Hillary Clinton plans to announce her run for president on Sunday. Are there any potential Democratic candidates who can compete? Also, a consumer advocate group has called for the federal government to look into the use of the term “diet” by the beverage industry. Then, the FCC is putting pressure on phone companies to do more to stop Robocalls. Should carriers do more to combat robocalls?
Clinton first into the presidential fray for Dems, plans Sunday announcement
Ending months of speculation, Hillary Clinton plans to announce her run for president on Sunday.
The 67-year-old former FLOTUS is expected to make the official announcement via a social media message. Clinton appears to have big aspirations for the roles of technology and social media in her campaign. Earlier this week, she hired Google director of product management Stephanie Hannon to be her chief technology officer. It will come a day before Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio plans to announce his entry into the race.
The message is expected to be aimed at middle and working-class voters, unlike her 2008 campaign entry message, which featured her seated in her Washington D.C. mansion, Whitehaven. She has strong support among Democratic women voters, and early polls suggest she leads by a wide margin over other potential Democratic candidates like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, and former Virginia Senator Jim Webb.
What does Hillary have to do differently this time around than she did in 2008? Do you think her focus on technology and social media will draw voters? Are there any potential Democratic candidates who can compete with Hillary?
Guest:
Amie Parnes, Senior White House Correspondent, The Hill; Co-author of the recent New York Times Bestseller “HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton”
Ed Espinoza, Executive Director of strategy firm, Progress Texas; From 2009-2011, Espinoza served as Western States Director at the Democratic National Committee; California Superdelegate for Barack Obama in 2008
Is the beverage industry engaging in false advertising by using the D-word?
A consumer advocate group has called for the federal government to look into the use of the term “diet” by the beverage industry.
The Oakland-based group, U.S. Right to Know has filed a request with the Federal Trade Association and the Food and Drug Administration to investigate if the use of that adjective falls into the category of false and deceptive advertising.
The group claims that research has shown that the consumption of diet beverages in many cases actually lead to weight gain, as opposed to weight lost.
Statement from the American Beverage Association, a trade group representing the beverage industry:
"Previous research, including human clinical trials, supports that diet beverages are an effective tool as part of an overall weight management plan. Numerous studies have repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of diet beverages – as well as low-calorie sweeteners, which are in thousands of foods and beverages – in helping to reduce calorie intake. Furthermore, low- and no-calorie sweeteners have repeatedly been deemed safe by decades of scientific research as well as regulatory agencies around the globe – including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”
Guest:
Gary Ruskin, Executive Director and co-founder of U.S. Right to Know, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group in Oakland that focuses on issues related to the food industry.
Marianne Smith Edge, Senior Vice President of Nutrition & Food Safety for the international Food Information Council, a DC-based nonprofit health and food safety organization. She is a past president of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Combatting robocalls
The FCC is putting pressure on phone companies to do more to stop Robocalls. It has been illegal in the U.S. for over two decades.
In 2003 the government implemented a national Do Not Call List, which was designed to protect consumers from rogue dialers. Despite this measure, The Federal Trade Commission says it still receives about 150,000 robocall complaints a month.
Stamping out companies who violate Do Not Call laws is difficult. The FTC files hundreds of lawsuits against violators, but to no avail. “For every company we can shut down, there are probably 10 to 100 companies that can pop up in its place,” the FTC’s Patty Hsue tells the L.A. Times.
Tim Marvin with the Consumer Union tells KPCC that the problem is the technology. Robocall software is simply developing faster than lawmakers can counteract it. Making matters more complicated, telemarketers often shield their number using a fake phone number. Because digital dialers operate through broadband internet, a marketer’s true identity and information is nearly impossible to trace.
Ahead of the tax deadline, many consumers have received calls from scammers claiming to be with the IRS, demanding payment and making threats. People who lose money to scammers rarely see their money again.
Should carriers do more to combat robocalls? When was the last time you received a call from a telemarketer? Have you ever been the target of a scammer?
Guests:
Tim Marvin, grass roots coordinator, Consumers Union
Jeff Kagan, telecom industry analyst
Filmweek: 'The Longest Ride,' 'Ex Machina,' 'Kill Me Three Times,' and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Henry Sheehan and Tim Cogshell review this week’s releases, including the latest Nicholas Sparks adaptation “The Longest Ride,” sci-fi thriller "Ex Machina," Simon Pegg in "Kill Me Three Times," and more. TGI-Filmweek!
Ranker - Top 10 Lists and More
Guests:
Tim Cogshell, film critic for KPCC and Alt Film Guide
Henry Sheehan, film critic for KPCC and CriticsAGoGo.com
Exhibitors bet on high-tech cinemas despite VOD competition
Video on demand is...well...in demand, so large chains and independent theater owners alike are trying to find ways to keep customers’ behinds planted firmly in a theater seat, popcorn and soda in hand.
AMC Entertainment is teaming up with audio giant Dolby to build 100 new, high-tech movie theaters across the country, 14 of which will be right here in Southern California. AMC and Dolby are promising fancy new features like reclining seats that also vibrate with the action on-screen as well as Dolby’s Atmos sound system, which creates lifelike sound and music that will surround movie-goers during the film. AMC says it will debut the new Dolby Cinema locally in Burbank in May.
The plan is the latest move by theaters to keep up with the increasing popularity of video-on-demand. Films like ‘The Interview’ and ‘Snowpiercer’ were day-and-date releases, meaning they were put out in theaters and on VOD simultaneously.
Could movies like these spell the end of theaters as we know them? Will high-tech theaters like the Dolby Cinemas push back on day-and-date releases? Why are companies continuing to invest in high-tech theaters when there is such a push to divert films to VOD?
Guests:
Doug Darrow, Senior Vice President of Cinema at Dolby Laboratories
Paul Dergarabedian, Senior Media Analyst for the media research company Rentrak