The Los Angeles Unified school board voted Tuesday to grant conditional approval for two all-girls schools focused on science and technology to open in the fall. Also, Police Chief Charlie Beck stops in to talk all things body cam. From cloud storage, reviewing footage to its use in investigations. Then, the Santa Monica City Council will likely approve a controversial Zoning Ordinance Update that would allow for more dense housing.
Debating single sex education as LAUSD OKs all-girls schools
The nation's second-largest school district has greenlighted two new single-sex schools focused on science and technology.
The Los Angeles Unified school board voted unanimously Tuesday to grant conditional approval for two all-girls schools to open in the fall. The Girls Academic Leadership Academy will be housed at Los Angeles High School and start with grades 6-9, eventually expanding to grades 6-12. LAUSD will oversee the school The Girls Athletic Leadership School will be a district-approved charter school and serve grades 6 to 8. Charter leaders are still searching for a location.
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Guests:
Annie Gilbertson, KPCC education reporter who was at yesterday’s LAUSD vote.
Christina Hoff Sommers, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
Janet Hyde, professor of psychology and gender and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She co-authored a 2014 study comparing student performance in single-sex schools to that of students in co-ed schools.
LAPD Chief Beck details body camera news, carjacking takedown and more
As videos of police shootings ricochet across the national news, the LAPD has received its first delivery of body cameras and plans to start using them this summer.
The department is still working on policy issues — everything from how video will be reviewed, stored and used in investigations. How secure is the “cloud” storage? Should police officers review video before filing reports? What else should the policy incorporate?
A risky incident caught on television cameras last week was the pursuit of an armed carjacking suspect through South L.A. Metro officers were able to use armored vehicles to block in and arrest the man safely with relatively little incident. How do officers navigate pursuits through rush hour traffic when streets are filled with bystanders? Larry will also ask Chief Beck about relations with Skid Row residents, next month’s gun buyback program, policing Dodgers Stadium, and take questions from listeners.
Guest:
Charlie Beck, Chief, Los Angeles Police Department
Gigolos and paramours beware: Judge orders V. Stiviano to return $2.6m to Shelly Sterling
A judge has ordered V. Stiviano, former companion of Donald Sterling, to return $2.6 million in gifts and cash from the billionaire to his wife, Shelly.
Shelly Sterling took Stiviano to court, claiming that the younger woman seduced and hoodwinked her husband into giving her a luxury duplex, expensive cars and some $800,000 in cash.
Stiviano’s lawyer argued that the gifts were given when the Sterlings were separated, and the case should be dismissed.
The ruling is tentative. Stiviano’s lawyer says she plans to appeal the decision.
How common is such a ruling? Does it set any precedent in family law? What are the implications of the ruling?
Guest:
Donald Schweitzer, certified family law lawyer and managing partner at the law firm Donald P Schweitzer in Pasadena
Santa Monica looks to controversial rezoning
The Santa Monica City Council will publicly discuss Wednesday controversial Zoning Ordinance Update (ZOU) that would allow for more dense housing - meant to increase the supply of housing the city.
It’s the first comprehensive change to the city’s zoning in more than three decades, and local no-growth activists are rallying against it. They say it'll change the character of their "beach town,"and are demanding an overall height reduction of all zoning standards and a ban childcare in single-family neighborhoods. But supporters say the reality is that Southern California needs to build more homes.
Is there a way to preserve the feel of Santa Monica while still sustainably planning for more housing? And if not, how should the city proceed? The final ordinance will come up for a vote on May 5.
Guests:
Jason Islas, editor of Santa Monica Next, a group that’s in favor of the zoning updates. He grew up in Santa Monica but currently lives in Korea Town (he says he can’t afford to move back)
Lorraine Sanchez, board member of the Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA), which opposes the zoning updates
Actor Domhnall Gleeson on ‘Ex Machina’ and ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’
Sci-fi thriller "Ex Machina" surpassed expectations during its opening weekend making it the top Speciality debut of 2015 and expanding into relatively wide release this weekend.
The film co-stars Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson (son of actor Brendan Gleeson) as a young programmer selected to participate in a breakthrough experiment in artificial intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a breathtaking female A.I.
A gripping and frustrating position to be in, Gleeson played the role with restraint and grace. While science fiction lovers are fawning over this new release, the real attention is on Gleeson's next sci-fi release, Star Wars: Episode VII. Mum is the word on Gleeson's role in the beloved franchise, but it could guarantee he becomes a household name in the U.S.
With such terrific parts on offer, how is Gleeson making his choices? How much weight does he give to the fellow players (such as repeat projects with Oscar Isaac and Alicia Vikander) versus the script and director?
Guest:
Domhnall Gleeson, Actor whose filmography includes the new release "Ex Machina," "Anna Karenina" (starring Keira Knightley), "Unbroken" and the forthcoming "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens" and Alejandro Iñárritu's "The Revenant"