LA County prepares for influx of inmates. Who has the right to write classroom content? The Update: Gabby Giffords recovers as Loughner proceedings continue. Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook doesn’t talk about being gay, should the rest of us? The perils of overbooked kids and the parents who fund them.
LA County prepares for influx of inmates
On October 1st, prisoners from 33 state prisons who are released on parole will begin reporting to county probation officers, rather than state parole agents. This is the result of AB 109, signed into law this year, which ordered a sharp reduction in California’s prison population in an attempt to deal with severe overcrowding and medical inadequacies in the state penal system. In addition to the non-serious, non-violent, non-sex offender inmates, newly convicted low-level offenders will be remanded to county supervision – including community programs or local jails – rather than state prisons. Defendants under warrant could be allowed to wear electronic ankle bracelets in lieu of jail. Supporters of prison reform applaud the changes. They say counties are better equipped to provide rehabilitation and re-entry support, such as substance-abuse counseling, mental and medical care and housing, and hope it will lead to a reduction in recidivism. But many worry that the state’s $112 million allocation to the county for the first year is inadequate to the task, and that the already-strapped LAPD can ill afford the additional probation officers they’ll need to deploy. Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley called the plan a “disaster” and predicted it would lead to a spike in crime. Today, Los Angeles county supervisors will meet to decide how to track, manage and integrate the incoming felons – nearly 10,000 over the next four years. “They’re going to be coming fast and furious,” one supervisor said, “We’d better be ready.” Could these changes – and the increase in ex-prisoners walking the streets – lead to a rise in crime? Or do you see this as a better, smarter way to treat the problems of re-offense and recidivism? Is this a practical, humane solution to California’s prison woes – or the off-loading of the problem onto its unprepared counties?
Guest:
Frank Stoltze, KPCC Reporter
Who has the right to write classroom content?
A massive program intended to teach California students about the environment is coming under fire. The Education and Environment Initiative (EEI) has been developing school curricula to help California “lead the nation in environmental literacy.” Spearheaded by the California Environmental Protection Agency, the lesson plans have been designed with input from numerous government agencies and stakeholders. In particular, during a public comment phase in 2009, the American Chemistry Council – a lobbying group for the plastics industry – submitted information about plastic bags. Now, an 11th grade lesson plan includes a section listing the benefits of plastic shopping bags – alongside some of the problems with the bags. There is also an exercise requiring students to list the advantages of using plastic bags. In protest, a Santa Cruz school librarian has launched an online petition to remove that content. So far, she has 24,000 signatures. This isn’t the first time a business has influenced classroom lesson plans. Most recently, Scholastic Inc. was criticized for working with the American Coal Foundation on teaching material that failed to address the negative effects of coal mining. What do you think is the best way to develop school curricula? Should interest groups be allowed to influence educational material in public schools? How do you balance the various interests and avoid false equivalencies?
Guests:
Steve Russell, Vice President, Plastics, American Chemistry Council
Mark Gold, President, Heal the Bay
The Update: Gabby Giffords recovers as Loughner proceedings continue
It’s time for another installment of AirTalk’s recurring series The Update. Much of the time media outlets focus on the latest analysis and the news of the day. But where does a story go when it falls off the front page? We aim to find out. Today, we catch you up on Representative Gabrielle Giffords. On January 8, 2011, the Democratic Congresswoman representing Southern Arizona was the victim of a shooting rampage in Tucson. Giffords was critically injured by a gunshot wound to the head. Thirteen others were injured and six people were killed, including federal judge John Roll. The next day, federal officials charged the alleged shooter, 22-year-old Jared Loughner, with attempting to assassinate a member of Congress. For weeks on end, news headlines were dominated by updates on Giffords’ rehabilitation and Loughner’s mental and legal issues. On January 12, President Obama visited Giffords in the hospital. In a moving memorial ceremony for those killed at the scene, Obama publicly stated that Giffords had “opened her eyes for the first time” that day. The world was riveted by each incremental health update, Gifford’s attendance at her husband’s final shuttle launch and her dramatic surprise return to Congress on August 1st to vote for the debt ceiling deal. As for Loughner, he has yet to stand trial. His mental condition is said to have severely deteriorated during an 18-day period when he was taken off anti-psychotic meds – at his defense camp’s request. We’ll get the latest on Loughner’s defense and Giffords’ “miraculous” and continuing recovery. Will she run for Congress again? Who are the emerging challengers to her seat? Will Loughner ever stand trial?
Guests:
Ted Robbins, NPR correspondent based in Tucson, Arizona
Tim Steller, Senior Reporter, Arizona Daily Star
Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook doesn’t talk about being gay, should the rest of us?
On August 24, Tim Cook replaced Steve Jobs as CEO of Apple Inc., which some financial experts consider to be the most powerful business position in the world. With such a coveted job comes much media attention and fanfare. But as the spotlight shines on Cook, journalists are beginning to raise questions concerning his sexuality. Cook, who was at the top of Out magazine’s gay power list this year, has not come out publically or within Apple. Reuters blogger Felix Salmon is one member of the media who is calling for more attention to be paid to this issue. Salmon’s argument is twofold: a gay CEO of arguably the world’s most important company would serve as an exemplary role model for the LGBT community, and such information being made public could allow for more progress to reduce the stigma of being gay in today’s society, especially at one’s place of work. Salmon cites journalistic duty for his insistence on the issue. Critics of Salmon like Erik Sherman of BNET find his stance disingenuous and self-indulgent, as Cook’s sexuality has nothing to do with his role as CEO, which is the only reason he is of topical interest. Is Tim Cook’s sexuality on the table? Would the benefits to the LGBT community alone warrant a mention? Should the media follow Cook’s lead? Is Cook obligated to address the issue? Does it make any real difference to you if Cook is gay or not?
Guests:
Felix Salmon, Finance Blogger, Reuters
Erik Sherman, Writer and Analyst, BNET
The perils of overbooked kids and the parents who fund them
Soccer, piano, art, karate, tutoring – the to-do list for our kids can go on and on. Many parents are convinced upping the extracurricular ante correlates with academic success, but does it? Some experts say no, it does not. And in this faltering economy, a downsizing of outside programs for their children might help parents cut back on a lot of expenses. As competition increases among lower levels of education, any parent can attest to the mounting pressure. Kumon – an afterschool tutoring program – recently expanded its offerings of math and reading courses to include preschoolers, at $200 to $300 per month. The program, called Junior Kumon, has proven popular in New York. And that’s just one example of fast-tracking children to success. But researchers say overbooking a child’s schedule can deplete parents of emotional energy, and economist Steven D. Levitt surmises that children aren’t any happier “being rushed from one event to the other.” Notwithstanding, parents might still feel guilty for not providing their kids with every opportunity. “The reality is that failing to give your child ballet lessons at age 6 probably has not deprived her of a career as a prima ballerina,” writes Alina Tugend of the New York Times. And researchers wonder if parents who sign their kids up for a plethora of extracurricular activities are inflicting more harm than good on their children. Would you feel like less of a parent if you downsized your child’s extracurricular activity? Would it be a relief to learn that an abundance of pricey extracurriculars doesn’t correlate with success? Or would you hedge your bets by loading up your child’s afterschool schedule regardless?
Guest:
Alina Tugend, writer of the "ShortCuts" column for the New York Times; author of Better by Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong