Today, we'll talk about what happens when an open campus gets locked down. We'll also discuss the question of whether Gov. Chris Christie's weight might hurt his presidential hopes, Sen. Nancy Pelosi's reaction to fiscal cliff negotiations in regards to medicare, and the little-used constitutional convention that Assemblyman Mike Gatto wants to use to overturn Citizen's United. Later, former KTBS meteorologist Rhonda Lee speaks with Larry about her recent dismissal. All that and more, on AirTalk.
Classes resume at Cal State Fullerton after emergency campus lockdown and criminal search
Classes at California State University, Fullerton resumed today after police locked down the school for eight hours as they searched the campus for an armed-robbery suspect thought to have hidden there.
The suspect, who remains at large, evaded police last night after allegedly robbing a Moreno Valley jewelry store with four accomplices. After they purportedly shot a jewelry store employee, the five suspects led police on a car chase that spanned four counties before stopping at Cal State Fullerton. After four suspects jumped out of the car, one continued driving, but eventually surrendered when he inadvertently ran into dozens of Los Angeles Police Department officers, including Chief Charlie Beck, at a charity function in Watts.
Cal State sent text messages to students notifying them of the school lockdown while emergency alarms also sounded on campus. A contingent of Fullerton police remain at the Cal State campus as a safety precaution, but authorities do not believe the suspect is still on the premises. Two of the five suspects are still on the run.
How effective and realistic is the objective of locking down a public college campus? How helpful is text messaging for communicating with students in an emergency situation?
Guests:
Commander Andrew Smith, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
David Hood, news editor for the Daily Titan, print journalism major at California State University, Fullerton
Colorado River Report says Los Angeles could face water shortages over the next 50 years
In what he said was “a call to action,” the US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar yesterday issued the unhappy results of a study looking at water sustainability in the Western United States. The study, which took three years to complete, looked at the Colorado River’s ability to meet the future water needs of city-dwellers, Native Americans, businesses, ranchers and farmers in seven Western states.
What it found was a water flow reduced by 12 years of drought, from 15 million acre-feet per year, to just 12. The study also projects that by 2060 the river flow could fall by 3.2 million, to 8 million acre-feet short of regional needs, which would affect an estimated 40 million people. Some advocacy groups, however, are criticizing the report, saying the government inflated projections of the amount of water in the river and the number of people in the region.
Water administrators and state officials have proposed some creative solutions, from piping water from the nation's heartland to towing Arctic icebergs south to water Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix, but Secretary Salazar has dismissed most of these as either politically or technically impractical. Larry hears from all sides and takes your suggestions on Southern California’s water policy.
Guest:
Anne Castle, Assistant Interior Secretary for the Department of the Interior, water and science
Molly Peterson, KPCC Environmental Reporter
Governor Chris Christie says he’s not too fat to be president, would voters agree?
In an interview last night with ABC’s Barbara Walters, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie answered questions about his weight, specifically as it may apply to a future presidential run. Walters interviewed Christie after naming him one of the 10 most fascinating people of 2012.
The Republican governor gained more national notoriety than ever this year after his involvement in Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign and his handling of Hurricane Sandy. Christie’s response to Walter’s question about whether his weight would damage future presidential prospects was succinct – “that’s ridiculous.” Walters pressed on, saying that voters could be concerned about Christie’s health, but he deflected, pointing to the long hours and intensity of his current position as proof that he could handle the commander-in-chief role.
How fit does the president need to be? Could Christie’s weight limit his ability to effectively do the job? Even if his health wasn’t an issue, could Christie’s weight affect his electability? In 2008, there was some speculation about whether Barack Obama was too thin to be relatable – could a Christie campaign inspire similar sentiment? Should a candidate’s weight be a topic of discussion, or is it irrelevant?
Guest:
David Chmiel, Senior Political Reporter, NJ.com
Could raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 avoid fiscal cliff?
In no uncertain terms, House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) voiced her opposition this morning to her Republican counterparts’ proposal for avoiding the fiscal cliff by raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67.
Pelosi’s point of contention is the GOP’s unwillingness to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans while making older Medicare beneficiaries pay higher premiums. In a recent op-ed for USA Today, Pelosi argues that Democrats are willing to discuss reducing health expenditures in the Affordable Care Act while not undermining Medicare as a whole.
Republicans reason that because older beneficiaries consume six times more health care than 18-year-olds, it’s a good place to look for savings. But what does the actual math say? That too, is murky. Larry debates the numbers with two economists who see different results from raising the Medicare eligibility age.
Guest:
Jonathan Gruber, professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and director of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Program on Health Care; he was a paid consultant to both the Romney and Obama Administrations on health care reform, he helped craft Massachusetts’s universal health care law
Angels reportedly make blockbuster deal for Josh Hamilton
Baseball star Josh Hamilton has reportedly reached a deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to become their new outfielder.
The deal, reported at 5 years, $125 million, comes one day after Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto’s claims of no serious personnel moves were to be made.
"The Angels had been preaching all winter about pitching even as late as the winter meetings last week, the General manager Jerry Dipoto said his focus was 100% on pitching," said L.A. Times sports writer Mike DiGiovanna. "They were trying to re-sign Zack Greinke, who as you probably know just singed with the Dodgers the other day…sometimes this happens in the game, the owners allocated a certain amount of money toward a guy and all of a sudden mentally they feel like they've freed up money to go to somebody else."
Yahoo Sports writer Jeff Passan puts it in a slightly different way:
"[Arte] Moreno, the Angels' owner, is fiercely protective of his place in the Southern California market. To see the Los Angeles Dodgers dropping $147 million on Zack Greinke like it's nothing and following the next day with a $61 million investment in Ryu Hyun-jin as if it's but a sawbuck to their bottom line not only changed the landscape of the sport, it transformed Moreno"
Hamilton does not come without his liabilities, however. The star left-hander has been open about his drug and alcohol addiction from earlier in his career. Still, he has remained a perpetual all-star since 2008.
"Surely the Angels are fully aware of his background," said DiGiovanna. "There are standard clauses in the major league contract where if he does have some kind of problem with drugs or alcohol that that contract can be voided."
Hamilton was also named the AL MVP in 2010 and one of only 16 players in Major League Baseball history to record four home runs in a single game. Last year, the outfielder recorded 43 home runs and 128 runs batted in for the Texas Rangers.
Guest:
Mike DiGiovanna, Baseball Writer,
Assemblyman Mike Gatto hopes Article 5 can overturn Citizens United
Plenty of people were unhappy with the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizen’s United, which resulted in a constitutional amendment that allows corporations and unions the ability unlimited spending on political campaigns. Even staunch Republican supporters had second thoughts after heavily funded super-PACS dominated campaign dollars in the last election.
But according to Los Angeles Assemblyman Michael Gatto, there is a way to reverse the decision, hidden in the constitution itself. Article 5 directs Congress to call a convention for proposing Amendments to the constitution, if two-thirds of the states agree. Any proposed amendment would then need to be ratified by three-quarters of the legislature. Gatto hopes this little-known corner the constitution could undo Citizens United. He’s introduced a resolution that he hopes will get the ball rolling in California, with other states to follow.
Article 5 has never been used successfully, and constitutional law experts aren’t sure it’s a good idea. The problem? Once the constitutional convention has been called, it’s not clear that the proposals will be limited to just one - any number of amendments could be thrown in the mix. This process, they warn, could lead to open season on the Constitution, putting the First Amendment and other beloved protections up for grabs.
Is the use of Article 5 to stop Citizens United appropriate - or even feasible? Should California lead the way in this effort? Or are we opening up a can of constitutional worms?
Guests:
Michael Gatto, California Assemblyman for 43rd District, representing the cities of Burbank, Glendale, and parts of Los Angeles including Los Feliz, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, and Van Nuys.
Justin Levitt, associate professor of law at Loyola Law School
Walking while texting could be dangerous to your health
We all know we’re not supposed to text and drive. But being on foot may not be any safer. If you’re immersed in your iPhone, Android, iPod or other mobile device, you may not be looking both ways.
A new study just came out that found that over 25 percent of Seattle pedestrians were absorbed and distracted by their devices as they walked that city’s streets, leading to unsafe behavior: not obeying signals, wandering out of crosswalks and ignoring passing traffic. Listening to music on headphones can be dangerous too.
Have you found yourself narrowly avoiding an accident because of your device? Should there be a law against texting and walking?