The White House is imposing sanctions against Russia for cyberhacking – we look at the historical context of this move; ‘the cloud’ has an environmental footprint – what can tech companies do to make it more green in 2017?; plus, guest host Patt Morrison and KPCC film critics review new releases, including ‘20th Century Women,’ as well as the best underrated movies of 2016.
Putting into historical context White House’s sanctions on Russia over cyberhacking
The White House has unveiled a series of sanctions against Russia for election-related cyberhacking.
The package of penalties include the ouster of 35 Russian officials and the closure of two Russian state-owned enterprises in the U.S.
The measures are the toughest yet the Obama administration have taken to date for a cyberattack. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response has been muted. He has rejected the country’s foreign minister’s recommendation to retaliate and vowed to work with President-Elect Trump to better US-Russia relations.
Guest host Patt Morrison discusses the censures with a panel of Russian experts and historians.
Guests:
Jeffrey Tayler, author and journalist, Russia correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly; he tweets from
Nina Tumarkin, a professor of History and Slavic Studies at Wellesley College. She is an expert on US-Russia relations
Yoshiko Margaret Herrera, Professor of Political Science specializing in Russia and the former Soviet states at University of Wisconsin-Madison
‘The cloud’ is partially powered by coal – how can we make it more energy efficient?
“The cloud,” an online form of computing that provides digital storage and streaming services, may be intangible, but its environmental footprint is not.
That’s because it’s backed by computer data centers, facilities filled with servers and powered by electricity. And while some of that electricity comes from renewable sources, a portion of it still comes from coal.
Data centers in the U.S. have risen in number, but their energy use is fairly steady, thanks to increased efficiency. The growth of data centers in China have also prompted efforts to make them more cost and energy efficient. And tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon have taken steps reduce their energy consumption, both in terms of their data centers and their supply chain.
But carbon offsets, coal-generated electricity and lack of consistent renewable energy are all issues tech companies will have to deal with in order to make the cloud more “green,” according to Wired’s Klint Finley.
What is the current state of data center energy consumption? What steps can tech companies take to mitigate climate change and make the internet more green in 2017?
Guest:
Katie Fehrenbacher, journalist with a focus on technology and energy, former senior writer at Fortune; she tweets
FilmWeek: ‘Live By Night,’ ‘Paterson’ and ‘20th Century Women’
Guest host Patt Morrison and KPCC film critics Lael Loewenstein and Andy Klein review this week's new movie releases including Ben Affleck’s “Live By Night” set in the Prohibition Era; the quiet but poetic “Paterson” starring Adam Driver; and the dramedy of three women exploring life in the 70s, featuring Annette Bening in “20th Century Women.” We’ll also take a look at 2016’s most underappreciated films, and remember beloved actors Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.
TGI-FilmWeek!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JnFaltqnAY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8pGJBgiiDU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClcQUlXcCKw
Andy's Hits
Mixed Reviews
- Lael: "20th Century Women"
This Week's Misses
- Lael & Andy: "Paterson" & "Live By Night"
Guests:
Lael Lowenstein, Film Critic for KPCC
Andy Klein, Film Critic for KPCC
Unheralded Gems of 2016
2016 was a big year for film - from Barry Jenkins’ critically acclaimed “Moonlight,” to the sweet songs and dances decorating two lovers in “La La Land,” to action-packed Star Wars spin off, “Rogue One” and more, more, more.
But buried beneath the thick were plenty of hidden gems our film critics are here to help surface. What were your favorite movies of the year that didn’t garner enough award buzz or appreciation and why?
In the final week of 2016, we also lost beloved mother and daughter Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, and will remember their talent, tenderness and tenacity for life.
Guests:
Lael Lowenstein, Film Critic for KPCC
Andy Klein, Film Critic for KPCC