LA leaders are calling for more oversight at the LA County Sheriff's Department. Next, a look at this year's fire season, crime convictions reporting requirements on job applications, and NSA domestic spying. Then, we explore a project that trains journalists in conflict zones and discuss holiday tipping etiquette.
What can fix failures at LA Sheriff's Department?
Los Angeles County Supervisor, Mark Ridley-Thomas has joined the chorus of voices calling for improved oversight of the L.A County Sheriff's Department. It follows the arrests of 18 current and former deputies on charges of abusing inmates and jail visitors.
"This should not be taken lightly because of the need to make sure that we are building a culture where no one operates under the impression they are above the law", said Ridley-Thomas.
The federal investigation uncovered a series of civil rights violations, including excessive force and unlawful arrests.
Speaking in response to the case, U.S. Attorney, Andre Birotte, Jr. said "These incidents did not take place in a vacuum. In fact, they demonstrated behavior that had become institutionalized."
Ridley-Thomas acknowledged that Sheriff Lee Baca, an elected official, would have to consent to increased oversight but argued that it is in his "best interest" given the controversy surrounding the scandal. Should civilians have more oversight over law enforcement entities? Should greater scrutiny be built into public entities?
Guests:
Michael Gennaco, Chief Attorney, L.A. County's Office of Independent Review
Brian Buchner, President, National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement - founded in 1995
More fires but less damage: California wildfire season throws a curveball
The 2013 wildfire season was the deadliest in 20 years for firefighters across the country after the tragic Yarnell fire that killed 19 people in Arizona.
In California, the large, fast-moving Rim Fire caught the nation's attention as it scorched through 402 square miles across the Yosemite and Stanislaus National forests.Despite the huge habitat and wildland loss from that single fire, the overall amount of land burned in the state was actually below average.
Dire warnings about dry weather and fierce winds never materialized and the amount of land burned this year was less than the 10-year average. The Santa Ana winds did not blow with their usual strength keeping smaller fires from spreading.
Why was this wildfire season better than expected? Is it possible to predict how bad a fire season will be? How are state fire officials preparing for next year?
Guest:
Julie Hutchinson, Battalion Chief with California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Should employers be banned from asking if job applicants have convicted crimes?
"Have you ever been convicted of a crime?" San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim is proposing to eliminate this question of virtually all job applications in San Francisco.
Kim would like to amend the city’s current ban by expanding it to include most private employers, publicly funded housing providers and city contractors. Already, 10 states and over 50 cities have adopted a version of “ban the box” and more private employers support the ban.
Is disclosure of a criminal history necessary or is it preventing otherwise qualified and competent applicants from earning employment? How would eliminating this question from the job application process impact those convicted of crimes?
Guest:
Jane Kim, San Francisco Supervisor representing District 6 encompassing the Tenderloin, South of Market, Mid-Market/Civic Center, South Beach, Mission Bay, Rincon Hill and Treasure Island/Yerba Buena Island neighborhoods
Elizabeth Milito, Senior Executive Counsel, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
Dorsey Nunn, Executive Director, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children; Co-founder, All of Us or None, a project of LSPC started by formerly incarcerated people in 2003
Is the US intelligence community growing out of control?
The U.S. intelligence community has been under scrutiny this year like never before. Leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden have shed light on the wide expanse of power the country's top spy agencies have both abroad and over their own citizens.
One Democratic Senator, Ron Wyden, has been fighting for years to get the NSA to open up about their domestic spying programs and he’s starting to gain momentum. Wyden has put forth a bill to put limits on the NSA's surveillance programs and to reform the court that oversees them.
California Democrat Dianne Feinstein has proposed her own competing bill that allows the programs and says the risks of terrorism outweigh privacy concerns. President Obama could be the deciding vote in this contentious issue about how widespread the NSA's powers should be.
But will he pick a side? Will the Snowden leaks provide the momentum to make changes in domestic spying laws? Do terrorism concerns take precedence over the right to privacy?
Guests:
Ryan Lizza, Washington correspondent for The New Yorker
Cedric Leighton, founder and president of Cedric Leighton Associates, a risk and leadership management consultancy. He is also a retired colonel in the US Air Force and the former Director for Training of the National Security Agency.
LA-based Tiziano Project spreads the power of hyperlocal journalism in conflict zones
Journalism is dead, long live journalism. The Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street have taught the world that “news” needs no longer be something “gathered” by foreign journalists from prestigious international news operations, that it is often most engaging and effective when stories are told by people from the inside—by those who live it, breathe it and know it like no one else.
For the past 7 years, The Tiziano Project, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, has assembled a team of multimedia journalists and dispatched them to places as far away as East Jerusalem, Kabul, Latvia and as close as South Los Angeles to train folks living in those communities on using social media, photography, video to tell their stories and their struggles.
KPCC’s very own visual journalist Grant Slater has been involved in The Tiziano Project since the beginning. He talks to guest host Frank Stoltz about the group’s latest training project in Sri Lanka.
The Tiziano Project:
www.tizianoproject.org
www.facebook.com/tizianoproject
The Sri Lanka workshops:
instagram.com/grantslater#
everydaysrilanka.tumblr.com/
Guest:
Grant Slater, KPCC’s visual journalist and a mentor with The Tiziano Project. He tweets at
How much should you tip this holiday season? (Poll)
The holiday season is in full swing, and with it a slew of tipping opportunities and obligations. But how much should you tip on that restaurant bill? What should the nanny get?
This week, Zagat released its Holiday Tipping Survey, which shed light on some tipping habits. The survey revealed that 57 percent of diners calculate the tip based on the post-tax amount and that the average American will tip the babysitter $69 during the holidays.
What is proper tipping etiquette this holiday season? How much do you tip at a restaurant? Who will you be tipping this season?
Weigh In:
Guest:
Diane Gottsman, Owner, Protocol School of Texas - which is a company specializing in executive etiquette and leadership training.