The first bicyclist ever convicted for vehicular manslaughter will serve no jail time. Should he receive a heavier sentence? Then, if the MLB is expanding instant replay next season, will we still need umpires? Next, the Coastal Commission is launching an investigation into offshore fracking reports off the Santa Barbara coast. And, TGI-Filmweek! Our critics review this week's releases, and we'll take an inside look at the history of Jewish comedy in America.
Why a light sentence for bicyclist convicted of felony manslaughter?
The first bicyclist in the country to be convicted for felony vehicular manslaughter will serve no jail time. Chris Bucherre, 37, negotiated a plea deal with the San Francisco District Attorney's office for 1,000 hours of community service and three years probation for the death of 71-year-old Sutchi Hui last year.
The collision investigation said Bucherre was riding his bicycle downhill at 30 miles an hour. Witnesses say Bucchere blew through a red light before crashing into Hui who had been crossing the street with his wife. Hui died of his injuries four days later.
If this accident were involving a driver and a pedestrian, would the sentence be the same? Should there be more laws for cyclists?
Guests:
Claude Wyle, bicycle and pedestrian accident attorney; he is a partner with Choulos Choulos & Wyle in San Francisco
Dan Kann, criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles
MLB proposes broader use of instant replay
Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig had repeatedly shunned calls to expand the use of instant replay in baseball. But he pulled an about-face yesterday and announced new policy on the use of playback in the sport.
Currently, instant replay is only used for home run calls. Next season, the technology will be used in virtually every play except the strike zone and managers will get three challenges every game. The proposal is expected to be approved at a meeting of team owners in November.
MLB has been reluctant to widen the use of instant replay drastically in fear that it would drag out the game, but conceded after a couple of egregious botched calls during last year’s playoffs.
Should instant replay be used so widely in baseball? Should we do away with umpires all together? Do you think instant replays and manager challenges will slow down an already pretty slow game? Or should technology be used even more, such as in the strike zone?
Guests:
Stephen Cannella, Assistant Managing Editor at Sports Illustrated
Adam Felder, manager of digital analytics at Atlantic Media Company. He wrote this piece for the Atlantic magazine’s website
Coastal Commission vows to investigate offshore fracking
The Coastal Commission has said it will launch an investigation into reports of hydraulic fracturing - known as fracking - happening off the California coastline. The Associated Press reported that there have been 12 instances of offshore fracking in the past two decades that the Coastal Commission said it didn’t know about.
A complex maze of federal and state agencies means that it's hard to track down where and when fracking is happening. There have been various attempts to ban the method of extracting oil and gas because of environmental concerns. The oil industry says the method is safe and not damaging to the environment.
Should the state or federal government ban or heavily regulate offshore fracking? Are there separate environmental concerns for offshore versus onshore fracking? Should California take more initiative to find out what is happening in federal waters off the coast?
Guests:
Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, State Senator representing the 19th district in the Santa Barbara area
Richard Ranger, senior policy adviser for the American Petroleum Institute
Filmweek: Lee Daniels' The Butler, Kick-Ass 2, Jobs and more (Poll)
Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Wade Major and Claudia Puig to review this week’s releases, including Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Kick-Ass 2, Jobs and more. TGI-FilmWeek!
Lee Daniels' The Butler
Kick-Ass 2
Jobs
Guests:
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and producer and host for IGN's DigiGods.com
Claudia Puig, film critic for KPCC and USA Today
The Catskill Mountains: Where stand-up comedy got its start
Comedians would agree that stand-up comedy has its roots in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. The mountains were a popular vacation spot where New Yorkers went to cool off in the summer, but it quickly became a proving grounds for young Jewish comedians looking to hone their skills. The new film “When Comedy Went to School,” uses interviews with prominent comedians and historians to trace back the history of Jewish-American comedy.
Guests:
Ron Frank, Director, “When Comedy Went to School” - a documentary tracing the roots of Jewish American comedy
Lawrence J. Epstein, Author, “The Haunted Smile: The Story of Jewish Comedians in America”