AirTalk debates creating savings accounts for LAUSD students in hopes of increasing college attendance after the City Council voted to hire a consultant on the idea. We also dive into how the Disney-Fox deal could change how Angelenos watch local sports; review this week’s movie releases on FilmWeek; and more.
After New York subway bombing, Trump admin re-ups push toward merit-based immigration
In light of the New York subway bomber, the White House has renewed its rhetoric about the need for a merit-based rather than family-based immigration system.
According to the Associated Press, the issue will be a major talking point in the president’s forthcoming State of the Union address.
The White House is pushing for a system that will give preference to employability, education and other “merit” markers in determining who gets into the country. Our current system, called “chain-migration” by the White House, also known as “family-migration,” privileges the family members of those who are already U.S. citizens.
What are the pros and cons of each system? Would a “merit-based” system really prevent the entry of people like the New York bomber into the U.S.?
Guests:
Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at Center for Immigration Studies; she tweets
Megan Essaheb, director of immigration advocacy at Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC; she tweets
How the Disney-Fox deal could impact how you watch local sports
With the mega Disney-21st Century Fox deal, 22 regional sports networks will be moved under the Disney / ESPN banner.
In LA, the move will specifically apply to Fox Sports West, Prime Ticket and Fox Sports San Diego, which broadcast the Clippers, the Kings and the Ducks’ games.
For a discussion on how the blockbuster merger might impact L.A. sports fans, Larry is joined by Daniel Roberts, business writer at Yahoo sports, and media analyst Daniel Ives.
Guests:
Daniel Roberts, sports business writer at Yahoo Finance and hosts of the podcast, Sportsbook; he tweets at
Daniel Ives, head of technology research at GBH Insights, a market research firm specializing in the fields of media, entertainment and technology
Should the city make college savings accounts for all LAUSD students?
The Los Angeles City Council is considering a novel idea: creating savings accounts for students in the Los Angeles Unified School District in hopes that they’ll be more likely to go to college.
On Tuesday, the Council voted to hire a consultant to analyze the idea and give recommendations. The motion was introduced by Councilmember David Ryu, who based it on a study that that showed that a low or moderate income child with $500 in college savings is three times more likely to enroll in college and four times more likely to graduate. In one potential plan, a kindergartener enrolled in a district school would get $50 in their savings, meaning an estimated cost of $2.7 million to 3.4 million a year.
Critics of the program have said it would be an inefficient use of public funds and that there are more efficient ways to get kids into college – for example, hiring tutors so they have better grades and test scores.
Also, since LAUSD covers cities other than Los Angeles, the logistics of which students get savings accounts might be difficult to navigate.
Should LAUSD provide college savings accounts to its students? Is this the best way for the city to ensure that kids go to college? Did having or not having savings impact your decision or ability to go to college?
Guests:
Carl Rist, senior director of children’s savings at Prosperity Now, a Washington D.C.-based consulting and advocacy firm that’s helping develop the savings account program
Lisa Snell, director of Education at The Reason Foundation
FilmWeek: ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ ‘Ferdinand,’ ‘The Ballad of Lefty Brown,’ and more
Larry Mantle and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein, Wade Major, and Charles Solomon review this weekend’s new movie releases.
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" in wide release
"Ferdinand" in wide release
"Wormwood" at Laemmle's Music Hall and on Netflix
KPCC's arts and culture show The Frame interviewed "Wormwood" director Errol Morris on his new approach to the documentary genre. You can listen here.
"The Ballad of Lefty Brown" at Laemmle's NoHo
"Quest" at Laemmle's Monica Film Center
"Ethel and Ernest" at Nuart Theatre
"The Leisure Seeker" at Laemmle's Royal
"Shakespeare Wallah" at Laemmle's Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre
Critics' Hits
Lael: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" & "Ferdinand"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7RkOfN8KvE
Wade: "Wormwood"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b01DL8DTUGM&t=75s
Charles: "Quest"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbSitiWAul0&t=62s
Mixed Feelings
Lael: "The Ballad of Lefty Brown"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv2khM97ylU
Wade: "The Leisure Seeker"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGGKsVFslJ8
Misses
Charles: "Ethel & Ernest"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXDlEw5u8u8
Guests:
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine
After deal with Disney, what will remain of heralded movie studio 20th Century Fox?
By now, you’ve likely read about the agreement Disney and Fox have reached for the former to swallow up a big portion of the latter – specifically, Disney is paying $52.4 billion for most of 21st Century Fox.
It’s a move Disney is hoping will pay off on the streaming front, as it plans to launch two streaming services by 2019 and, thanks to the deal, will now have a much wider array of content to offer on those platforms, giving them the muscle they need to compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon. The deal also includes Hulu, casting an even wider net on Disney’s streaming reach.
But what does the deal mean for the legacy of 20th Century Fox, which has been a major Hollywood film studio for decades? It has been responsible for movies like ‘The Sound of Music,’ ‘Avatar,’ and ‘Star Wars: A New Hope,’ so what does this mean for the ‘studio era’ of Hollywood? What will become of the 53 acre Fox movie lot in Century City? What did you find unique about Fox films?
Guests:
Jonathan Kuntz, film historian and lecturer at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television
Lael Loewenstein, KPCC film critic
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and CineGods.com
Charles Solomon, film critic for KPCC, Animation Scoop and Animation Magazine