Patt Morrison schedule for Wednesday, March 21, 2012

PATT MORRISON SCHEDULE

Wednesday, March 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

 

 

1:06 – 1:39 - OPEN

 

1:41:30 – 1:58:30

Sugar takes corn syrup to court to determine which is worse for your health

You’ve heard it before – America is fat and pretty unhealthy. And it’s pretty widely acknowledged that neither sugar nor high fructose corn syrup is particularly good for your health. But while health experts may agree on that theory, the sugar and corn industries disagree on whether sugar or corn syrup is worse for your health, and they’re taking one another to court in a landmark battle that goes before a Los Angeles federal judge today. In response to a recent advertising campaign being run by the Corn Refiners Association, the sugar industry has filed a lawsuit accusing big corn of making false claims: corn syrup is “nutritionally the same as table sugar” and “your body can’t tell the difference.” So which sweetener is really to blame for more of America’s clogged arteries and muffin tops? And even if sugar wins, will it make a difference in the way Americans view the ingredients?

 

Guests:

TBD

 

2:06 – 2:39

Big Man on Campus: LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy faces budget challenges

The LAUSD has had to deal with a lot of not exactly academic problems recently, including a large budget deficit and the fallout from multiple sexual abuse scandals. Despite some recent good news that helped reduce the deficit, the school district still has a $390 million shortfall for the next school year. Superintendent John Deasy has proposed adding a $298 parcel tax to November’s ballot and working with Unified Teachers Los Angeles to come to an agreement over furloughs and temporary pay-cuts, but should these efforts to restore funding fail, the district will cut spending to adult education schools, art programs, and early education centers. The school board has also unanimously approved two measures in response to the recent sexual abuse scandals throughout the district, one seeking to change state laws to allow quicker dismissal of district employees found guilty of misconduct with children and the second standardizing the process by which parents and students are notified about allegations against district staff. A lawsuit has been filed against the LAUSD for the part that the school district’s poor communication decisions might have played in perpetuating any abuse. The district has been working to improve its social media presence, hiring a new director and enforcing a policy whereby they can monitor teachers’ online activity. That’s right, it’s Big Man on Campus, with LAUSD superintendent John Deasy here to answer your questions.

 

Guest:

John Deasy, superintendent, Los Angeles United School District

IN STUDIO

 

2:41:30 – 2:58:30

A racially divided economy and the quest to buy black

John and Maggie Anderson, an upper middle class African American couple, felt uneasy about the fate of those who were less fortunate. They knew with black wealth amounting to only a tenth of white wealth in the US, most African Americans live in economically depressed neighborhoods. They also discovered that, compared to other communities, African American consumers aren’t as supportive of African American-owned businesses. One economist found that in Asian communities, a dollar spent will circulate between businesses for up to 28 days before it leaves the community. By comparison, a dollar spent in African American communities leaves within 6 hours. Furthermore, while African Americans make up only 13 percent of the population, they account for 25 to 45 percent of the consumer base for grocery stores, fast food restaurants, and athletic apparel and toy stores. Faced with this information, the Andersons created the The Empowerment Experiment, where they pledged to only patronize black-owned businesses for a year. Maggie Anderson joins Patt to talk about her year of “buying black.”

 

Guests:

Maggie Anderson, CEO and founder of The Empowerment Experiment and the author of “Our Black Year: One Family’s Quest to Buy Black in America’s Racially Divided Economy”

via ISDN from WBEZ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lauren Osen

Southern California Public Radio - 89.3 KPCC

626-583-5173 / 626-483-5278

losen@scpr.org @Patt_Morrison