Los Angeles County has committed to a series of reforms inside its troubled jail system. Also, the Los Angeles City Council has unanimously thrown its support behind an ordinance that will require all firearms to be stored in a locked container or disabled with trigger locks. Then, what are the psychological and physiological signs of unhealthy anxiety? All that and more, today on AirTalk.
The future inside L.A. County jails after DOJ and LASD settle lawsuit
In a long awaited legal settlement with the United States Department of Justice, Los Angeles County has committed to a series of reforms inside its troubled jail system, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Read the full story HERE.
FACT SHEET: SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT REGARDING LOS ANGELES COUNTY JAILS
Guests:
Rina Palta, KPCC reporter covering Southern California's social safety net
Jeff Steck, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs
Peter Eliasberg, legal director for the ACLU of Southern California
LA now requires you to lock up your gun at home
The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously thrown its support behind an ordinance that will require all firearms to be stored in a locked container or disabled with trigger locks.
Before the vote came down, members of LA Police Union asked for an amendment exempting reserve or retired officers from the rule.
Ultimately, the council said that everyone will need to abide by the ordinance -- unless they have the gun holstered on their body or literally right by their hand.
But gun advocates argue that while firearm owners should store their firearms responsibly, how they do it should be a personal choice. They counter that the specific needs of the firearm owner should be taken into consideration, that a single woman who lives alone in a high-crime areas, and may require quicker access to a firearm for self-defense, does not have the same storage needs as a family in a gated community.
Do you agree? A final draft of the proposed law will come back to the city council next week, for a final vote.
Read the full story HERE.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Concealed Weapon Licensing Policy
Guests:
Paul Krekorian, City Councilmember for the 2nd district encompassing the San Fernando Valley; he proposed the gun ordinance
Paul Neuharth, Attorney with Constitutional Law, Criminal Defense and Administrative Agency, a law firm based in San Diego who works on gun ownership cases; he’s also a former police officer
SEC adopts rule mandating disclosure CEO-worker pay ratios
Today in a 3-2 vote, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a rule forcing companies to disclose pay disparities between their CEOs and their lowest paid workers.
The measure was part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, but its implementation was long delayed. Speaking today, SEC Commission Chair Mary Jo White explained the delay, "Since it was mandated by Congress, the pay ratio rule has been controversial, spurring a contentious and, at times, heated dialogue.
The Commission has received more than 287,400 comment letters, including over 1,500 unique letters, with some asserting the importance of the rule to shareholders as they consider the issue of appropriate CEO compensation and investment decisions, and others asserting that the rule has no benefits and will needlessly cause issuers to incur significant costs."
How would a pay disclosure increase costs of companies? What will be the optics once more is learning about CEO to worker pay ratios? How will it impact the national debate about minimum wages?
SEC Proposed Rule on Pay Ratio Disclosure
Guest:
Sylvia Allegretto, Economist and Co-Chair of UC Berkeley's Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics
J.W. Verret, Professor of Law, George Mason University; Member with The Mercatus Center at George Mason University, conducting market-oriented research; From May of 2013 through April of 2015, Verret served as Chief Economist on the House Financial Services Committee
Uber, labor lawyer debate bid seeking class-action status for lawsuit
A court hearing in San Francisco is set for Thursday to hear whether a group of Uber drivers can obtain class-action status for a lawsuit it filed against the e-hailing giant seeking to classify drivers as employees of the company, instead of independent contractors.
The hearing comes two months after California’s labor commission ruled that a driver for Uber must be considered an employee. Uber is appealing that decision, which applies only to one individual driver.
If class-action status is granted in this week’s hearing, plaintiffs would be able to pool together resources and gain more leverage in negotiating settlements.
The case is closely watched by other tech companies that rely on independent contractors for labor. An employee designation would mean a guaranteed minimum wage for Uber drivers, mileage compensation, and Social Security benefits. Lyft, another e-hailing service, faces a similar lawsuit.
DOUGLAS O’CONNOR, et al., Plaintiffs, v. UBER TECHNOLOGIES, INC., et al., Defendants.
Guests:
David Plouffe, Senior Advisor at Uber. He was the campaign manager for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign
Caroline Fredrickson, labor attorney, president of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy and author of "Under The Bus: How Working Women Are Being Run Over"
Harry Campbell, a driver for Uber and Lyft and runs “TheRideShareGuy.com”
Anxiety as ‘frenemy’ - the good and the bad of dreadful stress
Stress and burnout specialist, Kristen Lee Costa, Ed.D., encounters people dealing with anxiety regularly and counsels that instead of escaping or medicating anxious feelings, people should first distinguish between beneficial and harmful anxiety.
Writing in Psychology Today, Costa identifies “friendly anxiety” as providing laser focus, helpful advice, and facilitating growth. The enemy side of anxiety can harm relationships, deplete energy, and cause physical illness over the long term.
What are the psychological and physiological signs of unhealthy anxiety? What are the risks and benefits of treating anxiety with Xanax, Ativan, and the like? How do you distinguish between the good and bad of anxiety-inducing stress in your life?
Guest:
Kristen (Dr. Kris) Lee Costa, Ed.D., Lead Faculty for Behavioral Sciences at Northeastern University; Author, "RESET: Make the Most of Your Stress"