We discuss how and why the wildfires might affect homeowners insurance, even if your home wasn’t damaged. We also examine if the U.S. should follow France's new law that bans smartphones on school grounds; debate foot pursuit policy post-Stephon Clark; and more.
Sacramento PD creates new foot pursuit policy, post-Stephon Clark. How should an officer decide when to chase?
Sacramento police department has instituted a new foot pursuit policy. It follows the fatal police shooting of Stephon Clark last March.
Police received a call of a man matching Clark’s description breaking into parked cars. An airborne officer later reported the suspect attempting to break into a home’s sliding glass door. Officers pursued Clark on foot until confronting him in his grandparent’s backyard. He was holding a cellphone, but no weapon. Clark was shot and killed.
The new foot pursuit policy asks officers to consider their surroundings and the availability of backup. If pursuing they must tell their supervisor why they’re giving chase, give a description of the suspect, and activate their body cameras.
But with officers asked to do all that within seconds, is it likely officers will just let suspects run?
Guests:
Norm Stamper, former chief of police at the Seattle Police Department whose career as a police officer spans 34 years; his latest book is “To Protect and Serve: How to Fix America’s Police” (Nation Books, 2016)
Joseph Giacalone, retired sergeant who spent 20 years with the New York City Police Department and teaches police studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice at the City University of New York
Andrew J. Scott, former police chief of Boca Raton, Florida; president of AJS Consulting, an expert witness consulting on police practices and procedures; he has worked in law enforcement for more than 30 years
Blinded by the light: How blue light from phone screens may be accelerating blindness and what you can do about it
If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night, checked your phone and then found it hard to fall back asleep, you’ve experienced the way that blue light from a smartphone screen can impact your brain and sleep patterns.
But new research on the way our eyes process blue light suggests that overexposure could lead to vision damage and even accelerate blindness.
Researchers at the University of Toledo in Ohio examined the effects of prolonged exposure to blue light on living cells and found that it causes the retinal molecules in the eye to produce a “toxic” chemical reaction that can kill light-sensitive cells in the eye called photoreceptors and cause macular degeneration, a condition that impacts the middle part of one’s vision and is brought on when photoreceptor cells die.
Those cells, the researchers say, do not regenerate in the eye, so they are gone for good when they die. The researchers note that the study was performed in a lab culture and not on an actual human eye, and that testing on the actual human eye could produce different results.
So, how can you limit the amount of blue light you’re absorbing from your phone? Some phone models come equipped with a blue light filter or mode that can be turned on to limit blue light during certain hours of the day. You can also limit the amount of time you spend browsing on your phone or tablet in the dark.
Today on AirTalk, we’ll talk with one of the authors of the study on blue light about the findings and what they mean for how we use our cell phones, and talk to a tech expert about how blue light filters work and how phone manufacturers are responding to research on blue light’s impact on our sight and sleep patterns.
Guests:
Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Toledo (OH) and co-author of the study “Blue light excited retinal intercepts cellular signaling” (Scientific Reports, July 2018); he tweets
Jeremy Kaplan, editor-in-chief Digital Trends, an online publication covering the intersection of technology and lifestyle; he tweets
French schools say ‘au revoir’ to smartphones — what if the U.S. dialed up a similar ban?
When school-age children in France return to classes next month, they’ll have to leave their smartphones at home.
This is thanks to a new law that bans students from age 3 to 15 from smartphone use anywhere on school grounds. There is an exception, however, ff teachers want students to use their devices to supplement a lesson.
The Wall Street Journal reports that, according to France’s education minister, the law is meant to remove distractions from classrooms and to encourage children to go outside during recess instead of spending the time looking at their phones. Guidelines that the French education ministry says will come out later this month will suggest that schools install a place where students can leave phones during school.
How effective are blanket bans on curbing distracting cell phone use in schools? What are the difficulties with enforcing such a policy at a district level? What does research say about the potential benefits of smartphones that may be ignored if they are outright banned from classrooms?
Guests:
Liz Kolb, clinical associate professor in education technologies at the University of Michigan, where she researches the effects of technology in the classroom, and author of several books on cell phone use in education; she tweets
Anita Charles, lecturer in education and director of secondary teacher education at Bates College in Maine; she has published scholarly articles addressing technology, and in particular negotiating cell phone use, in the classroom
When is an interest rate for a consumer loan ‘conscionable’? State high court decision prompts question
California Supreme Court has ruled Monday that there should be a limit to interest rates on consumer loans.
The high court decided that interest rates on consumer loans can be so high that they become “unconscionable.” The decision changes the current policy that allows lenders to charge whatever the market will bear.
Critics say the ruling could disrupt the lending market and force lenders to scale back their credit offerings. The validity of millions of loans can be put into question. Analysts say borrowers, who have taken out high-interest loans, could sue their lender claiming an unconscionable interest rate.
The issue came to light through a class of borrowers, who sued Orange County-based CashCall in 2008 over loan rates that they argued made the loans unconscionable. The case, De La Torre vs. CashCall, is before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which asked the state high court to weigh in on California lending law.
We discuss the implications for California’s lending market.
Guests:
James Sturdevant, consumer rights and class action attorney for The Sturdevant Law Firm, who represents the borrowers in the De La Torre vs. CashCall case
Allen Denson, senior attorney and partner at Hudson Cook law firm, who represents consumer lenders
What CA wildfires mean for your home insurance
If you’re a homeowner in California, you might be affected by the recent fires, even if your home wasn’t damaged.
That’s because the rise in wildfires might make it more difficult for California homeowners to find and keep insurance — companies might decide not to renew policies in areas where there’s greater risk. According to California Insurance Commissioner David Jones, rates might increase as well, and more part of the state might be redefined as “high-risk.”
How and why might the wildfires affect homeowners insurance?
Guests:
Sharon McNary, KPCC’s infrastructure correspondent; she tweets
David Jones, California Insurance Commissioner
Believe it or not, female lawyers are still facing gender hurdles
It seems like the last place you'd expect workplace sexism to exist — the courtroom.
But according to an article in the latest issue of The Atlantic, women lawyers face numerous and varied forms of sexism during trials and hearings. Inappropriate comments and judgments come from judges, male lawyers, jurors, and even fellow female colleagues.
As a result, women attorneys must focus on regulating their emotions, appearances and facial expressions while also participating in their usual courtroom duties. The pressure to be received well by others in the courtroom is high, as it is common for judges and jurors to value a lawyer's appearance and demeanor as part of their overall trust in what the lawyer is saying.
Lara Bazelon, author of The Atlantic piece and a professor of law, joins Larry to discuss how female trial lawyers tackle gender-biases. Also, if you are a female attorney and professionals in other fields who have experienced issues such as these, we welcome your calls at 866.893.5722.
Guest:
Lara Bazelon, professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law and the author of the forthcoming book "Rectify: The Power of Restorative Justice After Wrongful Conviction" (Beacon Press 2018)