A document obtained by the New York Times shows plans for the Trump Administration to investigate and sue universities favoring affirmative action laws deemed to marginalize white applicants. We also dive into Trump's major legal immigration overhaul proposal; debate Playa del Rey's controversial "road diet;" why grocery shopping for men is at an all time high; and more.
Justice Dept. could look into affirmative action decisions at universities
The Trump Administration may start investigating and suing universities that could be considered unfair to white students.
As reported by the New York Times, the Administration is pointing resources to the Justice Department’s civil rights division. While there is an Educational Opportunities Section to the division, the plan will instead run out of its front office, which typically handles political issues. The project was announced to the civil rights division internally, but a memo about the plan was obtained by the New York Times, which first reported the story.
While little details about the actual plan are known, the debate over merit-based university admissions has long been a hot topic. And questions remain on how to prove whether white students have been discriminated against, as race and ethnicity are one part of a “holistic” admissions process, though that meaning is dependent on the university.
What do you think of an affirmative action revamp for universities?
Guests:
Scott Jaschik, editor of Inside HigherEd; his latest piece is “Report: Justice Department Will Target Affirmative Action;” he tweets
Justin Levitt, professor of law at Loyola Law School and a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department under President Obama (2015 to 2017)
Diane Schachterle, vice president of the American Civil Rights Institute, a national civil rights organization that aims to advocate for non-discrimination by opposing racial and gender preferences, founded by former UC Regent Ward Connerly
Residents speak out about the controversial Playa del Rey ‘road diet’
“Road diets” are heated subject in Southern California, a place where fighting traffic is a way of life.
In recent months, the conversation about fewer lanes to promote a safer roadway in Playa del Rey has ignited another debate between residents and city officials. The “Safe Streets for Playa del Rey Initiative,” spearheaded by City Councilmember Mike Bonin, was designed to curb speeding and crashes along Vista del Mar, a major road that’s been the scene of high-profile collisions which took pedestrian lives. But Vista del Mar is also slowing traffic down considerably, and residents are saying this is hurting tourism and property values.
Last month, because of opposition to these lane closures on the street, the city announced it would reinstate the original four lanes--two in each direction along the road. So what does that mean for road safety?
Guests:
John Russo, leading the Playa Del Rey branch of Keep L.A. Moving, a resident volunteer group to raise awareness and promote alternatives to L.A. County “road diet” plans
Kathryn Clarke, resident of Playa Del Rey involved in Safe Streets For Playa del Rey, a resident volunteer group initiative for safer streets in Playa del Rey
How a Trump-backed GOP proposal would dramatically alter the state of legal immigration
While much of the talk on Trump's immigration policy surrounds illegal immigration, the president and two Republican senators are announcing their support for legislation that could drastically decrease legal immigration in the next ten years.
The proposal is a revised version of the RAISE Act, which Republican Sens. Tom Cotton (Arkansas) and David Perdue (Georgia) first presented in February. The White House has worked closely with the two senators over the past several months to expand the original legislation, and Trump endorsed the proposal at an event with Cotton and Perdue today.
Ending the current legal preference for family unity in immigration, the new law would instead operate on a point-based system for awarding green cards or permanent residency. Factors considered would include the ability to speak English and financial well-being. Preference would be given to highly-skilled workers. Immigration groups such as NumbersUSA have praised the legislation, as it would decrease immigration levels, while immigration advocates argue that it will slow the influx of younger workers most important to the US economy.
What are the upsides to a merit-based immigration system? What value should be placed on skill as opposed to family unity?
Guests:
Chris Chmielenski, director of content and activism at NumbersUSA, an immigration-reduction organization based in Arlington, VA; he tweets at
Megan Essaheb, Assistant Director of Immigration and Immigrant Rights at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC; she tweets
Good boy or bad dog? The efficacy of shelter cull tests
Try tugging away a bowl of food from your dog – will it bite your hand?
For shelter dogs, failing the bowl test can have serious consequences. Animal shelters often use behaviors exercises like these to determine which dogs are safe to be adopted out and which should be euthanized. But an analysis from last year says those life-and-death shelter tests are no better than arbitrary.
According to “No better than flipping a coin: Reconsidering canine behavior evaluations in animal shelters,” there are a variety of factors, including the fact that a shelter is a stressful, transitional environment, that undermine the validity of these tests as predictors of a dog’s potential aggression in a home.
Have you interacted with a rescue dog that acted differently once it was placed with a family? Do you think aggression behavior tests are adequate predictors of a pet’s behavior?
Guests:
Janis Bradley, director of communications and publications for the National Canine Research Council; she’s trained over 400 professional pet dog trainers and she’s the co-author of “No better than flipping a coin: Reconsidering canine behavior evaluations in animal shelters”
Michael Chill, LA-based dog trainer specializing in dog and puppy training; he’s been a consultant for agencies such as the Department of Animal Control and the Santa Monica Animal Shelter, as well as private adoption agencies
Sue Sternberg, creator of Assess-a-Pet, and author of a number of books on dog aggression, including “Assessing Aggression Thresholds” (Dogwise, 2017)
Consumer behavior expert weighs in on survey suggesting more men are grocery shopping than ever before
A new survey out from Men’s Health shows a surprisingly large number of men now see themselves as the primary grocery shopper in their household as compared to 10 years ago.
The survey showed that 84 percent of men polled say they do the shopping for their house, which is up 19 percent compared to a decade ago. It’s important to note that the survey only polled men, and that other surveys still show that women make up the majority of primary shoppers, but the gap isn’t as big as it once was.
Consumer behavior experts say contributing factors could be that traditional gender roles are shifting, and as a result, so is household division of labor. Men typically wait longer to get married and thus have to shop for themselves while single. If they do settle down, they bring that meal prep experience to the marriage and may become involved in weekly meal preparation. And with social media cooking videos from sites like Buzzfeed and others gaining popularity, younger men are typically more interested in cooking. However, there are still stark differences in how men and women go about shopping. Men tend to be more focused on the present, buying only what’s needed for right then. Women tend to plan long-term and more likely buy groceries on one or two week loads.
Do you agree with the survey findings, or do you still see more women shopping than men? Who is the primary shopper in your household, and why? How do you decide? And how do you shop – for the here and now or thinking long-term?
Guest:
David Stewart, professor of marketing and business law at Loyola Marymount University