This evening is the debut of what will be a long-running series - the Republican Presidential candidates' debates. Also, Netflix announced an unlimited parental leave policy this week. It’s the latest in a niche tech industry trend towards redefining “time off.” Then, Ontario International Airport will once again belong to the city from which it gets its namesake. All that and more, today on AirTalk.
Countdown to tonight’s Republican debate in Cleveland
This evening is the debut of what will be a long-running series - the Republican Presidential candidates' debates.
Ten men will attempt to distinguish themselves in the crowded field, but they won't have much time to do it. None of them want to stand out for the wrong reasons, either. A serious gaffe could sink a campaign.
If you were advising a GOP candidate, what would you emphasize? What's the best way to appeal to the largest number of Republican voters?
For more analysis and to print out your GOP debate bingo card, click HERE.
Guests:
Ashley O’Connor, founding partner of Burning Glass Consulting, a firm that focuses on messaging to women voters, and managing Partner of Strategic Partners & Media, a Republican consulting firm.
Full disclosure: Her business partner Russ Schriefer is one of Governor Christie’s top advisors and Ashley works on the advertising for the campaign
Jason Roe, founding partner of Revolvis Consulting, a Republican political consulting firm with offices in San Diego, Sacramento, and Washington, DC.; he’ll be at tonight’s debate in Cleveland
Experts weigh in on Calif. senators' plan to bring homeless vets into West LA campus
A proposal was introduced this morning by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) toward the goal of providing homeless veterans with housing at the West Los Angeles campus of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The two California Senators, along with Representative Ted Lieu, sent a letter to the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees detailing their proposal.
Their plan would mainly give the VA power to lease space to nonprofit groups that work with veterans in Los Angeles County, specifically to address the issue of housing. Los Angeles has the largest population of homeless military veterans in the country.
This proposal is part of a larger package of bills the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committee will consider in September. It comes amidst a larger conversation in Southern California about how to revamp the VA’s West Los Angeles campus.
Here is the VA statement on the legislation:
We appreciate congressional support with this needed legislation and look forward to working closely with congress and other Veterans stakeholders on its implementation. This legislation, if passed, will greatly enhance our ability to end Veteran homelessness in Greater Los Angeles. Working collaboratively with our partners at all levels of government and the private sector is an important step to providing Veterans with the best care possible in the most timely way.
The Los Angeles Homeless Veterans Leasing Act of 2015
Guests:
Martha Groves, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times who covers the Westside, which includes the West Los Angeles Department of Veteran Affairs campus. Her piece on the new proposal is in today's Los Angeles times. She tweets @MarthaGroves
Gregory Scott, President and CEO of New Directions for Veterans, an organization that provides comprehensive services to thousands of veterans in LA County
Could longer parental leave at Netflix actually mean less time off?
Netflix announced an unlimited parental leave policy this week. It’s the latest in a niche tech industry trend towards redefining “time off.”
In Netflix’s case, an employee can practically set his/her work schedule when they become a new parent. Whether it’s vacation time, parental leave, or sick days, a very small number of companies are beginning to adopt policies that are underpinned by the Netflix ethos: treat employees like responsible adults.
Policies like this sound great, but some argue they create a culture where workers actually feel pressured to take less vacation or parental leave than they might if specific parameters were set.
What is the psychology behind these workplace policies? Do employees feel comfortable governing their own time away or do workers need the boundaries set for them? If you had unlimited vacation or parental leave time, would you take more that you would be allotted otherwise?
Guest:
Ray Baumruk, partner at the human capital and management consulting firm Aon Hewitt where he works in its Next Practices and Employee Research business area consulting clients about things like vacation and leave policy
What city of Ontario must do to keep ONT in the air
Ontario International Airport will once again belong to the city from which it gets its namesake.
Local officials along with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Ontario Mayor Pro Tem Alan Wapner will announce a deal today that will effectively turn control of ONT back to the City of Ontario.
The City of Los Angeles got the airport from Ontario 30 years ago on the condition that it would make an effort to bring airlines to the airport. A sharp passenger dropoff between 2007 and 2011 brought about a lawsuit, with Ontario alleging that L.A. had poorly managed the airport, violated agreements, and was to blame for the decrease in business. L.A. World Airport officials deny those claims, saying the dropoff was due to the economic recession.
The tentative deal would require Ontario to reimburse LAWA for the money it invested in the facility, settle the lawsuit Ontario had filed to regain control of the airport, and provide job security for the airport’s nearly 200 employees.
How can the city of Ontario make ONT a thriving travel hub again? If Los Angeles was unable to be successful at running ONT, what does the city of Ontario plan to do differently?
Guests:
Liset Marquez, reporter for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. She covers the Foothills and L.A./Ontario International Airport.
Brett Snyder, airline industry expert and author/founder of "The Cranky Flier blog" and "The Cranky Concierge" air travel assistance service. He’s held many jobs in the airline industry, including in operations, sales, pricing, and planning
Bobcat trapping ban belies thriving hunting tradition, management in California
Despite the significance of banning bobcat hunts in California, the interest and management of hunting in the state is thriving.
Wildlife biologist Dan Yparraguirre with the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife is passionate about maintaining healthy wildlife populations and helping responsible hunters navigate when and where Californians can hunt for deer or waterfowl, pronghorns or wild pig.
"Miscreants get all the press, but most hunters do nothing wasteful with animals. There is a lot of skill in hunting big game wary of predators, so hunters know the importance of conserving those resources."
With the popularity of the "eating local" movement, even more city slickers are choosing to take responsibility of sourcing food through hunting.
What are the most popular game hunts in California? How do wildlife officials keep track of population numbers? How are waterfowl faring during the drought?
Guest:
Dan Yparraguirre, Wildlife biologist and Deputy Director, Wildlife and Fisheries Division, California Department of Fish and Wildlife
How 'beef' in hip hop may help make the rap game better
For as long as rap and hip hop have been around, rappers have had reasons to feud.
‘Beef,’ as it’s known colloquially, has become an integral part of hip hop over the years, with some of the biggest and most well-known rappers of all time finding themselves embroiled in controversy because of a comment they made or a lyric or song they wrote.
Legends like Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Nas, and Ice Cube have all found themselves feuding with fellow rappers or former friends at some point in their careers. However, many of these so-called ‘beefs’ lead rappers to write ‘diss tracks,’ songs aimed at disparaging a person or group, and often these tracks become some of their most influential and popular songs.
How has ‘beef’ or conflict helped to shape rap and hip hop? What are some of the most memorable beefs of all time? How much of an impact did the ‘East Coast vs. West Coast’ conflict have on the game? Are there songs originally written as diss tracks that have become iconic raps?
Guests:
Reggie Ossé a.k.a ‘Combat Jack,’ author, attorney, and host of "The Combat Jack Show," a weekly podcast focusing on hip hop culture, music, and current events.
Todd Boyd, Ph.D., professor of race and popular culture at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. He’s also the author of books such as ‘The Notorious Ph.D’s Guide to the Super Fly 70s,’ (2007), ‘Young, Black, Rich, and Famous,’ (2008) and ‘Am I Black Enough for You?’ (1997)