The House of Representatives is close to passing the appropriations bill with just under $1.1 trillion in funding. Also, a study published today finds that a single conversation with the right messenger can go a long way toward building lasting support for a controversial social issue. Then, what are the psychological factors at work in the minds of sports fans?
Congress pushing forward with 2015 budget bill
Unlike last year, when Washington lawmakers could not agree on a budget and caused a government shutdown, Congress is expected to pass a 2015 budget deal before midnight. Delegating government spending through September 2015 with just under $1.1 trillion in funding, the House of Representatives is close to passing the appropriations bill.
Yet some Democratic lawmakers are up in arms over the legislation, citing last-minute riders to the bill that push against their interests. Certain controversial provisions include: changing campaign finance rules to allow wealthy donors to give nearly 10 times more to national parties than they previously could, amending the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill to loosen regulations on derivatives trading, cutting pension benefits for current retirees under certain plans, and stopping Washington D.C. from legalizing marijuana in the upcoming year despite a voter-approved initiative.
Passing any bill takes both houses of Congress, and the Senate may propose significant changes to the bill as it stands. While Democrats lost seats and their Senate majority in the 2014 midterm election, those results will not take place until January 20, forcing one last confrontation between the Republican House and the Democratic Senate. Leading the Senate Democrats in this fight is Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who recently had a leadership position crafted for her as the new strategic policy adviser to the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Senator Warren called for House Democrats to withhold support from the bill, although Democratic leaders were wary of causing what could be the second government shutdown in two years. Just last year, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) contributed to a government shutdown by calling for House Republicans to vote against last year’s spending bill.
Do you think the government will pass a budget? What is more important for a lawmaker: remaining steadfast in one’s beliefs or coming together to compromise?
Guests:
Kitty Felde, KPCC's Washington, D.C. Correspondent
Victoria McGrane, reporter for the Wall Street Journal covering financial regulation. Her piece for the Journal yesterday looked at the spending bill and the Dodd-Frank and derivatives fight
Dodgers and Angels trades shake up rosters as 2014 Winter Meetings wrap up in San Diego
Baseball in Los Angeles is going to have a very different look in 2015, thanks to a slew of trades that came through in the 11th hour of the 2014 MLB Winter Meetings in San Diego.
News broke Wednesday that shortstop and former MVP Jimmy Rollins was traded to the Dodgers after a 15-year stint with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers also added Angels’ all-star second baseman Howie Kendrick in exchange for young starter Andrew Heaney, who the Dodgers had acquired from the Marlins earlier in the day. Meanwhile, the Dodgers shipped off young second baseman Dee Gordon, veteran starter Dan Haren, and infielder Miguel Rojas to Miami. If that wasn’t enough already, the Dodgers also made a move late Wednesday and signed free-agent pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a four year deal worth $48 million.
Reports began to surface Thursday morning that the Dodgers had agreed to a deal with the San Diego Padres that would send Matt Kemp to San Diego. Neither team has confirmed the deal as of yet, but sources like ESPN and the LA Times are reporting that the deal is done.
How will these moves directly affect the Dodgers and Angels next season? Do you think it was smart for the Dodgers to ship off some of their younger talent, like Dee Gordon? Do these moves help or hurt the Dodgers’ and Angels’ chances of winning their respective divisions next year?
Guests:
Ryan Fagan, MLB writer for the Sporting News
Pedro Moura, baseball writer for the Orange County Register, covering the Angels and Dodgers
New study reveals the science of how we change our minds (updated with clarification)
Update, May 28, 2015: Since this AirTalk segment was published on Dec. 11, 2014, Science has retracted the journal article that is the source of the segment. Donald P. Green, who co-authored the study with AirTalk guest Michael LeCour, on May 19, 2015, asked Science to retract the paper, according to Science Editor in Chief Marcia McNutt:
Science, with the concurrence of author Donald P. Green, is retracting the 12 December 2014 Report “When contact changes minds: An experiment on transmission of support for gay equality” by LaCour and Green ( 1 ).
The reasons for retracting the paper are as follows: (i) Survey incentives were misrepresented. To encourage participation in the survey, respondents were claimed to have been given cash payments to enroll, to refer family and friends, and to complete multiple surveys. In correspondence received from Michael J. LaCour’s attorney, he confirmed that no such payments were made. (ii) The statement on sponsorship was false. In the Report, LaCour acknowledged funding from the Williams Institute, the Ford Foundation, and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund. Per correspondence from LaCour’s attorney, this statement was not true.
In addition to these known problems, independent researchers have noted certain statistical irregularities in the responses ( 2 ). LaCour has not produced the original survey data from which someone else could independently confirm the validity of the reported findings.
Michael J. LaCour does not agree to this Retraction.
Other media organizations that reported on the study — including the This American Life and The New York Times — have chosen to add notes like this to their coverage as well.
In light of these developments, KPCC is adding this note advising listeners that the study is not what it purports to be and that the data at its source is falsified.
Previous segment: Most political strategists will tell you that changing voters’ opinions on divisive issues is difficult if not impossible — and that when it does occur, it is almost always fleeting. But a new study published today in the journal Science finds that a single conversation with the right messenger can go a long way toward building lasting support for a controversial social issue. The study took place in 2013 just a month before the Supreme Court effectively overturned California’s Prop 8, which outlawed same-sex marriage in 2008.
The project followed a long-standing door-to-door campaign in support of gay marriage and found that, while by the end of the year support for gay marriage was slightly up among voters in the study, the increase in support for gay marriage among those who had been contacted by gay canvassers was five times higher than that of the other participants. In addition, and perhaps even more noteworthy, that effect tends to spill over to friends and family members. The study looked specifically at the issues of Americans’ support for gay marriage, but the same researchers are beginning to apply their findings to other contentious issues, starting with abortion rights, and they hope to eventually test whether a similar approach could shift people’s attitudes on immigration.
Have you had similar experiences? When was the last time your mind was changed on a political issue? Was it because you came into contact with someone who was personally affected by the issue? Have you changed someone’s mind?
Guest:
Michael LaCour, Ph. D. candidate in the Department of Political Science and Statistics, University of California at Los Angeles; he co-authored the study in Science
LA County Sups vote to hire more watchdogs to oversee Sheriff's Dept
The new LA sheriff in town, Jim McDonnell, will have to answer to a civilian commission approved on Tuesday by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Exactly how the new oversight body will function, who will preside on it and how extensive their powers will be is yet to be decided. Sheriff McDonnell will join a working group of appointees to help craft the office.
Earlier this year, the same idea was rejected by the board, but with newly elected Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis, Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas was able to get the votes. This significant change comes after two years of controversy at the LA County Sheriff's Department that saw criminal indictments against 21 current and former sheriff's employees. The current Inspector General of the department has complained his oversight powers are limited because he cannot access personnel records.
Should the commission include law enforcement officials? Should it have subpoena power? What about access to personnel records?
Guests:
Sheila Kuehl, Supervisor for Los Angeles County’s 3rd District; Kuehl voted for the creation of a civilian commission
Don Knabe, Supervisor for Los Angeles County's 4th District; Knabe voted against the creation of a civilian commission
Lakers president Jeanie Buss on the franchise’s current quagmire and future seasons
After a disappointing 2013-14 season, the Lakers were supposed to be a title contender again. The team got a new head coach in Lakers veteran Byron Scott and brought in a supporting cast including Jeremy Lin, Nick Young and Jordan Hill to back up a healthy and rested Kobe Bryant. But injuries continue to find a way to plague the team. The Lakers’ supposed torchbearer, Julius Randle, is sitting out the entire season after breaking his leg early on. And guard Steve Nash is still sidelined from recurring nerve damage in his back. The Lakers are 6-16 so far this season.
On Tuesday, at an event in New York City, Lakers legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson told reporters "I hope the Lakers lose every game, because if you're going to lose, lose. And I'm serious." Later that day, Magic took to
Laker Nation: Today in NY, I said I hope the Lakers don't win too many games because I want them to have the 1st or 2nd pick in the draft.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) December 10, 2014
and clarified his comments, saying "Laker Nation: Today in NY, I said I hope the Lakers don't win too many games because I want them to have the 1st or 2nd pick in the draft."
AirTalk asked Lakers part-owner and president Jeanie Buss on Thursday what her response to those comments was. You can hear Jeanie Buss' response by clicking the 'play' button above and going to the 3:00 mark of the audio.
"I was really disappointed in that and I got a message....I haven't spoken directly to Magic but I got a message to him and I ask him how would he feel if he was on the team, if he was on a team that someone who's close to the team and a legend, you know, of the game said something about a team that he was a player on, and in great Magic Johnson fashion, his reply was "If I was playing for that team, they wouldn't be losing." So there wouldn't have to be this conversation, so that's true Magic style, and we've got a player like Magic in Kobe Bryant, meaning that there is no chance that Kobe isn't going to do everything that he can do to make sure that the Lakers have every opportunity to win. We have a coach in Byron Scott who knows how to win and isn't going to settle for anything less than winning. So I think even though Magic's intention might have been good, I think he's read the situation completely wrong and I don't think that there's any player on this team, or coach, that would accept losing."
The team lost to the New Orleans Pelicans earlier in the week at the Staples Center and fans were so dismayed they started booing. What would team leadership need to do to not lose the loyalty of Lakers fans? With limited resources, how can the Lakers rebuild next year? What is the rebuilding plan for the team going forward?
Guest:
Jeanie Buss, part-owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers
What do sports mean to us in society?
It’s no secret that sports fans are some of the most passionate humans on the planet. Die-hard fans will follow their favorite teams and players to the ends of the Earth and can experience the full spectrum of emotions over the course of a season. Sports allow us to experience sweet victory, bitter defeat, unbridled anger, and sometimes, just pure bewilderment. Many say it’s the human need to feel like we belong to something that fuels our passion for sport. We pick our favorite teams, spend our money on their merchandise, root for them unconditionally, and rail against rival teams. The importance of sports to Americans is undeniable. It is a phenomenon that perpetually permeates society when other things come and go.
But what do sports really mean to us? Why do we get so invested in the teams we love? What are the psychological factors at work in the minds of sports fans? Is humanity’s ongoing love affair with sports evidence that the human need for a tribal connection is as strong as ever?
Guests:
Michael Malec, Ph.D, professor of sociology at Boston College specializing in the sociology of sport
Edward Hirt, Ph.D, professor of social psychology at Indiana University, has done studies and research on the psychology of sports fans