Two Americans who were flown to the U.S. after contracting Ebola in Africa have been sent home with a clean bill of health. Also, Facebook thinks we need help in understanding the fine art of satire. Then, how to behave at the beach: an etiquette guide.
Americans cured of Ebola as outbreak wages on in Africa
Two Americans who were flown to the U.S. after contracting Ebola on an aid mission in Africa have been sent home with a clean bill of health. Nancy Writebol and Dr. Kent Brantly were cured of the virus after receiving the experimental treatment ZMapp.
The spread of Ebola in Africa has been persistent, with over 2,000 infected and over 1,100 dead. While some are concerned about potential movement into the U.S. and Europe due to air travel, experts say the risk of spread outside of Africa is low. A Sacramento resident who was tested for the virus after return from travel in West Africa has been deemed a low risk.
How is the outbreak developing in Africa? What kind of experimental treatment might become available for people who contract Ebola? Are the cured Americans a sign of hope for ZMapp?
Guest:
Dr. Peter Katonah, Clinical Professor of Medicine in Infectious Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Debating the environmental cost-benefit of bird deaths at a California solar energy plant
A massive solar energy plant in the Mojave Desert touts massive environmental benefits, but now its environmental costs are causing concern. As reported by the Associated press, workers at the plant have a term for birds that fly through the plant's concentrated sun rays — "streamers," for the smoke plumes emitted when the birds ignite in mid-air. Still up for debate is the number of birds killed how many would be considered acceptable.
The innovate plan, which opened in February, is a joint project between NRG Energy, BrightSource Energy and Google. Its inaugural announcement touted that “At full capacity, the facility’s trio of 450-foot high towers produces a gross total of 392 megawatts (MW) of solar power, enough electricity to provide 140,000 California homes with clean energy and avoid 400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equal to removing 72,000 vehicles off the road.”
What if the state-of-the-art facility means it’s inevitable that thousands of birds will be killed annually? What avian deterrence methods could the plant use? Do we know how successful they’ll be?
Guests:
Garry George, Renewable Energy Director, Audubon California
Jeff Holland, Director of Public Relations, NRG Solar, which is a partner, along with Google and BrightSource Energy, in the Ivanpah solar facility in the Mojave Desert
Eric Davis, Assistant Regional Director, Migratory Bird Division, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Davis’ region covers California-Nevada
Ferguson crisis revives debate about residency requirements for police
What if most of the police officers serving in Ferguson, Missouri actually resided in the city of Ferguson? Would that have made a difference in the shooting death of Michael Brown? Research suggests otherwise. It isn't known how many Ferguson cops live there, but it can't be many considering the city is two-thirds African-American and only 11 percent of Ferguson's police force is black.
As the news site FiveThirtyEight reported yesterday, across the country, most police officers don't live in the cities they serve. In Los Angeles, less than a quarter of LAPD reside in city limits. Terrance Allen, a professor at the University of Texas, Austin, says residents prefer to have law enforcement in the neighborhood, but data shows it does not make a difference on reports of misconduct.
"There are arguments on both sides," says Allen. "Police departments fight against residency for a number of reasons: for fear of retribution and having their families being exposed to criminal elements. They also have concerns about police officers doing favors for neighbors. Plus there’s the issue of police officers being able to afford homes." Allen found that residency requirements do not affect police conduct nor misconduct.
Even if one argues the residency discussion is simply a proxy for race, criminologists say black police officers treat black citizens the same as white officers. The tipping point for Allen is the importance of perception. "People in minority communities prefer to have minority officers, so that should be respected because policing has the potential to be so explosive."
Does race and residency have any impact whatsoever on policing? Would you prefer to have law enforcement officers reside in your neighborhood, rather than two counties away?
Guest:
Terrence Allen, assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin; Allen has studied police residency requirements
Connie Rice, Civil Rights Attorney; Co-Director, The Advancement Project; Board member, Southern California Public Radio
Facebook’s 'satire' tag and the ambiguity of intention on the Internet
It’s been said that “sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but the highest form of intelligence,” and now Facebook thinks we need help in understanding the fine art of satire. The social media giant announced this week that it’s testing out a “satire” tag, which would label articles from parody news sites like The Onion as satire.
To be fair, the Internet has made knowing what’s fake news and what’s real news much more difficult, and even the most finely tuned of us have fallen victim to thinking that a fake headline is real.
Do you think the "satire" label is a good idea?
Guest:
Melissa Dahl, senior writer for New York Magazine, who wrote about why the satire designation is necessary on Facebook
South L.A. high school grads win Charles Dickens essay contest
Two young women from South Los Angeles have gained admittance into the ‘Dickens universe’ after writing two winning essays granting them an all-expense trip to a Charles Dickens’ themed conference.
Kenia Coyoy and Karen Molina are the first students from the Los Angeles Unified School District to win the essay contest, which draws entries from all across the U.S. and abroad. The two had to indulge and dissect over 800 pages of “Our Mutual Friend” by Charles Dickens, connecting the author to their daily life in South L.A.
Both scholars will join us to talk about their winning essays and their prize: a weeklong conference and their contributions to the discourse of all things Dickens.
Guests:
Karen Molina, recent graduate of the Foshay Learning Center and neighborhood academic initiative scholar; she’s heading to USC in the fall
Kenia Coyoy, recent graduate of the Foshay Learning Center and neighborhood academic initiative scholar; she’s heading to UCLA in the fall
How to behave at the beach: An etiquette guide
Beach culture is a critical part of Southern California. And it's not just during the scorching summers, but all year long.
The basic rules of the beach are pretty standard: Surf in the designated areas so you don’t knock someone out with your board, keep an eye on the kids, watch out for riptides, etc.
But what about the unspoken rules of public beaches? We’ve all seen the PDA-heavy couples, the extra skimpy suits, the family who left their lunch out to attract a flock of seagulls, and the frisbee-flinging beachgoers who scatter sand all over people’s towels.
What is the best way to stay considerate on the beach? What kinds of beach etiquette should govern the open waters?
"Is it OK to Pee In The Ocean?"
Guest:
Meredith McCarthy, program director, Heal the Bay
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