDIO

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30: OPEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison

 

Patt Morrison for Tuesday, February 21, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

1:00 – 2:00

OPEN

 

2:00 – 2:40

Does the Pledge of Allegiance discriminate against atheists?

When it comes to the Pledge of Allegiance chanted by children daily in schools across America, the critical phrase “one nation under God” is up for debate. In Acton, Mass., anonymous parents of three kids are suing the school district over the Pledge of Allegiance. They claim “one nation under God” discriminates against atheists. The parents, filing their lawsuit as John and Jane Doe, say the phrase “under God” is unfair to their kids, who they’re raising as atheists, and that it suggests people who don’t believe in God are less patriotic than others. The phrase “under God” wasn’t added until 1954 to the pledge, which was first written in 1892. On the flip side of the issue, Utah Republican Sen. Aaron Osmond has introduced a bill that would require a student to lead the Pledge of Allegiance each morning in class rather than have it broadcast over a loudspeaker. Sen. Osmond says his bill would foster a deeper respect for the pledge and make the experience more “intimate.” Do you think the Pledge of Allegiance discriminates against atheists? Should it be recited in classrooms daily?

 

Guest:

BOTH UNCONFIRMED – DO NOT PROMOTE

David Niose, managing attorney, Law Offices of David Niose (nee-OH-see); he is the attorney representing the parents of three atheist school children

CALL HIM

 

Aaron Osmond, Utah State Senator (R-Salt Lake); he has introduced a bill that would require a student to lead the Pledge of Allegiance each morning in class

CALL HIM@

 

2:40 – 3:00

A year without cash – could you do it?

How does money work – cash money, that is? David Wolman realized he didn’t know the answer to this deceptively simple question, so he decided to live one year without cash and set out across the globe to better understand the history of currency and what its future might be. Along the way he met a counterfeiter in Honolulu, ran into an anti-counterfeiter in Tokyo, landed in the Digital Money Forum in London, and witnessed firsthand how new mobile payment technology is affecting the poor in Delhi. Wolman returned from his travels convinced that services allowing you to pay from your phone, such as Google Wallet, could lead to a better, cash-free future. He looked at the ways cash can affect our health, environment, and our psychology to better understand our relationship with hard currency. Could you do as Wolman did and live a year without using cash? Should we be moving toward a future without cash? Do you think a cashless society is inevitable? What problems do you see with a transition to digital-only payments?

 

Guests:

David Wolman, contributing editor at Wired and author of “The End of Money: Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreamers—and the Coming Cashless Society”

CALL HIM on the Patt Morrison page at KPCC-dot-org and you can follow us on Twitter. You’re listening to 89.3 KPCC – Southern California Public Radio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patt Morrison for Monday, February 20, 2012 - PRESIDENTS' DAY HOLIDAY - SHOW ON TAPE

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Monday, February 20, 2012

1-3 p.m.

PRESIDENTS’ DAY – HOLIDAY – SHOW ON TAPE

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

1:00 – 1:30

Is the right to vote really a right?

Since the 2008 election, significant changes in voting laws have been made in some GOP-controlled states. Republicans say that the new restrictions are based on a need to “protect the integrity of the election,” but Democrats are crying foul and calling the new laws “voter suppression.” Speaking to a group of college students in July, former President Clinton said, “There has never been in my lifetime, since we got rid of the poll tax and the Jim Crow burdens on voting, the determined effort to limit the franchise that we see today." The new restrictions include reducing early voting, requiring that voters show ID at voting centers, eliminating same-day voter registration and making it harder for college students to vote away from their home districts. Election workers can be fined for breaking these rules, prompting the nonpartisan League of Women Voters to suspend their Florida voter registration drives.  Republicans in Florida justified the changes on the grounds that they believe voting shouldn’t be easy or convenient.  During debate over the changes Florida Senator Michael Bennett argued that voting “is a hard-fought privilege. This is something people died for. Why should we make it easier?” Democrats stand to suffer from the new restrictions, passed in several Republican-controlled states, because they will have the greatest effect on students, elderly voters, the poor, disabled and minorities – demographics that traditionally skew towards the Democrats. Are the new restrictions a political agenda or based on a need to streamline the voting process?  Is making it harder for people to vote a good thing? 

 

Guests:

David Savage, Supreme Court reporter for the Los Angeles Times

John Fortier, director of the Democracy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington think tank that promotes bipartisanship

Heather Smith, president, Rock the Vote

 

1:30 – 2:00

Journalist Erin Aubry Kaplan and the modern black experience

Erin Aubry Kaplan is a Los Angeles-based author and journalist who is renowned for addressing issues of race head on and with a deft touch.  In her new book, Black Talk, Blue Thoughts and Walking the Color Line, Kaplan turns her keen eye and unique literary voice to topics that encompass the full range of the modern African American experience.  The book features thirty-three essays about a wide range of topics that originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Salon.com and elsewhere. Subjects range from the mundane to the tragic – including stories about Hurricane Katrina, Tiger Woods and Serena Williams, as well as new essays about President Barack Obama and her personal struggles with depression. But the common thread is Kaplan’s ability to distill life in the 21st century down to its complex and beautiful absurdity.

 

Guest:

Erin Aubry Kaplan, author, “Black Talk, Blue Thoughts, and Walking the Color Line: Dispatches from a Black Journalista;” contributing editor, op-ed section of the Los Angeles Times

 

2:00 – 2:30

Ey, watcha! The linguistics of the East L.A. accent and beyond

For those of us lifelong Angelenos (an-juh-LEE-nohs), where we live doesn’t just distinguish the types of foods we eat (K-town for the best Korean BBQ), but also how we talk. We all know the, like, Valley Girl speak, but we rarely talk about the East L.A. accent. As Hector Becerra writes in a recent Los Angeles Times article, “Chicano English crosses racial and ethnic lines” and is mostly prevalent in Boyle Heights, El Sereno and City Terrace. Linguists propose that the Mexican American accent stems from an indigenous group in Mexico, Nahuatl. Distinguished by high vowels and pronouncing “ch” as “sh,” the accent is more of a regional marker than one of race or ethnicity. Of course, the thing with accents is that no one believes they’re the one with the accent. And Los Angeles is filled to the brim with languages and accents from around the world. Have you noticed the East L.A. accent? Do you speak Chicano English? What is it about our city that makes the sounds of its citizens so unique?

 

Guests:

Hector Becerra, metro reporter for the Los Angeles Times

Carmen Fought (FAWT), professor of linguistics, Pitzer College

 

2:30 – 3:00

 “Tension City”:  journalist Jim Lehrer on presidential debates

Award-winning journalist Jim Lehrer’s new book “Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain” takes a witty, behind-the-scenes look at more than 40 years of televised presidential debates. Lehrer, long considered one of the most well respected figures in broadcast journalism, has interviewed every president since Gerald Ford, and has moderated eleven presidential and vice presidential debates. He is the executive editor and former anchor of PBS News Hour and author of 20 novels, two memoirs and three plays. Lehrer’s book includes in-depth interviews with candidates and other moderators, revealing the stories behind debate blunders, snafus, off-air conversations and critical moments. From candidate hesitations to jokes gone wrong, these tiny televised details had a direct impact on presidential elections, and, of course, history. Lehrer’s lively tales from the frontlines include Ronald Reagan’s affinity for one-liners, John McCain and President Barack Obama exchanging little eye contact during one 90 minute debate and Dan Quayle comparing himself continuously to John F. Kennedy. What presidential debate moments have surprised or shocked you the most? What moments would you like Jim Lehrer to shed some light on?

 

Guests:

Jim Lehrer, award-winning American author, playwright and journalist. He is the executive editor and former anchor of PBS News Hour and author of 20 novels, two memoirs and three plays.

• Spanning a fifty-year career, Lehrer has interviewed every president since Gerald Ford and has moderated eleven presidential debates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patt Morrison for Friday, February 17, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Friday, February 17, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

 

1:06 – 1:39: OPEN

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

Ron Briggs, longtime champion of death penalty, reverses course

Even if you support the death penalty, numbers show, it’s not working, and if you oppose it, then it never should work. In 1978, California voters passed the Briggs Death Penalty Initiative, which expanded the use of, and eligibility for, the state’s death penalty. The Briggs family argued the initiative would allow for swift, just punishment for crimes of murder. But today, California’s death row has ballooned to more than seven hundred prisoners, more than any other state. The state has also only executed thirteen convicted murderers since the initiative passed over thirty year ago. Now, Ron Briggs, who campaigned along with his father Senator John Briggs and brother-in-law to pass the initiative, admits it was flawed. He’s trying to replace the death penalty in the state with life in prison, without parole. Patt talks to him about his change of heart and what he learned from his father’s career. Do you support to death penalty?

 

Guest:

Ron Briggs, co-sponsor, along with his father and brother-in-law, of the 1978 Briggs Death Penalty Initiative, which sought the to expand the death penalty; he’s currently a member of the Board of Supervisors in El Dorado, CA

 

2:00 – 2:30: OPEN

 

2:30 – 2:39

And the winner… has been hacked – fears surround new digital 2013 Oscar ballot
PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the accountancy firm long associated with making sure that no one knows who will go home with a golden statuette until the envelopes are opened on Oscar night, is slated to be phased out for next year’s balloting in favor of an Internet-based balloting interface. To move the Oscars securely into the Internet Age, the Academy has partnered with Everyone Counts, a company that has designed software for Internet elections around the globe. But some tech experts warn that the electronic voting system that will replace the venerable paper ballots is vulnerable to cyber attack. For example, hackers may be able to clandestinely change the winner for Best Picture, throwing the program into disarray. The Oscar balloting software will feature "multiple layers of security" and "military-grade encryption techniques" to allay the fears of the traditionally staid and conservative Oscar voter. But will it be enough? Is the convenience of at-home balloting worth the security risk? And what about members of the Academy without computers?

Guest:
Andrew Gumbel, Los Angeles-based author and reporter; author of Steal This Vote: Dirty Elections and the Rotten History of Democracy in America (Nation Books 2005)

 

COSTUME SEGMENT CAN EXTEND PAST 2:50 INTO MAKE-UP SEGMENT

 

2:41:30 –2:50
Oscar-nominated costume designers talk movies, fashion and the new FIDM exhibit

Lights! Camera! Fashion! This year’s Oscar-nominated costume designers have created gorgeous outfits for films ranging from Martin Scorsese’s kids adventure “Hugo,” to black-and-white and mostly silent film “The Artist,” set in 1920s Hollywood. Select costumes from all five nominated films are now on display through April 28 at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising’s museum in downtown Los Angeles as part of FIDM’s 20th annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibit. In person, you can see the vibrant orange, pink, and green hues of dresses and jackets from “The Artist” that appear in muted grey tones in the movie. Other nominees include designers for 16th century set "Anonymous," 19th century based "Jane Eyre" and Madonna’s 1930s royal ode "W.E." Join Patt as she talks to Oscar-nominated costume designer Mark Bridges about his silent film era costumes for “The Artist,” and fellow nominee Arianne Phillips about her couture costumes for “W.E.” What costumes in this year’s Oscar-nominated crop have captured your attention most? Which impressed you the least?

 

http://fidmmuseum.org/exhibitions/current/#20th-annual-art-of-motion-picture-costume-design

Guest:

Mark Bridges, Oscar-nominated costume designer this year for “The Artist”

Arianne Phillips (AH-ree-ahn), Oscar-nominated costume designer this year for Madonna’s “W.E.”

 

2:50- 2:58:30

Oscar-nominated make-up artist transforms Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”

Longtime make-up artist Matthew W. Mungle has worked on films ranging from “Inception” to “Schindler’s List.” He is nominated for his fourth best make-up Oscar this year for the 19th century-set film “Albert Nobbs.” He won a best make-up Academy Award in 1993 for “Dracula.” For “Albert Nobbs,” Mungle managed to transform beautiful 64-year-old actress Glenn Close into a demure, shy and stately hotel Irish waiter named Albert Nobbs, who lived as a man and concealed his female-born identity. Patt talks to Matthew W. Mungle about make-up and what goes into transforming an actress, or actor, into a character such as Nobbs. Make-up artists for “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” and “The Iron Lady” are also nominated this year for the best make-up Oscar. What do you like best about Close’s make-up in “Albert Nobbs”? What make-up film tricks are you curious about?

 

http://www.matthewwmungle.com/

http://oscar.go.com/nominees/makeup/albert-nobbs

 

Guest:

Matthew W. Mungle (MUHN-guhl), Oscar-nominated this year for best make-up for “Albert Nobbs”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison

 

Patt Morrison for Thursday, February 16, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Thursday, February 16, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

1:06 – 1:30: OPEN

 

1:30 – 2:00
Love and divorce in the time of recession
Conventional thinking would have you believe that divorce rates would be up in times of economic strife. Couples often fight about finances, and when there isn’t enough money to go around, couples might consider uncoupling. But the reality in our current “Great Recession” is exactly the opposite. When divorce rates between 2005 and 2009 are compared state-by-state, the number of divorces went down as unemployment went up. Divorce is expensive, and it appears that most couples have chosen to stick it out – at least until the economy turns around.  But if the pattern holds, experts are predicting a surge in divorce proceedings as paychecks get bigger and years of pent up marital discord are unleashed at once. The slow-but-steady recovery in 2011-12 is already bringing an increase in divorces as people find the means to match their desire to get out of unhappy marriages. Is it a green shoot for the economy? Will divorces increase as the economy improves? How has your marriage faired in the current recession?

Guest: Mike Konczal, Roosevelt Institute fellow; economics and finance blogger

 

2:06 – 2:30

Is it time to cut the cord on costly cable-television?

Do you find yourself spending more time on your computer than in front of the television? If so, you are not alone. For years, millions of Americans have relied on cable-television as their primary source of home entertainment, but viewers are ditching their tubes for alternative Internet-based amusement provided by Netflix, iTunes and others. According to an analysis conducted by the Associated Press of eight of the nine largest subscription-TV providers in the U.S., pay-TV providers lost a record number of customers – 195,700, in 2011. The Nielsen Co. also found, last year, that Americans who watch the most video online tend to watch less TV. Compared to traditional cable or satellite subscription services, web-based entertainment can be less expensive or even free. Some consumers, though, are weary of perceived flaws such as inferior picture quality and limited options. Other alternatives to cable include Apple TV, Hulu, streaming movies and shows from the iTunes store, and the Boxee Box, which searches for free shows and movies from legal online sources. How much money could you save by canceling your cable subscription? Are Internet-based on-demand services such as YouTube the future of home entertainment?

 

Guest: David Katzmaier (WAITING ON PRONUNCIATION), senior editor at CNET

 

2:30 – 2:39

“To Kill a Mockingbird” (the film) turns 50

The film “To Kill A Mockingbird,”  based on Harper Lee’s classic about a courtroom drama in the segregated South, appeared 50 years ago this year to instant attention and praise. It won actor Gregory Peck an Oscar for his portrayal of lawyer Atticus Finch and even Lee was delighted with Peck's performance. Many who knew him claim that he nailed the role because the character fit his own personality so well. A new edition of the film has just been released with several pages of Peck's shooting script, full of his personal interpretations and memories. Film scholar Jeanine Basinger joins Patt to talk about Peck and how some of the story’s more controversial elements were translated to the silver screen.

 

Guest: Jeanine Basinger (Bay-singer), Corwin-Fuller professor of Film Studies; chair, Film Studies Department, Wesleyan University and curator, Wesleyan Cinema Archives

 

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

A response to DGA President Taylor Hackford’s defense of internet piracy laws SOPA and PIPA

The President of the Directors Guild of America, Taylor Hackford, thinks that last month’s campaign against internet piracy laws like the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) was full of baloney. The Oscar-winning Hackford spoke with Patt yesterday [WEDNESDAY] about how internet piracy is negatively impacting Hollywood, but now voices from other sides of the debate chime in to offer a different perspective. We heard from Hackford that he believes legislation like SOPA and PIPA protects content created by filmmakers, but others maintain that these proposed laws could deprive Americans of civil liberties, undermine free speech, and hurt U.S. businesses. Organizations such as Google and Wikipedia oppose these bills and maintain that they do not support piracy. A statement appearing on Google’s “End Piracy, Not Liberty” page addressing the issue reads, “We at Google remain committed to working to address the problem of piracy without compromising our freedoms and risking our industry’s track record of innovation and job creation.” How can content creators in Hollywood and web companies in Silicon Valley work together to stop piracy without denying free speech?

 

Guests:

Jon Fox, consumer advocate, CalPirg 

http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2012/02/15/22540/directors-guild-president-defends-sopa-and-pipa-in

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison

 

RE: Patt Morrison for Wednesday, February 15, 2012

 

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

1-3 p.m.

 

CALL-IN @ 866-893-5722, 866-893-KPCC; OR JOIN THE CONVERSATION ONLINE ON THE PATT MORRISON BLOG AT KPCC-DOT-ORG

 

1:06 –1:39 OPEN

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

Directors’ guild president defends SOPA and PIPA in fight against piracy

Google and other technology companies spread “outright lies” about anti-piracy bills, according to Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford. The union leader used his clout at the 64^th Annual DGA Awards Ceremony to defend the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) as part of his anti-piracy campaign. Film directors have a big stake and a big say in the battle over intellectual property online. Hackford maintains that content created by filmmakers is being stolen and given away on the Internet for free. The guild president has also emphasized that big studios, who also support SOPA and PIPA, are not suffering as much as independent filmmakers are from digital theft. Congressional voting on both bills, which incited controversial protests last month from websites such as Google and Wikipedia, has been postponed. How will Hackford’s outspoken support of SOPA and PIPA help filmmakers? How constructive is it for Hackford to speak out against Google? How much, if at all, will companies like Google influence the future of the film industry? And what is at stake for creators and the film-loving public?

 

Guests:

Taylor Hackford, Oscar-winning feature film and documentary director, writer and producer; he’s serving his second term as President of the Directors Guild of America

 

2:06 – 2:30

EMBARGOED UNTIL 11 A.M. PST TODAY

"Human Rights Watch issues new report on Saudi women in sports

 

Guests:

Christoph Wilcke, senior researcher for our Middle-East North Africa Division of Human Rights Watch; author of the report, 'Steps of the Devil': Denial of Women

Minky Worden, director of global initiatives, Human Rights Watch; spearheads HRW's efforts to align human rights more closely with the Olympic Movement

 

2:30 – 2:58:30

My dad shot my laptop!
Have you ever felt so disrespected by someone texting on his or her phone that you’ve wanted to grab the device and throw it out the window or maybe even… shoot nine bullets into it? The latter course of action is exactly what father Tommy Jordan did to his daughter Hannah’s laptop computer after he felt she insulted him in a diatribe she posted on Facebook. In what her father calls “her little rebellious post” addressed to her parents, Hannah vented her frustrations about being a “slave” and having to do domestic chores. In response, not only did father Jordan fire exploding hollow-point rounds into her computer, but recorded himself doing it along with his visceral reply to Hannah’s complaints. The video, which the Albermarle, North Carolina resident posted on his daughter’s Facebook wall, has become a YouTube sensation with 23 million viewers and counting, but his unconventional method of discipline has raised a lot of eyebrows and questions about parenting in the age of social media. Should kids be allowed to freely express their anger with their parents on Facebook? How appropriate was Tommy Jordan’s response as a father? Did he overreact by potentially humiliating his daughter or is this a case of constructive tough-love?

Guests:

Karen Sternheimer, associate professor of Sociology at USC

Karen North, director of the online communities program at USC’s Annenberg school of Communications and Journalism