Governor Jerry Brown is considering expanding Medi-cal benefits to those who have been temporarily shielded from deportation. Then, with the U.S. leading the total number of nuclear weapons in the world, should we downsize or upgrade? Also, Director Nick Broomfield unravels the story of a serial killer and the LAPD in "Tales of the Grim Sleeper."
Governor Brown considers expanding Medi-Cal for Deferred Action Recipients
Now that President Obama has announced his executive orders on immigration, California Governor Jerry Brown is considering expanding Medi-cal benefits to those who have been temporarily shielded from deportation.
Those under the expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the new Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) programs have certain rights under the law, yet these rights range from state to state as the federal-state interaction falls under multiple jurisdictions. In the specific case of Medicaid, the entitlement is a federal program that is provided through states (California’s Medicaid program is called, “Medi-Cal”). Once the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) regulations regarding DACA and DAPA are finalized, states can find ways to provide services to these recipients since they will be issued a Social Security Number (SSN).
California granted the original DACA population (from Obama's 2012 initiative) eligibility for Medi-Cal if they met the income requirements. In the President's latest move, he expanded DACA to include those under 31 who had been in the United States as of January 1, 2010 (previously, the cut-off date was June 2007). Governor Brown can utilize the flexibility accorded him by the dual federal-state system to provide Medi-Cal benefits to the rest of those whose deportation actions have been temporarily deferred and who otherwise meet the income requirements, a somewhat similar comparison being how his administration passed legislation allowing undocumented aliens from applying for driver’s licenses.
California added 2 million people to its Medi-Cal ranks in the last two years, and Brown’s action could add hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, more if he pushes for legislation. For now, as the federal government finalizes the regulations regarding the programs, Brown’s team is looking at the cost-impact new actions on this front could have on the Medi-Cal budget and the state of California.
What impact, financial and otherwise, would extending Medi-Cal benefits have for California residents? Would giving DACA and DAPA recipients Medi-Cal open the door for additional entitlements to be given to those whose deportations have been deferred?
Guests:
John Myers, Senior Editor of the California Politics and Government desk at KQED
Laurel Lucia, Policy Analyst at the UC Berkeley Labor Center
Steve Camarota, Director of Research for the Center for Immigration Studies
What do we do with the United States’ arsenal of nuclear weapons?
It’s no secret that the United States has a larger stockpile of nuclear weapons than any other country in the world. According to the Arms Control Association, the U.S. had 4,804 nuclear warheads as of September 2013. What’s more, the Congressional Budget Office says that the U.S. will spend $355 billion over the next ten years on nuclear weapons.
Advocates of the proliferation of nuclear weapons say that the U.S. nuclear arsenal should be upgraded, that new weapons should be developed and tested because it’s pointless to be spending billions of dollars every year to maintain a stockpile of weapons that is rusting away. Opponents, like California Senator Diane Feinstein, say that the amount of nukes the U.S. has is far more than is necessary and that the country could be spending that defense money on more important issues like fighting the so-called Islamic State and defending against cyberattacks.
While there have been no recent threats serious enough to elicit even the thought of a nuclear response, the question still remains about what to do with the nearly five thousand nukes that we currently have. Do they need to be upgraded? Should we downsize our nuclear arsenal, and if so, how? Or should they just be forgotten about and left to rust? What are the implications of upgrading our nuclear arsenal? Of downsizing it?
Guests:
Peter Huessy, senior defense consultant at the Air Force Association, President of his own defense company called Geostrategic Analysis, he also teaches nuclear policy at the U.S. Naval Academy
John Isaacs, senior fellow at the Council for a Livable World, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization dedicated to reducing the danger of nuclear weapons and increasing national security
The Orange County bankruptcy, 20 years later
In the early 1990’s OC Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. “Bob” Citron made billions of dollars for Orange County, its city governments, water districts and school districts with a heavily-leveraged investment scheme. It borrowed against fairly vanilla fixed-rate bonds in order to invest in derivative securities that paid big returns as long as interest rates stayed low. It’s a risky scheme, and for a while, it made a lot of money, so much so that Citron and his assistant, Matthew Raabe, began cooking the books to make the investments looked more stable than they were.
Throughout 1994 interest rates continued to rise and Citron’s leverage began to collapse. On Dec. 6, 1994, Orange County declared bankruptcy. It was the largest municipal bankruptcy ever seen and the fallout continued for years.
Guests:
Chris Knap, former Staff Writer, Orange County Register; current editor, KPCC
Norberto Santana Jr., reporter and chief editor for Voice of OC, a non-profit investigative news agency
Filmweek: 'Still Alice,' 'Wild,' 'Dying of the Light' and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Amy Nicholson and Andy Klein review this week’s releases, including 'Still Alice,' 'Wild,' 'Dying of the Light' and more. TGI-Filmweek!
Ranker - Top 10 Lists and More
Guests:
Amy Nicholson, film critic for KPCC and LA Weekly
Andy Klein, film critic for KPCC and L.A. Times Community Paper Chain
'Tales of the Grim Sleeper' by filmmaker-cum-homicide detective once more
Nick Broomfield styles himself as the Columbo of true-crime filmmakers. In his latest verite style documentary, he wades into a 25-year-old story of a serial killer that quietly stalked south central Los Angeles, allegedy murdering dozens of sex-trade workers. Broomfield is not just investigating the alleged murderer, but the LAPD, as well. In July 2010, when police arrested Lonnie Franklin Jr., the so-called Grim Sleeper, for the murder of 10 women, Broomfield was confounded by how the accused Franklin could have escaped notice for so long.
The question takes Broomfield to the streets and alleys of south LA, where he enlists the help of locals who know Franklin. One unforgettable Angeleno who takes charge of numerous scenes is Pam, a former drug-addicted prostitute whose streets smarts, unpretentious humility and dark humor help make this tragedy more accessible. While Franklin has yet to stand trial four years after his arrest, "Tales of the Grim Sleeper" is as much an indictment of police and local officials. “The lack of concern allowed this hunting ground," said Broomfield.
Guests:
Nick Broomfield, Director of “Tales of the Grim Sleeper” shortlisted for an Oscar for best documentary feature 2015; the film is coming to the big screen at an unspecified date later this month and will air on HBO next year; Broomfield is also renowned for previous documentary features, "Kurt and Courtney," and "Biggie and Tupac."