The Los Angeles City Council will vote on proposed improvements for LAX. Should a runway be moved closer to neighborhoods in Westchester and Playa del Rey to add a taxiway? Also, Orange County may publicize names of convicted "johns," the AAP issues guidelines for homebirths, and we review the first day of the Michael Jackson trial. Later, should amazon.com or the Amazon river have the domain name .amazon, and how does your voice affect the way you're perceived?
LAX runway may move closer to residential neighborhoods
The Los Angeles City Council is expected to vote on proposed improvements for LAX. This nearly $5 billion set of changes includes additional terminals and a transportation center, but the most controversial change is moving a runway 260 feet closer to neighborhoods in Westchester and Playa del Rey.
This runway move is so LAX can add a center taxiway, which is supposed to help the airport manage air traffic and increase safety for large commercial jets. However, opponents are not happy and say this move would increase pollution, noise, and traffic and decrease the value of local homes. Councilman and mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti opposes the change, but these improvements have already been approved by most commissions, including the airport commission and the city's Planning Commission, according to the L.A. Times.
Will this runway move improve air traffic and safety? Are opponent concerns valid? Are there other options?
Guests:
Ruben Gonzalez, Vice President of Public Policy and Political Affairs at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Ken Alpern, Boardmember of the Mar Vista Community Council and co-chair of the CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee
Should the OC District Attorney publicize names of convicted 'johns'?
In an attempt to stem prostitution, Orange County is turning to publicizing the names of those who are convicted of buying sex. Orange County District Attorney's office said in a news release that putting a spotlight on convicted "johns" will help, "Send a message to human traffickers and sex purchasers that they can no longer perpetuate this problem without suffering severe consequences."
"This is not just limited to this one aspect, human trafficking is all kinds of slavery, anything from trafficking for labor, trafficking for sexual favors in a slave type manor," said Tony Rackauckas, Orange County District Attorney. "We're talking about women, boys and little girls who work involuntarily as slaves. We should do whatever we can to reduce and stop that process."
O.C. is the latest to a list of cities across the country that feel that a little public humiliation goes a long way in putting an end to prostitution, which O.C. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has characterized as an increasing problem.
"I certainly think it will deter somebody whose from doing it again," said Rackauckas. "I would imagine that if a person's name goes up on the internet or on the air for purchasing sex, he'll probably never do it again."
Calling out so-called johns seems like it would be a good idea, but critics argue that publicizing the names can cause unnecessary grief for the families of those exposed. Laurie Shanks, Clinical Professor of Law at the Albany Law School in New York, says that only a john's loved ones should be notified.
"I think that the outcome will be that people will lose their jobs, marriages will be destroyed, spouses and children will be humiliated," said Shanks. "You're really punishing the family members, you're really imposing a penalty that wasn't contemplated. What the prosecutor is saying in this case is, 'Well I'd like to add some penalties, and what I'd like to add is humiliation, what I'd like to add is the public thinking badly of this person, what I'd like to do is let his wife know,' and that's just not appropriate in my mind."
Shanks also says focusing on the johns in this case equalizes prostitution, not differentiating between child prostitutes working as slaves and adults working as prostitutes because of an economic reason.
"Those are two very very different crimes. To talk about some one purchasing say a five- or six-year-old, that's a very serious felony, that is a very different serious consideration," said Shanks. "The DA's press release makes it clear that some of the people that he's talking about have nothing to do with child slavery. This has nothing to do with protecting children or protecting people in a slave relationship, this is about shaming, this is like putting someone in the stocks or making them wear a scarlet letter."
Matt Lee contributed to this article.
Tell us what you think in the comments:
Does "john-shaming" work as a tactic in the battle against prostitution? What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? What are some possible negative consequences of this effort?
Guests:
Tony Rackauckas, Orange County District Attorney
Laurie Shanks, Clinical Professor of Law at the Albany Law School in New York
Pediatricians offer prescription for homebirths
For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued guidelines for delivering a baby outside of a hospital. Statistics show that more women, though still a small number, have been choosing midwives over maternity wards. So, doctors say they want to ensure best practices for newborns wherever they come into the world.
There is worry that mothers-to-be taking a naturalistic approach may also shun modern medical advice for newborns, including Hepatitis B vaccines, Vitamin K doses and screening for genetic diseases. Still they acknowledge a homebirth comes with hopes of a more family-friendly scene, more control and decreased intervention and cost.
Why are more women choosing homebirths? Why do doctors says "a woman's choice to plan a home birth is not well supported in the United States?" What's your experience with the maternity ward or midwives?
Guest:
Dr. Dennis Woo, M.D., Doctor of Pediatrics, UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica
Star-studded trial underway for Michael Jackson’s wrongful death suit
Opening statements started Monday in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by Michael Jackson's mother Katherine Jackson against concert promoter AEG. Jackson alleges the promoters of the King of Pop's comeback concert were ultimately responsible for his death. Lawyers for the Jackson family will argue that AEG was negligent by pushing the pop star too hard to prepare for his "This is It" tour. They also allege that the concert promoter hired and managed Dr. Conrad Murray, the doctor convicted of involuntary manslaughter after he prescribed Jackson a lethal combination of drugs. Jackson died four years ago at the age of 50.
The case is expected to shed light on the secretive pop star's final days. The witness list reads like a who's who of Hollywood elite - Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Lou Ferrigno and Spike Lee are expected to testify. Both of Jackson's ex-wives, Lisa Marie Presley and Debbie Rowe, are listed as possible witnesses.
Is AEG responsible for hiring Conrad Murray? How much will be revealed about the pop star's personal life? It's been rumored that the Jackson family is asking for $40 billion in damages. How high could a settlement run?
Guest:
Jody Armour, Professor of Law at the University of Southern California
Domain name battles - Would the real Amazon please stand up?
In a battle of the digital world vs. the real world, Amazon the online retailer is battling Amazon the river over the rights to the .Amazon domain name. The Internet retailer wants to stake its claim to the domain but the governments of Peru and Brazil think .Amazon should be reserved for the protection of the river's environment, the advancement of indigenous rights, and other uses in the public interest. The two South American governments have taken their objections to the ICANN, the international body responsible for the Internet's naming system.
This isn’t the first time Amazon has run into trouble over snapping up broad domain names. The retailer also ruffled some feathers by buying the generic name .Book and not sharing it with anyone else. If two groups both stake a claim to a domain name, who gets it?
Guest:
Andrew Allemann, editor of Domain Name Wire.com
How does your voice affect the way you are perceived?
How you speak could be more important than what you say, according to a new study from Quantified Impressions, a communications analytics company. Everyone knows someone with a grating or annoying voice, and according to new research, they’re more likely to experience HR conflict at work.
Accents and vocal patterns are also important to the way people are perceived -- people with regional, ethnic, or foreign accents are often discriminated against for sounding uneducated or inexperienced. For example, people with Southern accents are frequently passed over for corporate positions in other regions, but their voices may sound more friendly and trustworthy in a sales setting, resulting in larger tips.
People who employ vocal trends like uptalk, vocal fry, or “crutching” are often stereotyped as young, or inexperienced, but it’s more likely to have an impact if they’re not looking for a job in California.
Do people who pick up vocal trends or have what are considered to be annoying voices suffer in the workplace and outside of it? How do trends like uptalking and vocal fry affect the way someone is perceived?
Guests:
Carmen Fought, Professor of Linguistics, Pitzer College, specializes in Phonology, bilingual language acquisition, sociolinguistics
Jayne Latz, M.A., CCC-SLP, President of Corporate Speech Solutions, with over twenty years experience providing speech therapy as a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist